The latest issue of Guitar Interactive, the free digital guitar magazine has been released and it’s loaded to the brim with new video interviews, interactive guitar lessons and reviews of all the latest guitars, amps and pedals. Also, after the success of last month’s offer, every Guitar Interactive subscriber can still claim a FREE copy of the brilliant TAB editing software package Guitar Pro 6!
American guitar virtuoso Richie Kotzen is this month’s cover star with an in-depth interview at his LA home studio and a special ‘Kotzen Masterclass’ lesson from Tom Quayle. Other interviews include Free bassist Andy Fraser and Guitar Interactive favourite Steve Hackett returns to talk with Michael Casswell about his new album ‘Genesis Revisited ll’ and to perform an exclusive live session!
There’s more exclusive material on offer as Guitar Interactive are invited to the annual LA Amp Show to sample the latest products and find out what’s new in the world of Amplifiers. Pedals and Guitars. With a whole host of interviews with the brains behind the gear you love including Fractal Audio, Matrix Amplification, Suhr Guitars, Eganter + More….
There’s lots of prizes up for grabs in the competitions section of the mag… Gi are giving away two Wampler pedals and two copies of the new Randy Rhoads biography + find out which lucky reader bagged the Ibanez Steve Vai JEM70V Guitar!
Don’t miss the column features as Andy James, Tom Quayle, Rick Graham, Michael Casswell and Giorgio Serci all continue their technique lessons including tips, tricks and licks to help make you a better guitarist and starting this month, Guitar Idol winner Don Alder joins the Guitar Interactive teaching team to begin his ‘Acoustic Percussion’ series.
Included in the magazine is full downloadable tab for all of the lessons in the usual PDF format and now our new Guitar Pro 6 format so you can start using your FREE software right away (For details on how to claim your copy, visit the downloads page in the magazine).
The rest of the issue is jam packed with reviews including the new Tony Iommi Signture T-100 Laney Amp, Washburn, Rickenbacker, PRS, Hiwatt, Wampler, TC Electronic, Danelectro, Stonebridge and an exclusive review of the new Ibanez Roadcore RC230 Guitar!
If that’s not enough, Gi brings you a Quiet Room special with the new ‘Rise Of The Super-Ukes’ feature – Ukelele expert John Howlett explains why the Ukelele is conquering the world and reviews the best models on the market.
All this is available now and it’s completely FREE! Visit http://www.iguitarmag.com/issue13 to read it now!
REVIEWS_GUITAR REVIEW
Dare to be different? Rickenbacker’s 650 Colorado is a departure from the Rickys
we all know and love. Michael Casswell get adventurous.
Most Rickenbackers I have come across have
been a bit of a handful to play and to get
modern day guitar tones from. But that is
part of their appeal. They make you work for
it and deliver a vibey tone that has certainly
had its place in music history through every
decade since the ‘60s, when the Beatles
(among many others) gave them an iconic
status. Probably to me, the most iconic
model would be the 12 string, (reviewed in
issue four - Ed) which anybody would forgive
for the close string spacing and hard work
neck, because it’s a Ricky 12 string, sounds
fantastic, is all over the Fab Four’s early work
and was the unforgettable sound of the
Byrds, in the hands of Roger McGuinn.
Rickenbacker guitars certainly have their
fans, and you have to respect the ethic
behind the Californian company. Where
most manufacturers churn out huge numbers
per month, Rickenbacker makes only
modest quantities, ensuring perfect fit and
finish which, combined with their highly
individualistic styling, means they are always
a bit special and can be rather hard to find.
The 650 Colorado is a bit of an oddity in the
range. It is clearly, visually, a Rickenbacker
but is a much more modern feeling and
STAR RATING CHECK THE SPEC
80 Guitar Interactive Magazine Issue 14
sounding guitar than the more famous 330
and 360 models. The neck is a good part of
the reason why. It has a wide, fast-playing
shape that doesn’t restrict shred, Blues, Funk,
or Jazz style playing. Whereas doing a Blues
gig with other Rickenbacker models might
be a stretch, the 650 could easily rise to the
occasion, if you could.
On our sample, the fret work was superb
and string bending was effortless. The wide
string spacing makes it all comfortable, and
if you have big sausage fingers, then you will
like the feel of this guitar. Specifically, you
end up with 4.5mm of extra space at the
12th fret over most other guitars you have
played. You also 24 frets and a solid maple
neck through body construction making the
guitar very resonant. Resonance means the
two mini humbuckers don’t have to work too
hard to get some nice, almost P90 sounding,
tones. With careful use of the gain stage
from your amp, and the volume pots on the
guitar, it’s all there, giving some nice Rock,
Blues and Country tones. These pickups have
a real sweetness to them, which surprised
me, because other Ricky models I have tried
haven’t had that quality in their tones - an
amazing jangle, yes, but sweetness, no. A
three way selector switch selects and blends
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