Bridge School/Koa Martin

No Doubt performed at the Bridge School Benefit show last year up in Northern California. Neil Young hosts an eclectic group of artists to raise money for this great charity every year. It was a really important thing for us to be a part of, not to mention a rare and fun all-acoustic set for the band. I kinda dig this live image (below left). I'm playing my new Martin OM-42 KOA.
"Koa" is a tropical hardwood native to Hawaii and prized for it's beauty (duh) and strength. Check it out.

Guitar Wall

Photo via iPhone.

I have a mini guitar wall in my studio. When I was 11 years old my Dad brought me to Guitar Center in Santa Ana, CA and I gazed in wonder at the massive guitar wall. I got lucky with my music space and have a fair amount of vertical wall, so I went for it. 

Top, left to right: 

Green Hamer Standard with "Sea of Cortez" text, from Rock Steady tour. Mieke did the typography art on this one.

"Mexican Sun" Hamer Vector, 1999.

1978 Korina Ibanez Flying V. Word is that Ibanez was sued by Gibson for making this model...

"Arctic White" Special from 2009 tour.

Bottom row, left to right:

Hamer Monaco Elite "TV" finish with TV Jones pickups.

40's Mahogany Martin 0-15, thanks to my cousin Carol for selling this to me.:-)

Hamer Newport with Fat Cat pickups.

Hamer bass, played on Matt Costa/Jack Johnson tour 2005.

Autobio

This is a short Bio I've been working on. I think this sums it up nicely and without errors such as on wikipedia.

     I was born Jan 11, 1968 in Los Angeles, California and mostly grew up in the city of Irvine, about 40 miles just south of L.A. in Orange County. I remember having an early fondness for music, my first musical memories coming from my Disney 45's and my Dad playing classical and pop standards on the piano at home.
      Around age eight I got my first hi-fi system and quickly became an avid rock aficionado, listening endlessly to my Kiss, Rush, Pink Floyd, UFO, Black Sabbath, and Barry Manilow records. Around age twelve my Dad hooked up some private guitar lessons at the local music store, and I quickly started learning songs of the Beatles, James Taylor and Neil Young on the acoustic guitar. An electric guitar ( a black Les Paul copy) followed as a Christmas gift, and from then on I spent hours locked in my bedroom jamming along to my growing record collection. My older sister Gina was already a skilled rock guitarist, and she taught me scales and chords which helped me advance quickly.
      I started a band called "Northeast" in 7th grade (age 13 I think) with a couple of friends and we ambitiously covered songs by Rush, Judas Priest, and Scorpions. After that around age 15 I joined my older sister's original Heavy Metal band "Rising", forming a rather unique brother and sister dual lead guitar team.
     I was a distracted student in High School- preferring music, fiction, boogie-boarding and D&D over my homework. After High School I studied music theory and composition at Orange Coast College and at Cal State University Fullerton for 4+ years.
      During my college years my musical tastes began to broaden to new wave and reggae music, and in 1988 I answered a flyer to play guitar for local OC band called "No Doubt". I helped to add a rock edge to No Doubt's ska sound, and after a number of excellent years playing club shows all around California, the band signed with Interscope Records in 1991. We released our "self-titled" debut CD in 1992, and toured clubs in the United States in vans that summer. After which founding member and primary songwriter Eric Stefani began the process of splitting from the band. This left more of the songwriting efforts to myself, bassist Tony Kanal and singer Gwen Stefani, and in the following years we all co-wrote, recorded and finally released our 1995 commercial breakthrough album entitled "Tragic Kingdom". The album gave birth to a number of international hit singles and went on to sell over 15 million copies worldwide. We toured the North America, Europe and Asia repeatedly for a whirlwind two years before taking a break in late 1997 to write and record the follow up. "Return of Saturn" was released in 2000 followed by more world touring. The next album was "Rock Steady", released in 2001, and produced more hit songs, two Grammy awards and more world touring. In 2003 we performed alongside Sting at the 2003 Superbowl halftime show and released a greatest hits CD entitled "The Singles Collection". About that time we began a well deserved multi-year break from No Doubt's primary activities of recording and touring.
      During the break, I produced two albums by singer-songwriter Matt Costa and also toured the United States in 2005 as his bass player, enjoying the opening slot on Jack Johnson's sold-out summer amphitheater tour. I also worked with Ted Matson to score a feature documentary film; "The Providence Effect" released in 2009 . When not doing music I also spent my free time traveling and surfing, hanging in Australia, Indonesia, Mexico and New England with my girlfriend Mieke. We were married in 2004 and started a family right away becoming parents to two incredible boys; Ace born in 2006 and Rio born in 2008.
      In 2009 No Doubt returned from hiatus for our biggest concert tour ever in the United States. Presently in 2010, Tony, Gwen, Adrian and I are working together to write and record songs for a forthcoming No Doubt album.

Studio Geekery part 1

Today I have some studio gear for you to look at. With the arrival of computer-based music recording and production, the old rack mount outboard audio gear has become somewhat of a luxury now. You can effect your audio in a thousand ways with software plug-ins. Software sounds good and gives you the potential to make great sounding recordings at a tiny fraction of the cost of a real studio. However real hardware audio still sounds better than software to me, you are adding gain and distortion and overtones that make everything sound punchy just like back in the golden days of real recording studios.

