Noela Evans wrote: “Challenge is a dragon, with a gift in its mouth – tame the dragon and the gift is yours!”

Since 2012, I’ve made a musician’s addendum to that: Tame a dragon and your MUSIC WILL SOAR!

That’s because I am the glad owner of a Jay Turser Serpent Electric Guitar, model JT-200!

I call it “Bruce“, after the esteemed kung fu expert Bruce Lee. I took kung fu for some years with my son and Bruce Lee’s movies gave us endless inspiration.

(If you haven’t seen “Enter the Dragon”, by the way, you’re missing out on some sweet 70s film history!)

I choose this guitar to review today because I know many of you readers would just LOVE to grab a new guitar for Christmas; that musician G.A.S. is just CHURNIN’, BABY, and it would be great to get some relief.

This model and make could very well do that for you; it’s very affordable, well-made and worth at least the effort looking into. Check it out…

Dragon Nest Found!

The Jay Turser company is headquartered in Buffallo Grove, IL. He created his first guitars in 1988. Since then they’ve been shipping out reasonably-priced guitars around the world, helping riff-ready youth (and beyond!) start their trek to stardom!

Rather than seeking high-end guitar demographic, Jay opted to instead help the little guy, and try to make available solid, dependable guitars without a lot of fluff with an affordable price tag.

Looks like he achieved his goal, because in 2004 he received Guitar Player Magazine‘s Reader’s Choice Award for Ultimate Value because of his JT-200 line, and then in December 2011 he also earned the Editor’s Pick Award for the JT-LT-RW models he was making, and even the Reader’s Choice Award for Ultimate Value!

I picked Bruce up from a fellow git-picker down in Ohio. She was quite pleased with it but had to let some of her arsenal go so she could afford Christmas presents. When you’ve got more than 15 guitars, ya know… you’ve got some wiggle room to some go!

Glad she did too. She turned me on to a manufacturer I probably would never have given the time of day, but now that I’ve played a Turser I am VERY open to what he has to offer.

Dragon Genetics Explored!

My Turser cracked its egg from the JT-200 series. It’s basically the Gibson Les Paul single cut-away style: mahogany body, volume and tone knob for each of the two pickups; set neck; rosewood fingerboard… It has the look, weight and demeanor of a Les Paul.

They also, as usual, offer several different finishes depending on what year you buy.

What sets my Bruce apart, however, is the pickups: I have looked and looked and still not found a single Turser 200 model that uses the Seymour Duncan pickups that this has. Every dragon guitar I come across uses the standard Les Paul block humbucking pickups.

Apparently, one of Bruce’s former owners must’ve wanted a little bit of tonal variety from the norm and did some special swapping.

And, man, am I glad he did! This guitar now has a tone unlike any other guitar I’ve ever owned. If I want to sound “different”, “unexpected”, or “purple”, as I describe it, I fly this beast.

The closest thing I can compare Bruce to is how Brian May’s homemade guitar sounds on the old Queen records, like “News Of the World”. Its tone is just not like anything I’ve ever heard, and I know it is because of the interplay between the Les Paul body and these replaced pickups.

I haven’t pulled out the pickups to be sure, but they look like the Alnico 5 models from Seymour Duncan, the “59” and the classic “JB”. One day I’ll be brave and pull ’em out to check. For now, the tone is just to tantalizing to mess with ’em!

Dragon Scales Gapless!

The motifs inlay work on this guitar are amazing, and I must admit that it’s this cool look that peaked my interest in the first place. Unlike Smaug from “The Hobbit”, you’ll find no missing chink of armour on this dragon.

Check out the picture above. This close-up shows how the mother-of-pearl has been meticulously placed for optimal visual effect.

This guitar gets so much attention when I play out. Whether close or far, people see this guitar and they know it’s something special. Is it the fancy-schmancy mother-of-pearl dragon inlay stretching its wings across my fretboard?

Is it the full-body coiling dragon nipping at my fingers from the pickguard??

Or perhaps just the beautiful quilted pattern underneath the red wood stain that pulls their interest??

Whatever it is,  it’s often stealing my spotlight! Heck, when I’m home I even stop and look at the detail on this beauty on my studio wall. Sometimes Bruce just takes me over the hills (and far away?), flying on his back to some distant land, to strike awe into the inhabitants there. And look for Khaleesi.     ;-o

Since he’s a little small though, I’ll have to try to strike awe with my next album instead.

