25th Anniversary of Steve Vai's Passion and Warfare

It is nearly the 25th Anniversary of Steve Vai's Passion and Warfare Album (where has the time gone?). Passion and Warfare at the time and still today is a groundbreaking and crucial album, so I thought it was time to write a few thoughts about it, and also hear what your thoughts are on this seminal guitar album as well.

For the love of god

Now, there is no denying that I could easily write a thesis on the album, but I will try and keep it consise. I would also say, that there is probably a fair amount of bias in my opinions of this album, but I will try and be as objective as I possibly can.So, I will get this out of the way straight away......personally for me it is probably one of the most important albums I own and one of the most important 'guitar' albums out there. It is also without doubt Steve Vai's greatest masterpiece, which is amazing given what he has written subsequently, but I feel nothing comes close to the perfection of composition that is Passion and Warfare.Now, I know it isn't for everyone, and I think that is the point.Passion and Warfare is NOT in my opinion a guitar excess album, it is a piece of compositional art, from an artist (who's brush is the guitar) not afraid to explore the medium and push boundaries of the medium. If you read Steve's accounts of the creation of this album, one of the most crucial points seems to be that it was made without (at that time) any constraints (or at least not that many) from record companies.Steve was earning money (and experience) firstly from Frank Zappa and then as Dave Lee Roth's hired gun (Eddie Van Halen replacement!). With borrowed equipment and the ability to work and jam with great musicians (who helped out on the recording process), Steve, also had a backlog of great material he had (at that point) been working on for most of his life. So, there was in one sense,  no pressure on this album, at least commercially. Steve himself stated that he never expected to sell a single copy.Steve (and he has said this himself) made an album for himself, pushing and exploring his own boundaries.

Stunt guitar

I feel when considering this work, you have to consider that it is not a 'guitar instrumental' album in it's truest sense, it is a compsitional work of creative art, pushing boundaries of music composition (e.g. Alien Water Kiss) and not just guitar histrionics. I feel that one needs to consider that the 'stunt' guitar is part of the narrative of the album, it simply forms part of the entire artwork.To fully understand it, and what I believe Steve was trying to acheive, you need to consider Passion and Warfare from a structural and compositional perspective. I believe that is where it's success lies and what has not only made it stand the test of time, but has propelled Steve to the guitar diety that he is.From the beginning of album, kicking off with Liberty, you are drawn in to a strong narrative form, guiding you through Steve's inner thoughts and feelings at the time. Each composition telling you it's story and each indvidual story forming part of an overall cohesieve narrative. Unlike many of it's predecessors and those whom came after, it is NOT, as many guitar albums (even the good ones!) are, some one noodling away over a relatively static backing track, trying to use flash and gimmricky to lure you in...all form without substance.This is also something early Satriani, with Surfing with the alien and (some of) Flying with a Blue Dream was able to do.....guitar compositional story telling.It is this story telling, which I believe listeners are drawn to and keeps you going back for the repeat listens, you want to hear these stories again and again, because there is depth and nuance to them. Perhaps, lacking in later works (controversial I know!).

"I am that..." - Steve Vai

Passion and Warfare takes you on full in the face and tells you it's story. The greatest thing about Steve (and I have been fortunate enough to study on his course at Berklee....and also fortunate to gain his Berklee Scholarship) is that his message is to be individual, to find your own voice on the instrument, to write and produce the music YOU love!It doesn't matter what it is or what form it takes,.What matters is that it is personal to you and has all of your internal energy in it. If it has these elements, then whatever your art, it will be good, even if it is just to you and it is good to you then you have realise thati it will be good to other people. I mean think about it, think of the music, art, photography, films you like, you like them and so do other people, these are the people who are on your wavelength, so don't be surprised that in the world/universe that if you produce something from your heart, others will like it.I really think that message is lost in this day and age and probably the reason we will never really experience the glory years of 80's guitar instrumentals.....there aren't enough unique voices willing to explore their art at all costs.You can purchase Steve Vai's Passion and Warfare here (should you not own it already....shame on you!)What are you thoughts? What are you favourite tracks?Top 3 Favourite tracks

• The Animal
• Answers
• For the love of god

EnjoyPeaceNeil

Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Custom The Sweet Spot

So you may have read my recent review of the Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Custom, where I may have been quite gushing in my praise for the amp. Well actually I may have actually declared my undying love for it.Well, after some more gigging with the amp, I can safely say that this love is only getting stronger. All the the pros that I mentioned in the review still hold true and mostly importantly the way this amp sounds is just phenomenal and the ability to get the most amazing feedback from the amp is just the icing on the cake.On top of all of that, the fact that this amp is so, so easy to transport and carry make me a very happy camper. I am also more relaxed in transporting it now I have a Hot Covers cover for it (review and video review can be found here), ensuing that my pride and joy doesn't get too beaten up from gig to gig!!

