Score one for the indomitable power of music! Had you done little in 2012 apart from fret over the bells tolling doom for the economy, you might have expected the halls of Winter NAMM 2013 in Anaheim, California, to be strewn with dust and tumbleweeds. But as the Premier Guitar staff ās harried schedule and oft-out-of-breath greetings to company reps proved, the truthāat least in the realm of guitar gearāwas something rather different. Winter NAMM was, in fact, teeming with new gear and happy hawkers of guitars, basses, pedals, amplifiers, and accessories. And there were plenty of companies doing anything but playing it safe, too.
Pedal offerings from Z.Vex, Electro-Harmonix, Eventide, and garage-builders like Electro Faustus showcased inventive, bold wares that speak volumes about the musical boundlessness of the guitar. High-gain amps were plentiful, too, suggesting that players are still itching to tear it up loud and proud outside the confines of the bedroom. Old-school looks and sounds were strongly represented, too: One had to look no further than Magnatoneās triumphant return, or to guitars like Gibsonās gorgeous and numerous Custom Shop offerings, to appreciate the enduring sonic and stylistic power of the classics.
There was a lot to take in at NAMM, so we were pretty gassed by showās end. But each of us came away invigorated by the ample evidence that the creative spirit that drives musicians and instrument builders is very much alive and inexhaustibleāand that the goods theyāll make available in the year to come will doubtlessly stoke your own creative fires.
Electric Guitars
Baudier Guitars
Roadster
A NAMM newcomer, Baudier Guitars brought several
head-turning models, including this rad-looking Roadster. It
features a custom-painted alder body, a 25.5" scale, body-mounted
Baudier humbuckers, a triple-truss-rod maple bolt-on
neck, a graphite bridge, a kill switch, and a 4-way pickup
selector with split-coil settings.
baudierguitars.com
Epiphone
Genesis Deluxe Pro
Epiphone resurrected this underrated early-ā80s import in a new version complete with
mahogany body, fl amed-maple top veneer, coil-tappable ProBucker 2 (neck) and 3 (bridge)
pickups, and Grover tuners.
epiphone.com
Fano
GF6
The new GF6 knocked us out on numerous levels. The carved swamp-ash top deviates
from the usual laminate approach to semi-hollow construction and, paired with Lindy Fralin
P-90s, itās got the potential to be a living, twitching, fi re-breathing beast. Lament your
lost Starcaster no more!
fanoguitars.com
Fender
Pawn Shop Bass VI
Fender resurrected the
30"-scale Bass VI, which
last appeared in the ā90s as
a Japanese-made reissue,
as part of the Pawn Shop
seriesāwhich accounts
for the cool twists on the
original. The latest incarnation
of the VI includes a
stacked-coil, Jazzmaster-style
bridge pickup and
two Special Design Hot
Jaguar single-coils.
fender.com
Kauer Guitars
Starliner
Kauer Guitarsā new Starliner
succeeds at achieving a
look thatās at once familiar
and unique. It features a
Spanish cedar body with a
maple cap, and itās available
standard with Wolfetone
humbuckers or P-90s.
kauerguitars.com
Framus Vintage
5/168 Golden
Strato
De Luxe
The original Strato De Luxe was
cradled by the likes of Kurt Cobain
and Thurston Moore, and
the maple-bodied new Vintage
5/168 Golden Strato De Luxe
reissue is a dead ringer for the
early-ā60s version. A Tune-omatic-style bridge with a vintage
vibrato system mean this version
will probably stay in tune
much better, though, and there
are enough controlsāincluding
a spring-loaded, pinky-activated
manual tremolo circuitāto
make a Vox Starstreamer feel
inadequate!
framus.com
Ravenswood by Hanson Guitars
12-String
This new sub-brand from Hanson features individually intonatable saddles for
each string, and the solid-mahogany body is based on the companyās Cigno model.
The set neck features a rosewood fretboard, block inlays, a slotted headstock,
and a wider nut than youāll fi nd on most traditional-style 12-string solidbodies. The
three DeArmond-style single-coils are voiced for classic ā60s tones, and theyāre
controlled by master volume and tone knobs, as well as a 5-way pickup selector
that combines neck and bridge pickups in the middle position.
hansonguitars.com
Silvertone
Classic Series 1478
Silvertone revisited a few of the models that have made it a legend
among budget vintage enthusiasts. They showed off a new U2,
along with this 1478 prototype outfitted with a Bigsby and a beautifully
chunky neck that we hope makes it to production versions.
silvertoneguitar.com
Viktorian Guitars
Grace Status
Viktorian Guitarsā new, lightweight, and elegant-yet-racy Grace Status features
composite construction and a dual-chambered body. Weighing in at about 4.5
pounds, it features vintage-voiced Viktorian humbuckers that yield an almost ES-
335-like voice. Controls include volume and tone, as well as a bass-roll off knob
for taming the feedback that plagues semi-hollowbodies at high volumes.
viktorian.com
Guitar Amps
Bogner
Atma 18
The new 18-watt, 3-channel, EL84-powered Atma features a compact aluminum enclosure
and has a power attenuator down to 1 watt. Other features include an effects
loop, a matching aluminum-and-wood cabinet, and tones that vary from Fender-y
cleans to ā70s grind and higher-gain realms.
bogneramplification.com
Crazy Tube Circuits
Paradox
Crazy Tube Circuits from Greece made their NAMM debut this
year, bringing four way-cool new pedals and this new ampāwhich was one of the most unique and dynamic-sounding boxes
we heard at the show. The single-channel Paradox isnāt just
powered by EL84sāit uses two of them in its preamp and one as
a phase inverter, too. The result is a tone thatās articulate, sparkling,
and gritty, but with tons of loud headroom. The left-hand
input reduces output to 12 watts for a spongier, more laid-back
tone, while the right-hand output dishes out 18 watts and also
features a rear-panel switch for boosting mids and treble.
crazytubecircuits.com
Immix Eleven
Amplification
V-Series 30
The completely redesigned V-Series 30 is
powered by four EL84s and features two
channels. Channel 1 uses an EF86 preamp
tube and has a 6-position tone selector and
a brightness cut knob. Channel 2 uses three
12AX7s and a 3-band EQ section. The color
control lets you select the shade of the isolated
LEDs that illuminate the logo panel as
well, which definitely makes it a contender in
the most-stylish amp sweeps.
immix11.com
Magnatone
Twilighter
After several years of painstaking research
into what made vintage models so unique,
Magnatone returned to NAMM with a line of six
new amps, each of which sounded spectacular.
