Interview: Steve Howe on Asia's "Omega," Touring With Yes, and the Steve Howe Trio

In an age when maxed-out Marshalls supercharged Fender Strats to the point of electrocution and skull implosion, Steve Howe did something different. He got great woody guitar tones—you could always hear the wood of the guitars through his amps. The unforgiving sound of a Gibson ES-175 played through a cranked amp is reserved only for the superbly talented. While his peers pillaged electric blues as a vehicle for extrapolation and blues lick overkill, Howe did something different yet again. He brought country, jazz, rockabilly, and a smart, classy sophistication to Yes. He found a way of expressing himself by tastefully mixing the guitar styles he loved, and has been raising the bar and influencing guitarists for forty years.... read on @
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2010/Aug/Interview_Steve_Howe_on_Asias_Omega_Touring_With_Yes_and_the_Steve_Howe_Trio.aspx

and MySpace page... http://www.myspace.com/guitarrondo

Rhythm Patterns From A Guitarist

Early McLaughlin, acoustic this time with L Shankar on violin and Zakir Hussain on tabla.This is some great footage.
John McLaughlin has always inspired me,for a long time now.I have listened to him since the 80's,a long time!In this video he really is tight with the percussionist,they dial in to one another and play the same rhythm patterns.
And part 2 is even better....they really trade off solos on 2....

Harmony Central....Difference in a Trademark and a Copyright

From the Harmony Central Newsletter....
Dear Musician,

Since 2006, the NAMM Show has hosted a small booth belonging to the USPTO—the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Unprepossessing and bereft of cool and sexy gear to display, the USPTO booth nevertheless has a constant stream of intensely interested visitors, because it provides a vital service for musicians: information on protecting intellectual property (IP) with regard to patents and trademarks. Many musicians don't know the first thing about IP rights, and can't even articulate the difference between a trademark and a copyright. But you owe it to yourselves as creative types to be aware of all of the traps and snares that await you in the world of IP rights—especially if you live in these litigious United States.

Inventors of musical gear will be more interested in patents and trademarks than in copyrights, which is why the NAMM Show hosts the USPTO. Here at Harmony Central, we've seen an explosion of innovation at NAMM Shows in recent years, including the Spider Capo, the PolyTune polyphonic tuner, and the N-Tune onboard guitar-tuning system, to name just three. Their makers had to become very familiar with patents and trademarks both to protect their inventions and to make sure they weren't inadvertently infringing on previously protected ground. Songwriters, composers, and arrangers, however, will want to focus on copyrights—the other twin pillar of IP rights.

But what's the difference? Can you copyright a song title? Trademark an idea? Here is the essence of each: A copyright protects the way creators express ideas and protects the work itself. And while you can copyright the words and melodies contained within a song, you can't copyright the title, because there's not enough original expression represented. (Witness the countless examples of different songs with the same titles.) But trademarks can, in some cases protect titles, especially if they're part of an established series (think "Harry Potter"), because, according to attorney Lloyd Jassin, a trademark involves the "good will associated with a product" and "protects against confusingly similar usage of source-identifying words or symbols." This is why you couldn't legally launch a website called YouTuber, even if you were a potato farmer trying to show videos of your prize-winning spuds. You're trading on the good will of the popular online video site to suit your own purposes. Trademark law takes a dim view of such practices.

IP is a fascinating topic and well worth researching as you enter into the commerce side of your creative efforts. For more info, go to Jassin's website, the official government copyright site, or check out this collection of articles, with some high-profile cases and humorous parodies on trademark violations (including a fictitious apparel-based case called "North Face vs. South Butt") that help illustrate basic concepts of trademark law.

—Jon Chappell

Bonus :-) from Harmony Central.......

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Click link below to read these great articles...
http://www.harmonycentral.com/community?audienceId=17369143&tiid=2546

Fender Offers Up Custom Shop Vintage Pro 1956 Stratocaster NOS

While we’re on the subject of Fender’s famous Custom Shop, here’s yet another new line of guitars that have sprung up quietly in recent weeks –– the Vintage Pro 1956 Stratocaster NOS.

Like the Vintage Pro 1963 Teles mentioned last week, these new Strats were built to look, sound, and indeed handle, like a 1956 Fender Stratocaster purchased new and then left to sit unmolested in someone’s closet for the last 50-some years.