The Sweet Spot

So, the title of this post is about the sweet spot! After all my recent gigs I have found that there is a lovely sweet spot on this amp, which resides in the middle of the volume dial just between 4-5, it is really hard to pin point, but when you have the amp set below 4, it is still amazing and given most situations this is where you are likely to have it set.But moving ...well actually nudging it just above 4, and somewhere in between 4.5 ish, something magical happens! I can't actually describe it, but something that is already sounding and playing awesomely, suddenly roars up a gear into a different beast, it is like something insdie the amp is unleashed.Note's sustain and feedback even more, the lovely Fender tone seems to move from 3 dimensions into 4! And for something that is already very responsive to touch, starts to feel like it is actually connected to your fingers and your very soul.What more can I say but I am even more in love! If you  get the change to take your amp into the sweet spot! Do it, do it now! If you don't own this amp and think that you want that Fender goodness, then make sure that this amp is on your list to try out!I'd love to hear your feedback in the comments below if you own the amp, or please fire away any questions if you have any about the amp!

EnjoyPeaceNeil

Guthrie Govan’s 10 top improvisation tips article

Just read this brilliant article in this month's Guitar-Bass.net magazine by the ever awesome Guthrie Govan, where he goes through his top 10 tips for improvisation and there are some great bits of advice in there. I would encourage all guitarists, no matter what you level is to read this article. I was particularly drawn to a couple of the tips, especially the following

Develop your ear

There is no denying how crucial this is as a musician, not only to enable to you to play with other musicians, or to transcribe your favourite songs, but also to hear in your mind's ear what you want to play and know how you are going to play it. I am currently working on a video to give some ear training tips, as I feel it is one of the most important skills to have. It is not something that you can develop over night and can feel like a real slog, but like an skill with the right approach and perseverance you can achieve this goal.

Think in phrases

This is really interesting as this is a topic which I cover at great length in my book. So if you want to know more and explore the topic Guthrie is talking about, then grab yourself a copy of my book Guitar Creativity | A new way of thinking and improve your approach to and playing now!To finish off, Guitarist magazine are also developing a regular column with Guthrie, and this video is from the first instalment and features some awesome advice on bending, well worth a watch!!Enjoy!PeaceNeil

Take me to church - Acoustic cover live

So here is North and South's little acoustic cover of Hozier's fantastic take me to church live from the Kings Arms Festival, on Sunday 5th September 2015. It was a great event to play at and really nice to have so many people singing along (especially to our original material!). Another little video to come soon EnjoyPieceNeil

Some recent gig pictures

It's been a while since we have had a photo update, so here are a few recent pictures from a Groovething gig at the GMEX Centre in Manchester (now called Manchester Central). Black and white always makes things look very moody!

 EnjoyPeaceNeil 

Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb Review

Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb Review

I have been through a few amps over the years, but for the last 4 I have been pretty much using a Fender Blues Junior III Tweed for much of my gigging needs. Primarily, because it sounds good and it is very light and easy to transport. I have had one or two issues over that time, but nothing to write home about.

Although recently it got knocked backwards during a gig and stopped working for a while, this required me to start using my Cornford Roadhouse 50 Head with a Zilla Custom 2 x 12 cab fitted with Celestion Vintage 30’s. Now this was amazing, because the amp is awesome and sounds fantastic, but this comes at a price, one being that it is pretty damn loud, okay very loud!!

We recently played a stadium gig, and the amp was only on 3-4 (obviously mic'd up!) and was still too loud! So, for the typical function and wedding it was a little too much, plus I got a bit tired carrying it up four flights of stairs to my apartment!Back to the Blues Junior and it would seem that the Blues Jnr III needs some work doing to it, so given that it was recently my birthday, I thought it was time for a new amp!

So what I wanted this time was an amp which was sublime (the Cornford is, but see above for why I can't use it all the time!) and in a different league (and portable!). After some searching around and knowing that the Fender 65 Deluxe Reverb Reissue (DRRI) was getting great praise, I noticed that the Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb had come on the scene and was getting a lot of love (a lot).

