Interview: In The Company of Serpents Talk Cord Cutting Catharsis
Grant Netzorg, the multifaceted vocalist and guitarist of the Denver-based In the Company of Serpents, gets personal detailing his inner turmoil on the band’s latest album, A Crack in Everything, set to release on July 11.
The post Interview: In The Company of Serpents Talk Cord Cutting Catharsis appeared first on Decibel Magazine.
Some Nile Rodgers-style funky strumming with Cory Wong
Cory Wong discusses the importance of the picking hand. It’s the keeper of time and the thing that gives us the groove when we play. For the tabs (and text)…
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Queens of the Stone Age Rig Rundown with Troy Van Leeuwen
Fresh off a substantial break and a live acoustic recording from Paris’ infamous catacombs, hard-rock titans Queens of the Stone Age stormed back to life this spring with an American tour, including back-to-back nights in Boston at Fenway’s MGM Music Hall.PG’s Chris Kies snuck onstage before soundcheck to meet with guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen and get an in-depth look at the guitars, amps, and effects he’s using this summer.Brought to you by D’Addario.Echopark SharkVan Leeuwen started working with Echopark Guitars luthier Gabriel Currie around 12 years ago, and this custom De Leon model is the product. It’s nothing fancy, says Van Leeuwen, with a walnut bolt-on neck and single-coil bridge/humbucker neck configuration, but it’s just made well. This one is tuned to C standard and strung with a custom set of Dunlop strings (.012–.058).TVL’s RIY (Relic It Yourself)This is the first-ever prototype of the signature oxblood Jazzmaster that Van Leeuwen received from Fender’s Custom Shop, and it also carries his first attempt at writing out his own signature. (It got better.) Van Leeuwen relic’d it himself with hard playing and natural wear and tear. It’s got a Mastery bridge.Double the JazzThis is number two of two double-neck Jazzmasters produced by Paul Waller at Fender’s Custom Shop. The bottom 6-string neck is essentially the Troy Van Leeuwen Jazzmaster, while the top splits the difference between an Electric 12 and a Telecaster, with a single-coil Tele pickup in the bridge and an offset pickup in the neck. A selector at the top toggles between top, bottom, or both signals, and basic controls for tone, volume, and pickup selection stay at the bottom.ExploiterThis Echopark Explorer-style, nicknamed the “Exploiter,” came from a love of ’80s Ibanez and Hamer guitars. On its way back on a boat from Europe, it got exposed to seawater, which helped Van Leeuwen out with the relic’ing.Van Leeuwen also packs a custom Echopark modeled after an old Teisco electric and a custom Fender 12-string Telecaster. Van Leeuwen hints that he’s been working with Squier to make an affordable version of the 12-string Tele.A GMI PSAAlong with Currie and GMI’s Sean Romin, Van Leeuwen helped develop the GMI Public Address Systems 33F6. He describes it as having the power section of a Fender and the preamp section of a Marshall Jubilee. It’s a great pedal platform.Van Leeuwen runs two 33F6s plus a Vox AC30. One 33F6 has his dry signal, and the AC30 carries the wet, while the second 33F6 carries wet lead signals. One cabinet is dedicated to the dry signal, while the other cab has one 12″ speaker for the AC30 and two 12″ speakers for the lead 33F6 signal. Three Austrian Audio condenser mics capture the signals.Troy Van Leeuwen’s BoardAll of Van Leeuwen’s pedals go through loops, with a RJM Mastermind PBC/6X and Mastermind GT/16 handling the switching, and most processing done through a Fractal FM3 and a pair of Eventide H9s. Van Leeuwen designed the boards, and his tech Cody helped build and program it.Across the two boards, there’s a pair of both Electro-Harmonix Superegos and Way Huge Saffron Squeezes, plus Dunlop expression and volume pedals; EarthQuaker Devices Tentacle, Rainbow Machine, and Fuzz Master General; Way Huge Effect Pedal, Green Rhino, and Atreides; Echopark Echodriver; Ten Years Is A Decade; modified EHX Holiest Grail; and Dr. No Effects TVL Raven.Fender Troy Van Leeuwen JazzmasterVox AC30Eventide H9Electro-Harmonix SuperegoEarthQuaker Devices TentacleEarthQuaker Devices Rainbow Machine
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Track Premiere: Vittra – “Reign Supreme”
Hear Swedish death thrashers Vittra do their own meaty version of death ’n’ roll on new single “Reign Supreme.”
The post Track Premiere: Vittra – “Reign Supreme” appeared first on Decibel Magazine.
