GUITARS musicians guide

ULTIMATE
FILE INDEX by manufacturer, le name, description and size
FENDER CHRD_CLN Strat/Dimension D Chords 8858 Clapton Strat major, minor, 7th and minor 7th chords through Roland Dimension D analog chorus and then into a Fender Deluxe Reverb amp (with direct box) CHRD_DST Distorted Strat Chords 8931 Clapton Strat major, minor, 7th and minor 7th chords through a Mesa/Boogie DC-5 amp set to produce fairly heavy distortion (with direct box) STR_12CLN Clean 12-String Strat 2440 Stratocaster XII (clean) through SansAmp STR_12DS Distorted 12-String Strat 4576 Stratocaster XII through Deluxe Reverb with an Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer set to a mild dirty tone (Shure SM57) STR_DIRT Dirty Stratocaster Strat through Fender Deluxe Reverb amp plus Ibanez TS-9 plus Chorus STR_DRTY Dirty Stratocaster Two 7558 Clapton Signature Strat through Mesa/Boogie DC-5 (via recording outs) with fairly heavy distortion STR_FUNK Funk Strat (w/fret buzz) Strat through a Super Reverb Amp (recorded via direct box) STR_LEAD Stratocaster Lead Strat through Roland Distortion pedal and into Deluxe Reverb (Shure SM57) STR_NECK Stratocaster Neck Strat with neck pickup (clean) through Fender Deluxe Reverb (Shure SM57) STR_POS2 Strat Pickup Position 1963 Strat with pickup position two (neck and middle clean) through Deluxe Reverb with velocity switching between medium and hard picking (Shure SM57) STR_POWR Stratocaster Power Solo Strat with bridge pickup through Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer and into Fender Deluxe Reverb amp (Shure SM57) STR_SNAP Snapped Strat Strat with bridge pickup (clean) direct into the mixer played by snapping the strings with thumb and index nger STR_THIN Strat Out-of-Phase Strat with out-of-phase bridge and middle pickups (clean) through Mesa/Boogie DC-5 amp via recording outs STR_TRBO Strat Turbo Strat with bridge and middle pickup through Mesa/Boogie DC-5 (Shure SM57) STR_TRFX Strat Turbo 5ths + FX 2760 Same as above, but just power 5ths and f/x SURF_JAG Surfs Up (Fender Jaguar) 2876 Fender 1960s Jaguar with both pickups (clean) through Fender Deluxe Reverb for distinctive surf tone (Shure SM57) TELE_CHRD Telecaster Chords (chuffs) 794 1970s Telecaster playing fast chord strums through Fender Deluxe Reverb (Shure SM57) TELE_CLN Telecaster Clean 2241 Same as above, but with single notes TELE_FZZ1 Telecaster Fuzz Same Telecaster as above but using a Roland distortion pedal (F/X heard below C2) TELE_FZZ2 Telecaster Fuzz Same as above but using a vintage Maestro Fuzztone pedal (F/X below C2) TELE_LEAD Telecaster Lead 4814 Same Telecaster as above but played through a blond vintage Bandmaster amp and miked with AKG D-1200 WAH_BITS Wah-Wah Bits (Strat) 770 Clapton Strat and Vox Wah hits WAH_RIFFS Wah-Wah Riffs (Strat) 2036 Clapton Strat and Vox Wah full riffs WAH__ALL Wah Bits and Riffs (Strat) 2278 Clapton Strat and both Wah les together GIBSON CHAINSAW Chainsaw Guitar (LesPaul) Les Paul Custom with bridge pickup through Marshall JCM-800 (Shure SM57) includes power 5ths CHAIN_FB Chainsaw LP + Feedback Les Paul Custom with bridge pickup through Marshall JCM-800 (Shure SM57) with power 5ths use the mod wheel to bring in screaming feedback CHNSW_LP Chainsaw w/Looped 5ths 5433 Same as Chainsaw but with looped 5ths CLSD_WAH Closed Wah Rock (LP) Les Paul Custom with bridge pickup and Vox Wah in closed (back) position

ULTIMATEGUITARS

