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2019 Issue 04 April
$2.50Premier Guitar April 2019: NAMM 2019 gear-show recap. Interviews with Sarah Longfield, Steve Gunn, and Kurt Vile, Dream Theater’s John Petrucci and John Myung, Charlie Sexton, and Rush’s Geddy Lee. Thirteen gear reviews: Friedman, EHX, One Control, Adventure Audio, MXR, Schecter, IK Multimedia, Source Audio, Fender, Jext Telez, 3 Leaf, and Aguilar.
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2019 Issue 03 March
$2.50Premier Guitar March 2019: Stompbox junkies going into withdrawal since last year’s Pedal Issue should feel significantly sated this month, as we’ve both rounded up 16 pro pedalboards from across the stylistic spectrum that wowed us during our last year of Rig Rundowns, and collected photos and specs on 13 impressive boards from PG fans. In addition, our features section has talks with Jeff Tweedy and Hate Eternal’s Erik Rutan, as well as a profile of the late Stooges guitarist Ron Asheton. Meanwhile, our gear-review section takes in-depth looks at Bogner’s Ecstasy Blue Mini, Rocket Surgeon’s Codename: Black Hat, the Ashdown Tone Pocket, Way Huge’s Purple Platypus, the Heritage H-137SC, Third Man & Mantic’s Flex, the Balthazar Film Noir 50, Peavey’s MAX 150, the Takamine EF360SC TT, Damnation Audio’s Ugly Twin, Hughes & Kettner’s Black Spirit 200, the Komet K.O.D.A., and Trickfish’s Trilobite. Lastly, in the print edition (only), we have tablature transcriptions of Billy Idol’s “Rebel Yell,” Lamb of God’s “Redneck,” and the Hellecasters’ “The Claw.”
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2017 Issue 02 February
$2.50In our cover story this month we talk to Animals as Leaders mastermind Tosin Abasi and his 8-string cohort Javier Reyes about their new album, The Madness of Many. Our other artist interviews include chats with Chrissie Hynde of the Pretenders, Warpaint’s Emily Kokal and Theresa Wayman, Stick Men’s Tony Levin and Markus Reuter, Meshuggah’s Mårten Hagström, Lynyrd Skynyrd cofounder Gary Rossington, and “Godfather of Fusion” Larry Coryell. We’ve also got a bonus lesson on learning to play outside the conventional chord-scale mindset. As for gear coverage, this month we dive deep into the world of bucket-brigade effects of yesterday and today, as well as review Foxpedal’s Defector, the Spector Timbre acoustic 4-string, TC Electronic’s Tailspin, Free the Tone’s Ambi Space, the Eastwood Senn, Sandberg’s Forty Eight bass, the Milkman Pint, MXR’s Echoplex Delay, Collings OM2H T, Dunlop’s CBM105Q Mini Bass Cry Baby, Fender ’57 Custom Pro , Wren and Cuff’s Sonder, Lollar’s P-90 Staple, and the Ernie Ball Ambient Delay.
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2016 Issue 12 December
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Premier Guitar December 2016: Just in time for year-end loot-o-rama celebrations of all stripes, this month we bring you our annual Gear of the Year feature highlighting the 73—yes, you read right!—guitars, basses, amps, effects, and other devices that blew our minds and won our coveted Premier Gear award during 2016. We’ve also got in-depth discussions with killer guitarists like Red Fang’s Bryan Giles and David Sullivan, Thalia Zedek, John Scofield, Thin Lizzy founder Eric Bell, and Moon Bros., as well as sagely advice on capturing studio magic from super producers Nick Raskulinecz (Rush, Mastodon), Dave Cobb (Jason Isbell, Sturgill Simpson), and Buddy Miller (Robert Plant, Lucinda Williams). Meanwhile, our new gear reviews this month include the Shin-Ei Vibe-Bro, Radial Engineering’s Direct Drive, the Electro-Harmonix Lester G Deluxe, Cusack’s Screamer V2, the Source Audio Aftershock, Chasing Vintage’s Challenger, ESP’s LTD B-1005SE Multi-Scale 5-string bass, Yamaha’s Revstar RSP20CR, Soundshine Electronics’ Magnum Swampus, the EBS Magni 500 MA15, Two-Rock’s Cardiff, and Black Cat’s Monster K-Fuzz.
