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Sponsored by PRS Guitars

NOVEMBERHIGHLIGHTSTHE PEDAL ISSUE

THE STOMPINGGROUNDSOur pedal experts offer up 25+reviews in eight categories of must-have stompboxes for your board.

PEDAL BY NUMBERS:THREE DIY KITS

Interested in getting in on the DIY craze? We didthe work for you, and its easier than you think...

Fenders Sonic Youth Signature Jazzmasters

65Amps Lil Elvis L.R. Baggs Venue DI Fishman Aura

Spectrum DI VanAmps Reverbamate ASR-1 andole-MateSchroeder Guitars Radio LaneAcoustic Image Ten2 ComboKragenbrink OM

ngerstylistJarrett Zaffiro XJHanson ChicagoanTomasZewicZ Amplifiers TZZ-15112REVIEWS:

PIMP YOUR PEDALBOARDSeven pedalboard add-ons to help

you trick out your stomps

THE STATE OF THE STOMPTom Hughes examines the currentstate of the effects pedal market

BRAD PAISLEY:ROUD GEARHEAD

The country superstar talksabout equipment, tone, his

influences, and his wifestolerance of that peculiaraffliction known as G.A.S.

BUDDY GUY:KEEPIN THEBLUES ALIVE!The legend talks abouthis legacy and the futureof the Blues.


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NOVEMBER 2009

DIs from Fishman &L.R. Baggs,Fender Sonic Youth Jazzmasters,

65Amps Lil Elvis and MORE

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Designed and Manufactured in the U.S.A. -www.tech21nyc.com

Each tempting SansAmp Character Series pedal is a time capsule of distinctive amplifer

styles taken from decades of tone born in the UK and the USA. You can explore these

iconic tones, then tweak them your way with the amp-like knobs and the unique Character

control, which delivers tones from classic vintage to red hot mod. Every pedal features

true SansAmp speaker cab emulation specically voiced for each amp type, delivering

a complete stage and recording solution. Go on, take a bite.

BRITISHThe legendary crunch of British steel

and Greenback-style speakers delivers

searing blues to UK anarchy from this

Anglo-voiced pedal. It all adds up to a

well tasty spot o bovver, Brit-style.

CALIFORNIAFrom chiming, woody cleans, gnarly wicker-

grille overdrive and supernatural silky

sustain to devastating, ballsy chunk of a

high gain rectifier. Its everything you need

to create your own California dream tone.

BLONDEThis Blonde dishes out pure American tone

to the stratosphere. Sparkly, spanky cleans

to the bark of a hard-pushed tweed, maxing

out in fat boosted lead tone. Hop on for one

wild ride through history.

VT BASSLegendary bass tone for players who enjoy

being heard. Bask in thick, articulated tones,

from chunky funk to the high gain growl of

indie rock. Clean focused punch to dirty

earthquaking rump, you dial it in.

LIVERPOOLThat distinctive diamond grille tone is yours

for the tweaking. This smokin amp style

has a voice that shook generations. Push it

to the limit and it will, it will, rock you.

FIVE WICKED LITTLE PEDALS WITH KILLER STACKS OF TONE.
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Red

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6 P R E M I E R G U I T A R N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 w w w . p r e m i e r g u i t a r . c o m

EDITORIALEditorial Director Joe Coffey [email protected]

Editor in Chief Chris Burgess [email protected]

Managing Editor Gabriel J. Hernandez [email protected]

Senior Art Editor Sara Legore [email protected]

Art Editor Meghan Molumby [email protected]

Web Content Editor Rebecca Dirks [email protected]

Associate Editor Chris Kies [email protected]

Staff Writer Jordan Wagner [email protected]

Assistant Editor Theresa Sherwood [email protected]

Assistant Editor Ian McClintock [email protected]

PRODUCTION & OPERATIONSOperations Manager Shannon Britcher [email protected]

Circulation Manager Lois Stodola [email protected]