The Dragon’s ROAR!!

The last professional recording I did with the Turser was in 2016.

I was producing an album for the fine songwriter, Sweda, whose works you can listen to on Spotify, as well as numerous other platforms.

I was working on one of his songs called “The Tide“, a Pink Floyd-type tune that would be an excellent showcase for any guitar, really.

After laying down all the rhythm section parts for the chorus, I intuitively knew it still needed something. The chords were there, but the rhythm section and synth bed alone just wasn’t cutting it.

Since “The Tide” is an exploration of inner turmoil and emotional angst, I went to my “wall of axes” to consider which one would play well “to the pain”, to quote “Princess Bride” (love that film!).

I spied immediately what I needed: my hand instinctively reached out for Bruce. As I went back into the control room and in my head I could hear the soundtrack spinning… from “Enter the Dragon”!

I’ve provided for you here a little taste of the musical Weltschmerz woven into this Sweda song. The main melody is done with Bruce. The harmony line below it I did with my EVH Wolfgang. You can check out that review here. The amp I played through was the EVH 5150 III 50 watt head, played through the EVH 2×12 cab.

Now,.. let’s hear the serpent sing, shall we?:

Like what you hear? The full song and album will definitely draw you in then. “Tempus”, the full album, was a pleasure to make, produce and play on. Most artists don’t allow themselves the time or effort to be as creative as he is, and the results speak for themselves.

If you’re the kind of person who really likes to listen to an album, not just a haphazard collection of songs, do yourself a favor and go listen to “Tempus” right now on Spotify, or, even better, download it from Itunes.

For me it’s one of those rare albums that I’ve worked on for someone else but end up listening to for a long time afterward. Repeatedly.

It’s also a stellar headphone album so… don’t forget the cans!

A Ride Not For All

I would put this guitar in the category of “perfect for rock”. I don’t necessarily mean hard rock, mind you; more like a classic rock vibe.

That being said, we all know recordings that have used guitars out of their usual category  to good effect.

What really matters is if the investment is a good one to start with, with regards to longevity, usability and cosmetic likeability for the artist.

For the record, I have had ZERO issues with this guitar since 2012 when I picked it up. Now, I take immaculate care of my toys, so that definitely enters into the equation, but there’s been no dropped signal, buzzing, parts breaking, ground-down frets, etc. Plus, I still can find no flaws in the finish or wood choice. It really looks amazing.

Jay has his guitars made in China, and, tho’ that makes some skeptical based on past Chinese poor quality, in the last decade they’ve really upped their game. Turser also apparently keeps quality inspections up at the plants he uses if my wild winged wonder is any indication.

Obviously there will always be quality exceptions to ANY guitar company’s selections. A luthier or assembler had an “interesting” night at the bar last night ’til 3?? Then a guitar might get through that’s not exactly optimal. All I can say is my Turser axe is one I’m proud to own and show off, and it’s never let me down.

So if you seek classic rock tone, I give the JT-200 a solid thumbs up. If you’re looking for American-made, then you’ll have to move on to other options, that’ll more than likely be more expensive.

The Sleeping Dragon

Bruce naps cozily on my studio wall and awaits his master’s call, with class and mystery, his wings waiting to soar the singing feedback, his dark oxblood tone ready to spill in the hero’s quest.

Hmm. Sounds like a new song snoozing in there somewhere too.   lol

It’s pretty rare to find a guitar that truly sounds unique. The Turser JT-200 with modified pups has finally flown me there tho’, and I always relish coaxing out his fire for a session or a gig.

Now if only a raging wave of fire would shoot out of its mouth when I solo above the 12th fret!

So, until I can coax such out of our lava-breathed friend, I ask you: do you have a guitar with a signature sound?

Have you ever snagged an axe with impressive detailing?

Do you have an instrument that you just love to play, like I do Bruce??

If so, tell us! Share the flame in the Comments section, and warm all our ears with the telling!

If the Turser Serpent has you G.A.S.-ing for piles of gold in a distant mountain lair, FRET not… this is an entirely affordable beast of prey! Check out the specs and this low price here:

But beware… the eyes of a dragon can hypnotize even the strongest of heart!

