See how the jazz-minded guitarist and ace sideman twisted his bastardized Tele with a flush board of analog gems and freaky filth for his latest album, Alter Ego.
You've seen him alongside John Mayer, Jonny Lang, and even Evan Rachel Wood. You heard him in the award-winning Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark Broadway musical and Thundercat's hit "Drunk." And now guitarist Zane Carney is looking to step out and take on the spotlight with the release of his new album Alter Ego on April 30th via Orenda Records. The 9-song collection is self-described as a "bold and bombastic improvised jazz quartet record" featuring Jerry Watts Jr. on bass, Gene Coye on drums, and Katisse Buckingham on woodwinds.
"I wanted this record to feel alive," said Zane Carney. "This is the first time my actual improvisational spirit is being expressed in recorded format. I wanted to capture the sparks that fly when Jerry, Gene, Katisse, and I improvise together, and document the untamed, almost manic spirit that LA's late night jazz scene has produced: there is a certain energy and freedom that transcends genre. West Coast jazz is genreless, it's reckless, it's audacious, and it pushes boundaries. In order to summon that ferocity, we approached this session as one might approach an unmoderated debate: no judgement or rules, freely exploring new lands harmonically, whenever a member felt like leading the charge. I wanted us to be as nimble and agile as possible, so we could access that core flow state more readily. Every one of us served as a conversation-leader at different points on the record, and I think you hear that especially on songs like 'Alter' and 'Lost.'"
The jazz-guitar geek virtually welcomed PG's Chris Kies into his Cali-based home jam space (and Twitch studio).
In this episode, the lively guitarist shows off the two guitars (and others) used for Alter Ego, divulges the Deluxe Memory Man settings disclosed to him by U2's The Edge while working on Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, and he briefly explains how he uses musical emotions and "feelings" as a Trojan horse to explain theory.
[ Brought to you by: D'Addario XS Strings]
1999 Fender Jerry Donahue Telecaster
At first glance, you see a well-loved 1999 Fender Jerry Donahue Telecaster, but as Carney discusses in the Rundown, it's more his signature now than Donahue's. The original formula had a Strat-style neck pickup with a Tele-style bridge pickup controlled by a 5-way selector. The blue bombshell now has a Broadcaster-style neck pickup and a 3-way selector switch. He also sanded down the neck after playing producer David Kahne's 1952 Broadcaster that was worn and torn. And topped it off with a new Buzz Feiten Tuning System Shelf Nut. He used this guitar for every track on the new album except for "Things You Aren't" where he used his Gibson 335. This sweet dream stays in standard and takes D'Addario NYXL (.010–.046) strings.
2004 Antique Violin Finish Hofner Jazzica
Here's Zane's actual signature guitar … well not quite—this is a 2004 Antique Violin Finish Hofner Jazzica that Carney modified with a custom Buscarino pickup. It was the archetype for Zane's eventual Signature Model Hofner Jazzica (that has now been sold out). Highlights include a carved spruce top, laminated flamed maple sides and back, one-piece flame maple neck, ebony fretboard with 24 frets, ebony tailpiece cap, knobs, tuner buttons, truss rod cover, bridge, Schaller M6 tuners, and (the same) custom Buscarino pickup. This one has been modified to have an Earvana nut. Like the one before and the rest coming up, they're all laced up with D'Addario NYXL strings.
2001 Gibson Beale Street Blue Limited-Edition ES-335
Around 16 or 17, while Carney was immersed in jazz guitar, his mother gifted him this 2001 Gibson Beale Street Blue Limited-Edition ES-335. This semi-hollow is all original like the day Mama Carney bought it.
2020 Artisan Aged Heritage H-575
Keeping the jazz-guitar theme rolling, above is a 2020 Artisan Aged Heritage H-575.The hollowbody is built with a carved curly maple top that's matched with solid curly maple back and sides. The moody, warm sounds come through thanks to its Seymour Duncan Seth Lover humbuckers. Making Carney work for it, this one employs D'Addario NYXL .013s.