Production Coordinator Haylee Zlatohlavek [email protected]

SALES/MARKETINGVice-President, Sales Matt Charles [email protected]

718-634-1977

Director of Retail Sales Dave Westin [email protected]

Marketing Manager Nick Ireland [email protected]

Multimedia Communications Specialist Brandon Brinson [email protected]

WEBSITES

Our Portal:

www.premierguitar.comOur Online Magazine

http://digital.premierguitar.com

The information and advertising set forth herein has been obtained from sources believed to be reliable andcompiled with great care. Gearhead Communications, L.L.C., however, does not warrant complete accuracy ofsuch information and assumes no responsibility for any consequences arising from the use thereof or reliancethereon. Publisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement or space reservation at any timewithout notice. Publisher shall not be liable for any costs or damages if for any reason it fails to publish anadvertisement. This publication may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, stored in a retrieval system, ortransmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopied, recorded, or otherwise, withoutthe prior written permission of the publisher.

Copyright 2009. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.Premier Guitar is a publication of Gearhead Communications, L.L.C.

Premier Guitar [ISSN 1945-077X (print) ISSN 1945-0788 (online)] is published monthly. Subscription rates: $24.95 (12issues), $39.95 (24 issues) Call for Canada, Mexico and foreign subscription rates 877-704-4327; email address for

customer [email protected] GUITAR (USPS 025017)

Volume 14, Issue 11

Published monthly by:

Gearhead Communications, LLC

Three Research Center

Marion, IA 52302

Phone number 877-704-4327 Fax 319-447-5599

Periodical Postage Rate paid at Marion, IA 52302 and at Additional Mailing Offices

POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to:

Gearhead Communications, LLC, Three Research Center, Marion, IA 52302

A Gearhead Communications, L.L.C. Publication

Three Research Center Marion, IA 52302

Phone: 877-704-GEAR (4327) 319-447-5550 319-447-5599 Fax

Web:www.premierguitar.com

E-mail:[email protected]

Distributed to the music trade by Hal Leonard Corporation.

Peter F. SpragueCEO

[email protected]

Gary CiocciManaging Director

[email protected]

Patricia A. SpragueCOO

[email protected]

Jon LevyManaging Director

[email protected]
http://www.premierguitar.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.premierguitar.com/http://digital.premierguitar.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]://www.premierguitar.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]://benedettoguitars.com/http://www.premierguitar.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.premierguitar.com/mailto:[email protected]://digital.premierguitar.com/http://www.premierguitar.com/mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]:[email protected]


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Greetings gear-

heads and wel-

come to another

jam-packed edi-

tion of Premier

Guitar. Were

proud to bring

you more of the

same this month again. As ho-hum as

that may sound, keep in mind that for us,

the same means churning out another

gear-obsessed issue of the thickest andbest-priced guitar mag on the rack. We

go overboard again. This time, with an

emphasis on pedals and effects.

We round up 25+ stomps for you, many of

them being reviewed for the first time here,

and take you through some DIY pedals that

are almost as fun to build as they are to

play. (Actually, one kind of kicked our ass,

but man does it sound good.) We examine

the state of the stompbox and show you

some cool add-ons thatll pimp your board

out in style. Also, a man known to stepon a boutique pedal or two, Brad Paisley,

takes us through his equipment. The man

who first harnessed feedback, Buddy Guy,

sits down with us, too. He talks about his

career and his gear, and why theres only

one effect on the floor when he hits the

stage. Of course, the usual suspects have

another round of gear-focused columns for

you, Hal Leonard brings us another batch

of lessons and our reviewers dig into a

smorgasbord of G.A.S.-inducing guitars,

amps, etc again.

One thing that makes this issue different

is the fact that this is my last go-round

with these cowboys. After 15 of the best

years of my life, Im taking a hard turn off

my current path to go another direction.