Until we hear your stories then, go… make… sounds!!

Teaj

The shot heard ’round the world.

That’s what some have called the guitar solo that Eddie Van Halen performed in Sunset Studio 1 in Los Angeles on September 8th, 1977. Forty years ago last month. It’s called “Eruption”.

If you’ve never heard this piece, go look it up now, and really give it a good listen, with headphones preferably. You might then understand what a shock wave was felt through the music industry and the music-buying public because of that solo. It’s only a minute and forty-three seconds long, but it absolutely floored anyone who’d ever had a guitar in their hands before that moment.

Additionally, no one before and, in my opinion, no one since has come anywhere close to performing something so technique-altering, so paradigm-shifting, and so inspirational to the musical masses.

If you want something closer to pop radio approachability, consider why Michael Jackson, at the height of his fame, chose Eddie to play the solo for “Beat It”, a solo now so iconic that you can find copies of it everywhere online with the rest of the song removed, so you can hear just the solo. There’s a reason.

He’s amazing.

So, when a guitar player of this caliber decides to launch a guitar line to reflect his prowess, skill and artistic sentiments, what does he come up with? The answer, which is available to all of us now, is EVH Guitars!

Eddie’s Crescendo is Now Unchained!

Like any good solo, Eddie’s stab at guitar making started light and, now at present, is monster HUGE! Here is the total list of guitar making trials and errors that he has endured over the years, in order of production, as a “tone chaser”, as he calls it, trying to perfect his vision for the perfect guitar:

1. 1974 the “Frankenstrat”, self-made
2. 1977 the “Shark”, self-modified Ibanez Destroyer
3. 1978 a Danelectro/Charvel hybrid, self-modded
4. 1979 the “Bumblebee”, basically a modified Charvel
5. 1980 the “Frankenstrat”, re-modded and re-painted red
6. 1983 with Kramer guitars
7. 1990 Ernie Ball/Music Man guitars
8. 1996 Peavey guitars
9. 2004 Charvel EVH Art Series
10. 2007 EVH (made by Fender) guitars

There were even more little one-offs that Eddie did here and there, but these are the biggies. As you can see, the man has always been honing, finessing, striving to get to the proper mixture of guitar tone and mechanics that will leave him completely satisfied.

The jury is still out as to whether that’s even possible at this point, but he at least has been smiling a lot more since Fender partnered with him for his EVH line. It appears they are the big crescendo to his guitar-building penchant.

What Guitar Dreams Are Made Of

Currently Eddie’s line-up out of the Fender factory consists of the following options, most expensive to least:

• EVH Wolfgang Custom; $47,000 – $13,800
• EVH Wolfgang; $3,866 – $4,475
• EVH Striped Series $1,199 – $1,931
• EVH Wolfgang Special; $1,310 – $2,237
• EVH Wolfgang Standard; $733- $816

Keep in mind that the prices listed are retail prices listed on the EVH site. If you truly want one of these beauties, they’ll more than likely be a couple hundred less, possibly more. Don’t expect too much off though, because these guitars are typically not returned due to dependable craftsmanship and customer loyalty. I, for example, will never be selling mine. Ever.

I have not personally played the Standard yet, but I’ve played all the others and been very satisfied with what I’ve heard. And, as you’ll see below, I bought one.

Guess that’s the highest endorsement, right?!

If you want the specific specs for each, check ’em out here.

The Original Eruption Machine

Having been an Eddie fan since my childhood, I have a few axes in my studio that reflect that hero worship. The first two are not actually guitars by EVH by Fender. Couldn’t be since I bought them before Fender and Eddie even had a deal! But I thought I’d give you a look since, if you’re here, you’re probably gonna dig ’em.

My first score was this handmade replica of the first guitar that Eddie made all by his lonesome, the black and white edition of his “Frankenstrat”. This astoundingly accurate reproduction was crafted with love by a boutique shop down in Florida called Mean Street Guitars. Obviously Mitchel, the owner and builder, shares the VH love! Because of legal action he can no longer make exact replicas, so I got in just under the wire here, snagging this treat.

These days he’s making really cool, more original guitars that look radically different than your standard fare. A true artist, and a real fan.