2003 Hofner New President Archtop Jazz Guitar
"This is the guitar that started it all," declares Carney. The above 2003 Hofner New President Archtop Jazz Guitar helped him cut his teeth and they spent countless hours together to sharpen Zane's chops. Key appointments include a handcarved German spruce top, flame maple back and sides, European hard-rock maple neck with an ebony fretboard, the bridge, tailpiece, and pickguard are all ebony, and he swapped out the floating Hofner H514/FN-G humbucker for his preferred custom Buscarino pickup.
Siegmund Sound King 300
As a proud owner of seven Siegmund amps, it's no surprise he paired one of them with his blue Tele for Alter Ego. The choice amp for those live sessions was a Sound King 300 model. It has a unique recipe that involves 300B Genalex Gold Lion output tubes, 6SL7/6SN7 preamp tubes, and NOS 83 Mercury Vapor rectifier tube. Adding to the insular mojo is the matching cab that is home to a 15" field-coil speaker. (What you heard during the Rundown was Carney's Siegmund Midnight Blues—a lower-powered, lower-volume option he can mic up without being kicked out of his residence.)
Here's the backside of the Sound King 300 and its glassy oddballs.
Carney's Pedalboard
For a dude steeped in jazz, this is a line-crossingly large pedalboard. (At age 16, he won the Guitar Center Guitarmageddon contest and was commended by judge Steve Vai for not using a single pedal. He's a long way from there now with owning over 215 stomps!)
Here's what's cooking: Starting with the Quarantine Effects USA Time Machine Preamplifier "The Three" (smaller grey box in lower right) designed/built by Zane's brother, Grammy-winning Reeve Carney. (His brother's company started during 2020's lockdown.) The rest of those lower-right-corner pedals comprise his signal sizzlers—HAO Rumble MOD (still one of his favorite gain stages—especially when paired with his Hofner Zane Carney Signature Model Jazzica), SIB Electronics Nick Nitro Fuzz, EMMA Electronic ReezaFRATzitz Overdrive/Distortion V1, ZVEX Super Duper 2-in-1. Above there he has a pair of vintage Electro-Harmonix units—a Deluxe Memory Man and a POG. Closing out this half the board are the Boss VB-2 Vibrato and EHX Pitch Fork (used prominently on the Alter Ego track with the same name).
At the top left we have twins—two Maxon AD999 bucket-brigade delays (Zane's favorite slapback in all the world)—followed by a Keeley Compressor Pro, EHX Mel9, JHS Unicorn V1, Strymon Flint, EHX Freeze, and a Wampler Tumnus round out the flush board. Off to the side rests a TC Electronic Ditto X4 Looper, while utilitarian pedals include an Ernie Ball VPJr Volume Pedal and a TC Electronic PolyTune2 Noir.
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Day 12 of Stompboxtober means a chance to win today’s pedal from LR Baggs! Enter now and check back tomorrow for more!
LR Baggs Session DI Acoustic Guitar Preamp / DI
Inspired by the LR Baggs Handcrafted Video Sessions and our experience in some of Nashville’s great studios, the Session Acoustic DI brings our signature studio sound to your live rig. The Session DI enhances your acoustic pickup and imparts the rich sonic character that you’d expect from an experienced audio engineer using some of the world’s finest studio gear. We’ve captured this studio magic and put it into a compact, easy-to-use DI that will transform your live sound.
Mastodon's lead guitarist teams up with the Does It Doom creator Steve Reis to make a dream V come true with a sleek silverburst finish and alnico-V PAF humbuckers.
Woodrite Guitars, alongside with Dirty B himself, proudly presents the 'Dirty B' Signature Vagabond, a high-performance guitar that delivers on both craftsmanship and tone. The instrument's mahogany body and bound mahogany neck a repaired with a sleek Macassar ebony fingerboard, featuring distinctive custom "Mastogyph" inlays. Its silverburst finish adds to the guitar’s striking appearance, while stainless steel frets, Tonepros hardware, and Grover tuners provide the durability and precision expected in a professional-grade instrument.