But despite their general vintage vibe, this latest model apparently includes a few modern touches as well......read on @
http://www.electric-guitar-review.com/2010/07/06/fender-offers-up-custom-shop-vintage-pro-1956-stratocaster-nos/

Wicked Game...Chris Isaak...Harmonic and Dorian minor

The song Wicked Game by Chris Isaak has some nice guitar in it.The spacey sound along with the scales chosen make the guitar really cool.
The song starts on a Bm chord,to an A Major then on to an E Major.A...B Harmonic minor is played over the B minor chord then on to a B Dorian minor scale....
B Harmonic minor...
B-C#-D-E-F#-G-A#-B (a B natural minor scale,but with the 7th played naturally)
B Dorian minor...
B-C#-D-E-F#-G#-A-B (a A Major scale)

Again,this is a song with some cool guitar added and a simple way of getting introduced to two different minor scales!

Radiohead Frontman Says Music Industry On Verge Of Collapse

Jim Dyson / Getty Images

Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke is warning the music industry is on the brink of collapse, insisting young musicians should resist signing record deals because the major labels will "completely fold" within months.
The British rockers broke away from their longtime label, EMI, in 2007 and went ......read more at
http://blogs.chron.com/celebritybuzz/2010/06/radiohead_frontman_music_indus.html

Jeff Beck's Incredible Playing....Because We've Ended As Lovers

To me...this particular clip exhibits Beck's wonderful style of soloing better than the other clips i have seen of him playing this song.Not to say though...i have NEVER heard him play a bad piece of music!!!

And let's give credit to Stevie Wonder...he wrote the song :-)

Exile On Main Street

The Rolling Stones,most successful rock band ever,their still together!And..their is something to be said about Ron Woods playing.These guys ain't young anymore,but are still rockin...sorta :-).

The Rolling Stone Mag:The Secrets Behind the Rolling Stones' "Exile on Main Street"... In the new issue of Rolling Stone, Mick Jagger and Keith Richards talk about plundering their vaults for the upcoming rerelease of their 1972 masterpiece Exile on Main Street. Here's more from our conversations with the two Rolling Stones and producer Don Was. The intimate Rolling Stones: photos from the band's 1969 tour.
Mick Jagger: Tell me how this new edition of Exile on Main Street came together. Universal wanted to rerelease Exile, and they asked me if there were any tracks that we didn't use when we released it originally. And I said, "Well, I doubt it very much." One, 'cause I thought we probably used most of the tracks anyway, 'cause it was a double album. And secondly, 'cause I couldn't really be bothered. But then they said, "Please, will you look?" I was quite surprised to find the tapes in such a good state. They all had to be baked in ovens [to] last forever. I added bits and pieces here and there..... http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/32635178/the_secrets_behind_the_rolling_stones_exile_on_main_street_reissue?source=music_news_rssfeed
The Rolling Stones Site.. http://www.rollingstones.com/news/

A Cool Blues Rhythm Lesson

There is a nice video lesson over at the Premier Guitar site.It discusses adding extra bass notes to a progression,adding dominate 7th chord with fills and a "rake" thrown in (cool one),and
finally,an arpeggio style but also adding the thumb to play the bass note.
A cool blues lesson for the beginner to intermediate.
Andy Aledort's Blues Rhythm Embellishments - Premier Guitar:
http://www.premierguitar.com/Magazine/Issue/2010/Mar/Andy_Aledorts_Blues_Rhythm_Embellishments.aspx

Reverend Horton Heat...Zappa Goes Country...Sort Of

This guys a player,and in the style of well maybe,Frank Zappa goes country :-).There is an article at Guitar Player on this guy and his equipment,and did you notice the "head bangin" on the "acoustic" bass player :-)....
TEXAS HAS A KNACK FOR CRANKING OUT bodacious guitarists. From T-Bone Walker to Dimebag Darrell, Freddie King and Billy Gibbons to the venerable Vaughan brothers, the Who’s Who is as long and winding as the Rio Grande. One Lone Star 6-stringer you can add to the list is Jim Heath, a.k.a. Reverend Horton Heat. With a career spanning 25 years and 11 albums, Heath has forged a style that is a shotgun marriage of feral psychobilly guitar madness and perilous country, blues, swing, and surf licks.... http://www.guitarplayer.com/article/reverend-horton-heat/February-2010/107363
Web Site... http://www.reverendhortonheat.com/theband.php

The Boss GT-10 Pedal Board

OK...i mentioned doing a review on the Boss GT-10 pedal board.I have since found a great series of videos that really does a great job of demoing this unit!The guy has nice playing skills and some thorough knowledge of effects and skill in presenting this in a great way.SO,enjoy :-).
I have discovered the "rectifier" setting on the pre-amp,to me,is the key to a great overdrive/distortion!And the "A/B Channel" function is a great plus to your sound for recording!Will be updating my discoveries on the GT-10.