So I thought it was my duty to try one out! What follows is a real love story, but as with real love there are some complications and the true course of love of course never runs smooth! Sit back and enjoy the ride.

Fender 68 Custom Deluxe Reverb - A love begins

So, I was out on my travels one day and I popped into PMT Music in Cambridge. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw that they had the '68 Deluxe Reverb in, so I asked to try it.....with in about 2 minutes I know that oh wow this is one hell of an amp! The kind of amp that makes you just want to play and play and play! I could have literally sat in the shop all day playing. But, I had to be somewhere and I wanted to know how the amp sounded with some of my pedals, so I left empty handed, knowing that I would return.

The main thing that struck me was that I was not sure how this amp is rated at 22 Watts, as it one one loud amp too, and wow thanks to the negative feedback this amp is SO sensitive to touch!! It is one of those amps you literally feel connected to, the sound coming out of the speakers just makes you smile. The tone has a deep round body to it, which really inspires you to play. The amp is just it is so responsive to your touch and you can so easily coax a note into the most glorious feedback and sustain. What really surprises me about this amp is how he character and tone of your guitar really jumps out, although with the pickup…it is like you can hear the very wood of the guitar.

I would also add that there is a real sweet spot on volume control which is around 4-5 when the amp not only really comes to life in terms of volume but in terms of the most luxurious tone.The amp has two channels (which differ from the original), one being the Vintage Channel (like the original) and the Custom channel - modified Fender Bassman amp with some of the highs removed so that pedals work well with this channel (and they do) Plimsoul, Suhr riot, for example.

Unlike the original amp they both have the reverb and vibro across them. Speaking of which, I find both the reverb and vibro to be fantastic, although with a character (i.e. a typical Fender Spring reverb tone) which may not be suitable for everyone, and personally beyond 2 on the dial it is too much for me. The Vibro channel is lush, but due to legislation in the UK and Europe the Opto circuit has been replaced due to the material used being outlawed here. I am not fully sure of the impact on the sound but it is a little bit noisy, especially at high intensities.

They are both foot switchable which is great, but personally I think the supplied foot switch is a piece of plastic crap. I am surprised when you spend SO much on an amp that they provide a rubbishy plastic footswitch. I will see how long I get out of it...maybe I am wrong and it will out last me, but you get a feeling for gear when you are gigging all the time, I don't think it will last, especially with my heavy feet. But I guess nice that they included it...oh and VERY nice that they included a cover too, I wish more companies would do this!!

Crucially, the amp also takes pedals really, really well, I have use it in conjunction with a Rothwell Audio F1 Booster, Fulltone Plimsoul, TC Nova System and Suhr Riot and they all sounded fantastic. I have attached the following audio clips so you can hear. These clips are from a recent gig and are the isolated guitar track from the Mic in front of the cab so you can get an idea of what it sounds like live and mic'd up. I have noted on the clips the one's which are straight and those with pedals.

The guitar was an American Fender Strat with Seymour Duncan Hot-Rails in the bridge position, my main gigging guitar.

Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Audio Clips

Isolated track from live gig of Fender 68 deluxe reverb with Fender American Strat, clean sound from bridge pickup, overdrive from HotRails in the neck.Isolated track from live gig of Fender 68 deluxe reverb with Fender American Strat with Suhr Riot and TC Electronic Flashback pedals.

Okay, so there is a problem (or two), thanks to the negative feedback circuitry there is some Hiss, now live this isn't a problem at all and I have yet to record with it, so I can not tell how bad it is at the moment. It is not a deal breaker and I understand that the circuit modification which makes this amp SO responsive to touch is responsible, so this is a good trade off I guess!

There is also a LOUD pop (capacitor discharging no doubt) when you switch it from stand by mode. Again I know why this happens but I guess we are used to modern gear and these issues being resolved. I hope it isn't a indicator of any other problems....speaking of which!

Love never runs smoothly

So, I popped into the PMT Music in Manchester to buy the amp, I tried it out for a while and also with some pedals, I knew I was in love!!! So I brought it, took it home, re-confirgured my pedal board with the pedals I wanted, and had a little play....happy days!! But, a day later I had my first gig with the amp!! During soundcheck, everything was fine, I had a big smile on my face as this amp just sung and also had a real depth which filled the sound stage really well!