You are looking at four items in the photo:
The two silver ones with black knobs are Pultec equalizers. This is a pair of mono units and I use them to pass my stereo mixes through. The design is from the 1950's and they are pretty simple to use. Select a frequency, and then boost or cut it. If you are not an audio person, it's kind of like a fancy set of Bass/Treble controls. These Pultec's use tubes, audio people love the sound of tubes, but it's beyond me to describe how they work. They do get hot and if something goes wrong in the unit, you can usually just replace a tube and you're all fixed up.

Next is the Manley Variable-MU in black with the two big white meters. This is a stereo compressor, and I put my mixes through this in-line behind the Pultec's. A compressor's role it hard to describe, but it basically smooths out the rough audio edges. Proper use of compression can make amateur recordings sound much more professional.

The last unit on the right is the Fulltone Tube Tape Echo. This is actually a guitar effect I covered in my last post. This unit has a tube and makes echo effects using a tape loop. The basic design is based on the old Echo-plex units, and this one is improved in many ways, while still giving that sound that we grew up hearing on countless records.

Okay that's it for today, take care until next time.

new post

Finally I'm back! It's been well over six months since I've posted here, not a very good frequency rate for a blogger.
Well in any case, last years No Doubt tour is just a memory now, an excellent one for sure. Back at home, the band is writing new songs for what should become a new No Doubt album. There is no release date yet, we're just not close enough to make any sort of predictions yet. It's going well and we're having fun together though. During the days that Gwen, Tony, Adrian and I are not writing, I spend many an afternoon in my own little studio in Los Angeles crafting odd and interesting soundscapes for my own enjoyment. I'm a bit of a "gear head", and I propose to use this blog show off some of my studio toys beyond guitars. This week I did an Echo shootout. I love delays and echo effects, and I had fun with these pedals pictured below. They all do something different, and I won't pick a favorite other than to say that the Fulltone is clearly the unique one in the bunch.

Pictured below left to right (via iphone cam):

Fulltone Tube-tape echo | Moogerfooger Analog Delay | EH Memory Man | Malekko ekko 616 | MXR Carbon Copy


Whats missing? Well in this post you can see that I used different stuff on tour, such as the Eventide Timefactor pedal, which is digital and mucho better for instant access to dozens of effects on the fly. Okay, so thats it for now, next time I'll explain some more of the stuff in that photo, and more.
Thanks for checking it out.
Tom

Flying V Trick

I do this almost every night at the end of the show. It works with either of my two Hamer Vectors that are out here on tour with me. I am always amazed that they have such incredible balance. I wonder if Ted McCarty knew about this when he came up with the shape back in the 1950's?
FYI the strap is a normal nylon one from Seymour Duncan. No structure in it at all. The guitar is balancing only on it's two points.

Jol Dantzig

Jol and some of the good Hamer folks came out to our recent show in Connecticut. We filmed a video interview that will appear at www.hamerguitars.com soon, and Jol and I traded some licks on stage at soundcheck as well. Good times.
Tom

Korina Standard!

Here's an old favorite that I've been working out for two encore songs the past week or so out here. My Hamer Korina Standard, circa 1997 I think. New pickups for this year, Duncan 59's with gold covers, to make a more vintage look. This guitar feels so well balanced and comfortable. I just love it like a comfy old pair of sneakers. Thanks to my long-time tech and friend, Donnie Spada, for convincing me not to leave it at home :) Click on the photos to super-size.
-Tom

Duotone, refinished

Hello everyone! The tour has been going well. Great audiences, great shows. It is exhausting from time to time, but I can't complain. I play this Hamer Duotone for a number of songs every night. I got it from Hamer maybe 8 years ago, and now this year they refinished it for me in Transparent Arctic White to match our stage set and the look of the show. Anyway, the key thing about the Duotone is that it is both an electric guitar and acoustic guitar at the same time. As you can see from the pictures, there are two plugs, one for the electric pickups, which goes to my amp, and one for the acoustic pickup, which goes to a DI and then into the house PA system. The two tones sound quite lush when mixed together, and sound great on "Don't Speak", "Simple Kind of Life", "Running" and "It's My Life". If you're coming to a show, listen for it. Click on any photo to supersize.

Guitar in action

This a photo from Saturday nights show at Tiger Jam in Las Vegas. I found it on the internet and thought it offered a good depiction of my new guitar in action. My bandmate, No Doubt bassist Tony Kanal, is pictured to my right.
It's good to be rocking and on the road again! (click on photo to supersize it)
Tom

Amp and Pedals

It's time to check out my touring amp/pedal rig for 2009.
Below is the whole system pictured a few weeks ago at rehearsals:


















Below left is the wireless/pedal/switching rack. Below right are heads.
At the point this photo was taken, I was still switching out pedals, so the wiring appears
somewhat untidy. It all got tightened up last week, as seen in the next picture below.


















