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fearsmagazine · 1 year

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Legendary Fantasy Artist Frank Frazetta’s Epic Work “The Berserker” Available Worldwide on Epiphone.com

For 150 years, Epiphone has been a leading innovator in instrument design. By leveraging its iconic past and leaning into the future, Epiphone has now set the stage for the next era of sound for present and future generations. Epiphone is proud announce the long-awaited Adam Jones and Epiphone partnership has now arrived with the release of the Epiphone Adam Jones Les Paul Custom Art Collection. This unprecedented, limited-edition collection blends Adam’s love of fine art and music, resulting in seven, iconic and unique Les Paul Custom Silverburst masterpieces which feature the artwork of five distinguished visual artists curated by Adam Jones of TOOL. The Epiphone Adam Jones Les Paul Custom Art Collection is now available worldwide at authorized Epiphone dealers and on www.epiphone.com.

The second model to debut in the Adam Jones Les Paul Custom Art Collection is Frank Frazetta’s “The Berserker.” Known as the Godfather of fantasy art, acclaimed artist Frank Frazetta was an illustrator of comic books, movie posters and paperback book covers whose visions helped define fantasy heroes like Conan, Tarzan, John Carter of Mars, and more. This guitar displays Frank Frazetta’s masterpiece, “Berserker” on the back of the guitar, artwork on the rear headstock is designed by world-renowned artist Korin Faught. The artwork “Berserker,” also known as “Conan The Conqueror,” was painted by Frazetta in 1968, for the cover of the Conan The Conqueror paperback novel by author Robert E. Howard. The original artwork is currently owned by Kirk Hammett of Metallica and Conan® is a registered trademark of Conan Properties International LLC.

Frank Frazetta was born in Brooklyn on February 9, 1928, and as a boy studied art at the Brooklyn Academy of Fine Arts. He began drawing for comic books of all stripes--westerns, mysteries, fantasies--when he was still a teenager. He was also a good enough baseball player to try out for the New York Giants. Frazetta was a versatile and prolific comic book artist who, in the 1940s and ’50s, drew for comic strips like Al Capp’s “Lil’ Abner” and comic books like “Famous Funnies,” for which he contributed a series of covers depicting the futuristic adventurer, Buck Rogers. Explore the artwork of Frank Frazetta, HERE.

"My exposure to Frank Frazetta began early in my life. There’s something about his artwork that has spoken to me for as long as I can remember,” says Adam Jones. “When I was very young, I would save money to buy his adult comic art and pulp novel covers without my parents’ knowledge, sneaking them into the house undetected. To this day, as I work on my own projects, I’m transported back to those moments of discovery and influence. Frank’s technical prowess is unmatched in his genre (I’m such a proud nerd…) and he continues to be one of my heroes.

When Cesar at Gibson and I discussed a line of fine art-enhanced guitars, I hoped we would get permission to use one of Frank’s images, and I am so grateful to his estate for allowing us to use ‘Berserker’ on this Epiphone Les Paul."

“I was 13 years old when I first heard the TOOL song ‘Schism,’ it immediately resonated with me on a spiritual level and I’ve been a fan ever since,” adds Sara Frazetta, Granddaughter of Frank Frazetta. “To collaborate with Adam Jones and my Grandfather’s artwork on this gorgeous new Epiphone Art Collection of guitars has been amazing and seeing the guitars, it’s clear Frazetta’s art was destined for guitars.”

Watch the video for the Epiphone Adam Jones Les Paul Custom Art Collection, HERE, and explore the collection HERE.

The Adam Jones Les Paul Custom Art Collection: Frank Frazetta’s “The Berserker” isn’t just an art piece to hang on the wall; it’s an exceptional instrument for players to craft their own masterpiece. The Epiphone Adam Jones Les Paul Custom Art Collection has a bound mahogany body with a maple cap, a three-piece bound maple neck with an Adam Jones Custom profile, and an ebony fretboard. It is equipped with a reverse-mounted Epiphone ProBucker™ Custom humbucker™ in the neck position and a Seymour Duncan® Distortion in the bridge; both are wired to CTS® potentiometers and Orange Drop® capacitors. A Marquee Back Plate with Frank Frazetta’s name and the title of the artwork, “The Berserker” is also included. The guitar is finished in Antique Silverburst as an homage to Adam’s beloved original Silverbust 1979 Gibson® Les Paul Custom, a Protector hardshell case is also included.