Pictured here is the 22-watt, twin-6V6-powered
Twilighter 1x12 combo. And yeah, it has that
delicious pitch-shift vibrato and tremolo. While
we were at the booth, the Black Crowesā Rich
Robinson stopped in and effortlessly conjured
sounds from creamy to crunchyāand loud!
magnatoneusa.com
Phil Jones
AirPulse One Eight
This new little amp that could packs 500 watts
of power, a 3-band EQ, and a convection cooling
system into a 1x8 enclosure with a handsome
slotted-metal grille and classy red covering.
philjonespuresound.com
Peavey
Vypyr VIP-2
With 36 amp models, 36 effects (including the interesting āviolinā and āsliceā
settings), and instrument-modeling presetsāincluding 12-string and resonatorāPeaveyās new and super-affordable Vypr VIP-2 is bound to be a weapon
in bedroom studios everywhere.
peavey.com
Roland
Cube Lite
The newest member of the enduring and ever-expanding Cube family, the
Cube Lite, includes iOS interfacing that enables you to play and record
using your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. The clean, compact design also
makes it about the most inconspicuous little amplifier youāll ever sneak
into the office, too.
rolandus.com
Guitar Effects
Caroline Guitar Company
Kilobyte Lo-Fi Delay
The new Kilobyte Lo-Fi Delay moves with ease
from rockabilly slapback echo to avant textures
and enables the mixture of both. Itās equally
adept at lo-fi and clean voices, or you can hold
down the momentary footswitch (right) to craft
self-oscillating freak-outs with infinite feedback.
carolineguitar.com
EarthQuaker Devices
Disaster Transport
SR.
With tape-like bright (300 ms) and dark (600 ms)
delays that can be run separately, in parallel, or
in series, as well as reverb and the ability to create
multi-head-style delays, the Disaster Transport
SRās wealth of delay flavors might keep a lot
of echo freaks studio-bound for weeks. And, like
so many EarthQuaker pedals, itās just as likely to
please forward-looking musicians as vintage-minded
guitarists.
earthquakerdevices.com
Dunlop
Mini Fuzz Faces
The new Mini Fuzz Facesāwhich come in
Silicon, Germanium, and Jimi Hendrix versionsāaddress the issue of pedalboard space thatās no
doubt deterred a lot of space-conscious, would-be
Fuzz Face fiends over the years. And we love
that Dunlop managed to retain the signature
look of what, in our humble opinion, might be
the coolest-looking fuzz box ever, all without
sacrificing sonics.
jimdunlop.com
Electro-Harmonix
45000
EHX brought several new products to Anaheimāincluding the 8-Step Program synthesizer,
HOG2, and 45000 looperāand some of our
favorite NAMM moments include watching their
intrepid demo dudes navigate the almost infinite
possibilities of a rig with all three. If we have to
choose just one, though, weād probably take
the awesome 45000, which uses a multitrack-recorder-style interface to enable complex loop
textures.
ehx.com
Dwarfcraft Devices
Surrender Dorothy
Dwarfcraftās new Surrender Dorothy fuzz is
ferocious, deep, and muscular but also delivers
plenty of the noisy irreverence and anything-but-the-same-old fuzz flavors weāve come to expect
from designer Benjamin Hinz. The three simple
controlsāresonance, cutoff, and levelāput
heaps of fuzz deviance at your disposal.
dwarfcraft.com
Eventide
H9
Eventideās H9 Harmonizer is a crazily powerful
multi-effector that consolidates the companyās
Space, ModFactor, PitchFactor, and TimeFactor
effects, and adds a new Ultra Tap Delay. It can
be controlled by iPhone or iPad via Bluetooth,
but all parameters can also be accessed via the
pedalās controls. Itās likely to be a bonanza for
guitarists who dabble in production, or who play
experimental or electronic music.
eventide.com
Hammond
Leslie Pedal
Although the digital Leslie pedal looked a bit
diminutive amongst all the hulking speakers and
organs at the Hammond booth, it looked sharp
nonetheless. And with spot-on emulations of
122, 147, and Model 18 rotary speakers, as well
as a model of the PR-40 stationary cabinetāwhich lends sweet, organic overdrive tonesāit
sounds incredibly fat and delicious.
hammondorganco.com
Z.Vex
Fat Fuzz Factory
Z.Vex seems to have dredged the
new Fat Fuzz Factory up from the
molten magma at the center of the
Earth. Itās got all the muscular fuzz
and squirrelly delights of the original,
but it adds bowels-of-the-earth
low-end capabilities that will freak
out guitarists and bass players alike.
zvex.com
Ibanez
Echo Shifter
Ibanez has often returned to vintage looks with excellent practical
results. Visually, the ES2 Echo Shifter delay seems to riff a bit on
the old Ibanez Standard Fuzz, which also had slider controls, It
has an analog signal path but uses DSP for tap-tempo functions.
The tones range from subtle to tape-delay-style mayhem that you
can make wilder still with the oscillation and modulation toggles.
ibanez.com
Bass Gear
Diffusion Audio
Quiver Q505A
The new Quiver Q505A
amp system is built with
bassists and acoustic
guitarists in mind, and it
features slots into which
you can install up to five
of 300 available modules
from manufacturers such
as Moog, Elysia, and
Empirical Labs.
diffusion-audio.com
EBS
Billy Sheehan Signature Drive
Swedenās EBS debuted the Billy Sheehan
Signature Drive, which was designed in
conjunction with the bass master himself.
It allows you to mix clean and overdrive
tones, and features drive, tone, level, and
clean controls, a bypassable compressor
with high and mid settings (mid is adjustable
via internal trim pot), and two effects loops
for adding different effects to the clean and
dirty signals.
bass.se
Fender
American Vintage '58 Precision Bass
This bass is outfitted with an alder body (ash
for the white-blonde version), a C-shaped
maple neck with a 20-fret maple fretboard and a
bone nut, a gold-anodized aluminum pickguard
surrounding a new vintage-voiced split single-coil,
and period-correct chrome covers for the
bridge and pickup.
fender.com
Gibson
ES-335 Bass
For the first time in nearly 50 years, Gibson is
building an ES-335 semi-hollowbody bass. This
gorgeous 4-string features a 34" scale, 24 frets,
a pair of humbuckers, and a historically accurate
3-point bridge.
gibson.com
Lakland
Hollowbody 30
The 30"-scale, classic-looking Hollowbody 30
beauty features Laklandās trademark oval stop-tail
bridge, a bound rosewood fretboard, and a
pair of vintage-style single-coils with a volume
for each and a master tone knob.
lakland.com
PRS
Grainger 4 and 5 Basses
Paul Reed Smith was
positively bass-happy
at NAMM, debuting two
34"-scale, mahogany-bodied
rumble machines
with flamed-maple
caps and a 24-fret
maple neck topped with
a rosewood fretboard.