Soundcheck over, switch amp off....amp blew a fuse straight away. Replace fuse, amp comes on, and then blows it again, add to this a very strange sound from the vibro channel and then it just got SO hot, it was impossible to touch the front of the amp for a very long time without potentially getting burnt. My heart sunk, in all the years and amps I have had, I have never had this happen to me, more worryingly I had a gig to do, luckily I had a back up!!

This really really dented my confidence with the amp, and also quality control at Fender. This is NOT a cheap amp at all, and I WOULD not expect these kinds of things to happen with a brand new high end amp, and I was very sad and my heart broken. I had found love, but it was troubled!!

Needless to say I took the amp back, PMT were excellent in sorting it out, even lending me an amp to get me through the next couple of gigs until they got a new FDRI in stock for me. I now have the next amp, and I do love this amp, even after a very short time with it, BUT it makes me nervous, and when you gig weekly nervous isn't good. Hopefully my Mark II doesn't suffer from Fender quality control issues....but it doesn't make my have confidence.

Only time will do that. I will report back!!!

Okay, so yes I really, really do love it, even thinking about it make me want to go and play guitar and when I playing through it, I really just don't want to stop. That really is something very special in an amp. I think that I have been very fortunate over the years to have either played through or owned some exception amps. Some have been amazing, some have been workhorses, some have been fleeting romances and some have been downright hype and rubbish.

I think your amp quest is a journey, you will probably never really ever stop thinking about your first love, but you will find those along the way which change your mind and take you to different places. There is nothing wrong with that. For me personally, digital processing doesn't rock my world, most solid state doesn't rock my world, Mesa Boogies don't rock my world, but I think this amp really does. After years of searching I have 3 amazing amps, each different, perhaps think of them as a blonde, brunette and redhead, if you are that way inclined.

My very first proper amp, the Marshall JMP-1 preamp with EL34 50/50 power amp, is the business, I do love this more than anything. I have owned it for over 20 years and it still is my first love.Recently, the Cornford Roadhouse 50 has become a contender for my heart,  it sounds epic, the crunch and dirt is out of this world, and when you kick in the boost channel, well there ain't no feeling like it.

Finally, the trio is now complete with the Fender Deluxe Reverb 68, it is creamy, it is crystal clean, it is crunchy, it is dirty, it sound proper, it sounds authentic, it sounds amazing. Reliability still issues at the forefront of my mind, I am hoping that this will be come the one, the one I take out week in week out and gig the hell out of and I can't wait!

The FDR 68 just has a sound you feel connected to, the sound coming out of the speakers just makes you smile. The tone has a deep, round body to it, with plenty of sparkle, especially on the Vintage channel. The Custom channel, is also deep and sensuous, but the treble is tamed a bit, which means it works well with pedals, which don't end up making it sound harsh at all. The controls on both channels are very responsive and it is kind of amazing how much low end this amp seems to have. It fills a stage, it enhances the soundscape and makes the guitar sound present in a band situation and more than that, this means it really inspired you to play.

Thanks to the negative feedback mod on the amp which Fender have done, the amp is just it is SO responsive to your touch and you can so easily coax as note into the most glorious feedback and sustain, the only slight downside is this results in the amp sounding a little bit hissy.But it gets better, the EQ section is amazing and very responsive and interactive, you really have so many options as you move the controls around.

The cleans sound glassy, but without any ice-pickiness, where this amp really shines in in the break-up territory. Instant classic Fender Tones, add an overdrive and you are in heaven. The sound is powerful and it really makes those around sit up and take note, you can get some great overdrive and distortion sounds out of this amp, not death defying metal, this is a classic rock/blues amp. The tonal changes between a single coil or humbucker guitar are immense but just as they should be.

Fender 68 Deluxe Reverb Conclusions

Pros

• This is a proper Fender amp, it sounds so rich, clean and organic

• The custom channel for me is a think of beauty with pedals!

• The TONE, THE TONE, THE TONE!

• The Tone!!

• You get a cover!

Cons

• Hiss

• Reliability (time will tell!)

• Footswitch is a bit sh*t for an amp of this price, crappy plastic.

Request

I hope that you found this article useful and enjoy my blog, podcast and YouTube channel. I’m always happy to share my thoughts and to help others as much as I can and I will never charge for my blog content. Having said that, I truly appreciate when someone supports me in return for the time it takes to write articles, produce podcasts and videos, where I share my years of work and experience with you.

Here are some ways you can show your appreciation:

• sharing my content online.