As founding publisher of this magazine,

this is a tough decision, for sure. I can

hardly begin to express my gratitude and

appreciation for what Ive experienced

in the last decade and a half. In case you

didnt know, this shindig started out as

Midwest Musicians Hotlinein June of

1995on a wing and a prayer. Back thenit was a 24-page newsprint publication

that was distributed to 3500 gearheads

in five Midwestern states. Weve come a

long way, baby.

I am constantly honored and humbled by

the support that you, the readers, have

provided over the years. Many of you have

followed this publication since the very first

issue, and Ive received notes from readers

all over the world who have read this col-

umn and felt it touched their lives in some

way. Many have been inspired to sharetheir own personal musical journeys with

me, whether its connecting to Old Dudes

Rock or The Sanctuary of Soul, or sim-

ply discovering the serenity of passing the

gift of music on to your kidsIve always

attempted to reinforce the importance of

sharing music, and of understanding the

unconditional happiness that playing guitar

and creating music brings into your life. Its

been an incredibly rewarding experience

and I thank you for being a part of it.

My new day gig involves an outdoors-focused media company called Sticks &

Stones but, as Im sure youve guessed by

now, my musical journey will continue. My

passion for guitars and music flows in my

veins as it flows in yours; that journey will

be a lifelong pursuit. I am very fortunate at

my age to be able to perform 60 shows per

year, run a successful sound and produc-

tion company and look forward to what my

musical future holds.

I leave you in good hands, so you should

definitely expect more of the same. The

brain trust that shifted this operation into

high gear as Premier Guitar since February

07 is still in place and the editorial team

that is responsible for the articles, builder

profiles, reviews, etc. that make this

magazine what it is today is gonna keep

on keepin on. In fact, that team and therest of the Premier Guitar and Guitar Edge

staffs are expanding. Thats rightyou

can expect even morefrom your favorite

gearhead-friendly media company. Be sure

to get acquainted with PGs newest editor,

Gabe J. Hernandez, on the next page.

It has been my honor to work with the

members of this dedicated crew and to

have had the chance to share my passion

with you. I look forward to an exciting

rebirth, and Ill see you all somewhere

down the road. Rememberlife is short;you can always live the Dream again.

Nuff Sed,

Trent Salter, Publisher

TUNING UP

More of the Same
http://www.premierguitar.com/http://www.premierguitar.com/


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"American Pie" by Don McLean 1971, renewed 1999 by Songs of Universal, Inc. on behalf of itself and Benny Bird Co., Inc./BMI. Used by permission. International Copyright Secured. All Rights Reserved. 2005 C.F. Martin & Co . martinguitar.com

I cant remember if I cried

When I read about his widowed bride

But something touched me deep inside

The day the music died

an eight-minute twenty-seven-second farewell, written on a D-28, 1971

AMERICAS GUITAR

Music history. Martin history.
http://martinguitar.com/http://martinguitar.com/http://martinguitar.com/


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Have you ever felt

like you died and

went to heaven?

For us gearheads,

that dream sce-

nario might involve

teaming up with a

bunch of fellow gearheads and spending all day,

every day, checking out gearamps, pedals,

guitars, strings, picks, pickups, speakers, cables,

etc. Wouldnt that be cool?

Well folks, Im happy to report that there

is hope, because my name is Gabriel

Hernandez, and Im the newest editor here at

Premier Guitar. Ive just joined a magnificent

team of fellow gear junkies that congregate

at the same office five days a week to put

together the finest guitar magazine under the

sun. Ive long enjoyed this thing that Trent

Salter created 15 years ago and have a new

appreciation for what goes into each issue

and each days lineup of new online content

now that Ive been here for a few issues. Yes,

its as fun as you imagined. Just imagine hav-

ing gear in your office and noodling away all

day as you write and edit stories about, you

guessed itmore gear.