Both models have dual
humbuckers, a 3-band
EQ section, and push-pull
volumes for each
pickupādown selects
active circuitry, and up
selects passive.
prsguitars.com
Stenback
Bass Interface DI
Combining style with function, this classy-looking direct box has
dual footswitchesāone for muting and one for bypassing the
EQālevel and mojo knobs, and three EQ dials with sliders for
selecting the range of the controlā45ā80 Hz for lo, 400ā800 Hz for
mid, and 3.5ā6.5 kHz for hi.
tomstenback.com
Warwick
LWA 1000 Head
This new 1000-watt (@ 4Ī©) class D bass head was designed by Jonas Hellborg and
features two channels with independent EQ and compression, and enough horsepower
to drive every ride at Disneyland.
warwick.de
Acoustic Gear
Andrew White Guitars
Gypsy Jazz-E
West Virginia acoustic builder Andrew
White Guitars brought a whole line of
impressive guitars to NAMM. His all-solid
import flattops were impressive at less
than $1,200, but the Gypsy Jazz-E shown
here was what had heads turning the most.
It features a solid Italian spruce top, solid
curly walnut back and sides, a 1-piece
mahogany bolt-on neck, and a fretboard
and bridge made of ebony.
andrewwhiteguitars.com
Guild
Orpheum Orchestra
Master luthier Ren Ferguson (who previously
helped restore Gibsonās acoustic
brand to greatness) is now building for
Guild, and his latest creations are part of
the new Orpheum series. They feature
looks and appointments more typical of
guitars from 20 years before the companyās
1953 debut, including Adirondack
tops and bracing, hide-glue construction,
and stunning golden-age-of-American-flattops
styling. The line includes some very
un-Guild-like shapes, including a slope-shoulder
dread, as well as this Orchestra
with Adirondack red spruce and rosewood.
guildguitars.com
Cole Clark
Angel 1AC and 2A3
Aussie acoustic builder Cole Clark brought the new Angel 1AC
(left) and 2A3 to Anaheim. The 1AC features the companyās original
Dual Input pickup with bass, mid, treble, blend, and volume
sliders, and a lovely sunburst or black finish. The 2A3 (right) is
the first Angel without a cutaway, and it also features Clarkās new
3-way pickup systemāwhich incorporates a small condenser mic
thatās shelved at 1.25 kHz to eradicate feedback problems while
serving up an airy, natural sound.
coleclarkguitars.com
L.R. Baggs
Lyric Mic System
The Lyric acoustic microphone system impressed
us with its unobtrusive design and
absolutely blew us away with its super-organic
tones and feedback resistance. It features
TRUā¢MIC noise-cancelling technology, analog
signal conditioning, a discrete mic preamp, and
presence and volume controls.
lrbaggs.com
Lowden
Paul Brady
Renowned Irish luthier George Lowden brought the redesigned Paul Brady signature model to
NAMM. Because Brady is now using an external mic during live performance, he wanted Lowden to
build him a model that would project a little more powerfully. To that end, the new signature model
uses figured bubinga back and sides matched to a red cedar top.
lowdenguitars.com
Martin
000-17SM
Unlike the original
all-mahogany
Martin 000-17,
the new-for-2013
000-17SM has
a spruce top as
well as a 12-fret
neck and slotted
headstockāmaking
this a sweet
amalgam of
classic Martin elements
and a silky
smooth fingerstyle
machine.
martinguitar.com
RainSong
Parlor
Available in both 12- and 14-fret
versions, RainSongās new Parlor
model uses the companyās
Projection Tuned Layering and
is all but bulletproof. This little
beauty is stage ready, too, with
its Fishman Acoustic Amplification
Prefix electronics and
built-in tuner.
rainsong.com
Taylor
Grand Orchestra
Taylorās latest series comes in a
multitude of tonewood combinations
that were knocking out
folks right and left with beautiful
aesthetics, trademark crystalline
responsiveness, and the same
silky playability the company is
renowned for. The Grand Orchestra
shown here features spruce
and mahogany and Expression
System electronics.
taylorguitars.com
Acoustic Gear
Andrew White Guitars
Gypsy Jazz-E
West Virginia acoustic builder Andrew
White Guitars brought a whole line of
impressive guitars to NAMM. His all-solid
import flattops were impressive at less
than $1,200, but the Gypsy Jazz-E shown
here was what had heads turning the most.
It features a solid Italian spruce top, solid
curly walnut back and sides, a 1-piece
mahogany bolt-on neck, and a fretboard
and bridge made of ebony.
andrewwhiteguitars.com
Guild
Orpheum Orchestra
Master luthier Ren Ferguson (who previously
helped restore Gibsonās acoustic
brand to greatness) is now building for
Guild, and his latest creations are part of
the new Orpheum series. They feature
looks and appointments more typical of
guitars from 20 years before the companyās
1953 debut, including Adirondack
tops and bracing, hide-glue construction,
and stunning golden-age-of-American-flattops
styling. The line includes some very
un-Guild-like shapes, including a slope-shoulder
dread, as well as this Orchestra
with Adirondack red spruce and rosewood.
guildguitars.com
Cole Clark
Angel 1AC and 2A3
Aussie acoustic builder Cole Clark brought the new Angel 1AC
(left) and 2A3 to Anaheim. The 1AC features the companyās original
Dual Input pickup with bass, mid, treble, blend, and volume
sliders, and a lovely sunburst or black finish. The 2A3 (right) is
the first Angel without a cutaway, and it also features Clarkās new
3-way pickup systemāwhich incorporates a small condenser mic
thatās shelved at 1.25 kHz to eradicate feedback problems while
serving up an airy, natural sound.
coleclarkguitars.com
L.R. Baggs
Lyric Mic System
The Lyric acoustic microphone system impressed
us with its unobtrusive design and
absolutely blew us away with its super-organic
tones and feedback resistance. It features
TRUā¢MIC noise-cancelling technology, analog
signal conditioning, a discrete mic preamp, and
presence and volume controls.
lrbaggs.com
Lowden
Paul Brady
Renowned Irish luthier George Lowden brought the redesigned Paul Brady signature model to
NAMM. Because Brady is now using an external mic during live performance, he wanted Lowden to
build him a model that would project a little more powerfully. To that end, the new signature model
uses figured bubinga back and sides matched to a red cedar top.
