Summer NAMM ’09 – G&L Guitars Jerry Cantrell Models, F-100 and the new JB Bass
Archive for July, 2009
Video from the G&L Booth
Wednesday, July 29th, 2009
Pickin’ on a Parlor.
Monday, July 27th, 2009And no I do not mean calling it names or wedgies in the locker room. I am referring to body size and shape of guitars that gained popularity in the late 19th century and are commonly referred to as parlor guitars.
Until about the late 1950’s, parlor guitars where extremely popular with a strong rooted tradition in blues and folk music, this was due in part to the ease of musicians obtaining these guitars at lower cost and production numbers. The parlor guitar was also popular with instrumental players of American music, classical music and even polka. The “polka point”, as I am now calling it, is there to help showcase the wide styles of music that this guitar can handle and help to break down some of the misconceptions that this guitar may have attached to it.
I think Yoda said it best, “judge me by my size do you?” For modern players, who grew up on dreadnaughts and jumbo bodied guitars, this aforementioned misconception, that the lack of size equates to a lack of volume, can be proven startlingly false when given the chance to sit and listen to a modern builders take on the parlor. There is an expectation that big guitars bring big sound and little guitars bring little sound but these parlor guitars can be disproportionately powerful in volume and can provide better balance between the bass and treble of the instrument. Styles of music have evolved where we love to hear the thud of the deep bass our guitars produce but sometimes to a musical disadvantage, a parlor sized guitar does not have to deal with excessive bass so it can be less likely to produce feedback when amplified and in recording are well suited to produce a cleaner sound in the studio as it is easier to add bass then subtract it.
Larrivee has been a fan of the parlor size guitar since its inception when Jean Larrivee began building guitars in the late 60’s. They launched their first parlor guitars in July of 1999. Today they offer a wide range of models in this body shape.
The Larrivee P-05 is an all solid wood construction with Canadian Spruce top and Mahogany back and size, the custom Larrivee P-05MT adds a Mahogany top to the Mahogany body. The Larrivee P-09 comes in both a Rosewood and Flamed Maple version. If you want to spice it up a bit the Larrivee P-09 Flamed Maple also comes in a Full Sunburst . If you are looking for a cut away, the Larrivee PV-09 in Rosewood will fit the bill. Electronics you ask? Why of course. The Larrivee PV-09E adds an LR Baggs IMix dual pickup system. If you are feeling especially saucy, the godfather of the 9’s comes in a Brazilian Rosewood model. Last but not least for Larrivee is the re-introduction of a satin finished Larrivee P-03 model that is coming later this month to Guitar Adoptions at a price you have to look twice at to believe. This is a limited run of only 200 guitars, so don’t miss the opportunity!
And it is not just Larrviee offering parlor sized guitars. Blackbird Guitars, a maker of carbon fiber guitars, has introduced the Blackbird Rider. The Blackbird Rider sets a new standard for travel guitars and are coming soon to Guitar Adoptions.
Blackbird Rider
And since are on the subject of traveling, how about the Voyage-Air series of guitars? Voyage-Air has developed guitars built for travel purposes with a nice twist, they are full sized guitars. The Voyage-Air guitar cuts down the space needed for traveling with a guitar literally in half. The guitar itself folds in half making carry on travel a breeze. The Voyage-Air Songwriter Series VAOM-06 Orchestra is a performance level instruments designed to be, as Voyage-Air puts it, “The Future of Guitar Travel™.
Voyage Air Guitar
The intent of the list of all of these models is to help express the point that these builders have embraced the parlor guitar and are hoping you will too by offering you a style and tone wood to fit any playing need.
This should be the point in the post where I cliché out and make some reference to the idea that it is not the size that matters but how you use it line. But I am going to take the higher ground and refrain from such a crude double entendre.
Okay I’ll admit it my will power is no good. I think this sums up the article rather well. These are after all tools. Instruments for which we strive to make music with. And I think that any one can agree that a man with a smaller guitar who is experienced, nuanced, gentle and loving, can make much sweeter music than some guy fumbling around, thinking he does not need to have skill because he is rocking a Jumbo. Guitar, that is.