As you may have noticed over the past year,

this Front of House column is a page where

editorial staffers occasionally jump into the

fray with our own voice and address some

things of possible interest to fellow gear-

heads. Ive been asked to do a sound check

in this space this month in order to give

you an idea of who I am and how I roll. As

you might expect, there are many common

threads among the staff members at Premier

Guitar and Guitar Edge and you, our fellow

gearheads, not the least of which is an out-

right passion for all things guitar.

I bet many of you can recall the moment when

music took your heart. I can trace my love of

melody and rhythm to the day my grandmoth-

er bought me my first radio. I was six years

old, and it was a cheap hand-held AM radio

with an even cheaper set of small earphones.

But that cheap little radio picked up the signal

to the only AM radio station in West Palm

Beach (at the time)WPOM 1600which

broadcast a combined rock/R&B format.

That unforgettable station introduced me to

the likes of Stevie Wonder, the Edgar Winter

Group, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, Steely

Dan, and Smokey Robinson, among many oth-

ers. My life hasnt been the same ever since.

About the same time, I began to develop this

incredible fascination with guitars, and start-

ed devoting a huge chunk of my free time

away from school and baseball practice to

using my dads spare pieces of plywood and

his jigsaw to carve out facsimiles of my favor-

ite models. Id look at the photographs of

guitarists and their guitars in Hit Paraderand

Creemand then draw their shapes (usually a

Les Paul) on the wood and attack it with the

jigsaw. Once the shape was cut out, Id take

some paint and illustrate all the essential gui-

tar details pickups, knobs, strings, logos,

tuners, etc. Suffice to say I ruined quite a few

pieces of plywood, jigsaw blades and paint

brushes trying to get these creations to look

as authentic as possible.

My very first guitar was a basic Spanish classi-

cal guitar given to me by my ever-perceptive

grandmother, who then directed me to stop

using my dads tools. I absolutely fell in love

with that guitar, and my mom and dad eventu-

ally sprang for guitar lessons so I could learn

how to at least tune the thing up. Once I

started the lessons, though, it became pain-

fully obvious that a classical guitar was not the

proper instrument to produce the sounds of

Black Sabbaths War Pigs or Deep Purples

Smoke On The Water. So, next up was a

Marlboro amp and a Hondo II Les Paul-copy

electric guitar. Around that same time, a cous-

in in New York (you know who you are) turned

me on to the one album that turned my world

completely upside downLed Zeppelins

Houses of the Holy. It wasnt long before I was

listening to everything Zeppelin had put on

vinyl. Of course, the first rock song I ever mas-

tered was Stairway To Heaven.

From there, the rest is pretty much history.

I started playing in cover bands with friends

and eventually began a quasi career as a

starving, semi-professional musician that I

managed to sustain for the better part of

the next 20 years.

Somewhere along the way, I picked up a

journalism degree (go Gators!) and honed

my writing chops. Ive covered a number of

communities, sports and industries but I must

say guitars are my first choice of subject mat-

ter. Perhaps its no surprise that my journey

involved moving to Nashville for a gig at

Gibson that involved writing and editing all

sorts of material about guitars and artists.

Fast forward to today. Im now literally sur-

rounded by gear. I couldnt ask for a better

bunch of like-minded people to work with,

either. There is no middle ground here. And

there is no room for half-assed coverage of

an industry that is so dear to our hearts. This

is truly a labor of lovehow many people can

actually say that they love what they do for

a living? Well, count me and my colleagues

among the few that can. There is a heaven on

earth, I just found it.

FRONT OF HOUSE

Welcome to Paradise!

Gabriel J. [email protected]
http://www.premierguitar.com/mailto:[email protected]://www.premierguitar.com/mailto:[email protected]


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2009 FMIC. Fender, Stratocaster, Strat, and the distinctive headstock designs of this guitar are

trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. All rights reserved.Photos: John Pedenand Neil Zlozower

Legendary guitarist Ritchie Blackmore has been creating

memorable guitar riffs for decades. His deft phrasing and

unmistakable tone have helped make the phrase guitar solo

a household term. Blackmore and Fender are now proud to

introduce the Ritchie Blackmore Stratocaster. Based on hisfavorite '70s Stratocaster, the guitar features a maple neck with

a graduated scalloped rosewood fretboard, Seymour Duncan

Quarter Pound Flatpickups and '70s-style F tuners. Play

one today at an authorized Fender dealer near you.