lowdenguitars.com
Martin
000-17SM
Unlike the original
all-mahogany
Martin 000-17,
the new-for-2013
000-17SM has
a spruce top as
well as a 12-fret
neck and slotted
headstockāmaking
this a sweet
amalgam of
classic Martin elements
and a silky
smooth fingerstyle
machine.
martinguitar.com
RainSong
Parlor
Available in both 12- and 14-fret
versions, RainSongās new Parlor
model uses the companyās
Projection Tuned Layering and
is all but bulletproof. This little
beauty is stage ready, too, with
its Fishman Acoustic Amplification
Prefix electronics and
built-in tuner.
rainsong.com
Taylor
Grand Orchestra
Taylorās latest series comes in a
multitude of tonewood combinations
that were knocking out
folks right and left with beautiful
aesthetics, trademark crystalline
responsiveness, and the same
silky playability the company is
renowned for. The Grand Orchestra
shown here features spruce
and mahogany and Expression
System electronics.
taylorguitars.com
Keith Urbanās first instrument was a ukulele at age 4. When he started learning guitar two years later, he complained that it made his fingers hurt. Eventually, he came around. As did the world.
Heās in the Songwriters Hall of Fame. Heās won 13 Country Music Association Awards, nine CMT video awards, eight ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association) Awards, four American Music Awards, and racked up BMI Country Awards for 25 different singles.
Heās been a judge on American Idol and The Voice. In conjunction with Yamaha, he has his own brand of affordably priced Urban guitars and amps, and he has posted beginner guitar lessons on YouTube. His 2014 Academy of Country Music Award-winning video for āHighways Donāt Careā featured Tim McGraw and Keithās former opening act, Taylor Swift. Add his marriage to fellow Aussie, the actress Nicole Kidman, and heās seen enough red carpet to cover a football field.
Significantly, his four Grammys were all for Country Male Vocal Performance. A constant refrain among newcomers is, āand heās a really good guitar player,ā as if by surprise or an afterthought. Especially onstage, his chops are in full force. There are country elements, to be sure, but rock, blues, and pop influences like Mark Knopfler are front and center.
Unafraid to push the envelope, 2020ās The Speed of Now Part 1 mixed drum machines, processed vocals, and a duet with Pink with his āganjoāāan instrument constructed of a 6-string guitar neck on a banjo bodyāand even a didgeridoo. It, too, shot to No. 1 on the Billboard Country chart and climbed to No. 7 on the Pop chart.
His new release, High, is more down-to-earth, but is not without a few wrinkles. He employs an EBow on āMessed Up As Meā and, on āWildfire,ā makes use of a sequencer reminiscent of ZZ Topās āLegs.ā Background vocals in āStraight Linesā imitate a horn section, and this time out he duets on āGo Home W Uā with rising country star Lainey Wilson. The video for āHeart Like a Hometownā is full of home movies and family photos of a young Urban dwarfed by even a 3/4-size Suzuki nylon-string.
Born Keith Urbahn (his surnameās original spelling) in New Zealand, his family moved to Queensland, Australia, when he was 2. He took up guitar at 6, two years after receiving his beloved ukulele. He released his self-titled debut album in 1991 for the Australian-only market, and moved to Nashville two years later. It wasnāt until ā97 that he put out a group effort, fronting the Ranch, and another self-titled album marked his American debut as a leader, in ā99. It eventually went platinumāa pattern thatās become almost routine.
The 57-year-oldās celebrity and wealth were hard-earned and certainly a far cry from his humble beginnings. āAustralia is a very working-class country, certainly when I was growing up, and I definitely come from working-class parents,ā he details. āMy dad loved all the American country artists, like Johnny Cash, Haggard, Waylon. He didnāt play professionally, but before he got married he played drums in a band, and my grandfather and uncles all played instruments.
One of Urbanās biggest influences as a young guitar player was Mark Knopfler, but he was also mesmerized by lesser-known session musicians such as Albert Lee, Ian Bairnson, Reggie Young, and Ray Flacke. Here, heās playing a 1950 Broadcaster once owned by Waylon Jennings that was a gift from Nicole Kidman, his wife.
āFor me, it was a mix of that and Top 40 radio, which at the time was much more diverse than it is now. You would just hear way more genres, and Australia itself had its own, what they call Aussie pub rockāvery blue-collar, hard-driving music for the testosterone-fueled teenager. Grimy, sweaty, kind of raw themes.ā
A memorable event happened when he was 7. āMy dad got tickets for the whole family to see Johnny Cash. He even bought us little Western shirts and bolo ties. It was amazing.ā
But the ukulele he was gifted a few years earlier, at the age of 4, became a constant companion. āI think to some degree it was my version of the stuffed animal, something that was mine, and I felt safe with it. My dad said I would strum it in time to all the songs on the radio, and he told my mom, āHeās got rhythm. I wonder what a good age is for him to learn chords.ā My mom and dad ran a little corner store, and a lady named Sue McCarthy asked if she could put an ad in the window offering guitar lessons. They said, āIf you teach our kid for free, weāll put your ad in the window.āā
Yet, guitar didnāt come without problems. āWith the guitar, my fingers hurt like hell,ā he laughs, āand I started conveniently leaving the house whenever the guitar teacher would show up. Typical kid. I donāt wanna learn, I just wanna be able to do it. It didnāt feel like any fun. My dad called me in and went, āWhat the hell? The teacher comes here for lessons. Whatās the problem?ā I said I didnāt want to do it anymore. He just said, āOkay, then donāt do it.ā Kind of reverse psychology, right? So I just stayed with it and persevered. Once I learned a few chords, it was the same feeling when any of us learn how to be moving on a bike with two wheels and nobody holding us up. Thatās what those first chords felt like in my hands.ā
Keith Urban's Gear
Urban has 13 Country Music Association Awards, nine CMT video awards, eight ARIA Awards, and four Grammys to his nameāthe last of which are all for Best Country Male Vocal Performance.
Guitars
For touring:
- Maton Diesel Special
- Maton EBG808TE Tommy Emmanuel Signature
- 1957 Gibson Les Paul Junior, TV yellow
- 1959 Gibson ES-345 (with Varitone turned into a master volume)
- Fender 40th Anniversary Tele, āClarenceā
- Two first-generation Fender Eric Clapton Stratocasters (One is black with DiMarzio Area ā67 pickups, standard tuning. The other is pewter gray, loaded with Fralin āreal ā54ā pickups, tuned down a half-step.)