If you have not had a chance to check out adding a parlor to your collection now is a good time to look into doing so. I think you will find that every great artist has many brushes of varying size in their paint box and they all serve the singular purposes of furthering their art.
Voyage Air Guitar on a motorcycle
If Larrivee Builds It, Can a Zebra Change It’s Stripes?
Thursday, July 23rd, 2009Okay, yes I know that it is popular theory that a Zebra can not change its stripes. However Larrivee can build a guitar from Zebrawood that may make you wish your current guitars tone wood would change its stripes.
Larrivee has introduced two limited run guitars, the Larrivee LS-03 and the Larrivee L-03 Zebrawood.
The Larrivee LS-03 differentiates itself from the Larrivee L-03 with the “S” designation indicating a smaller body size than the standard Larrivee “L”. The Larrivee LS-03 also is built with Rosewood body binding instead of the Maple used on the Larrivee L-03. Other Specs include:
- Single Piece Mahogany Neck (S. American)
- Canadian Sitka Spruce Soundboard
- African Ebony Fretboard & Bridge
- Rosewood Body Binding
- Herringbone Rosette
- Symmetrical X-Bracing
- Dovetail Neck Joint
- Ping Tuners (18:1 Ratio) with Chrome buttons
- Ivoroid Fretboard Binding
- Microdot Fretboard Inlays
- Ebony Bridge Pins w/ Abalone Center
- Traditional Larrivee Tortoise style Pickguard
- Cleartone Light Gauge Strings
- Will Handle Medium Gauge Strings
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
Larrivee L-03 Zebrawood
If you are not familiar with Zebrawood as a tone wood, may I recommend that now, might be a good time to introduce yourself. Zebrawood is rosewood that shares the land with its name sake in western and central Africa. It is a dense wood that can be difficult to work with but worth the time and effort for its tone and appearance. If you have skipped down to sneak a look at the pictures, you can see why it is called Zebrawood. The brown and black lines against the back drop of tan give it the appearance of a famously stripped African equid. As for its tone it has been said to be comparable to Indian rosewood but perhaps a bit woodier with a full tone and subtle notes. Some specs on the Larrivee L-03 Zebrawood:
- All solid wood construction
- Zebrawood (African Microberlinia) Back & Sides
- Single Piece Mahogany Neck (S. American)
- Canadian Sitka Spruce Soundboard
- African Ebony Fretboard & Bridge
- Rosewood Body Binding
- B/W/B Rosette
- Symmetrical X-Bracing
- Dovetail Neck Joint
- Rounded Larrivee Headstock
- White Wood-Fiber Inlaid Logo
- Chrome Tuners (18:1 Ratio)
- Ivoroid Fretboard Binding
- Microdot Fretboard Inlays
- Traditional Larrivee Tortoise style Pickguard
- D’addario Light Gauge Strings
- Will Handle Medium Gauge Strings
- Limited Lifetime Warranty
Larrivee L-03 Zebrawood
Did you notice earlier when I did this, “limited run”. Well yes that is indeed a method to my madness there, as I certainly wanted to draw to your attention these are indeed are limited run guitars with only 60 of the Larrivee LS-03 and 6, yup I said 6, of the Larrivee L-03 Zebrawood built. I would make a bet that in a race, a real Zebra would not be gone as fast as the Zebrawood model, so act now, as they say and order yours today from Guitar Adoptions, where both of these guitars are being offered at special pricing.
Larrivee L-03 Zebrawood Side View
Guitar Adoptions Newsletter Goes Digital!
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009Guitar Adoptions is pleased to announce the first issue of our newsletter via digital publishing. Issue 1 for August hits the digital news stand today!
Once upon a time we actually got guitar magazines so we could read all of the latest news and more to the point, drool over all the new gear in high gloss color. With this new incarnation of the Guitar Adoptions Newsletter we take you away from text based emails and into the new melding of our two favorite things, the Internet and the high resolution images of magazines from an older time. If you currently subscribe to our Newsletter then you are all ready to start receiving the newest issues, if you would like to subscribe just join on mailing list using the link at the bottom of our web site.