The Epiphone Adam Jones Art Collection consists of seven, Silverburst Les Paul™ Custom models, each featuring reproductions of different works of fine art on the back. Adam curated all of the featured artwork, and selected five distinguished artists Mark Ryden, Frank Frazetta, Julie Heffernan, Korin Faught, and Ernst Fuchs for the collection; additional artwork designed by world-renowned artist Korin Faught, adorns the back of the headstock of each model. Only 800 guitars of each model from this unprecedented, extremely limited edition run will be produced.

One of the rock’s most talented and sonically innovative guitarists, Adam Jones is renowned as the guitarist for the band TOOL, as well as his work as a visual artist, sculptor, videographer, producer, and special effects designer (Jurassic Park, Terminator 2, Edward Scissorhands, Ghostbusters II, Batman Returns, A Nightmare on Elm Street 3, 4 and 5, Dances with Wolves, Bride of the Re-Animator, Pet Sematary, Shocker, and License To Kill).

#music news #epiphone #les paul #adam jones #frank frazetta #the berserker #guitar

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racingtoaredlight · 4 years

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The Gibson ES-335

“Yeah this guitar is the one that I played the majority of my sessions and solo records on. The choice to get the 335 was actually a very practical choice for me. So I play a lot of different styles of music and I wanted to get a guitar that could cover a lot of bags, so I didn't always have to switch to a bebop guitar for this...blues guitar for that...this one covers most of the bags that I want to play or was called on to play.

So that's how I ended up picking the 335, and the little store I went to in 1969 to buy a 335, there were three hanging on the wall and I chose this one because it sounded the best to me, and the rest is really history, isn't it? Brand new...yeah 1969...although I ended up carrying everything but this one seemed to cover most, so I didn't have to keep pulling a new guitar out."

-Larry “Mr. 335″ Carlton

***

The “big three” of the electric guitar are the Fender Stratocaster and Telecaster, and the Gibson Les Paul. The extent to which these three models dominate just about every era is about as close to complete as possible.

The Telecaster has had an almost total lockdown on country music since the 1960′s. I’ve since deleted the posts, but in my rundown of the greatest guitarists ever, a legitimate 2/3′s main guitar was a Stratocaster. And the louder music became, the more the Les Paul came into play...the guitar which, thanks to Jimmy Page and Slash’s iconic imagery, might be the defining guitar of rock music.

Of those three, the two Fenders would be on most guitarist’s lists of most versatile...with some compromises. The Les Paul can get around ok in cleaner settings, but not like the Fenders. It’s just too thick of a sound and, combined with the humbucking pickups, overdrive amps at lower volumes. Where the Fenders are crystal clear, the Les Paul is muddy.

Enter the ES-335. Arguably the most versatile electric guitar.

***

There are variants of the ES-335 that I’m going to lump in just to make things easier. The ES-345 and ES-355 both had fancy things that the 335 didn’t...mainly a variable tone switch that was fucking stupid, and a Bigsby tailpiece that knocked you out of tune and was fucking stupid. Oh, the 355 had an ebony fretboard with block inlays...you’d know this one as BB King’s “Lucille.” They all sound about the same.

If you want a rundown of notable users of the ES-335 and its variants...Eric Clapton (above), BB King, Freddie King, Chuck Berry (and Marty McFly), Dave Grohl, Rich Robinson (Black Crowes), Otis Rush, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Chris Cornell, Roy Orbison, Alvin Lee, Larry Carlton (Steely Dan and a million other people), Duane Allman, Eric Johnson, Joe Bonnamassa. If we include Epiphone variants, we can add Gary Clark Jr. and Robben Ford to the list too. I guess the Beatles too, if we’re doing that, but fuck them.

What makes the 335 different than the Les Paul...even though many guitarists consider them relatively interchangeable (as long as you’re not playing anything high-gain)...is, obviously, that it’s hollow. Kinda.