- John Bolin Telecaster (has a Babicz bridge with a single humbucker and a single volume control. Standard tuning.)
- PRS Paulās Guitar (with two of their narrowfield humbuckers. Standard tuning.)
- Yamaha Keith Urban Acoustic Guitar (with EMG ACS soundhole pickups)
- Deering āganjoā
Amps
- Mid-ā60s black-panel Fender Showman (modified by Chris Miller, with oversized transformers to power 6550 tubes; 130 watts)
- 100-watt Dumble Overdrive Special (built with reverb included)
- Two Pacific Woodworks 1x12 ported cabinets (Both are loaded with EV BlackLabel Zakk Wylde signature speakers and can handle 300 watts each.)
Effects
- Two Boss SD-1W Waza Craft Super Overdrives with different settings
- Mr. Black SuperMoon Chrome
- FXengineering RAF Mirage Compressor
- Ibanez TS9 with Tamura Mod
- Boss BD-2 Blues Driver
- J. Rockett Audio .45 Caliber Overdrive
- Pro Co RAT 2
- Radial Engineering JX44 (for guitar distribution)
- Fractal Audio Axe-Fx XL+ (for acoustic guitars)
- Two Fractal Audio Axe-Fx III (one for electric guitar, one for bass)
- Bricasti Design Model 7 Stereo Reverb Processor
- RJM Effect Gizmo (for pedal loops)
(Note: All delays, reverb, chorus, etc. is done post amp. The signal is captured with microphones first then processed by Axe-Fx and other gear.)
- Shure Axient Digital Wireless Microphone System
Strings & Picks
- DāAddario NYXL (.011ā.049; electric)
- DāAddario EJ16 (.012ā.053; acoustics)
- DāAddario EJ16, for ganjo (.012ā.053; much thicker than a typical banjo strings)
- DāAddario 1.0 mm signature picks
He vividly remembers the first song he was able to play after ācorny songs like āMamaās little baby loves shortninā bread.āā He recalls, āThere was a song I loved by the Stylistics, āYou Make Me Feel Brand New.ā My guitar teacher brought in the sheet music, so not only did I have the words, but above them were the chords. I strummed the first chord, and went, [sings E to Am] āMy love,ā and then minor, āI'll never find the words, my,ā back to the original chord, ālove.ā Even now, I get covered in chills thinking what it felt like to sing and put that chord sequence together.ā
After the nylon-string Suzuki, he got his first electric at 9. āIt was an Ibanez copy of a Telecaster Customāthe classic dark walnut with the mother-of-pearl pickguard. My first Fender was a Stratocaster. I wanted one so badly. Iād just discovered Mark Knopfler, and I only wanted a red Strat, because thatās what Knopfler had. And he had a red Strat because of Hank Marvin. All roads lead to Hank!ā
He clarifies, āRemember a short-lived run of guitar that Fender did around 1980āā81, simply called āthe Stratā? I got talked into buying one of those, and the thing weighed a ton. Ridiculously heavy. But I was just smitten when it arrived. āSultans of Swingā was the first thing I played on it. āOh my god! I sound a bit like Mark.āā
āMessed Up As Meā has some licks reminiscent of Knopfler. āI think he influenced a huge amount of my fingerpicking and melodic choices. I devoured those records more than any other guitar player. āTunnel of Love,ā āLove over Gold,ā āTelegraph Road,ā the first Dire Straits album, and Communique. I was spellbound by Markās touch, tone, and melodic choice every time.ā
Other influences are more obscure. āThere were lots of session guitar players whose solos I was loving, but had no clue who they were,ā he explains. āA good example was Ian Bairnson in the Scottish band Pilot and the Alan Parsons Project. It was only in the last handful of years that I stumbled upon him and did a deep dive, and realized he played the solo on āWuthering Heightsā by Kate Bush, āEye in the Skyā by Alan Parsons, āItās Magicā and āJanuaryā by Pilotāāall these songs that spoke to me growing up. I also feel like a lot of local-band guitar players are inspirationsāthey certainly were to me. They didnāt have a name, the band wasnāt famous, but when youāre 12 or 13, watching Barry Clough and guys in cover bands, itās, āMan, I wish I could play like that.āā
On High, Urban keeps things song-oriented, playing short and economical solos.
In terms of country guitarists, he nods, āAgain, a lot of session players whose names I didnāt know, like Reggie Young. The first names I think would be Albert Lee and Ray Flacke, whose chicken pickinā stuff on the Ricky Skaggs records became a big influence. āHow is he doing that?āā
Flacke played a role in a humorous juxtaposition. āI camped out to see Iron Maiden,ā Urban recounts. āTheyād just put out Number of the Beast, and I was a big fan. I was 15, so my hormones were raging. Iād been playing country since I was 6, 7, 8 years old. But this new heavy-metal thing is totally speaking to me. So I joined a heavy metal band called Fractured Mirror, just as their guitar player. At the same time, I also discovered Ricky Skaggs and Highways and Heartaches. What is this chicken pickinā thing? One night I was in the metal band, doing a Judas Priest song or Saxon. They threw me a solo, and through my red Strat, plugged into a Marshall stack that belonged to the lead singer, I shredded this high-distortion, chicken pickinā solo. The lead singer looked at me like, āWhat the fuck are you doing?ā I got fired from the band.ā
Although at 15 he āfloated around different kinds of music and bands,ā when he was 21 he saw John Mellencamp. āHeād just put out Lonesome Jubilee. Iād been in bands covering āHurts So Good,' āJack & Diane,ā and all the early shit. This record had fiddle and mandolin and acoustic guitars, wall of electrics, drumsāthe most amazing fusion of things. I saw that concert, and this epiphany happened so profoundly. I looked at the stage and thought, āWhoa! I get it. You take all your influences and make your own thing. Thatās what John did. Iām not gonna think about genre; Iām gonna take all the things I love and find my way.ā
āOf course, getting to Nashville with that recipe wasnāt going to fly in 1993,ā he laughs. āTook me another seven-plus years to really start getting some traction in that town.ā
Urbanās main amp today is a Dumble Overdrive Reverb, which used to belong to John Mayer. He also owns a bass amp that Alexander Dumble built for himself.
