The Guitar Channel

Winter NAMM 2012: Final Wrap-Up

Day Three, Saturday, was my final day at NAMM this year. It's also the day I saw what proved to be my favorite gear of the entire show - the Yamaha THR stereo practice amps. Rated at 10watts, the THRs utilize amp-modeling and built-in effects to generate a wide variety of tones that all sound awesome. The two models, the THR5 and THR10, are essentially the same, though the THR10 offers a few more amp models and the ability the save up to 5 user presets. I played through one of the THR10s with a Yamaha SBG, and was blown away by the thick, tube-like tone, and the validity of the built-in effects. Other features include a USB post, and bundled Cubase software for home recording. Plus, they just look cool. Pricing appears to be in the $300-$500 range. I think I need to have one.

Saturday was also loaded with numerous celebrities and monster players. Allan Holdsworth, Joe Satriani,  Steve Morse and many other big-name musicians made appearances, causing foot-traffic jams at nearly every turn. I had a great time watching Dean Brown play at the MI booth, Matt Garrison jamming with Hadrian Feraud, Carl Verheyen and Steve Trovato tearing it up at LSL, and several other on-floor performances. I also met one of my fusion heros, violin legend Jerry Goodman (he looks ornery in the picture I took, but he couldn't have been a nicer guy).

Saturday night I was lucky enough to attend the epic Ernie Ball 50th Anniversary party - an amazing way to cap off a great trip (more on this all-star event later). All-in-all, it was another fantastic NAMM show packed with cool gear and incredible players. Look for my full photo gallery soon.

More pics from NAMM 2012:

Winter NAMM 2012: Day One

I'm getting ready to tackle day two of the 2012 Winter NAMM show, but before I do, here is some of the coolest stuff I saw on day one. Carvin recently announced their new line of Allan Holdsworth HH Series guitars, and these were easily some of the best instruments I saw all day. These things feel rock solid, yet are surprisingly light due to their chambered, semi-hollow bodies. The set-necks are super smooth, making for easy access to the upper frets. The Carvin rep told me that Holdsworth came down to the factory the day the first prototype was complete, and loved it so much he took it home and used it exclusively on his next string of live dates. FYI - The man himself is scheduled to appear at the Carvin booth on Saturday.

I also found the EVH Wolfgang line to be quite impressive. The Wolfgang Custom model I tried out was built like an absolute tank. In contrast to the Holdsworth Carvins, this thing weighed a metric ton, and had a similar feel to a Yamaha SBG IMO. The guitar has a loud sound that projects when you play it unplugged; a good sign. Definitely a rock-solid axe.

The Orange OPC has been around awhile, but I checked one out yesterday for the first time and was really blown away. This cool piece of gear is essentially a computer and amp rolled into one unit. It's loaded with amp modeling and multi-track recording software, a DVD burner, USB and video outputs, the works. It can be used as regular amp if you like, though all of the sounds are produced through the amp emulation settings, courtesy of the built-in AmpliTube 3 application. Easily one of the hippest home studio solutions I've yet seen.

More pics from NAMM 2012 Day One:

 

Carl Verheyen Interview for Shred Knowledge

Andy McLaughlin has a good interview up with Carl Verheyen over at Shred Knowledge. Verheyen talks about his session work, his new LSL CV Special model guitar, and more.

Shred Knowledge: Carl Verheyen Interview (2011)

Carl Verheyen's "The Road Divides" Double CD Now Available

Carl Verheyen has released the double live CD The Road Divides. From Verheyen's official site:

The companion piece to the live CVB DVD, “The Road Divides,” is now available on a special pre-release deal exclusively through http://www.carlverheyen.com.

From now through 8/31, the pre-release price will be only $15 for the double-CD set. Additionally, the first 50 folks who order will receive their copy autographed by Carl Verheyen! The CD price will increase to $18 as of 9/1/11, the official release date. The digital version of “The Road Divides” is available for $11.99 throughout.

The CD version contains sixteen live songs – new and from the CVB catalogue – recorded at Musicians Institute with this incarnation of the Band, their strongest line-up to date. It includes a new, fiery cover version of “Jerry’s Breakdown” (by Jerry Reed), and one new CVB original, “The Road Divides.”

The CD will also include two more unreleased tracks not contained on “The Road Divides” DVD:  Live versions of the Beatles’  “Taxman” and Verheyen’s signature tune, “All You Need is Love.”

Total running time is 87:74 minutes.

Disc One:      

The Road Divides
Chinatown
Taxman
Highland Shuffle
You Bring Me Down
On Our Way
New Year’s Day

Disc Two:

Henry’s Farm
Jerry’s Breakdown
Bass Solo
Slang Justice
Slang Justice Jam
Take One Step
Eastern Steppes
Topanga Hoedown
All You Need is Love

Video: Carl Verheyen Demos His Dean Markley "Balanced Bridge" Helix HD Strings

Premier Guitar talks with Carl Verheyen at the Summer 2011 NAMM Show.

Videos: Carl Verheyen Clinic - Wild West Guitars July 30th 2011

Loads of videos from Carl Verheyen's July 30th clinic at the VooDoo Lounge at Wild West Guitars in Riverside, CA. Check out this Gear Page thread for more info.

Video: Carl Verheyen Introduces the "CV Special" Signature LsL Guitar

Carl Verheyen introduces his hew signature LsL guitar, the "CV Special."