Designed to meet the tonal needs of heavy players, the Vagabond is equipped with a set of Woodrite Barbarian humbuckers. Utilizing Alnico V magnets and inspired by the classic PAF design, these pickups offer a rich midrange response that thrives in both clean and overdriven settings. Coupled with a GraphTech TUSQ XL nut and "straight string pull" headstock for enhanced tuning stability, the 'Dirty B' is built to perform under the most demanding conditions, making it a reliable choice for musicians seeking versatility and sonic power.
Specs
- Body Shape: Vagabond
- Body Orientation: Right-Handed or Left-Handed
- Body Material: Mahogany
- Finish: Silverburst
- Clearcoat: Gloss Polyurethane
- Neck Pickup: Woodrite Barbarian (7.8k, A5, 42AWG)
- Bridge Pickup: Woodrite Barbarian (13.0k, A5, 43AWG)
- Controls: 2 Volume, 1 Tone, 3-Way Toggle Switch
- Finish: Chrome
- Bridge: TonePros Tune-O-Matic
- Tailpiece: TonePros Stop Bar
- Pickguard: Black
- Control Knobs: Black Top Hats w/ Reflectors
- Switch Tip: Black
- Jack Plate Cover: Chrome
- Material: Mahogany
- Binding: Yes
- Nut: GraphTech TUSQ XL
- Nut Width: 1.69″
- Profile: 0.800″ at 1st Fret, 0.875″ at 12th Fret, Medium “C” profile
- Scale Length: 24.75″
- Fingerboard Material: Ebony
- Fretwire: Jumbo Stainless Steel
- Inlays: ‘Dirty B’ Custom “Mastoglyph”
- Fingerboard Radius: 12″
- Number Of Frets: 22
- Tuning Machines: Grover Mini Rotomatic
- Tuning: D-Standard (D, G, C, F, A, D)
- Strings: D’Addario EXL116 (.011, .014, .018p, .030, .042, .052)
- Weight: Approximately 7 pounds
- Case: Includes Custom Form-Fitted Woodrite Guitars Hardshell Case
- Country of Origin: Built in Indonesia by PT Wildwood (PRS, ESP)
- Price: $1,599
With its ability to dial in custom reverb, delay, and chorus settings without needing any extra equipment and intuitive looper and Bluetooth audio functions, the TAG3 C is designed to make it easier than ever to write, practice, and perform.
Building on its brand legacy of innovation and creating many of the world’s finest guitars, the TAG3C TransAcoustic guitar from Yamaha offers an unmatched experience in sound, versatility, and playability to spark creative expression – making it the ideal instrument for the modern guitarist. The guitar features a solid Sitka spruce top and solid mahogany back and sides, available in natural(TAG3 C NT) or sand burst finish (TAG3 C SDB), and includes a convenient magnetic charging port to enhance its functionality and ease of use.
“TAG3 C is the ultimate tool for players looking to push themselves artistically. The ability to dial in custom reverb, delay, and chorus settings without needing any extra equipment is a game changer for creative workflows, and the intuitive looper and Bluetooth audio functions make it easier than ever to write, practice, and perform,” says Brandon Soriano, marketing manager, Yamaha Guitars.“Even with TransAcoustic technology turned off, TAG3 C is a fantastic acoustic instrument built with all solid wood and high-quality craftsmanship. TAG3 C is a no-brainer for the modern guitarist!”
TAG3 C is equipped with powerful built-in tech and effects including but not limited to loop capability with touch sensitivity, a rechargeable battery, Bluetooth capability, new and improved user interface, controls, and indicators. Guitarists can also access the TAG Remote mobile designed for enhanced control and optimization.
TAG3 C Highlights At-a-Glance
- Built-in effects: chorus, delay and reverb
- Built-in looper• Bluetooth connectivity
- On-board tuner
- Solid Sitka spruce top
- Solid mahogany back and sides
- Dreadnought-style cutaway with ebony fingerboard
- Available in natural or sand burst finish
- Superior acoustic sound quality
TAG3 C | Yamaha TransAcoustic Guitars - YouTube
Ever watch a video of yourself playing guitar and wonder why you do “that thing” with your face?
When I was 16, my parents came to see me play in a bar. (Montana in the ’80s was pretty cavalier about the drinking age.) On a break, I sat with my parents, and my father said, “Boy, you really move your mouth a lot when you play. Why do you do that?”