Snark Launches New High-Precision Tuners!
Hot news from Snark! Taking the company’s ultra-popular product line to a whole new level, Snark has introduced a trio of high-precision clip-on tuners: the Snark ST-1X HPT, ST-2 HPT and ST-8 HPT. These models feature all-new software with ultra-tight “in tune” windows for pinpoint accuracy with a broad range of instruments. Adding to the best-in-class performance: a patented anechoic sound shield on the back of each tuner helps block room noise. This unique shielding allows each of the new high-precision Snarks to deliver faster and more precise tuning in any environment. The Snark ST-1X HPT, ST-2 HPT and ST-8 HPT all feature super bright LCD screens for easy viewing in the brightest sunlight or on low light stages.All three models are rechargeable (no batteries needed!) and come with a USB cable/adapter for quick, easy charging. Each tuner’s screen includes a prominent battery gauge, so you can feel confident that your tuner has plenty of battery power available. No matter what you play – stringed instruments such as guitar, bass, and ukulele, or brass and woodwind instruments – you’ll find one of the new Snarks that’s perfect for you. All three tuners offer adjustable pitch calibration. Also, the ST-2 HTP provides a switchable option for selecting Mic mode or Vibration mode. Choose Vibration mode for regular clip-on use; switch to Mic mode and clip the ST-2 HTP to your music stand. Snark’s new high-precision ST-1X HPT, ST-2 HPT and ST-8 HPT rechargeable tuners have MRSPs of $24.99, $26.99 and $26.99 respectively.www.snarktuners.com
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Lollar Announces New Pickup Options for Jaguar and Bass VI
Lollar Pickups has announced the release of a new line of single-coil pickups called the sB (single blade), based on the design of their popular dB (dual blade) humbucker. The first two offerings in the lineup are intended as drop-in replacements for Jaguar and Bass VI style instruments.Featuring a large blade-style pole piece and modified coil design, the sB single-coils offer hotter, fuller, and fatter output as compared with the original standard Jaguar type of pickups often used in these instruments. The blade also provides improved overall consistency – in terms of both frequency response and string-to-string balance – thanks to its added inductance and unique physical properties. This is benefit particularly useful for the Bass VI, since some players feel that the conventional Jaguar pickup design can lack the fullness in low-end frequencies needed for more modern playing styles. This makes the sB a great choice for players seeking a more versatile pickup option for their instruments and those looking to play heavier styles of music.The sB pickups for Jaguar and Bass VI are available for order now at www.LollarGuitars.com/sB-pickups and Lollar Pickups authorized dealers. They are offered in two-piece sets for Jaguar and three-piece sets for Bass VI, in parchment, white, black, and cream.
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Foo Fighters Commemorate 30th Anniversary with New Single“Today’s Song” Out Now
Foo Fighters mark the 30th anniversary of the band’s classic 1995 debut with the opening salvo of its next chapter: “Today’s Song,” the first taste of new Foo Fighters music since 2023’s universally acclaimed But Here We Are, is now available across digital platforms.An indelible anthem in the time-honored Foo Fighters tradition, “Today’s Song” bristles with unbridled optimism from its subtle melodic intro through the peaks of its soaring crescendos. With lyrical themes of personal evolution and perseverance in the face of life’s uncertainty and the passage of time, “Today’s Song” is nothing short of a three-minute-fifteen-second epic.In a note to fans that posted today, Dave Grohl wrote, “Over the years, we’ve had moments of unbridled joy, and moments of devastating heartbreak. Moments of beautiful victory, and moments of painful defeat. We have mended broken bones and broken hearts. But we have followed this road together, with each other, for each other, no matter what. Because in life, you just can’t go it alone.It should go without saying that without the boundless energy of William Goldsmith, the seasoned wisdom of Franz Stahl, and the thunderous wizardry of Josh Freese, this story would be incomplete, so we extend our heartfelt gratitude for the time, music, and memories that we shared with each of them over the years. Thank you, gentlemen.And… Taylor. Your name is spoken every day, sometimes with tears, sometimes with a smile, but you are still in everything we do, everywhere we go, forever. The enormity of your beautiful soul is only rivaled by the infinite longing we feel in your absence. We all miss you beyond words. Foo Fighters will forever include Taylor Hawkins in every note that we play, until we do finally reach our destination.”To read or listen to Dave’s full message, go to foofighters.com.Foo Fighters are Dave Grohl, Nate Mendel, Pat Smear, Chris Shiflett and Rami Jaffee.“Today’s Song” artwork by Harper Grohl.FOO FIGHTERS Live 2025Oct 2 – Jakarta, ID – Carnaval AncolOct 4 – Singapore, SG – F1Oct 7 – Tokyo, JP – Saitama Super ArenaOct 10 – Osaka, JP – Glion Arena KobeNov 14 – Mexico City, MX – Corona Capital Tickets at foofighters.com
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Joe Bonamassa: How to play a shuffle!