Ritchie Blackmore

Stratocaster

www.blackmoresnight.com
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FEATURES + REVIEWSwww.premierguitar.com

156 Schroeder Guitars Radio Lane

159 Acoustic Image Ten2 Combo

164 Jarrett Zaffiro XJ

169 Kragenbrink OM Fingerstylist

174 TomasZewicZ Amplifiers TZZ-15112

177 L.R. Baggs Venue DI

180 Fishman Aura Spectrum DI

184 65Amps Lil Elvis

187 VanAmps Reverbamate ASR-1

and Sole-Mate

191 Fenders Sonic Youth Signature

Jazzmasters

196 Hanson Chicagoan

REVIEWS

FEATURESBuddy Guy: Keepin the

Blues Alive!

87Buddy Guy: Keepin the Blues Alive!The legend talks about his legacy,and the future of the Blues.

98Premier ClinicThe months Blues, Rock, Acoustic and Jazz Lessons,presented by Hal Leonard.

108Brad Paisley: Proud GearheadThe country superstar talks about equipment, tone,his influences, and his wifes tolerance of that peculiaraffliction known as G.A.S.

117The State of the StompTom Hughes examines the current state

of the effects pedal market.

124The Stomping GroundsOur pedal experts offer up their reviews of 25+must-have stompboxes for your board.

142Pedal by Numbers: Three DIY KitsWe did the work for you, and its easier than you think check it out.

152Pimp Your PedalboardSeven pedalboard add-ons to help you trick out your stomps.

87Martins JC Buddy Guy Blues Guitar, being played by the man himself.
http://www.premierguitar.com/http://www.premierguitar.com/http://www.premierguitar.com/http://www.premierguitar.com/


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NEWS

32 Gibson Does Fender, New PRSGuitars, New iPhone Apps

On TheCover:

NEWS + DEPARTMENTSwww.premierguitar.com

19Opening NotesGibson Does Fender, New PRS Guitars, NewiPhone Apps

30Reader Feedback

38 November Media PreviewChet Atkins, B.B. King, Bob Seger, Canyon of

Dreams, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Moody Blues

46Hot LinksThe Public Record with Tommy Lee

200New Products

216Hightlights fromThe Gear Page

DEPARTMENTS

Gigging + Recording

48Tone TipsPeter StroudPedalzzzz

50On TrackRich TozzoliMixing in the Box

52Shifting GearRich EckhardtSharing the Stage with Mark Gillespie

54On BassDan BerkowitzGet to Know Your Bass Amp, Part 1

56Guitar TracksJeff HollmanToo Many Pedals?

Tech Tips

58Acoustic SoundboardDick BoakThe Soul of a Guitar

60Ask Amp ManJeff Bober

Making a Supro Super

64Speaker Tone CenterKurt PrangeAlnico, The Miracle Alloy

66Stomp SchoolTom HughesStompbox Classic: Tone Bender, Part 2

Vintage + Upkeep

68Trash or TreasureZach FjestadFender Princeton Reverb

70Restoring an OriginalJohn Brown1956 Gretsch Corsair Truss Rod Rescue

72The Low EndKevin BordenUnsung Heroes of Tone: The End of an Era

74Vintage VaultTim Mullally1959 Fender Twin with 1958 Fender Strat

And Dont Miss ...