When I first plugged this into an amp and started playing the chords to “Mean Street”, I tell you… I was so geeked. It sounded SOOOOOOO much like the original records.

You know how it is: if you can not only practice songs so much that you have them down cold, but also have the right GEAR to nail the tone… dude. There’s nothing like that sound. It’s almost like the legend is in the room with you. And talk about a simple guitar: one pickup, one knob.

Thank you. Goodnight.

Red Lights Up the Sky!

My second Eddie guitar is also not from his current EVH/Fender line, but I’m including it because… well, it’s the iconic EVH guitar, and I am still stoked to own one. This is a replica of Eddie’s red, white and black striped “Frankenstrat”.

I don’t know who made it because I bought it used and there’s no info anywhere on the guitar that I can find without tearing it open. What I can tell you is I’ve compared it to quite a few pictures of Eddie’s original and whoever made this did an OUTSTANDING job replicating it. And not only how it looks – this thing ROCKS!!

One thing about these early models, though, you should know. They were not the epitome of what Eddie really wanted to attain. They were pretty much all he could afford before Van Halen became mega-stars. The whammy action, for example, is not nearly as elegant and smooth as any of the current models.

But here’s the thing: if you are practicing any of his early works, say “Eruption” or “Mean Street”, or “Beautiful Girls”, it’s really telling to learn them on replicas like these, or the ones put out by EVH now. It allows you to feel what it felt like for him when he accomplished those gems.

But don’t get me wrong – I still want the new stuff too!

My Own EVH Guitar Right Now

Which brings us to this star of my G.A.S. wall in my studio: the EVH Wolfgang Special! This guitar might not be as flashy as his earlier “spray paint and tape” artistic looks, but if you want a guitar that is well-made, smooth, has great tone and consists of some of the finest materials available these days to guitar makers at its price point, the Special, or it’s big brother, the Wolfgang, will make you JUMP for joy. Yes, I had to do that. lol

I actually played both the Wolfgang and the Wolfgang Special through an EVH 5150 amp for some hours at a local shop years ago, to ascertain whether the extra money for the Wolfgang was worth it. After a lot of playing, testing harmonics, pickup tones, volume knob swells a la “Cathedral”, high-neck solo shredding… I came to the conclusion that I really wouldn’t be losing anything by getting the lesser-priced model; the Special sounded killer!

The Wolfgang and the Wolfgang Special look a bit different, mostly because the Special has a flat top and the Wolfgang has an arched top. This also means that the Wolfgang feels a bit heavier and beefier than the Special. Other differences on the Special: no binding around the edge; made in Japan; not as many finish options and cheaper hardward. That’s what the specs say. What I found was that I could hardly tell the difference in sound, which for recording is what’s important, but the little difference I did hear gave the Special the edge! Go figure.

No regrets on that decision either. I did mod my Special in one way: I fitted it with a titanium block under the whammy, replacing the bronze block it came with. This is because I wanted ultimate sustain on my new sound beast and, after researching, discovered that the titanium block added sustain more than other metals. The company “F.U.” out of Pennsylvania provided my part, and after installing it myself I definitely noticed a difference. There’s a reason why big guitar slingers have all gone to Adam for his mods. They work. Check him out here.

Everything I’ve used my Wolfie on has benefited from it’s sound. Its tone and feel and accessibility is really unrivaled by any other guitar hanging on my wall, with one exception: my Paul Reed Smith. It’s kind of apples and oranges though, because the PRS (reviewed here) is a fantastic all-around, versatile guitar. My Wolfie is more for when I don’t need so much versatility, but rather just good, shimmery, light clean tone and smash-your-face-in heavy, dinosaur rock tone. When that’s on the docket, the Special is the first axe off my wall. And we’re one foot out the door with a big smile in tow!

Little Guitars Need Love Too

Finally, to round out my “Eddie-inspired” collection, and for your VH-lovin’ pleasure today, I show you this little gem: the mini-Les Paul replica of the guitar that Eddie composed and played my favorite Van Halen song on: “Little Guitars”. I had kept my eyes out for one of these for years, and finally, two years ago, one showed up in a local used music instrument store. I nabbed it immediately and couldn’t wait to get home and finally play my fave VH tune like it was originally composed.