through Mesa/Boogie DC-5 (Shure SM57) GB_335CL Clean ES-335 (Both pickups) 335 Reissue with both pickups through Deluxe Reverb amp (AKG 414) GB_DBL12 Gibson Double Neck 12-Stg 7250 The classic Jimmy Page Stairway ES-1275 double neck guitar using the 12 string neck through a Marshall JCM-800 (AKG 414) GB12_5TH Double Neck 12-Stg 5ths 2588 Same as above but 5ths only GB_ES175 Gibson ES-175 Jazz Guitar ES175 through blonde Fender Bandmaster amp (Shure SM57) GB_ES335 ES-335 Neck Pickup 335 Reissue with neck pickup only through Deluxe Reverb amp (AKG 414) GB_ES5 Gibson ES5 Jazz Guitar ES-5 Switchmaster with P-90 pickup through blonde Bandmaster (Shure SM57) GB_LUCIL B.B. King Lucille 4783 Recent B.B. King Lucille Signature Model with moderately dirty tone through Peavey Classic 50/212 amp (Shure SM57) GB_METAL Metal SG Special 6680 Full out Metal tone via a Gibson SG Special with P-90 pickup in the bridge position through Marshall JCM-800 amp (AKG 414) GB_ZZ_16 Les Paul ZZ Guitar (Looped version) LP Custom Signature through a Mesa/ Boogie and custom distortion pedal for that distinctive ZZ tone with 5ths, three layers of harmonics and more (via direct box) GB_ZZ_34 LP ZZ Guitar Unlooped 33782 Same as above but using no loops LP_DLX1 LP (Both p/u) + Deluxe Amp 1982 LP Artisan through Fender Deluxe Reverb amp w/ both pickups (Shure SM57) LP_DLX2 LP (Brdg p/u) + Deluxe Amp Same as above but with bridge pickup only LP_DLX3 LP (Neck p/u) + Deluxe Amp Same as above but with neck pickup only LP_LEAD Les Paul Neck Pickup Lead Custom with neck pickup through Mesa/Boogie DC-5 (Shure SM57) LP_TREB Rock Paul (Treble pickup) 2952 LP Artisan through Tech21 SansAmp LP_XXL LP + Tech21 XXL Pedal 5912 Same as above but with XXL pedal GRETSCH GRTCH_JZ Gretsch Jazz Model 6120 Chet Atkins Nashville with neck p/u set to jazz position (switch up) through Fender Deluxe Reverb (AKG 414)

GRTCH_TN Tennessean 1768 Chet Atkins Tennessean (1960s) with bridge only and both pickups through a Fender Twin Reverb amp (Shure SM57) NSH_BOTH Nashville Both Pickups Nashville with both pickups (clean) through Fender Deluxe Reverb (AKG 414) NSH_BRDG Nashville Bridge Pickup 3856 Same as above but with bridge pickup only NS_BR_SA Nashville Bridge w/SansAmp 2676 Same as above (bridge pickup) but sampled direct via Tech21 SansAmp NS_BTHSA Nashville Both w/SansAmp 2391 Same as above except using both pickups MARTIN MRTN_728 Martin Stereo (Model 7-28) 4000 Martin model 7-28 recorded in stereo using Crown SASS-P Stereo microphone MRTN_D18 Martin D-Martin D-18 recorded via Audio Technica Model 4033 microphone MRTN_D28 Martin D-28 w/Fret Buzz 1931 Martin D-28 recorded with AKG 414 mic velocity switching brings in fret buzz MRT_SLID Martin Slide Guitar 3735 Killer Martin D-38 Slide guitar sampled with AKG 414 velocity brings in slide effect PAUL REED SMITH PRS_BRDG PRS HFS Bridge Pickup 4682 Classic PRS sound with the Hot, Fat, Screams Bridge pickup through Mesa/ Boogie DC-5 (AKG 414) PRS_BRN1 PRS Burn Vintage Bass P/U (with 5ths, Full Vibrato with no loops) 11881 PRS Vintage Bass neck pickup with real vibrato for Santana-style leads through Mesa/Boogie DC-5 amp (AKG 414) PRS_BRN2 PRS Burn 2 Vintage Bass P/U (with power 5ths and looped vibrato) 5161 Same as above but with looped vibrato PRS_BRN3 PRS Burn 3 Vintage Bass P/U (5ths and no vibrato) 2331 PRS_BRN4 PRS Burn 4 Vintage Bass P/U (no 5ths, no Vibrato) 1305 PRS_CUST PRS Custom (pickup positions 7 and 9) 6867 P/U position 7 is parallel single coils of the PRS humbuckers, while position 9 is both outside coils of the two humbuckers. These provide crisp, clean tones. Sampled through Mesa/Boogie DC-5 via recording outs PRS_MRSH PRS Plus Marshall Amp 5110 PRS Custom with bridge pickup through Marshall JCM-800 (Shure SM57)
PRS_VIB PRS HFS Bridge Pickup (with vibrato and power 5ths) 11541 PRS Custom with HFS Bridge pickup plus real vibrato and power 5ths through Mesa/Boogie DC-5 amp (AKG 414) PWR_5THS PRS Power 5ths + FX 10450 Just power 5ths plus all sorts of whammy effects, scrapes, pulls, etc. through Marshall JCM-800 (AKG 414) YAMAHA APX_AC_S APX-7 Acoustic Stereo 4026 Yamaha electro-acoustic sampled via Crown SASS-P Stereo microphone APX_CHRS APX Roland Chorus Stereo 4008 Same guitar sampled using internal piezo pickups and routed through Roland Dimension D analog chorus APX_ELEC APX-7 Electric/Acoustic (internal piezo pickups) 3382 Same