New Carl Verheyen Digital Download Release - "Real To Reel" with Karl Ratzer

Carl Verheyen has just released a new album for digital download entitled Real To Reel. The album is available via Verheyen's online store at theconneXtion.com. From the official announcment:

"Now available only for digital download in the official Carl Verheyen online store...Real to Reel with Karl Ratzer! Carl says, "Just 10 sleepless hours after I finished an intense five day mix-down of my 2000 CVB release Atlas Overload, I found myself in the studio with one of the baddest guitar players on either side of the Atlantic: “The Telecaster Terror,” Karl Ratzer. After our mutual guitar string company had orchestrated a collaboration in the form of a live concert in Vienna, it was suggested that stylistically we are quite complimentary together.  Two days of recording were planned in early 2000 with a rhythm section in Los Angeles, neither of us knowing what it would sound like or where the soul of the project would be: jazz, blues, rock, country or funk? As it turned out it was all of those things, and this recording represents just a fraction of what was recorded and what we could still do. There are seven tracks with the band, and two duets with just Karl and me. I especially enjoy the interplay and musical connection with Karl. Since those two days in January of 2000 we have played together a few more times in Austria.  I always ask him to sit in with the CVB whenever I'm on tour there, and last year I was honored to be a special guest soloist at his 60th birthday concerts in Vienna. I hope there are many more collaborations in our future! Click here to begin shopping. Thanks for supporting Carl and theconneXtion.com!"

Carl Verheyen Interview for GuitarGearHeads

GuitarGearHeads has a new interview up with Carl Verheyen. Verheyen discusses his new LsL CV Special model guitar, as well as his oher gear.

GuitarGearHeads: Carl Verheyen Interview

Carl Verheyen European Tour Dates

Carl Verheyen will be playing the following dates in Europe this Sept and Oct with Chad Wackerman on drums, and Dave Marotta on bass.

Sep 01, 2011 Munich, Germany
Sep 02, 2011 Historischer Gutshof - Baumberg , Germany
Sep 03, 2011 Wengerwirt - Weng/Admont, Germany
Sep 04, 2011 Velden, Austria
Sep 05, 2011 Porgy and Bess – Wein, Austria
Sep 10, 2011 Kesselhauslager - Singwitz, Germany
Sep 11, 2011 Tec Net – Kronach, Germany
Sep 12, 2011 Rockhouse Saal – Salzburg, Austria
Sep 14, 2011 Earth Music Hall – Wetter, Germany
Sep 15, 2011 Kubana – Siegburg, Germany
Sep 16, 2011 Downtown – Hamburg, Germany
Sep 17, 2011 Kerem MusicKniepe – Delmenhurst, Germany
Sep 18, 2011 Café De Stier – Eibergen, Netherlands
Sep 19, 2011 Club – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Sep 20, 2011 M.A.I. – Nancy, France
Sep 21, 2011 L’Atelier du Moulin – Santeny, France
Sep 22, 2011 L’Atelier du Moulin – Santeny, France
Sep 23, 2011 Schlachthof – Bruchsaal, Germany
Sep 24, 2011 Musicclub Uhlenspiegel – Ruthesheim, Germany
Sep 26, 2011 Calais, France
Sep 27, 2011 Calais, France
Sep 28, 2011 Le Petit Journal – Paris, France
Sep 29, 2011 Spirit of ‘66 – Verviers, Belgium
Sep 30, 2011 Talbehnhoff – Eschweiler, Germany
Oct 01, 2011 Probebuhne – Zulpich, Germany
Oct 02, 2011 Scala – Opladen, Germany

Winter NAMM 2011: Day 3 / Jazz Ministry at The Baked Potato

Saturday was NAMM's busiest day, at least in terms of foot traffic. Saw lots of celebrities in attendance. I did manage to wade through the crowds though to see some cool stuff. Right off the bat I checked out Carl Verheyen's masterclass in one of the H.O.T. Zone rooms upstairs. The main topic of discussion was bending, in all it's various forms. I dig seeing these kinds of events presented at the NAMM show. Most NAMM attendees would probably never have a chance to see a Carl Verheyen clinic in their home town.  Verheyen was great - lots of cool playing and insight. I also enjoyed watching Chris Poland jam at the Music Garage booth (both with and without his OHM bandmate Pag). Killer playing as always.

 

 

My favorite gear of the day would have to be the T-Rex stomp boxes - particularly the Mudhoney II Dual Distortion pedal, and the Room-Mate Tube Reverb. Their Tonebug series is really cool also. They're built like tanks; very simple, and they sound great. I especially like the Chorus / Flanger Tonebug.

Late Saturday night, I saw Michael Landau play at the Baked Potato for the second night in a row - this time with Jazz Ministry, an incredible group of pros featuring Greg Mathieson on keys, Abe Laboriel Sr. on bass, Abe Laboriel Jr. on drums, and Landau on guitar. This particular group had not played together in a year and half (they had Vinnie Colaiuta on drums for the Baked Potato Jazz Fest gig in May). I previously saw this lineup at the Spud in 2008, and was blown away. Saturday night, they did it to me again. These guys never rehearse, but you would never know it. This was top-shelf west coast jazz at it's finest. Landau was so on point, and in tune with the band, and Abe Jr. was a joy to watch on drums. After the set, I chatted with Landau for a few minutes. He told me his next album will be all instrumental, and will hopfully come out in March. I'm stoked already - I really dig Landau's writing, especially his instrumental ballads. They were cracking down on picture-taking in the club, so I only managed a few blurry pics.

 

More pics from NAMM 2011 Day Three:

New Carl Verheyen DVD Available For Pre-order

The Carl Verheyen Band will release a new live DVD entitled The Road Divides in mid January 2011. The disc includes a performance at Hollywood's Musician's Institute from June 2010, and bonus footage from The Canyon Club in LA from November 2010. The disc is curently available for pre-order through Verheyen's website.