Photo by Jim Summaria
When it comes to ācrossoverā in country music, one thinks of Glen Campbell, Kenny Rogers, Garth Brooks, and Dolly Partonās more commercial singles like āTwo Doors Down.ā Regarding the often polarizing subject and, indeed, what constitutes country music, itās obvious that Urban has thought a lotāand probably been asked a lotāabout the syndrome. The Speed of Now Part 1 blurs so many lines, it makes Shania Twain sound like Mother Maybelle Carter. Well, almost.
āI canāt speak for any other artists, but to me, itās always organic,ā he begins. āAnybody thatās ever seen me play live would notice that I cover a huge stylistic field of music, incorporating my influences, from country, Top 40, rock, pop, soft rock, bluegrass, real country. Thatās how you get songs like āKiss a Girlāāmaybe more ā70s influence than anything else.ā
āI think [Mark Knopfler] influenced a huge amount of my fingerpicking and melodic choices. I devoured those records more than any other guitar player.ā
Citing ā50s producers Chet Atkins and Owen Bradley, who moved the genre from hillbilly to the more sophisticated countrypolitan, Keith argues, āIn the history of country music, this is exactly the same as it has always been. Patsy Cline doing āWalking After Midnightā or āCrazyā; it aināt Bob Wills. It aināt Hank Williams. Itās a new sound, drawing on pop elements. Thatās the 1950s, and it has never changed. Iāve always seen country like a lung, that expands outwards because it embraces new sounds, new artists, new fusions, to find a bigger audience. Then it feels, āWeāve lost our way. Holy crap, I donāt even know who we are,ā and it shrinks back down again. Because a purist in the traditional sense comes along, whether it be Ricky Skaggs or Randy Travis. The only thing that I think has changed is thereās portals now for everything, which didnāt used to exist. There isnāt one central control area that would yell at everybody, āYouāve got to bring it back to the center.ā I donāt know that we have that center anymore.ā
Stating his position regarding the current crop of talent, he reflects, āTo someone who says, āThatās not country music,ā I always go, āāItās not your country music; itās somebody elseās country music.ā I donāt believe anybody has a right to say somethingās not anything. Itās been amazing watching this generation actually say, āCan we get back to a bit of purity? Can we get real guitars and real storytelling?ā So youāve seen the explosion of Zach Bryan and Tyler Childers who are way purer than the previous generation of country music.ā
Seen performing here in 2003, Urban is celebrated mostly for his songwriting, but is also an excellent guitarist.
Photo by Steve Trager/Frank White Photo Agency
As for the actual recording process, he notes, āThis always shocks people, but āChattahoocheeā by Alan Jackson is all drum machine. I write songs on acoustic guitar and drum machine, or drum machine and banjo. Of course, you go into the studio and replace that with a drummer. But my very first official single, in 1999, was āItās a Love Thing,ā and it literally opens with a drum loop and an acoustic guitar riff. Then the drummer comes in. But the loop never goes away, and you hear it crystal clear. I havenāt changed much about that approach.ā
On the road, Urban utilizes different electrics āalmost always because of different pickupsāsingle-coil, humbucker, P-90. And then one thatās tuned down a half-step for a few songs in half-keys. Tele, Strat, Les Paul, a couple of others for color. Iāve got a John Bolin guitar that I loveāthe feel of it. Itās a Tele design with just one PAF, one volume knob, no tone control. Itās very light, beautifully balancedāevery string, every fret, all the way up the neck. It doesnāt have a lot of tonal character of its own, so it lets my fingers do the coloring. You can feel the fingerprints of Billy Gibbons on this guitar. Itās very Billy.ā
āI looked at the stage and thought, āWhoa! I get it. You take all your influences and make your own thing. Iām gonna take all the things I love and find my way.āā
Addressing his role as the collector, āor acquirer,ā as he says, some pieces have quite a history. āI havenāt gone out specifically thinking, āIām missing this from the collection.ā I feel really lucky to have a couple of very special guitars. I got Waylon Jenningsā guitar in an auction. It was one he had all through the ā70s, wrapped in the leather and the whole thing. In the ā80s, he gave it to Reggie Young, who owned it for 25 years or so and eventually put it up for auction. My wife wanted to give it to me for my birthday. I was trying to bid on it, and she made sure that I couldnāt get registered! When it arrived, I discovered itās a 1950 Broadcasterāwhich is insane. I had no idea. I just wanted it because Iām a massive Waylon fan, and I couldnāt bear the thought of that guitar disappearing overseas under somebodyās bed, when it should be played.
āI also have a 1951 Nocaster, which used to belong to Tom Keifer in Cinderella. Itās the best Telecaster Iāve ever played, hands down. It has the loudest, most ferocious pickup, and the wood is amazing.ā
YouTube
Urban plays a Gibson SG here at the 2023 CMT Music Awards. Wait until the end to see him show off his shred abilities.
Other favorites include āa first-year Strat, ā54, that I love, and a ā58 goldtop. I also own a ā58 āburst, but prefer the goldtop; itās just a bit more spanky and lively. I feel abundantly blessed with the guitars Iāve been able to own and play. And I think every guitar should be played, literally. Thereās no guitar thatās too precious to be played.ā
Speaking of precious, there are also a few Dumble amps that elicit āoohsā and āaahs.ā āAround 2008, John Mayer had a few of them, and he wanted to part with this particular Overdrive Special head. When he told me the price, I said, āThat sounds ludicrous.ā He said, āHow much is your most expensive guitar?ā It was three times the value of the amp. He said, āSo thatās one guitar. What amp are you plugging all these expensive guitars into?ā I was like, āSold. I guess when you look at it that way.ā Itās just glorious. It actually highlighted some limitations in some guitars I never noticed before.ā
āItās just glorious. It actually highlighted some limitations in some guitars I never noticed before.ā
Keith also developed a relationship with the late Alexander Dumble. āWe emailed back and forth, a lot of just life stuff and the beautifully eccentric stuff he was known for. His vocabulary was as interesting as his tubes and harmonic understanding. My one regret is that he invited me out to the ranch many times, and I was never able to go. Right now, my main amp is an Overdrive Reverb that also used to belong to John when he was doing the John Mayer Trio. I got it years later. And I have an Odyssey, which was Alexanderās personal bass amp that he built for himself. I sent all the details to him, and he said, āYeah, thatās my amp.āā
The gearhead in Keith doesnāt even mind minutiae like picks and strings. āIāve never held picks with the pointy bit hitting the string. I have custom picks that DāAddario makes for me. They have little grippy ridges like on Dunlops and Hercos, but I have that section just placed in one corner. I can use a little bit of it on the string, or I can flip it over. During the pandemic, I decided to go down a couple of string gauges. I was getting comfortable on .009s, and I thought, āGreat. Iāve lightened up my playing.ā Then the very first gig, I was bending the crap out of them. So I went to .010s, except for a couple of guitars that are .011s.ā
As with his best albums, High is song-oriented; thus, solos are short and economical. āGrowing up, I listened to songs where the guitar was just in support of that song,ā he reasons. āIf the song needs a two-bar break, and then you want to hear the next vocal section, thatās what it needs. If it sounds like it needs a longer guitar section, then thatās what it needs. Thereās even a track called āLove Is Hardā that doesnāt have any solo. Itās the first thing Iāve ever recorded in my life where I literally donāt play one instrument. Eren Cannata co-wrote it [with Shane McAnally and Justin Tranter], and I really loved the demo with him playing all the instruments. I loved it so much I just went with his acoustic guitar. Iām that much in service of the song.ā
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmarkāincluding delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulationāplus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ā80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.