Resetting Neck Angle On Martin Acoustic

I recently came across a good article at Frets.com.He has some great shots of resetting a 1935 Martin 000-28.This is not a job for the faint hearted!I do some luthier work and can tell you straight out,working on guitars can be a lot of fun but can also be challenging and tedious work.Tools are a critical part to doing a good job,and often can be created by the luthier for a specific job....
***resetting the neck angle,along with bridge adjustments,allows for proper/better playing ability

A fine instrument indeed! It's a 1935 Martin 000-28, made in the first year after Martin abandoned the use of bar frets in favor of the modern T-frets. This guitar has been in the family of the original owner and has suffered no real damage in its life. It has never had any repair work that I could detect, and needed only to have the neck reset to restore the original geometry and allow for good playing action...
Again thanks to Frets.com for this fine article.

Quick Music Fact...New Effects Pedal...Make it Simple

Here's a Quick Music Fact...when you have purchased a new "toy",say an effects pedal board,make it simple and easier on yourself.Select a patch that is close to what you are wanting to create and simply alter it to your liking.Then once you have learned how to get around on the pedal,start a patch from 'scratch" and build it.
I recently purchased the Boss GT-10 pedal effects and will be doing a review/post on my discoveries,likes and dislikes of it.

Guitar Amp Buying Guide

Amplifier classes explained (A,AB,B,D,H)
Class A - When an amplifier's stage devices are passing current at all times, including when the amplifier is at idle (no music playing), whether the amplifier is single ended or push-pull, the amplifier is said to be biased in Class A. Because the current is flowing at all times, an input signal causes the current to be immediately diverted to the speakers, and therefore, the sound is very "fast". In the case of a push-pull amplifier, there is also less crossover distortion when the signal passes from the positive to the negative or negative to positive, since each side of the push-pull section is already "on". If all stages of the amplifier are biased in Class A, and the amplifier operates in Class A to full output (enough current flowing at idle that could be required for full output), it is said to be a "Pure Class A" amplifier. Pure Class A designs are understandably expensive to build and are usually only found in high-end boutique amps.

Class B - Class B differs from Class A in that there is no current flowing when the output devices are at idle, and as a result, they have to turn on from a zero current state when signal is present. In a push-pull Class B design the output devices would each produce half of the audio waveform (one set for the positive half, and another for the negative half) and would not have any current flow when the other half is operating. Class B designs tend to have a slower slew rate and more crossover distortion but are less expensive and require less robust power supplies.

Class AB - As its name implies, this is sort of a combination of Class A and Class B operation. If an amplifier operates in Class A mode for only a portion of its output, and has to turn on additional current in the devices for the remainder of its output, it is said to operate in Class AB. Most amplifiers are in this category since they operate in two classes. In class AB and B, the amplifier is slower than in Class A because there is a finite time between the application of the input signal and when the devices are turned on to produce a flow of current to the speakers. However, Class AB and Class B are more efficient than Class A and do not require such large power supplies.

Class D - A Class D amplifier is one in which the output transistors are operated as switches. When a transistor is off, the current through it is zero. When it is on, the voltage across it is small, ideally zero. In each case, the power dissipation is very low. This increases the efficiency, thus requiring less power from the power supply and smaller heat sinks for the amplifier. These are important advantages in portable and battery-powered equipment.

The “D” in class-D is sometimes incorrectly said to stand for “digital.” The Class D amplifier is based on analog principles; there is no digital coding of the signal.