See, I learned this song back in the day it came out, but, unfortunately, I learned it from a guitar magazine that had the tablature so COMPLETELY WRONG that to this day I wonder what they were thinking. Still, I practiced those bizarre fingerings and awkward positions until I got it down, because this song, for me, tops the list. It was only years later I discovered that Eddie had written it on a mini guitar like this, with a totally different tuning than standard. This was why the magazine tablature, written for standard tuning, was such a nightmare. It was just wrong; so, so wrong.

When you have the right tool for the job, though, the fingerings are mostly all familiar and far easier to accomplish. You can do this song the right way with a normal guitar, you just have to change the tuning and capo it at the 5th fret. The big difference there, though, is the fret sizes are much bigger than on this mini guitar, so for some of the chords you’ll be stretching more than Eddie actually does.

I like to use this guitar to compose with too. Makes it almost impossible for others hearing my songs to figure out what I’m doing. Just like that guy who tabbed “Little Guitars” completely wrong!!!   lol

Everybody Wants Some of These EVH Beauties

Guitars are such subjective desires. Don’t I know it. Looks have a lot to do with it, as well as tone, feel, scale, wood, blah, blah, blah. I get it. a guitar can be built with all the finest materials, and truly be a masterpiece of luthiership, and many will still not like it. C’est la vie.

Regardless, David at Guitar Center, Southfield tells me the current EVH models are still in demand and they have an excellent reputation for not coming back. If you’ve not played one, get out there, plug in, rock out, and channel your inner guitar god. You’ll be amazed how EVH will burnish your fiery-fingers image! The lowest price for a Wolfgang Special, what I own, is currently $999, no matter what store you look at. This link will take you to a further review of the specs and send you one immediately if you’re ready to embark on the journey!

Do you already own a Wolfie? Or any of the earlier iterations of Eddie’s creative force from Charvel, Peavey, Music Man, etc.? Lemme know what they do for you, and what you’ve done for them. Leave some comments; share the love. We guitar-slingers have insights that non-axe-types just will never understand…

Who else would spend $400 on a block of titanium? LOL

Now, go… make… sounds!!

Teaj

We’ve all heard it: a famous musician from the classic rock era comes to town for a concert, sells out the arena, and puts on a great show. We either hear them at the show or on some new live recording shooting up the YouTube charts. But… that voice. That’s not the voice you remember from those number one hits and singles! It’s… kinda the same, but, it just doesn’t sound as good.

Say it with me: it’s called AAAAAAGE.

Our heroes can’t help it; they’re doing the best they can with what’s left of what they were given. With age, comes, usually, a lessening of the harmonic range of some instruments, the voice being a good example. Guitar strings, in an even more dramatic fashion, lose their sheen and end up sounding quite dull and lackluster over time, despite the marketing hype from certain string manufacturers who would have you think they’ve ‘fixed the problem’.

This disintegration of full-spectrum tone is why we change our strings often if we’re in the habit of playing live or recording in the studio with our axe. Fresh strings make what you play sound sooooooo good. That’s because all the overtones possible are there when the steel (or nylon) is first stretched taut.

With that in mind, here are a few tips and tricks that can help you make the most of your strings lifespan, and help you cut some headaches off at the pass before they can enter into your sacred music sanctum.

Size Matters

Do you know what size strings your guitar is set up for? Did you even know that your guitar is set up for a specific string gauge?! It is, but if you’ve never had it maintenance this might be a brave new world for you to explore. Here’s the deal: the gauge of your strings is basically how thick each string is. Guitar strings are sold in sets that are either hard, medium, light or super-light gauge.

Now, in the neck of your guitar is a metal rod, called a truss rod, that is there to help the wooden neck of the guitar handle the incredible stress that strings are putting on it when they are tightened. Did you know that even with a light string set on a guitar that the total amount of tension that all strings produce is around 160 pounds! If you’re a Stevie Ray Vaughn and like the heavy sets, then you’re talking well over 200 pounds! That’s a lot of force, and the truss rod helps the neck handle the pressure.

BUT… the truss rod is always “set up”, or prepared in the factory, for a certain gauge of string. Most of the time it’s for medium gauge, but there’s no way of knowing for sure what the factory did, so it’s always best, even if you never do it again, to have your guitar set up by a professional at least once. This way you can make sure that you’re not going to bend the neck, either forward or backward, by putting too much, or too little, pressure on it via the strings you buy.