“Do what?” I replied.
“Move your mouth when you play guitar.”
“I don’t.”
“You definitely are. It’s like you are trying to pronounce every note. Sometimes it looked like you were grinding your teeth.”
“Really? Tonight? Here?”
“Yes, you were literally just doing it pretty much on every solo. It’s a bit off-putting.”
My recent obsession with Corey Feldman guitar-solo videos reminded me of that conversation. I now feel a kinship with Corey. When the “Comeback King” and I play guitar, we both share that vacuous, dead-eyed stare into the distance, mouth chomping, teeth gnashing wildly. I bet, like me, Corey had no idea he was doing it until he watched a video of himself playing. Say what you will about Feldman, but when you watch his mouth, you know he is genuinely trying his best. He is in it, lost in the process of trying to make music.
Maybe you, dear reader, also suffer from guitar face. Most of our heroes do/did. Gary Moore, SRV, Hendrix, B.B. King, Joe Walsh, Steve Vai, Santana, Paul Gilbert—watch any of them play, and you will see some less-than-flattering involuntary facial expressions.
There are many types of guitar face:
Stank Face. Watch SRV cranking in “Cold Shot”—his face looks like he just walked into a porta potty on the third day of an Insane Clown Posse Festival. That’s stanky.
The Motor-Mouth. Corey Feldman and I are prime examples of motor-mouthing, but nearly everybody is guilty of it when working a wah pedal.
Angry Face.Joe Bonamassa is a philanthropist, great guy, and kind person, but when he’s playing, he hits those strings like they owe him money—the man looks pissed.
Surprised Face. Just imagine B.B. King with his eyes wide open, eyebrows raised in a lofting arch, and sometimes his mouth open in a perfect O.
I’m in Pain Face. Think John Mayer. The higher he sings, or the higher he plays, the more the notes hurt.Sometimes the grimaces are accompanied by loud groans, luckily usually drowned out by a loud band, but audible in acoustic settings. I saw famed classical guitarist Christopher Parkening in concert, and his guitar mic caught every loud groan and “aahh.” It was distracting. (Same with pianist Keith Jarrett. Listen to his Köln Concert and try not to be disturbed. Though that’s probably more a symptom of piano face, a related phenomenon.)I don’t think guitar face is one thing. Guitar face is probably at least partially an expression of emotions and the connection to the music. It’s also a reflection of the physical demands of playing guitar, like athletes grimacing as they sprint. It’s also one of those tics of concentration, like sticking your tongue out when you draw or paint.“Think John Mayer. The higher he sings, or the higher he plays, the more the notes hurt.”
I read a Quanta Magazinecolumn by R. Douglas Fields where he maintains that “hand and mouth movements are tightly coordinated. In fact, that interplay often improves performance. Martial artists scream short explosive utterances, called kiai in karate, as they execute thrusting movements; tennis players often shout as they smack the ball. And research shows that coupling hand movements with specific mouth movements, often with vocalization, shortens the reaction time needed to do both.”
To this day, I’m embarrassed when I see videos of my mouth moving. I’ve tried to control it, but have come to the conclusion that I can either try to connect with music or try to control my face. I cannot do both. I have found that smiling does mask it or make it less distracting. As an added bonus, smiling releases that happy hormone, dopamine. The smile trick works great on “Lay Down Sally,” but I wouldn’t try it on, say, “Tears in Heaven.”
I’ve been making an effort to be aware of where I’m holding tension when I play and making a conscious effort to relax my arms, shoulders, and butt, so maybe I can work my face into that.
I’ve made peace with this embarrassing quirk. Every now and then, I’ll see a video where it’s particularly bad, and I’ll feel that barb of shame nick me. But if it sounds okay, I’m okay with this degrading side effect.
Ultimately, connecting to an instrument is like mainlining deep emotions. Deep emotions get ugly, painful, pitiful, and ecstatic. In an age where half of America stares blankly at a screen, how lucky musicians are to dive deeply into something that puts them so firmly in the now that they lose control of their faces. Besides, if you play something genuinely moving, nobody will care how you look.