We look forward to bringing you news, information and some great looking gear in the issues to come. Check out the first issue below.
Why I Amp. Choosing an Acoustic Amp.
Tuesday, July 21st, 2009If an acoustic guitar is played in the forest, does anyone hear it? Well of course they will but depending on the size of the crowd gathered to listen to said instrument, it might not be very well.
All debating of Zen philosophy aside, there should not be much debate in the concept that adding an acoustic amp to your tool box can greatly enhance the experience of live performance for the audience and the performer alike.
Picking an amp for your guitar is like finding the blind date for a friend. You want to make sure they are compatible. You want to make sure they bring out the best in each other. You want to make sure that at the end of the day, no matter what, they make sweet, sweet music together. Your guitar deserves the same considerations as your friend.
You have decided to buy an acoustic amp? Great, now you need to ask yourself a few basic questions first.
Where am I am going to be playing?
How loud/how much power I am going to need to achieve the sound I want?
Do I want simple plug and play or do I want to be able to mold my tone?
How much do I want to spend? (A question on every list no matter the topic)
Let’s look at some amps and see if we can answer some of those questions.
Designed in the US, the Ultrasounds are a great entry in acoustic amps and a tough, all around great amp for performance. They offer a good range of price points and size starting with the Ultrasound AG-30 to the Ultrasound PRO-250.
Ultrasound AG-50DS4 amp
Fishman has been helping acoustic musicians craft their sound since the early 1980’s. Our selection of Fishman amps is going to give you a higher powered option over some of the entry level from Ultrasound amps. Fishman offers choices such as the Fishman Loudbox 100, which runs a very nice 100 Watts or the Fishman Loudbox Performer which is going to step you up to 130 Watts of room filling power. Fishman recently has brought out something that I must admit my own fondness for, the Fishman SoloAmp. For singer/players the Fishman SoloAmp provides 220 Watts of power in a single tower that acts both as an Amp and a P.A. At only 25 pounds, it is a breeze to transport and set up at your next gig.
Fishman Loudbox 100
Stands for Audio Electric Research and boy have they done theirs. This is a “high end” amp. If you are looking to jump into amps this perhaps might not be the end of the tone pool you want to dive into. If you have experience with amps and know the sound and the voice you are looking for the Acousticube III is going to deliver 120 Watts from a solidly built cabinet with top notch electronics. Need a little less power? The Compact 60 is going to give the same craftsmanship at 60 Watts. If you know what you want and you know your sound, do not let the “high end” label of AER keep you from checking them out.
AER Compact 60
The best for last? Depends on who you ask, but many will let you know their opinions on Schertler without hesitation. Also helping musicians find their amplified voice since the early 80’s, Schertler offers some very fine examples of acoustic amplification. The Schertler David brings you 80 Watts of pure joy. Do not let the power ratings fool you. This thing will fill a venue. If you think the David is not enough, the Schertler Unico model 185 jumps you up to 185 Watts of power.
Schertler David
Now that you can have an idea of the choices available to you for selecting an amp, it is time to figure out the answer to those questions. For the sake of brevity in this article, I pointed out the power specs on the amps mentioned above. This is going to help you answer question number two from above. Do you need enough power to fill a club or large venue? Or are you looking to perform for smaller, more intimate locations. The Watts while not always a true reflection of the sound from the amp, is a great starting point for knowing what the amp can achieve. Once you have answered that question, you will be able to move onto the other questions.
Are you going to be performing solo? Do you need more than one instrument input? Do you want to have effects and ability to mold the tone? These are all going to be up to you the performer to decide upon and the great thing is, these builders have given you the options you need and want by giving you options in the model and size of the amp you choose to buy from them.