A big part of blues is playing over a “shuffle” groove — a triplet-driven swing-eighths feel with a backbeat (accents on beats 2 and 4) — at various tempos. Let…
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Supercool Pedals releases “The Triniphase”
Supercool Pedals has unveiled the tenth pedal in their lineup: the Triniphase – a bold, all-analog phase shifter inspired by the technical legacy and cassette-futurism aesthetic of a golden TV age.The Triniphase is a thoughtful and calculated approach to a classic and revered modulation effect, offering complex and organic analog phase modulation with a unique and intuitive control scheme.The Triniphase offers expertly crafted replications of some of the most sought after vintage and modern sweeping phase effects, but what sets the Triniphase apart from its peers are the tactile controls of the RGB buttons that invite users to mix colors and sounds to spawn new and complex pitch and phase modulation adventures. The Triniphase highlights include:Unique sounds including classic phase sweeps, rotary-style univibe oscillation, formant-like voice effects, manic vibratos, and more4-stage and 8-stage phase effects (via RED/DEPTH switch)2 unique LFO modes (via GREEN/LENGTH switch)Phase-based pitch shift mode (via BLUE/MODE switch)RESO knob for aggressive or subtle feedback control of phasing effectRATE knob for a wide control of phasing effects from subtle sweeps to near self-oscillationAll-analog signal path and controlEye-catching nostalgic design inspired by the legacy of the Sony TrinitronTrue Bypass switching with standard 9v center negative power supplyDesigned and assembled in CanadaThe Triniphase is the 10th installment in the Supercool pedals lineup with a street price of $219 USD, and is available for purchase with worldwide shipping through www.SupercoolPedals.com as well as in select independent retailers.
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Tsakalis Audio Works Phonkify X Review
Fat envelope and wah sounds are made even wilder with the help of an expansive octave effect that can be used in tandem or independently from the filter.For those that haven’t delved too deeply into the subject or the sounds, envelope filters can seem a little loaded, stylistically speaking. Used well, they add bounce, joy, or even menace to a guitar or bass. Used wrong, they sound horribly corny. Used unconventionally, though, they can radically reshape guitar tones in surprising ways. Leveraging how they reshape tone with picking dynamics, for instance, is a great way to bust out of a box. They also pair well with distortion, fuzz, delays, modulation, and more (though if you aren’t willing to dig for gold in these combinations the results can confound at first). Tsakalis Phonkify X FINAL VIDEOThe Tsakalis Phonkify X, an evolution of the original Tsakalis Phonkify, is, in part, a great envelope filter for the way it smooths the path to the outer edges of the effect’s potential. It’s got great range, which is enhanced by effective mix, gain, frequency, and Q controls. Using those controls together in the right combinations also makes the Phonkify X sound fat where other envelope filters can sound narrow, thin, and not terribly nuanced. (An internal voltage doubler that increases headroom is another contributing factor.) And with an octave section that can span corpulent and piercing regions of the sound spectrum—and be used independently or with the filter—the Phonkify X is a trove of powerful, odd, and uncommon guitar sounds, and a true provocateur for those in a rut.Clarity, Body, and BrawnOne of the Phonkify X’s great strengths is the extra mass and air in its range and how easy it is to find it. As far as envelope filters—which can be counterintuitive to many players the first time out—go, the Phonkify X is very forgiving and responsive. The same qualities make it a great pair for radical or merely fattened fuzz and drive tones. Sixties-type germanium fuzzes coax fiery Hendrix- and Ron Ashton-isms that you can also utilize in traditional sweeping wah fashion if you add an expression pedal to the mix. It also sounds amazing upstream from a dark smoky overdrive that can blunt the sharpest filter edges while adding ballast and attitude.The octave effect is great on its own, too, not least because you move between deep octave-down settings and reedy high tones. The VerdictThe latter can be a bit cloying and full of digital artifacts in some applications, but when the low octave content is used to temper that tendency, or dial it out entirely, you can summon very organic, complex, and rich tones that can be made rumbling and earth shaking with distortion or drive, or reshape the pedal’s filtered tones if you add it back in the mix. (An additional switch also enables you to situate the octave before or after the filter.). Together, these two effects that blend so seamlessly are a formidable combo.
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