English singer-songwriter Robyn Hitchcock is as recognizable by tone, lyrics, and his vibrantly hued clothing choices as the sound of Miles Davisā horn.
Itchycoo Park
āI like my songs, but I donāt necessarily think Iām the best singer of them,ā he effaces to me over Zoom, as itās approaching midnight where heās staying in London. āI just wanted to be a singer-songwriter because thatās what Bob Dylan did. And I like to create; Iām happiest when Iām producing something. But my records are blueprints, really. They just show you what the song could be, but theyāre not necessarily the best performance of them. Whereas if you listen to ā¦ oh, I donāt know, the great records of ā67, they actually sound like the best performances you could get.ā
He mentions that particular year not offhandedly, but because thatās the theme of the conversation: Heās just released an album, 1967: Vacations in the Past, which is a collection of covers of songs released in 1967, and one original songāthe title track. Boasting his takes on Procol Harumās āA Whiter Shade of Pale,ā the Beatlesā āA Day in the Life,ā Pink Floydās āSee Emily Play,ā and Small Facesā āItchycoo Park,ā among eight other tracks, it serves as a sort of soundtrack or musical accompaniment to his new memoir, 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left.
Hitchcock, who was 14 years old and attending boarding school in England in 1967, describes how who he is today is encased in that period of his life, much like a mosquito in amber. But why share that with the world now?
In the mid ā70s, before he launched his solo career, Hitchcock was the leader of the psychedelic group the Soft Boys.
Photo by Tim Bugbee/tinnitus photography
āIām 71; Iāve been alive quite a long time,ā he shares. āIf I want to leave a record of anything apart from all the songs Iāve written, now is a good time to do it. By writing about 1966 to ā67, Iām basically giving the context for Robyn Hitchcock, as Robyn Hitchcock then lived the rest of his life.ā
Hopefully, I say, the publication of these works wonāt ring as some sort of death knell for him.
āWell, itās a relative death knell,ā he replies. āBut everyoneās on the conveyor belt. We all go over the edge. And none of our legacies are permanent. Even the plastic chairs and Coke bottles and stuff like that that weāre leaving behind.... In 10- or 20-thousand-yearsā time, weāll probably just be some weird, scummy layer on the great fruitcake of the Earth. But I suppose you do probably get to an age where you want to try and explain yourself, maybe to yourself. Maybe itās me that needs to read the book, you know?ā
āIām basically giving the context for Robyn Hitchcock, as Robyn Hitchcock then lived the rest of his life.ā
To counter his description of his songs above, I would say that Hitchcockās performances on 1967: Vacations in the Past carve out their own deserved little planet in the vintage-rock Milky Way. I was excited in particular by some of his selections: the endorsement of foundational prog in the Procol Harum cover; the otherwise forgotten Traffic tune, āNo Face, No Name and No Number,ā off of Mr. Fantasy, the Mamas & the Papasā nostalgic āSan Francisco,ā and of course, the aforementioned Floyd single. Thereās also the lesser known āMy White Bicycleā by Tomorrow and āI Can Hear the Grass Growā by the Move, and the Hendrix B-side, āBurning of the Midnight Lamp.ā
Through these recordings, Hitchcock pays homage to āthat lovely time when people were inventing new strands of music, and they couldnāt define them,ā he replies. āPeople didnāt really know what to call Pink Floyd. Was it jazz, or was it pop, or psychedelia, or freeform, or systems music?ā
His renditions call to mind a cooking reduction, defined by Wikipedia as āthe process of thickening and intensifying the flavor of a liquid mixture, such as a soup, sauce, wine, or juice, by simmering or boiling.ā Hitchcockās distinctive, classic folk-singer voice and steel-string-guided arrangements do just that to this iconic roster. There are some gentle twists and turnsāEastern-instrumental touches; subtly applied, ethereal delay and reverb, and the likeābut nothing that should cloud the revived conduit to the listenerās memory of the originals.
And yet, hereās his review of his music, in general: āI hear [my songs] back and I think, āGod, my voice is horrible! This is just ā¦ ugh! Why do I sing through my nose like that?ā And the answer is because Bob Dylan sang through his nose, you know. I was just singing through Bob Dylanās nose, really.ā
1967: Vacations in the Past features 11 covers of songs that were released in 1967, and one original songāthe title track.
ā¦
āI wait for songs to come to me: Theyāre independent like cats, rather than like dogs who will faithfully trail you everywhere,ā Hitchcock explains, sharing about his songwriting process. āAll I can do is leave a plate of food out for the songsāin the form of my open mindāand hope they will appear in there, hungry for my neural pathways.ā
Once heās domesticated the wild idea, he says, āItās important to remain as unselfconscious as possible in the [writing] process. If I start worrying about composing the next line, the embryonic song slips away from me. Often Iām left with a verse-and-a-half and an unresolved melody because my creation has lost its innocence and fled from my brain.
ā[Then] there are times when creativity itself is simply not whatās called for: You just have to do some more living until the songs appear again. Thatās as close as I can get to describing the process, which still, thankfully, remains mysterious to me after all this time.ā
āIn 10- or 20-thousand-yearsā time, weāll probably just be some weird, scummy layer on the great fruitcake of the Earth.ā
In the prose of 1967: How I Got There and Why I Never Left, Hitchcock expresses himself similarly to how he does so distinctively in his lyrics and speech. Amidst his tales of roughing his first experiences in the infamously ruthless environs of English boarding school, he shares an abundance of insight about his parents and upbringing, as well as a self-diagnosis of having Aspergerās syndromeāwhose name is now gradually becoming adapted in modern lexicon to ālow-support-needsā autism spectrum disorder. When I touch on the subject, he reaffirms the observation, and elaborates, āI think I probably am also OCD, whatever that means. Iāve always been obsessed with trying to get things in the right order.ā
He relates an anecdote about his school days: āSo, if I got out of lunchāāYippee! Iāve got three hours to dress like a hippie before they put me back in my school clothes. Oh damn, Iāve put the purple pants on, but actually, I should put the red ones on. No! I put the red ones on; itās not goodāIāll put my jeans on.ā
Robyn Hitchcock's Gear
Hitchcock in 1998, after embarking on the tour behind one of his earlier acoustic albums, Moss Elixir.