***

“Semi-hollow” refers to the solid block of maple running down the middle of the body, which the pickups and neck are mounted to. The top, bottom and sides are made of layers of laminated maple, the two parts are pressed together, and there you have it.

A kinda solid body, kinda hollow body, hybridy type thing.

It still has a lot of that heft that a Les Paul has, and adds a sweetness the Lester sacrifices power for. And while they absolutely cover a lot of the same ground...personally, I consider them interchangeable...the biggest differentiator is if you play jazz, it’s the 335, and if you play high gain stuff, it’s the Les Paul. Solely due to the 335′s feedback issues from being hollow.

That sweetness is what makes the 335 so versatile. That heft the Les Paul brings to the table is a liability in lighter styles of music. Not light in terms of “smooth jazz” or whatever, but in terms of requiring a musician to be nimble. Genres like funk and R&B and country don’t need a guitar sound that’s huge and heavy and in your face. But the 335 has clarity, and that clarity is what makes it a more versatile instrument.

***

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So if you’re reading this and thinking that I’m setting this up as some sort of “335 is the greatest guitar” type thing, you’re not far off.

Everything that Larry Carlton said about the 335 at the very top, I said when I bought my Fender Stratocaster. The reason I went with a Strat over a 335 was a value proposition, more than a musical one...I got my Strat and a professional-quality leather gig bag for $1,500 while you’re going to spend about $3,000 on a 335 (average-condition used 335′s from undesirable Gibson eras start the pricing around $2,300). Combine that with the Fender not having Gibson’s fragility issues*, again, it was almost purely a value proposition...you can’t play a guitar if it’s in the shop.

*The Gibson headstock is angled backwards in order to ensure a proper break angle for the strings passing through the nut. While this gives every string the proper break angle, it creates an Achilles’ Heel where these beatifully crafted instruments that feel like they could go through war, can actually be rendered useless with nothing more than a fall from a couple feet.

But make no mistake, essentially from my 2nd year of music school, I knew the 335 was the guitar for me. I’ve played hundreds of 335′s and its variants. Played a ‘59 with mini-block inlays in Dallas, a ‘62 sunburst at the Dallas Guitar Show, a Memphis Custom Shop gold top in Nashville, a ‘69 ES-345 here in Cleveland...

Not to mention countless “regular” and Custom Shop models at various guitar stores through the years. The 335 is a natural landing spot for jazz guys who play rock and blues, and it was where I naturally gravitated towards. Before I bought my Strat, I had passed on opportunities to get a 335 because I knew how well they suited my style of playing, and how many opportunities I’d have down the road to pick one up.

I could say that “I miss nothing when I play my Strat” but that’s not true. I miss that heft and control you get with humbuckers, and with the 335 I get some of those Strat qualities without the Les Paul’s muddiness. It’s just...again...the Strat was half the price and I can beat it to shit without feeling bad.

***

The 335 doesn’t have the stardom of the Les Paul, which is fine.

While there are some stars who used a 335 variant, in reality, the 335 was designed for the guys behind the star. Despite it being a huge instrument in either red or super glossy black, it’s an instrument made for the background. The stars can pick and choose what they want to play, but if you’re hired to support that musician and cover a ton of bases, you want something that gives you the most bang for your buck.

Things are different today, but back in the good old days a professional backup guitarist might be asked to play jazz, country, blues, rock and maybe even disco in the same night. There are really only two guitars that can cover all of those bases and not miss a beat, the Strat and the 335.

Now, I haven’t included many sound examples on purpose.

Philosophically, I boil guitar down into two macro “tones”...clean and dirty. This is in reference to level of overdrive...you can play clean but still dirty, like funk rhythms...as well as dirty and clean, like playing precise leads with a lot of overdrive. But if we’re talking about music in the middle...i.e. not extreme metal or sterile minimalist stuff...you can break it down into clean or dirty.

Effects, processing, all that shit that goes down with pedals and modelers and simulators...all that stuff is, is a more convenient way to improve a lacking sound. The better your playing and note choice is...something only possible with hours and hours of experience...the less reliant you are on these things, and the more the equipment you do use shines.