As musicians, whether it be for hobby or career, we are all lucky that we have been given a passion that offers many options and tools for us to find our voice. This can be daunting at first, given so many choices, where do you begin? But once you take a step back and realize that those choices are purposeful, that you are given the choices so that you can find the tool that best fits your voice, the world of music may open up just a little big wider for you.
When choosing an acoustic amp the best advice we can give is to make a list of some or all of the questions in this article, write them down and answer them before you begin your search. Once you have the idea of what your sound is to be, who it is to be for, and how you want to achieve it, searching for your next acoustic amp will not be as daunting a challenge as it may have originally seemed.
Why I amp? There is nothing greater for some then sharing their music with the world. And by adding an acoustic amp to your collection, you just may help them to hear it.
G&L Rampage Jerry Cantrell Signature Models, You Won’t Want to Stay Away…
Monday, July 20th, 2009I am all up for being the man in the box as long as I can bring one of these with me. G&L and Guitar Adoptions proudly present a look at the new G&L Rampage Jerry Cantrell signature model and the G&L Tribute Rampage Jerry Cantrell signature model.
Since I am nearing an end to clever Alice and Chains references I will let the pictures do the talking. You can also check out our previous blog post announcing these guitars.
G&L Rampage Jerry Cantrell signature model
G&L Rampage Jerry Cantrell Signature model headstock
G&L Rampage Jerry Cantrell Signature model
G&L Tribute Rampage Jerry Cantrell signature model
G&L Rampage Jerry Cantrell Signature Tribute model headstock
G&L Rampage Jerry Cantrell Signature Tribute model
Both of these models should be available from Guitar Adoptions near the end of July. Contact us today with any questions.
Larrivee Brings the Whole Hog Back to the Parlor, And It Ain’t BBQ
Friday, July 17th, 2009Summer NAMM 2009.
Just in case you don’t get my reference, in the world of guitar tone woods Mahogany has been known to be short handed as Hog, as in an all Hog guitar.
Larrivee P-03 Parlor
Larrivee re-introduces the P-03 model Mahogany Parlor for a limited time. The P-03 comes with a an impressive list of specs.
- Satin finish
- Solid Mahogany back and sides (South American)
- All solid wood construction
- 3 piece South American Mahogany Dovetail Neck
- Canadian Sitka Spruce Soundboard
- African Ebony Fretboard & Bridge
- Flamed Canadian Maple Body Binding
- Symmetrical X-Bracing
- Dovetail Neck Joint
- Rounded Headstock
- Ping “Mini” Tuners (18:1 Ratio) with Chrome buttons
- Tortoise pick-guard
- Herringbone Rosette
- Ivoroid Fretboard Binding
- Silver Microdot Fretboard Inlays
- D’addario Medium Gauge Strings
- Tusq nut and saddle
- Larrivee hard shell case
Larrivee started building their first Parlor guitars on July 6th, of 1999. Today the Larrivee Parlor has become the parlor guitar by which all others are measured. Quality, tone, workmanship, and playability– all wrapped-up in an affordable package! And now for a limited time, the reintroduction of the satin Parlor that started it all.
It is time to throw on your bib, grab some wet wipes and dig into this Hog coming soon to Guitar Adoptions.
Larrivee Gives You Two More Reasons to Fall in Love
Friday, July 17th, 2009Stealing from our previous post on the sneak peek at the new color for the Larrivee RS-4, according to popular psychology, the most emotionally intense color, red, stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love. I agree strongly with that statement but I think Larrivee has brought two colors to the table that may cause a wandering eye from the lady in red.
And speaking of that mystery lady in red from our last post, we have an official name for her now, introducing the Larrivee RS-4 in Candy Apple Red.
On but wait. She has sisters, well maybe more like cousins.
The Larrivee RS-4 in Amber Burst.
And the Larrivee RS-4 in Vintage Cherry, shown here with P90′s.
Hot of the presses of Summer NAMM come the announcement of these three new colors for the Larrivee RS-4, Amber Burst, Candy Apple Red, and Vintage Cherry. Expected delivery time on these colors from Larrivee is about a months time.