but sampled direct using internal p/u SG2K_BLU SG2000 Blues 7973 Yamaha SG2000 (as used by Santana) with neck p/u and Ibanez TS-9 Tube Screamer into Fender Deluxe Reverb amp (AKG 414) velocity switches between two picking styles (medium and hard) SG2K_BL2 SG2000 Blues Two 6689 Same as above but with slightly less distortion dialed in, so light picking is fairly clean-sounding SG2K_BTH SG2000 Both Pickups 3165 SG2000 with both pickups active and tone controls set for clean sound through Deluxe Reverb amp (Shure SM57) SG2K_CHD SG2000 Chords + Chuffs 8909 SG2000 chords using same setup as above. Release brings in fast upstroke chords (usually called chuffs) SG2K_JZZ SG2K Jazz Tone (Neck p/u) 3866 SG2000 with tone controls set to produce a warmer jazz tone through Fender Princeton Reverb amp (Shure SM57) SG2K_NECK SG2000 Neck Pickup 2461 Same as above but with neck pickup only SG2K_TRB SG2000 Treble (Bridge) 2479 Same as above but with bridge pickup only BASSES IBANEZ_B Ibanez Fretless Bass 2910 Soft, medium and hard plucks through 1967 Fender Bassman (Shure SM57) JAZZ_B Fender Jazz Bass 2131 Variety of picking styles sampled direct MODULUS Modulus Fretless Bass 1135 Sampled via Tech21 SansAmp

P_BASS Fender Precision Bass 3863 Variety of articulations through 1967 Fender Bassman amp (Earthworks OM-1) PEDULLA Pedulla Fretless Bass 1187 Sampled thru 1967 Fender Bassman (SM57) RICKFRTL Rickenbacker 4001 Fretless 2171 Sampled through Bassman amp (direct box) RIPPER_B Ripper Bass 2201 Gibson mid-70s Ripper sampled through Marshall JCM-800 (via direct box) THUNDR_B Thunderbird Bass T-Bird through Fender Bassman (SM57) SAMICK_1 Samick Fretless One 1610 Customized model sampled via SansAmp SAMICK_2 Samick Fretless Two 1997 Same bass through Fender Bassman (SM57) STNGRY_B Music Man StingRay model through Bassman (Earthworks OM1) WAL_BASS Wal Custom Bass 4449 Recent model through Bassman amp (SM57) MISCELLANEOUS AMP_JACK Amp jack (plug-in) noise 791 AMP_NOIZ Amp hum (with Strat) 133 AMP_SWCH Amp being switched on 48 AMP_VERB Amp kicked for reverb crash 1098 DX7_JAZZ DX7 Jazz Guitar Program 1713 Classic FM Jazz Guitar program from DX7 FEEDBACK Psychic Feedback 5002 Wild feedback that you can actually play GODIN_A Godin Multiac miked 4005 Medium and hard plucks sampled via AKG 414 GODIN_E Godin Multiac Classical 6001 Sampled via internal piezo p/u. Soft, medium (thumb) and hard (ngernails) plucks plus pick HERNANDZ Hernandez Nylon String 3644 Handmade nylon string with soft and medium (thumb) and hard (ngernail) plucks OVATN_12 Ovation El/Ac 12 String 1500 RICK_12 Rickenbacker 12-String 1407 Rick 360-12 thru Deluxe Reverb (SM57) ROM2_DST Distorted ROM Guitar 9 Requires Contemporary ROM block TAKAMINE Takamine Classical Stereo 7172 Medium (thumb) and hard (ngernail) plucks sampled using Crown SASS-P stereo mic TYLR_12S Taylor 12 String (Stereo) 9733 Taylor model 222 acoustic 12 string sampled with Crown SASS-P stereo microphone TYLR_12M Taylor Ac. 12 String (Mono) 4327 Same guitar in mono sampled with effects via Earthworks OM-1 Microphone TYLR_FX Taylor Ac. 12 String FX 1034 Same guitar but f/x only
All guitars played by JIM MILLER Sound Design by JIM MILLER/STRATUS SOUNDS* All Programs, Keymaps, Effects, Sequences and sample processing by DANIEL FISHER (*Except Gibson Lucille, 34 meg ZZ Guitar, and all guitar feedback played by Jim Miller with sound design by Daniel Fisher; DX7 Jazz Guitar created by Daniel Fisher) In the 1960s, the guitar became not only an important voice in popular music, but a virtual symbol of all the many changes occurring within our society. Few other instruments if any can produce as many sounds as the guitar. It can yield delicate acoustic timbres with sparkling harmonics, dark and smoky electric jazz tones or molten, gut wrenching heavy metal sounds. From light pop and surf music to chicken-pickin country riffs and dusty blues, the guitar is always