Trading Licks

Old Flames

The question of how to get the vintage

Tranquil Spirit

Lowden’s koa and spruce combination offers a recipe for a light and airy tone and a response that will suit a gentle fingerstylist

Tone To Go

Vox’s latest amp is perfect for al fresco performance, with mains or battery power and a host of onboard extras for practically endless fun and inspiration

Raw Power

We all love our vintage-spec Stratocasters, but if you need to go up a gear or two, the Fender-owned Charvel brand is becoming the place to look

UNDER THE HOOD

A closer look at the heart of this Charvel

NEURAL DSP QUAD CORTEX

PRICE: £1,449 ORIGIN: Finland TYPE: Amp and effects

Pulse Doppler

Turn up the rate knob of this all-analogue phaser to quicken your Pulse

SM Fuzz

Scott McKeon’s germanium-based fuzz pedal is back as a limited edition

Flattley pedals

A duo of drives from UK-based boutique maker

theWishlist

Gibson Tom Petty Wildflower SJ-200 £8,799

Gas Supply

Fender Noventa Series From £759

ALSO OUT NOW...

FRIEDMAN BE-MINI £299 If you’ve ever sat staring

The Players

The latest news, views and happenings from the world of your favourite guitarists

ALSO THIS MONTH

FUNDRAISER FOR JASON BECKER Photo by Paul Haggard

Tones Behind The Tracks

Kirk Fletcher found inspiration for his latest long-player in a musical pilgrimage to the roots of the blues

Ticket To Buy

Just like the rest of us, Adam Goldsmith is no stranger to the lure of GAS. But can new gear really improve your playing?

Lydian Moods

Chords that contain a #4th evoke a characteristic feel and are often heard in film soundtracks. Richard Barrett explains more

Feedback

Your letters to the Guitarist editor. Drop us a line at guitarist@futurenet.com

Why Not Both?

Stefan Fast of YouTube channel ThePedalZone makes a convincing case for owning two of the same effect types

Longtermers

A few months’ gigging, recording and everything that goes with it – welcome to Guitarist ’s longterm test report  Fender American Acoustasonic Jazzmaster

GUTHRIE GOVAN

The Aristocrats guitarist details the most original reason we’ve heard for buying a 335 and reveals an affection for ring modulators

CELESTION LOUDSPEAKERS

Tone pro John Paice gives us the lowdown on Celestion’s expanded range of industry standard-setting 12-inch guitar loudspeakers

HOT-ROD TELE PART 2

In the second part of Jamie’s 50s hot-rod-themed Tele modding build, we find out how it’s all come together – from the new pickups and electronics to the retro-inspired pinstriping art

SIGNATURE TONE (PART 2)

In the second part of our look at signature pickups, Dave Burrluck gets up close and personal with a beastly tone

CIRCUIT CHECK

What should you consider along with a vintage-aimed pickup swap?

Archtop DeArmonds

Portishead’s guitarist explains why the DeArmond classics affectionately known as ‘monkey-on-a-stick’ pickups are no toy…

1960s Fender Stratocasters

The Strat continues its journey towards iconic status as a new decade unfolds

1966 Fender Jaguar Prototype

This original one-off Jag would give any Fender Alternate Reality a run for its money

Albums

The month’s best guitar music –a hand-picked selection of the finest fretwork on wax

START ME UP

Grim Day Records 8/10 Haunting post-prog from Norway

Drive Time

This issue, Guitarist’s Tone Lounge meets That Pedal Show as Neville Marten hits the studio for some quality loud-time

THREE TO GET READY

Jimi-themed effects for your ’board

Lending Support

Alex Bishop peeks behind the curtain to unveil the mysterious world of acoustic guitar bracing, and what makes it so important

The Birth of Jimi’s Sound

Effects pioneer Roger Mayer tells Jamie Dickson that Hendrix’s gear choices were shaped by budget as much as tone

Gwenifer Raymond

Welsh-born guitarist Gwenifer Raymond recently released her second album, Strange Lights Over Garth Mountain, recorded during lockdown.  With that challenge firmly out of the way, she speaks to us about her love of American primitive guitar, the magic of the blues, and how she has evolved as a player in her own right

IDA MAE

We take a look at the tones of the husband-and-wife duo’s new sophomore album, Click Click Domino, track by track, with guitar sensation Chris Turpin

THE FUTURE BITES BACK

GUITAR-BASED MUSIC CONSIGNED  TO MUSEUM STATUS, ALBUMS  NOTHING MORE THAN ARTIST-  CURATED PLAYLISTS, AND SOCIAL  MEDIA ALTERING THE COURSE OF  EVOLUTION… WHAT THE FRIGGIN’  PROG IS GOING ON, MR WILSON?

DIVINE INSPIRATION

Iain Henderson, owner of London-based guitar hire firm God’s Own Guitars, explains how he has turned instrument collecting into a niche business by sharing his love for the guitars of the greats

THE PEDAL CLUB

Paul Bannister of Sound Affects in Ormskirk explains how the firm’s new offshoot – The Pedal Club – is helping guitarists get hands on with more effects in the golden age of stompboxes

GIBSON MURPHY LAB ’59 ES-335 REISSUE ULTRA- LIGHT AGED

PRICE: £5,099 (inc Lifton pinklined case) ORIGIN: USA

GIBSON MURPHY LAB ’57 LES PAUL JUNIOR SINGLE CUT REISSUE HEAVY AGED

PRICE: £5,499 (inc Lifton pinklined case) ORIGIN: USA

GIBSON MURPHY LAB ’59 LES PAUL STANDARD REISSUE ULTRA HEAVY AGED

PRICE: £9,199 (inc aged Lifton pink-lined case) ORIGIN:

Junior vs Junior

Just how does this made-to-look-old new Murphy Lab Junior compare with a real 1957? We take a close look

Moving On

It’s been quite a ride for Gibson since its new leadership team took the reins in 2018. We catch up with brand president, Cesar Gueikian, to get the backstory on the newly created Murphy Lab

The Great British ’Burst-Off

Ever wondered what a real ’59 Les Paul Standard sounds like? How about three of them? We joined ace Welsh guitarist Chris Buck and guitar collector and trader Andrew Raymond to see how the legend measures up in the flesh – and filmed what happened next…

LIBRARY TALES

The recent passing of author Melvyn Hiscock coincides with a completely revised and expanded version of his groundbreaking book, Make Your Own Electric Guitar

Blues Headlines

Richard Barrett is on a mission to make you a better blues player – with full audio examples and backing tracks