Cross-Over to a Better Musical Figure

Once you’ve correctly paired your guitar’s set up with strings that are the correct gauge and that you shall ongoingly use, the next step is to put ’em on… and get playin’! But let’s make sure that when we do that, we’re also optimizing the string installation for ongoing consistency. In other words, you don’t really want your guitar to ever go out of tune really, do you?

One simple trick that can make a rockin’-in-the-free-world of difference in your performances is the cross-over string install method. Now, if your guitar going out of tune is something you like, well… you can check out here; this tutorial is definitely not for you. But if quality intonation is something you strive for, start implementing this technique immediately and you will notice an obvious, immediate improvement in the stability of your guitar’s intonation. It’s really not that hard; just a matter of adding a step to what you normally do already.

Because this is a tweaky little technique, I filmed a short video for you watch that will show you exactly what method to use. A lot better than trying to describe it! Check it out:

Clean Hands – Rock’n’Roll Heart

Wanna know something that causes strings to age and lose their luster fast? Dirt, oils and salt – all the deteriorating elements that are coming off of your skin as you play!

Of course, some playing moments are worse than others. If you’re gigging live at all, you tend to exude and pass on all manner of string killing grime since it’s typically hotter (darn spotlights), you’re moving more (impressing that person in the front row you think is hot) and you’re shaking hands, high-fiving and swapping biz cards with LOTS of people. And their germs. And their dirt.

I won’t even go into those who eat as they play, and don’t wash off the mayo, or honey, or hot wings sauce, or… the list goes on. Aaarghshh…!!

Do yourself a favor: before you play an instrument, wash your hands. Best for you; best for your instrument.

Unless you want to spend more money on strings than you have to? 😉

Water That’s Measured…

Now that cold weather has hit, I’m gonna also take us off on a related tangent today. You probably aware of how temperature and weather can affect your guitars and, derivatively, your strings. But most of us keep the temperature of our homes pretty consistent throughout the year; we humans like our creature comforts. So there’s nothing to worry about, right?

Well, one thing that often is overlooked is the “relative humidity” within our homes. This, more than temperature, is what usually causes issues with our fine wooden friends. It can cause wood to literally come apart at the seams. Too high and wood swells. Too little and it shrinks. Both cause breakage. And both will affect the intonation, action and longevity of your strings.

The picture on the right shows my humidity monitor in my studio right now. It’s not just luck that caused the percentage to be exactly what’s recommended for wooden instruments; it’s my commitment to keep my babies well-maintained and in an environment conducive to them sounding their best.

You can pick up this exact humidity monitor here on Amazon. It’s cheap, and it helps you stay apprised of a very important factor in the health and stability of your instruments. Don’t even think about not doing it – your instruments need your help!

…and Water That’s Spread

Now, once you’ve got a humidity monitor, what if it tells you that your place has water vapour below 35%? Well, when you turned on your home heater for the winter cold, it is blowing hot, dry air all day and night at your investments, so that’s why it’s so low. This is not a good pairing; you must do something about it. Get a simple humidifier, like this quiet one, and keep all your instruments near it, like cowboys around a prairie fire.

Run it every day, 24 hours a day, until you turn off the heater when spring comes. Put its setting so that your monitor reads 45%, or close to it. Doing this, you will safeguard your instruments and strings and be ready at the drop of a downbeat for any gig with an awesome, maintained tool that will make you look, and sound, better.

And while you’re at it… pass me some o’ those beans.

Surface Scratching…

Obviously there’s so much more we could go into concerning strings, and in future posts… we will! Part of my recording today is to catch for eternity the sound of my axe with a specific type of string. In future sessions, I will use other string sets, and once I get to about five or so I’ll upload my findings and we’ll discuss BRANDS. That’s should get some opinions flying like fisticuffs!

As always, it’s about the music, so continue (or start!) taking care of your wooden companions in tone, and their finicky strings, so that you, and they, can symbiotically create music that is greater than the sum of your parts. I’ll be listening. And making my own, of course.

Do you have other methods of caring for your instruments not mentioned here? Are you even more of a doting mother/father over your precious ones??! Lemme know by leaving a comment.

In the meantime, go… make… sounds!!

Teaj