Guitars
- Two Fylde Olivia acoustics equipped with Sennheiser II lavalier mics (for touring)
- LarrivƩe acoustic
- Fender Telecaster
- Fender Stratocaster
Strings & Picks
- Elixir .011ā.052 (acoustic)
- Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom .010ā.054 (electric)
- Dunlop 1.0 mm
āIād just get into a real state. And then the only thing that would do would be listening to Trout Mask Replica by Captain Beefheart. There was something about Trout Mask that was so liberating that I thought, āOh, I donāt care what trousers Iām wearing. This is just, whoa! This music is it.āā
With him having chosen to cover āSee Emily Play,ā a Syd Barrett composition, the conversation soon turns to the topic of the late, troubled songwriter. I comment, āItās hard to listen to Sydās solo records.... Itās weird that people enabled that. You can hear him losing his mind.ā
āYou can, but at the same time, the fact they enabled it means that these things did come out,ā Robyn counters. āAnd he obviously had nothing else to give after that. So, at least, David Gilmour and the old Floyd guys.... It meant they gave the world those songs, which, although the performances are quite ā¦ rickety, quite fragile, theyāre incredibly beautiful songs. Thereās nothing forced about Barrett. He can only be himself.ā
āThere was something about Trout Mask Replica that was so liberating that I thought, āOh, I donāt care what trousers Iām wearing. This is just, whoa!āā
I briefly compare Barrett to singer-songwriter Daniel Johnston, and we agree there are some similarities. And then with a segue, ask, āWhen did you first fall in love with the guitar? Was it when you came home from boarding school and found the guitar your parents gifted you on your bed?ā
Robyn pauses thoughtfully. āAh, I think I liked the idea of the guitar probably around that time,ā he shares. āI always used to draw men with guns. Iām not really macho, but I had a very kind of post-World War II upbringing where men were always carrying guns. And I thought, āWell, if heās a man, heās got to carry a gun.ā Then, around the age of 13, I swapped the gun for the guitar. And then every man I drew was carrying a guitar instead.ā
Elaborating on getting his first 6-string, he says, āI had lessons from a man who had three fingers bent back from an industrial accident. He was a nice old man with whiskers, and he showed me how to get the guitar in tune and what the basic notes were. And then I got hold of a Bob Dylan songbook, andāāOh my gosh, I can play āMr. Tambourine Man!āā It was really fastāabout 10 minutes between not being able to play anything, and suddenly being able to play songs by my heroes.ā
ā¦
Hitchcock does me the kindness, during our atypically deep conversationāat least, for a press interviewāof sharing more acute perceptions of his parents, and their own neurodivergence. Ultimately, he feels that his mother didnāt necessarily like him, but loved the idea of himāand that later in life, he came to better understand his lonely, depressive father. āMy mother was protective but in an oddly cold way. People are like that,ā he shares. āWe just contain so many things that donāt make sense with each other: colors that you would not mix as a painter; themes you would not intermingle as a writer; characters you would not create.... We defy any sense of balance or harmony.
āAlthough the performances are quite rickety, quite fragile, theyāre incredibly beautiful songs. Thereās nothing forced about Barrett. He can only be himself.ā
āThe idea of normality.... āNormalā is tautological,ā he continues. āNothing is normal. A belief in normality is an aberration. Itās a form of insanity, I think.
āItās just hard for us to accept ourselves because weāre brought up with the myth of normality, and the myth of what people are supposed to be like gender-wise, sex-wise, and psychologically what weāre supposed to want. And in a way, some of thatās beginning to melt, now. But that probably just causes more confusion. Itās no wonder people like me want to live in 1967.ā
YouTube It
In this excerpt from the Jonathan Demme-directed concert film of Robyn Hitchcock, Storefront Hitchcock, the songwriter performs an absurdist āupbeatā song about a man who dies of cancer.
The new AD200 is still designed on the premise that the best tone comes from the shortest signal path from bass to speaker. Whatever type of bass, playing style, or genre of music, the AD200 faithfully retains the tone of that instrument.
The addition of a new clean switch, in combination with a powerful three-band EQ, gives AD200 players an even broader frequency spectrum to dial into their amp. In addition, a brand new output transformer, with 3 inches of laminations, harnesses double the power at 30Hz, offering better response at low frequencies. āIt now pushes more air, flaps more trouser leg ā simple as that,ā explains Orange Amps Technical Director Ade Emsley. From mellow hues to heavy, percussive growl and even slap bass, the ultimate incarnation of the AD200, has just become even more versatile.
Internal changes make the amp easier to service and maintain. Each output valve now has its own 12 turn bias pot, so unmatched valves can sit side by side. āNow, any tech with a multimeter can bias the amp and match the valves into the amp,ā explains Emsley. āSo, if youāre on the road with a band, you can go swap a worn valve for a new one, dial it in and youāre good to go.ā Whilst the four KT88 output valves push 200 Watts of power, the amp will run equally as well on 6550s or a combination of the two.
āItās a big improvement on the previous version,ā says Ade Emsley, of his work on the updated AD200. āIt still does everything the old one does, itās still the industry standard, but itās now simpler, easier to use, easier to service and futureproof.ā
The new, decluttered front panel design is reminiscent of the companyās iconic 1970ās amps with its original ābubble-writingā Orange logo and the āpics-onlyā hieroglyphs, all wrapped in the companyās distinctive orange Tolex covering.
Over the last forty years, the Orange Bass Cabinets have become an undeniable industry standard. They have been remodelled to use Celestion Pulse XL bass speakers across the OBC810C, OBC410HC, and OBC115C cabs. The upgrade delivers a tight, punchy low-end with a warm mid-range thatās full of presence. The premium build of these cabinets remains, delivering players, bands and techs the road-worthy dependability they demand. In addition, the popular OBC410HC has been modified by removing one vertical partition and strengthening the horizontal one to be lighter and tighten up low-end response.
For more information, please visit orangeamps.com.