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2016 Issue 11 November
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Premier Guitar November 2016: This month our “Echoes from the Garage” cover story examines not just at the seminal bands, guitarists, and gear from the ’60s garage-rock movement, but also looks at the effect they had on subsequent rock forms from the ’70s to today. In other artist coverage, shred lords Steve Vai and Devin Townsend interview each other about their latest releases, Modern Primitive / Passion & Warfare and Transcendence, respectively. We also talk to Pixies’ Joey Santiago and bassist Paz Lenchantin, bluesman Dex Romweber, Stargazer Lilies’ John Cep and Kim Field, Steve Rothery from storied U.K. prog outfit Marillion, and Stephen Egerton from legendary SoCal punk quartet Descendents. We’ve also got a feature lesson by gypsy-jazz scholar Michael Horowitz on the essential elements of Django Reinhardt’s groundbreaking style. Our gear reviews this month include in-depth looks at the retro-vibed Danelectro ’64 and Guild S-200 T-Bird 6-strings, as well as Fender’s new Mustang PJ bass, the Tremulator Plus, Bogner’s new Goldfinger 54 Phi head and 2×12, the Parson 1975HW head, Experimental Noize’s Aphazing, Taurus’ Stomp-Head 5.CE, Mu-Fx’s Boostron 3, the Cort 5B Plus AS bass, CopperSound’s Telegraph Stutter, TC Electronic’s WireTap Riff Recorder, and Journey Instruments’ OB660 bass.
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2016 Issue 10 October
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Premier Guitar October 2016: The vaunted annual Pedal Issue returns! This year it sports an amazing cover by noted French illustrator/guitarist/stompbox-junkie McBess, as well as 33 guitar- and bass-pedal reviews by our astute team of pedal addicts. But that’s not all—we also take you inside the wacky labs where the folks at Union Tube & Transistor, Chase Bliss Audio, Hungry Robot, Fuzzrocious, Mantic Conceptual, Cusack Music, 3Leaf Audio, and Darkglass zap unicorns with shrink rays to put clangorous tones in little metal boxes. Meanwhile, our artist interviews this month include chats with Rage Against the Machine and Prophets of Rage bassist Tim Commerford, Screaming Females’ Marissa Paternoster and “King” Mike Abbate, jazz maestro Charlie Hunter, possessed Australian bluesman C.W. Stoneking, and Deerhoof’s John Dieterich and Ed Rodríguez. We also visit with the brain trust behind Recovery Unplugged, Jail Guitar Doors, and other rehab centers that have found success using guitar and musical activities to help patients overcome substance addiction. And finally, our latest Forgotten Heroes piece recounts the rich life and legacy of the father of free-jazz guitar, Sonny Sharrock.
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2016 Issue 09 September
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Premier Guitar September 2016: PG scoured the floor at the annual Summer NAMM gear expo in Nashville, and our cover story this issue shares the deets on the most enticing new guitars, basses, amps, effects, and doodads to watch for at your local shop. In other gear coverage, our reviews section includes a practice-amp roundup that gives you the straight dirt on five new combos—the Marshall CODE 25, Vox AV30, Ibanez TSA5TVR, Orange Crush 35RT, and Roland Blues Cube—as well as reviews of Fender’s new American Elite Telecaster, Peavey’s revamped Classic 30, Schecter’s Michael Anthony signature 4-string, the Alvarez Delta00TSB, Source Audio’s Nemesis, the Alexander La Calavera, EarthQuaker Devices’ Spatial Delivery, the Ashdown RM-500-EVO, Ibanez’s Mini Chorus, Jim Dunlop’s Mini Volume, Electro-Harmonix Bass Preacher, and more. Meanwhile, our interviews this month include chats with Les Claypool and Sean Lennon, Bjarte Lund Rolland and Maciek Ofstad from Norwegian metal outfit Kvelertak, former Black Crowe Rich Robinson, Thrice’s Dustin Kensrue and Teppei Teranishi, Eric Krasno, and Scandinavian experimental guitarist Stian Westerhus.
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2016 Issue 08 August
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Premier Guitar August 2016: To kick off our annual Amp Issue, we’ve enlisted Tim Schroeder of Schroeder Amplification (whose clients include Nels Cline and Jeff Tweedy) to show you crucial things to consider before adding a previously owned amp to your arsenal. We also take you inside Hi-Tone Amplification, a Columbus, Indiana, outfit that’s making painstaking handwired clones of vintage Hiwatt amps with the exclusive endorsement of the family of the legendary U.K. brand’s late founder, Dave Reeves. We also review three new guitar amps—the EVH 5150 III LBX, Supro Black Magick, and Laney GH50R—as well as two powerful new bass rigs, Peavey’s MiniMEGA and Genzler’s Magellan 800. Our artist features this issue include chats with J Mascis and Lou Barlow from Dinosaur Jr., Jamie Hince and Alison Mosshart from bluesy avant-garage duo the Kills, Duke Erikson and Steve Marker of electro-pop outfit Garbage, seminal punk guitarist East Bay Ray of Dead Kennedys, and Jeremy Earl and Jarvis Taveniere from psych-folk band Woods. We’ve even got a lesson from senior editor Andy Ellis on how to adapt to the new techniques, tools, and fingerings needed to make a foray into the high lonesome aural wonderland of lap steel. Our review section is rounded out with looks at the PHred DockStar Flame Maple, Matthews Effects’ Astronomer reverb, Walrus Audio’s Vanguard phaser, the Chase Bliss Spectre flanger, Red Panda’s Bitmap, the Gretsch Streamliner G2622T, Fredric’s Deeply Unpleasant Companion, and the Providence Heat Blaster.