Larry Carlton is known as “Mr. 335.” His biggest solo hit was titled “Room 335.” His home studio is known as “Room 335.” He reached the pinnacle of the session world, despite not really playing on as many sessions as his peers, because of how incredible his skills as a musician, producer and bandleader were. And he did almost all of it on a 335.

He’s the perfect guitarist to use as an example of what the 335 is capable of. These tracks have no effects, are just Carlton straight into a Fender Tweed Deluxe. The first track “Josie” is a clean example...just listen to the beginning gutiar part and then the fills during the last 45 seconds of the song...beautiful clean tone. The second is “Kid Charlemagne”...the comping during the verses has great clean tone too, but focus on the leads. Especially the closing solo during the last minute. It’s very overdriven, very saturated, but still clean where the notes are distinct.

That’s the beauty of the 335.

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sustainpunch · 4 years

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12 Unusual and Weird Guitar Designs

Unusual guitar designs never get old, they do, however, get more creative and a lot stranger.

From the bigfoot guitar to guitars built from Legos, and steampunk to Star Wars guitars, maybe not all of them sound great but they are definitely fun to look at.

What do you think of weird, crazy designs when it comes to your axe? Would you play a guitar that doubles as a sword?

There are hundreds of unusual designs for guitars throughout history, some play nicely, some never intended to actually been strummed yet all were a vision of an artist and we can appreciate that.

These are just a few of our favorites in no particular order that we think you will Enjoy!

Real Lego Guitar

The black Lego guitar is actually a fully functioning instrument with the complete case made out of the favorite childhood building blocks.

You can jam out with your friends, and if a block of the guitar falls off, just snap it back together.

The Lego guitar comes complete including pick-ups, bridge, and all of the functioning parts, all this beauty needs are some strings.

Seeing how Legos have been around for many decades I’m sure you have some in the attic so why not build your own?

Star Wars Guitars

While we’re on the subject of toys from childhood, how about some Star Wars guitars?

Designers and fans of the epic saga have found a way to incorporate Star Wars into just about anything, so guitars should come as no surprise. And we have to admit, they are kind of awesome.

Depending if you choose to play your (han) solo, or just rip off some C (3PO) cords there is no doubt you’ll be a force to be reckoned with.

Ultimate Steampunk Guitar

Steampunk is still as popular these days as the 1960s and 1970s, so it’s not surprising to find a few guitars out there made in this style.

These can get pretty elaborate, and they look great. Thunder Eagle guitars made a fun looking guitar from copper pipes and gears.

Complete with pipes and gauges and beautiful gears – the Thunder Eagle amazingly it sounds as good as it looks.

The creator modified a Rhodes Jackson V, using copper plating, some pickups, re-facing the gauge, and adding some wonderful paint effects.

Bigfoot Guitar

From the famous guitar maker George Marlin comes the magnificent BigFoot guitar, which he displayed at the Miami Beach Guitar Festival.

This original Sasquatch sound box is actually just the foot of Bigfoot.

An earlier attempt by Marlin at a full size Bigfoot guitar, was found to be too difficult to hold (at 10 feet long) and it was apparently scaring off the neighborhood kids as well.

Not sure how it sounds, but in rock n’ roll, image is most of the show and this guitar looks pretty freakin’ gnarly.

Swiss Guitar

Ron Thal, aka Bumblefoot, is famous for his stint with Guns N’ Roses. His custom Vigier double-neck better known as Double Foot and of course the Vigier Flying Foot guitar.

But it was his Ibanez Roadster Swiss Cheese Guitar that first gained him fame as an iconic designer.

Vigier even did a limited edition of replica “Swiss Cheese Guitars” which sold out quickly, even if it was a bit “cheesy”

Sword Guitar

Many guitars have taken a ‘stab’ at being designed around the concept of a sword. One of our favorites is the VLINE.

The unique VLINE ‘SWORD’ was made by Vincent Berton, a French Avant garde luthier in the early 1980s, who worked on the famous Paris guitar road – the Rue De Douai.