Class H - If an amplifier has more than one voltage rail (DC voltage delivered by the power supply), then it is designated Class H. This is a very efficient type of amplification. The output transistors of an amplifier have to dissipate, in heat (watts), the difference between the rail voltage and the voltage across the speaker terminals, multiplied by the current (as stated in Ohm's law). So, when there is a low rail voltage for use during periods of low volume, and a high rail voltage for use during loud volume, the output transistors don't have to dissipate very much power when the volume is low. This causes less drain on the power supply and makes it possible to build a very lightweight design. The drawback is distortion at mid-volume when the amplifier has to go back and forth between the two (or more) rail voltages.
Thanks Sweetwater Music,for the technical stuff on amps... http://www.sweetwater.com/shop/guitars/guitar-amps/buying-guide.php

How to Lock the Guitar String into the Tuning Post

This is good advice for beginners who do not know this.I also use this technique on electrics...

Some Funky Junk

Ah....the excitement of going into the local pawn shops to see what hidden treasures and funky junk might be there,just waiting to be played and then taken away to their new home :-).
Let's face it, most of us won't ever own a '59 Les Paul—or any other true Holy Grail. That's why, in your brand-new March issue of PG, we look at a growing class of vintage instruments that even we can afford: funky, department-store brand guitars that can be surprisingly good.
Explore yesteryear's whacky creations from Harmony, Danelectro, National/Valco, Teisco Del Rey,EKO , and more...
Premier Guitar - March 2010 - Page 108-109: http://digital.premierguitar.com/premierguitar/201003_1/#pg115

Top 100 Non Guitar Jazz Recordings

JazzGuitar.be did a poll of favorite jazz recordings without a guitarist.This is a good heads up for guitarist wanting to branch out and study additional chordal and melody playing from other players, other than jazz guitarist....
http://www.jazzguitar.be/top-100-jazz-albums.html

Oz Noy On His Pedalboard

Paul Reed Smith Giveaway

This is the PRS SE Singlecut,i personally do not know the exact model of giveaway

This is cool,a PRS giveaway from Sweetwater Music...Just
Sign up to connect with Sweetwater Sound on Facebook and you'll be entered in our drawing for a Paul Reed Smith guitar...
At the end of February, a lucky fan of Sweetwater on Facebook will win a PRS SE Guitar. If you're already a "fan," then you're already entered. If you're not yet a "fan," click the blue Sweetwater image above, then click "Become a Fan." If you don't yet have a Facebook account, click the green "Sign Up" button up above, create an account, then come back here and follow the steps above. It's easy.
http://www.facebook.com/notes/sweetwater-sound/facebook-exclusive-prs-guitar-giveaway/292482257811
PRS site... http://www.prsguitars.com/

Ernie Ball/Music Man Albert Lee Giveaway

Here is one of my favorite guitar companies.It is Ernie Ball/Music Man,and they are giving away an Albert Lee model.Here are some specs on this gem...my favorite is the Luke model,but they are all great,and what Fender wishes they could be :-).
Model: Albert Lee

Size: 12-11/16" wide, 1-3/4" thick, 36-9/16" long (32.2 cm wide, 4.5 cm thick, 92.7 cm long)

Weight: 6 lbs, 5 oz (2.86 kg) - varies slightly; 7 oz (0.2 kg) more with tremolo

Body Wood: African Mahogany Body

Body Finish: High gloss polyester

Bridge: Standard - Music Man® strings-thru-the-body bridge of chrome plated, hardened steel with vintage steel saddles; Optional - Music Man® vintage tremolo of chrome plated, hardened steel with bent steel saddles; Optional - Piezo bridge with solid steel saddles

Pickguard: White Pearloid

Scale Length: 25-1/2" (64.8 cm)

Neck Radius: 10" (25.4 cm)

Headstock Size: Only 5-7/8" (14.9 cm) long

Frets: 22 - High profile, medium width

Neck Width: 1-5/8" (41.3 mm) at nut, 2-1/4" (56.9 mm) at last fret

Neck Wood: All Rosewood neck

Fingerboard: All Rosewood Fretboard

Neck Finish: Gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend

Neck Colors: Standard - Natural

Tuning Machines: Schaller M6-IND locking

Truss Rod: Adjustable - no component or string removal

Neck Attachment: 5 bolts - perfect alignment with no shifting; Sculpted neck joint allows smooth access to higher frets

Electronic Shielding: Graphite acrylic resin coated body cavity and aluminum lined pickguard

Controls: 250kohm volume and tone - .047µF tone capacitor

Switching: 5-way lever pickup selector; Piezo volume (when applicable)

Pickups: 2 custom Di Marzio-Humbucking Pickups with Chrome covers

Left Handed: No

http://www.premierguitar.com/Survey/81/survey.aspx

http://www.music-man.com/instruments/