Issues 2-13 are only available in PDF format, currently the videos and internal downloads are unavailable at this time. The download is available via the 'read issue' icon above.
iGuitar Magazine Issue 2 featuring Joe Satriani. In Issue 2 we interview Joe Satriani. Learn how to play like Joe Satriani with our Joe Satriani free guitar lessons. We review all of Joe Satriani pedals, amps and guitars. We demo and review the Ibanez JS1000 & the JS100, Marshall JVM Marshall 410 Head, Tascam GB1O & LR10, Dave Galileo All Valve Head, Rothwell Pedals F1 Booster Pedal, Vigier Excalibur Guitar, Line 6 POD HD 500, Orange Crush 35, Blackstar HT1 Amp.
We have acoustic guitar reviews , we review the Taylor GS8-e Electro Acoustic, Martin Performing Artist GPCPA3 and Faith Electro Acoustic.
Issue #2
When I discovered I'd be reviewing a Martin Performing Artist Series electro-acoustic this month, I was excited and intrigued in equal measure. Excited because, well, it's a Martin after all and those who know Martin acoustics know that they are synonymous with quality. Intrigued, because Martin is aiming this series of guitars at electric players who want to dip their toes into the deep waters of acoustic playing and being primarily an electric player myself, the GPCPA3 piqued my curiosity somewhat. The GPCPA3 follows in the footsteps of the GPCPA1 which was introduced at the 2010 NAMM show in Anaheim and subsequently the GPCPA2, which were both well received although they came with a very hefty price tags which potential buyers may have been put off by. Martin has tackled this in the GPCPA3 by using less expensive materials and a slight change in design.
As you would expect, the GPCPA3 is made from solid tone-woods with a Sitka spruce top and East Indian rosewood for the back, sides and headplate. The fingerboard as well as both sides of the guitar is bound with white Boltaron, but it is made of a material called 'Richlite' - which is a fibre-based composite. The new design for the pickguard and bridge coupled with the polished gloss finish really does make this guitar very appealing aesthetically.
Picking the guitar up and playing for the first time it quickly became apparent just how good it is. From lightly strummed chord work through to heavily picked solo lines, the GPCPA3 produced a beautifully warm yet very crystal clear and balanced sound. Playability is going to be a big factor, especially if you're an electric player, but you needn't be concerned. The GPCPA3 is remarkably easy to play. Whether you are playing fingerpicked patterns or fast legato lines, it is never hard work and the tone is never less than inspiring.
The Martin comes equipped with a Fishman Aura F1 'Acoustic Imaging' preamp which is loaded with a variety of different functions, from three band EQ and compression to onboard digital tuner and a unique 'Anti-Feedback' function, which allows you to get rid of unwanted frequencies. The FI also gives you access to nine different acoustic 'Images', which represent nine different high quality microphone characteristics at the touch of a button. This, coupled with an option to blend the sound of the microphone with the sound of the pickup housed underneath the saddle, make the GPCPA3 a force to be reckoned with in terms of its versatility.
Martin has done an outstanding job in the GPCPA3 and it far exceeded my expectations. With its stunning sound, both acoustically and through the extremely high quality onboard Fishman F1, you would be hard pushed to find such a well made and thoroughly inspiring instrument to play. It's not cheap and purists might wonder about factors like the use of 'selected hardwood' for the neck and Richlite for the fingerboard at this sort of price, but in the end it's results that matter and this is a remarkably good guitar.Â
Johnny Marr's multi-layered guitar parts on his '80s recordings with the Smith's influenced and inspired a new generation of guitarist that fell slightly left-field with their styles. Jamie Humphries
Jamie Humphries pays tribute to Johnny Marr - the legendary UK guitarist, and unlikely guitar hero..
Often when we hear the term 'guitar hero' it calls to mind the flash and technique of the archetypal Rock lead guitarist, hurling blistering solos into the ether. But there are other players with their own distinct voices on the instrument that fall into other musical categories. Nile Rodgers, The Edge, Andy Summers, Mick Ronson, Steve Cropper, Jonny Greenwood, Bernard Butler, and Noel Gallagher - all carved their own sound in guitar history. Another candidate for Guitar Hero status - often given the label of 'Indie's first Guitar Hero' - is Johnny Marr.
Marr's multi-layered guitar parts on his '80s recordings with the Smith's influenced and inspired a new generation of guitarist that fell slightly left-field with their styles. He is also said to be one of the guitarist that helped start the 'Manchester' sound. Johnny's blend of Bo Diddley and Marc Bolan inspired riffs, Roger McGuinn's jangly chords (from the Byrds), plus his use of layering and effects, have been hailed as some of the most important and influential guitar recordings of the 80's and although Johnny's career with the Smiths was over by the late 80's, his legendary guitar playing has made him an in-demand session guitar celebrity, as well as him embarking on new musical projects, ever since.
Born in Manchester, England, in 1963, the young Johnny was mesmerised by the songs of Del Shannon, T Rex, Johnny Cash, as well as the anthemic sounds of Phil Spector's galaxy of artists. Even from an early age, he recalls having a wooden guitar-shaped toy that he painted to look like a guitar and stuck beer bottle caps on to look like the controls!
Coming from an extended Irish family, there were often parties, weddings and birthdays, and at these family events the same band would play. The guitarist has a red Fender Strat and from the moment he took the guitar out of its case Johnny was transfixed. He felt a calling to play guitar, he had no thoughts of fame or making money, just a drive and passion to play, he says.
This passion blossomed in the summer of 1982, when an 18 year old Marr sought out reclusive poet Morrissey and formed the Smiths. Although they only released four albums in their five year life span, the partnership of Marr and Morrissey forged some of the most influential and important material of the '80s. Although critics were quick to label Marr's style as 'Jingle Jangle', guitarists knew better, instantly recognising that the complex layering of intricate parts was like the work of an artist painting a picture.
Some say Bill Collings and his team currently produce the world's finest production acoustic guitars. To go with our visit to the Collings plant in Austin, Texas, GI borrowed a Collings C10 - perhaps the perfect Collings acoustic for electric guitar players temptÂ
Freshman specialises in offering bang-for-buck acoustic guitars. Unencumbered with big brand' overheads, the small Scottish guitar company designs its own instruments then uses Asian makers to deliver the finished product. The results have been highly praised by reviewers and players alike. We handed an Apollo series Dreadnought cutaÂ