• buying me a coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/SpencerBruce

• subscribing, liking and commenting on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/NeilSpencerBruce

• Listening to my music on streaming services like Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3llyDSr

• buying my music and sounds on Bandcamp: https://lightb4sound.bandcamp.com/

• Visiting my online store: SpencerBruceStore
  Peace

Neil

Natural finish Strat make over project

I thought I would start a project diary for a make-over project I am about to start on my very first guitar. A guitar that I have had now for over 30 years! The Strat in question was the first guitar I was brought as a young willing guitar slinger, and whilst perhaps not the greatest guitar in the world but it was a very decent Strat copy. The guitar itself has already had one transformation in it’s life, where as a project with my grandfather, I stripped the guitar back to it’s natural finish and stained it. I am currently trying to track down a original picture of the guitar which was an all white finish. I will endeavour to do this.I have always loved natural finished guitars, it is no doubt a slight psychoacoustic issue, but I feel that the body resonates better and those additional vibrations from a body which have been trapped (or should that be dampened) but the tight layers of paint and finish. The guitar has been in storage for a number of years and as a result became some what unplayable. The neck was never the greatest, and need some serious attention (or even replaced entirely). But, the reason for me undertaking this project, is that the body is a really lovely piece of wood, it is one piece too, not glued together as you might expect from a cheaper instrument. Guitars should be played and loved and not in storage, so my goal is to make this in to the best instrument it can be, as well as make something to my own personal specs, something which is hard with off the shelf guitars.Here are some pictures of the guitar in it’s current state.

My plans are as follows :-- Re-stain and sand the body, or potentially wax/oil the existing finish- Refret, strip and repair the neck and fingerboard, and add a new nut…if it is doable, otherwise replace the neck entirely. At this point in time it would be with a Maple fingerboard as I love maple, but then again I already have a maple Strat, already so I might actually go with rosewood.- Replace all the electronics. I am currently exploring pickup options, do you guys have any thoughts?- Replace all the hardware, with black finish. So that would be tuners (will be replaced with locking tuners), jack socket , bridge and tremolo unit.- Add a custom decal to the neck.I will be updating the progress on this project on my blog, with the successes and failures as I go along. So watch this space! I hope you enjoy!PeaceNeil

Quick Lick #16 Steve Vai sliding 5th's lick

Back to Mr Vai again today, one of his trademark licks, the sliding 5th. Works well all over the neck and in various contexts. Give it a try.I will post the tab at http://www.spencerbruce.com when the video gets 30 likes. :)For those of you who lead busy lives and struggle to get guitar practice into your daily schedule, quick licks offers a way of improving your vocabulary and ear in just 10 minutes a day.

Improve your playing NOW

For more in-depth information on maximising your practice time and finding your own voice on the instrument, check out my book Guitar Creativity – A new way of thinking Follow me onTwitterFacebookInstragramLinkedInEnjoy!Peace

Neil

The BB King Tribute Jam

Truly saddened and gutted to hear the news of the passing of one of the all time greatest guitar players and someone who totally inspired me. A player so unique that it only took one note of his playing to recognise him, with his sweet amazing vibrato. I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time in his birthplace in Indianola, MS and see first hand, but never ever have understanding, of how the blues was formed through adversity and oppression of the cruelest kind and how Riley B King came through that and lit up the lives of so many people for such a long time. Only saw him briefly in passing on BB. King day in Indianola, but it was one hell of a celebration and a day to remember!SO!!! I thought it would be a great idea to see if we can get guitarists around the world to join in in one MASSIVE jam to the king and see how long we can keep this TRIBUTE to the King going!!What to do....Download this track if you want to use it, or make your own. Download the BB King Tribute JamRecord 24 bars of YOUR tribute to the king and uploaded it to a social media platform of your choice and use the hashtag #bbkingtributejamAnd that's it!!SO!!! I thought it would be a great idea to see if we can get guitarists around the world to join in in one MASSIVE jam to the King and see how long we can keep this TRIBUTE to the King going!!What to do....1) Download this track if you want to use it, or make your own.BB King Tribute Jam2) Record 24 bars of YOUR tribute to the king and uploaded it to a social media platform of your choice and use the hashtag #bbkingtributejam3) SHARE Your track with all the other guitarists out there!!There is no bass on this track so you bass players out there can add you own tribute too!!4)And that's it!!So come on BB Gave us entertainment for decades, lets see how long we can keep this going for!!Here is my tributeRIP Riley B KingPeaceNeil