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2016 Issue 07 July
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Premier Guitar July 2016: This month our gear reviews include a killer array of acoustic tone toys—from Martin’s D Jr. to the Cole Clark CCFL2EC, Taylor’s 562ce, and parlor flattops from Fender and Ibanez, and DiMarzio’s new Black Angel soundhole pickup—as well as Marshall’s JCM 25/50 2555X Silver Jubilee head, the Ethos Clean-Fusion preamp, L.R. Baggs’ Stadium bass DI, Schroeder Amplification’s SA9+, the Keeley ME-8 Multi-Echo, SolidGoldFX’s Horizon, and Mike Lull’s TXB4 bass. Meanwhile, in our interviews section, famed record producers Zeuss (Rob Zombie, Hatebreed), and Steve Evetts (the Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die) offer tips and tricks for recording crushing guitar tones, while Paul Gilbert, Nigerian Tuareg guitarist Bombino, Lukas Nelson (country icon Willie Nelson’s son), neo-bluegrass renegade Michael Daves, genre-spanning veteran Gary Lucas, Jeremy Earl and Jarvis Taveniere from folk-rock outfit Woods, and world-music guitar guru Adam Rudolph dissect the songwriting, recording, and gear behind their latest albums.
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2016 Issue 04 April
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Premier Guitar April 2016: Looking for your next gear fix? Our cover story this month takes you inside the Winter 2016 NAMM show to give you a look at the most intriguing new guitars, basses, amps, effects, and accessories to keep your eyes peeled for at your local shop. Meanwhile, our review lineup assesses 13 new tone toys, including Fender’s Jimi Hendrix Strat, Warwick’s Adam Clayton signature bass, the MXR Carbon Copy Bright, Allen Eden’s 1987 solidbody, the Radial Headload, Ventura Valve Amplifiers’ VVA50, the Echopark F-1 Dual Germanium fuzz, Magnetic Effects White Atom, Bergantino’s B|Amp, and Tyyster’s Pelti 12-string. Our artist features this issue includechats with Stephen Carpenter and Chino Moreno of Deftones, Ben Harper, Wolfmother’s Andrew Stockdale, Lucinda Williams and Bill Frisell, jazz guitarist Liberty Ellman, and John Jorgenson. We’ve also got a roundtable discussion with Parliament-Funkadelic’s George Clinton and guitarists Michael Hampton (aka Kidd Funkadelic), Dewayne “Blackbyrd” McKnight, and Ricky Rouse about the seminal funk outfit’s history and the gear, techniques, and musical approaches on their R&B masterpieces. To top things off, we offer tips and tricks on how to create quality recordings on the go with your phone, tablet, or laptop.
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2014 Issue 12 December
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Premier Guitar December 2014: Whether you’re looking for gift ideas for yourself or your favorite player this holiday season, you can’t go wrong with our recap of the coolest gear we reviewed this year—the 45 or so guitars, basses, amps, effects, and accessories that won our illustrious Premier Gear award during 2014. On top of that, we’ve also 13 brand-new reviews, including the Carr Skylark, Zemaitis Generation 2, Taylor 150e 12-string, Electro-Harmonix B9 Organ Machine, Eden I-90 Chorus, JHS Colour Box, Maxon FV10 Void, Electra Phoenix, and more. Our artist interviews this month include chats with Aerosmith’s Joe Perry, Bill Frisell, Exodus’ Gary Holt and Lee Altus, Donna Grantis from Prince’s 3rdEyeGirl band, and Liam “Skin” Tyson and Justin Adams from Robert Plant’s Sensational Space Shifters band. We also bring you a cool, step-by-step DIY project for installing onboard effects in your guitar, as well as talk to the Trace Davis at Voodoo Amps.
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2014 Issue 11 November
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Premier Guitar November 2014: We’re all over the place this month—in the coolest way possible. Our cover story chronicles the charity work of Music Maker Relief Foundation, a non-profit that aims “to preserve the musical traditions of the South” by helping artists combat poverty—and providing them with gear to use in their art. Our artist interviews this month include chats with Steve Stevens, Blake Mills, the Raveonettes’ Sune Rose Wagner, Nels Cline and Julian Lage, David Fiuczynski, and Flash Lightnin’s Darren Glover. We also look at the life and legacy of R&B legend/Forgotten Hero Curtis Mayfield, go inside Musicians Institute’s Guitar Craft program, and serve up a country-guitar lesson. Our gear reviews this month include Taylor’s T5z Custom, the Line 6 AMPLIFi 150, Caroline Guitar Company’s Haymaker, the McInturff Spitfire, Coldcraft’s Harmonic Tremolo v2, EarthQuaker Devices’ Arrows preamp, Nordstrand’s NVT A3 T-style pickups, the Darkglass Duality Dual Fuzz Engine, Gretsch’s G5620T-CB Electromatic Center Block, Pettyjohn’s PreDrive, and Yamaha’s TRBX505 5-string bass.