78Jazz BoxJane MillerThe Repertoire List

80Fierce GuitarRusty CooleyLegato

82Signal ChainDean FarleyTreble in Mind

84Eclectic GuitarPat SmithOpen String Fling

224Last CallJohn BolingerMy Name is John, and I Have a Pedal Problem

Eye Candy

204 Gear Search GalleryPedalboard, Circa 1981

209 Guitar of the Month1978 Gibson The Paul (Standard)

212 Modern Builder VaultEric Joseph Electric Guitars

Cover Photo by: Sara Legore and

Meghan Molumby

741958 Fender Strat leaningagainst 1959 Fender Twin
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2009TaylorGuitars

S lof o rr tra itioni defying c tsf ann hip,,inci ludin th e patnte NTNe y tematTa oyl ur taitars..com

Always to our own tune.
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http://newenglandcustomguitars.com/


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21/232
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22/232w w w . p r e m i e r g u i t a r . c o m P R E M I E R G U I T A R N O V E M B E R 2 0 0 9 19

OPENING NOTES

Steve StrongmanJuly 5, 2009

Angle de President-Kennedy et De Maisonneuve

Montreal, QC Canada

Photo by Joe Coffey

Canadian Steve Strongman coaxes the blues out

of his Hipshot Xtender-equipped 335 59 Dot

reissue at the Montreal Jazz Festival. Strongman

tours with two DeVille 2x12s, a Marshall JCM

2000 DSL 50 and a pedalboard that includes a

TS9, a Fulltone Clyde Wah (Standard), a Line

6 DL4 and his favorite pedala Voodoo LabSparkle Drive, which he uses as a clean boost.
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Aug. 29, 2009

Golden Gate Park

San Francisco, CA

Photo by Jerome Brunet

Omar Rodrguez-Lpez of The Mars Volta

rips into his signature Ibanez ORM at the

Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival.

The 24"-scale guitar features a single

ACH humbucker and an adjustable

Gibraltar III bridge.
http://www.themarsvolta.com/



OPENING NOTES


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Jerry CantrellSept. 20, 2009

Eagles Ballroom

Milwaukee, WI

Photo by Chris Kies

Jerry Cantrell of Alice in Chains uses his trademark 84G&L Rampage during the song Rain When I Die.

The beaten, battered and burnt Rampage features

some Cantrell-approved mods: a Seymour Duncan JB

humbucker, a Kahler trem chosen for what he calls his

heavy-handed trem-clamping style and a Floyd Rose

locking nut for improved intonation. Watch Cantrell

walk you through his current touring gear in a video Rig

Rundown online atpremierguitar.com
http://www.aliceinchains.com/http://premierguitar.com/http://premierguitar.com/http://www.aliceinchains.com/



OPENING NOTES


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Billy Zoom

July 24, 2009

Pacific Amphitheater

Costa Mesa, CA

Photo by Harmony Gerber

Billy Zooms look of surprise seems to

mimic that of the gearheads who go to his

X shows and assume that he is playing one

of his mid-50s Gretsch Silver Jets. Here,

he is playing the original prototype of his

G6129BZ Custom Shop Tribute model;

it was built in 2007. The tribute models

are painstakingly accurate recreations of

his 1955 Silver Jet, barring the special

Seymour Duncan pickups that

were designed to recreate the

tone of his 50s DeArmonds.

The Gretsch Custom Shop

used a CAT scan to

analyze his prized 1955

Silver Jetit found

that the guitar was

95% hollow.

OPENING NOTES
http://www.billyzoom.com/http://www.billyzoom.com/


28/232
http://schecterguitars.com/


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Mike OBrienJuly 4, 2009

The Palais des Congrs de Montral

Montreal, QC Canada

Photo by Joe Coffey

Newcomer Mike OBrien plays a Bischoff AE-

BR-090 Baritone Acoustelectric at the Montreal

Guitar Show. The semi-hollowbody guitar has

a walnut body and a maple neck with splitable

Seymour Duncans and a Fishman Matrix bridge

pickup that can run separately or blended.

OPENING NOTES
http://www.michaelo.org/http://www.michaelo.org/


30/232
http://www.ibanez.com/prestige


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