I think these photos from Larrivee fall into the, a picture is worth a thousands words, in debating the merit of that red being the color of love article. And if you did indeed fall in love with our lady in red Larrivee RS-4 Candy Apple Red image of the sneak peek post, don’t worry. If you feel guilt for a wandering with the Larrivee RS-4 Amber Burst or the Larrivee RS-4 in Vintage Cherry, just tell yourself that you are keeping it in the family, for I am fairly sure all three colors fall under the same slice on the color wheel.
Stay tuned for more great news and updates from Summer NAMM.
Is Red the Color of Love? For the New Larrivee RS-4, I Think Yes.
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009According to popular psychology, the most emotionally intense color, red, stimulates a faster heartbeat and breathing. It is also the color of love.
With this sneak peek at the new Larrivee RS-4 coming to Summer NAMM this week, one cannot help but become a little smitten with this new model. With only a single glance across the room, eyes meeting ever so quickly, Larrivee has teased our emotions and our connection to the color red.
Larrivee began its love affair with the electric guitar in 1982 and has evolved their style and sound into what we now know as the current Larrivee RS-4. The RS-4 is a Mahogany body with an Extra Thick Canadian Flamed Maple top and Rosewood fretboard and to complete the tone package, Lollar Imperial Humbuckers.
The current finishes of the RS-4 include both solid and burst finishes such as Amber, Charcolburst, Arctic White, Tobacco Sunburst, Cherry Sunburst, and introduced at last years Summer NAMM, a Classic Gold.
If this sneak peek is any preview of what the whole package is going to look like, I think some of you may need to prepare yourselves to fall in love all over again.
Stay tuned for more updates as we draw closer to Summer NAMM.
Acoustic Players Put Your Foot Down!
Sunday, July 12th, 2009I got rhythm, I got music, I got an Ellis Stomp Box?
Quick poll. How many of you acoustic guitar players play solo and more importantly find yourselves tapping your foot as you play? Follow up question. How many of you acoustic players find yourselves, if only for a second, staring longingly at the pedals and gadgets that the electric player that went on first had before them?
There is no denying the magic that happens when one sets out to make music on six strings and wood but as much as we enjoy the music of our solitude, there is no denying that done well, music is at its best when it is a choir of many voices, so to speak. As an acoustic guitar player we are limited in our options of ways to add voices to that choir, and certainly as solo players, we have fewer options.
Coming back around to the poll you took earlier, Ellis Guitars, out of Australia, has created a tool, that if you have not seen yet, you should definitely take a few minutes and give it a listen.
What is it? Do you find yourself wishing you could add some percussion to your live set? Well now you can and the best part is that you are merely amplifying a natural reflex that you probably all ready have in your show. Tapping your foot. Think of it as an amplified floor.
Ellis Acoustic Stompbox
The Ellis Stomp Box is hand crafted from two pieces of wood, a pick up inside, and a standard 1/4 inch output jack. Finished it is about the width of a CD case. Plugged into an amp or a PA the Stomp Box, will produce a variety of sounds depending on where you tap the box. Want to add some deep, low percussion, run it into a bass amp, want to play with your tone, hook into a PA and play with the EQ until you find the sound the fits you. Pair the Stomp Box with say a Larrivee LV-03RE and you are ready to make some music. Want to go even further? Check out Kaki King and her Stomp Box.
That is correct, Kaki King, Ash Grunwald, Pete Lockett and Phil Keaggy are counted amongst the artists who use a Stomp Box both in the studio and live. If that seems like name dropping, it totally is, but only to serve the purpose of making a point. That point is that as we all become masters of our craft, we should be open to expanding the tools we use to reach our audience.
The Ellis Stomp Box is not some cutting edge piece of electronic wizardry, and that is the true beauty of it. It is what we as acoustic players love the most. It is wood, is simple in mechanics yet complex in sound, it a chance to add a pedal to our road cases and say, “how you like me now, Mr. Electric Pedal Guy”.
I think you will find them saying, “ I like it.”