It looks like something from out of the Excalibur days. Can you imagine if King Arthur pulled this bad boy out of the stone and ripped off some riffs?

Mermaid Guitar

This one also happens to be a beautifully crafted guitar.

Andy Mason, the artist and musician responsible for this gorgeous yet completely bizarre, fully-functional guitar in the shape of a mermaid, built his first guitar in 1967 using whatever materials he was able to find in his father’s garage.

Ever since, the incredibly talented craftsman has made everything from lutes to mandolins—as well as a series of guitars for John Paul Jones and Jimmy Page.

A few of which, were of the elegantly double-necked variety that Page was especially well-known for playing.

Not exactly for Ariel fans, Mason’s life-sized “Mermaid” guitar took three years to build and is comprised of nineteen different types of wood.

And, according to Mason requires a guitarist with “sensuous posture” to be successfully played.

Prince Guitars

If you stop and think about musicians with the weirdest guitars, it probably won’t take too long until you get to this famous guy.

Not only was Prince a truly talented musician, he also happened to like playing weird, cool guitars.

Prince played a variety of unique guitars from his custom-built purple guitar, shaped like the symbol he once replaced his name with, to the Cloud Guitar and what is known as Purple Special, his final guitar.

Map Guitar

Now, this is where Gibson got really, really weird. Gibson’s Map guitar is shaped like the map of the United States of America.

Yes, somebody actually had that idea in mind. Although it was produced by Gibson, the original builder of this guitar was James Hutchins, and it was first sold under the Epiphone brand.

Surprisingly enough, it actually sold well. And after witnessing its success, Gibson decided to put their name on the headstock.

Aside from its non-ergonomic shape, the guitar has classic features, like two volume and two tone knobs, and two humbuckers.

There were, however, certain versions with three knobs. These were produced back in 1983 and 1984 and featured mahogany bodies and maple necks.

I guess if you’re touring the country and get lost you can just check your instrument for directions to your next gig.

Reverse Flying V

A Gibson classic, made in 2007 and 2008, the Reverse Flying V was manufactured in honor of the Flying V’s 50th anniversary.

Despite the odd shape, the guitar was a rather successful seller. After the initial series of 400 guitars, Gibson made an additional 900 pieces in 2008, 300 each in: Classic White, Natural, and Ebony Black.

The guitar’s headstock was “borrowed” from the old Futura/Explorer design conceived back in the late 1950s; it somehow went well with the reverse V shape.

The rest of the features are the same as the classic V, although there were some minor differences between the 2007 and 2008 series.

The Pikasso Guitar

Talk about a piece of art! Four necks. Two sound holes. 42 strings. Two access doors; one on the upper player’s side and one at the tail block.

Created by luthier Linda Manzer for guitarist Pat Metheny, the instrument took 2 years to build (approximately 1000 hours).

When the 42 strings are strung up to high tension, the Pikasso is under approximately 1000 lbs of pressure. It weighs 6.7 kg or 14 3/4 lbs.

The Pikasso Guitar was specially built for jazz fusion virtuoso Pat Metheny, who can play that stringed Escher painting better than the rest of us can do most things.

The body is tapered so that the side closest to the player is thinner than the side that rests on the player’s knee, thus leaning the top, back towards the player for a more aerial view. This is also more comfortable under the player’s arm.

The instrument is outfitted with a complete state of the art piezo pickup system. This included a hexaphonic pickup on the 6 string section.

This feature allowed Metheny to access his Syclavier computer system thus triggering any sound in the system, including sampled sounds.

Two mounting holes are placed on the treble side (knee side) so that the guitar can be mounted on internal brass insets and attached to a stand, leaving hands free for playing or viewing.

The Multi-Neck Guitar

Cheap Trick’s lead guitarist Rick Nielsen looks at your feeble double-neck guitar with its puny, two little necks, and just shakes his head.

Now we’ve seen multi-neck guitars before, but this one takes the cake.

Not sure any of us mortals could actually jam on this guy but we know Rick could play it or maybe it’s made for an octopus.