And below is a closeup of the pedals. Dave Friedman wired this rack up, as you can see I keep a pretty simple setup.
I like the guitar and amps to sound like a guitar and amps, most of the time, If you dig.
Click on any photo to supersize it.




















And here is my key gear list to the best of my knowledge:


Divided by 13 "RSA 31" Amp heads
Divided by 13 4 x 12 Cabinets equipped with 16ohm Celestion G12M "Greenbacks".
I use one head to drive both cabs, and the other head is for backup.

Audio Technica wireless system.

GCX pedal switching system.

Eventide Modfactor and Timefactor pedals.

MXR Auto Q pedal.

Tone Freak Buff Puff and Naked OD pedals.

MXR Bass Octave Deluxe pedal.

Furman Power conditioner.

A&S Flight Cases

Ladies and Gentlemen, introducing Arctic White Korina Vector!

Check it out! Tortoise shell pickguard and binding, Duncan Fat Cat pickups, Transparent Arctic White over African Limba wood ( also known as Korina). Hot from the factory and ready for the road. See me play it tomorrow morning May 1, 2009 on the Today show, hear it live on tour with No Doubt all summer.
-Tom

The Special is finished!

Some photos from rehearsal today, click to supersize them.

This is the "Special", made of African Mahogany or Limba Wood, in Arctic transparent white. It has Duncan Fat Cat pickups and Hamer's own Original Sustain Block Bridge, which I especially love becuase it does actually provide more sustain than all my other guitars. Go figure. This one sounds and plays insanely nice. Like butter. I think it's going to be the main guitar for this tour. Fat Cats are my new fav pickup as well. My new /13 Amps love the Fat Cats. I think it's going to be a humbuckerless tour for me. This Special realy fits like a glove. Thanks everyone at Hamer it's super sweet!!!

Finishing

Top photo we see the Vector in the assembly stage. And then below the headstocks after finishing. Getting close...

Paint

Here we take a look at the Vector all masked up and taking a fine coat of Arctic White paint via airbrush.
Click on the photos to supersize them.

Guitar Guru

Jol Dantzig is the main man at Hamer, he's an artist in more ways than one, and this is his blog.
Kind of the inspiration for mine here, actually. I just love things that are well designed, well made, and by hand.
And that's what Jol and the Hamer folks do, so check it out.
Best,
Tom

More sanding!

Click on photos to giant-size them

Week three, binding the "V"...

Above, the Vector receives a fine sanding by hand. Please consider the binding which has been hand-cut and laid into place. For these instruments the binding is actually done in 3 layers;
the main ply is Tortoise Shell (cellulose and NOT from a real turtle) and Black and White between the tortoise & fingerboard.
The individual plys arrive in sheets, which Hamer luthiers fuse together then cuts into strips.
Next they route - by hand - the channels where the binding will lay.
For these guitars, this includes the headstock, fingerboard, and body.
The binding is then hand bent around the headstock and body, using a heat gun. This can get tricky...move too fast and you can kink the binding. Move too slow and you'll melt it.
After the correct shape is achieved the binding is glued to the channel and cures for
at least a day.
All binding then gets sanded flat with the wood surfaces,
plus the fingerboard binding is scraped along it's edge and around the fret ends.
Click on the photos to enlarge.


Above Dave applies an exacto knife to scrape the edges of the fingerboard binding.
The detail work is simply inspiring to me. Can't wait to make music on that thing!

Hamer Monaco Elite "TV" 2005

Click on photos to enlarge.
This is a custom guitar that the Hamer folks built for me in 2005. It has a nice heavy solid Mahogany body, with a "matte" TV finish. One volume knob, and one tone to keep it simple. Also there is a 5 position rotary-style pickup selector. You'll notice 3 TV Jones pickups to add a vintage Gretch-like tone and continue the TV theme. And furthurmore I play this guitar on No Doubt's upcoming TV appearance on the Gossip Girl spinoff, airing on May 11th on the CW television network. For that performance I also customized the look of this guitar with stripes fashioned from black electrical tape.

Week Two

Above you see the Vector headstock being sanded. Click on the photos for big ones.

And here above you see a Hamer craftsman gluing the two halves of the Vector body together. I know the order of these posts are mixed up somewhat, that should work itself out in the coming weeks.

This is the body of the Special cut out, routed and showing off its fine Korina grain. Looking very nice indeed.

Two Guitars, week one:

The folks at Hamer are building me two new guitars for the upcoming No Doubt tour. One is a "Vector" (sometimes referred to as a flying v). The other is a Special Korina.
Both will share the same paint scheme of a transparent Acrtic white, where the grain of the Korina can be readily seen beneath the finish. This color will tie in to the design of the stage-set we're building for the tour.
Both guitars will have transparent white headstocks as well, and the Vector will be fully bound. (You'll get a chance to see how that looks in a few weeks.) The Vector will be outfitted with two Duncan Fatcat pickups, and the Special with to Duncan '59's.
Above here you see the body of the Vector being cut out by hand. And below, both necks are shown in the process of being hand carved. Notice how the wood grain is angled and glued into a "chevron" pattern on both halves of the Vector body. This way the grain runs parallel to the outer edges
of the V's body. Sweet! Click on the photos to "blow them up"!