Conclusion

We realize that thousands of unusual guitars have been created and this is a small sample of what is out there and who is known for the weird guitars they played but our goal was to entice you to dig deeper into the realm of oddities out there and what is possible to turn into a jamming axe that is uniquely your own.

What is your favorite weird guitar out there and who plays it? Let us know in the comments below.

The post 12 Unusual and Weird Guitar Designs appeared first on Sustain Punch.

source https://www.sustainpunch.com/unusual-guitars/

#sustainpunch #sustainpunch.com

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kristablogs · 4 years

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Classic short-scale electric guitars you can buy right now

Start with a strum. (Thomas Millot via Unsplash/)

In the world of electric guitar, short scale guitars have carved out a reputation for offering players a leaner, snappier, and overall easier playing experience. While it’s true that the smaller form and shorter neck can make these instruments ideal for taking on the road or for players with smaller hands, their unique benefits don’t end there. Short-scale guitars are in many ways literally easier to play than traditional guitars, thanks largely to their shorter strings, which in turn are held under relatively less tension. The result is a smooth, easy to manipulate string held over a more compact neck with less distance to reach between frets. Whether you’re looking for your first instrument or aiming to add to your collection, a short-scale electric guitar should be on your shortlist.

Here are some of the best short-scale electric guitars currently available.

22 jumbo frets and a four-octave range in a small package. (Amazon/)

The Fender Mustang is an iconic short-scale guitar that’s just been reissued in Fender’s new Player series of instruments. It’s a pleasure to play. Cherished and popularized throughout history by many industry players including Kurt Cobain of Nirvana, this updated Mustang is a fitting homage to the original at an affordable price point. Its scale length is 24 inches and it’s fitted with a C-shaped maple neck and a 9.5-inch radius fretboard. The body is shaped by hand to the original specifications, and the Player Series pickups offer a subtle, modern twist on the classic Mustang tone.

A full size, 17-inch-wide body paired with a short neck. (Amazon/)

Take one look and it’s easy to see that Kay’s 1957 Barney Kessel reissue is built with style in mind. Ideal for jazz, blues, and rockabilly playing, it’s equipped with two “Kleenex box” single coil pickups and has a 24¾-inch scale rosewood fretboard atop a Canadian maple neck. Its arched spruce top hollow body allows for pronounced resonance, and because it has a full-size, traditional jazz body, when combined with the shorter string length it produces a unique, woody jangle that’s hard to replicate. If you want classic 1950s swag in an easy-to-play package, look no further.

Three-way pickup selector and original-style tone and volume knobs. (Amazon/)

Here’s yet another classic and beloved short-scale design based off of the legendary Gibson SG. Boasting an easy-to-play 24¾-inch neck scale, this SG Special from Epiphone can deliver timeless and full hard rock tone at an affordable price point. It’s equipped with two open-coil ceramic humbuckers and sports a slim-taper mahogany neck bolted to a solid body made from poplar. The high-output pickups are tuned for a more modern tone while still retaining the classic style and playability of the original, and the headstock is finished with a classic ’60s-era logo on the front.

Vintage style floating bridge and alnico pickups. (Amazon/)

If versatility is your preference in a short-scale guitar, take the Squier Classic Vibe ’70s Jaguar for a spin. Designed specifically to emulate the 1970s-era Jaguar, this reissue has a 24-inch scale length, C-shaped neck and tall, narrow frets for even easier playing. Multiple pickup selector switches allow players to tailor the guitar’s sound to their tonal preference, and the vintage-style tremolo offers a wide range of string bending and sound making options. No visual detail has been overlooked, either: this guitar has been honed for accurate style all the way down to the nickel-plated hardware and the headstock logos.

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scootoaster · 4 years

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Classic short-scale electric guitars you can buy right now

Start with a strum. (Thomas Millot via Unsplash/)

Here are some of the best short-scale electric guitars currently available.

22 jumbo frets and a four-octave range in a small package. (Amazon/)

A full size, 17-inch-wide body paired with a short neck. (Amazon/)

Three-way pickup selector and original-style tone and volume knobs. (Amazon/)

Vintage style floating bridge and alnico pickups. (Amazon/)

0 notes