there, sounding as fresh today as it did in the early days, when the rst musician decided that this particular instrument, like no other, would best express his innermost thoughts and feelings. ULTIMATE GUITARS is more than just a collection of samples, it is a veritable textbook of classic guitar sounds. In fact, many of the instruments represented here are of important historical signicance. Some of the guitars we sampled are true, vintage, collectors items worth many thousands of dollars. But more importantly, here youll nd a palette of sounds that will duplicate most any guitar timbre imaginable, meaning you wont be at a loss for that perfect guitar sound at your next recording session. Each guitar is presented with as much information as we felt was necessary to dene its usage and historical importance. This was indeed a labor of love for all of us involved and we sincerely hope that you enjoy playing these sounds as much as we enjoyed crafting them for you. THE GIBSON LES PAUL Gibsons Les Paul Model, named after legendary guitarist Les Paul, was rst released in 1952 at a list price of $210, at least partly in response to the introduction of Fenders then-new Telecaster solid body. This guitar is still very much in demand today, though the instrument as we know it was ofcially discontinued in about 1963 in favor of the newer SG (solid guitar) series. From 1964 through 1967, Gibson actually produced no instruments bearing the Les Paul name since Les himself disliked the style of the SGs and didnt particularly want his name on them. But in the mid-1960s, there was a resurgence of interest in blues-based rock music. Notable guitarists like Eric Clapton and Mike Bloomfield were suddenly seen playing Les Pauls. They had discovered that this particular instrument, when overdriven through a tube amplier, produced a thick, beefy tone that was well-suited to this style of music. Suddenly it seemed everyone was searching for Les Pauls, but of course they were no longer in production, making those that survived very much in demand. With all this renewed interest, Gibson again began producing these guitars and launched the reintroduction at the 1968 Summer NAMM Show in Chicago. At that time, a new Les Paul Custom carried a list price of $545, while the Les Paul Standard retailed at a mere $395. As recently as the mid-1970s, guitar players were able to nd early model Les Pauls, many with great maple ame-tops (or tiger-striped or curly maple), for under a grand. Today a true vintage LP from the 50s or early 60s in excellent condition may command astronomical prices from collectors, particularly those that feature the highly-gured maple tops. Even one of the newest production models may retail for well over $3,000, depending upon the quality of the top and its historical accuracy. During the 1980s, Les Pauls were again overlooked, mostly in favor of the Fender Stratocaster, thanks in no small part to the move by many big name guitarists (like Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck) to that instrument. The market was also being inuenced by the introduction of fat, analog synthesizers, and guitarists found that a Strat could compete very nicely with these new machines, and in fact, seemed to complement them quite well. But by the late 1980s and early 90s, thanks to

ABOUT THE GUITARS ON THIS CD ROM
the music videos being produced by Guns N Roses (and the Les Paul-toting lead guitarist, Slash), Les Pauls were again wildly popular and indeed, more in demand than ever. For our collection, we have sampled a black 1968 LP Custom, a tobacco sunburst 1982 Artisan (a rare, ornate version of the LP produced from 1977 through 1982), a cherry sunburst 1979 Custom and a 1992 Custom Signature with stunning amber ame top, a limited-edition produced for Guitar Showcase by the Gibson Custom Shop and signed by Les Paul himself (number six of a production run of only 30 guitars and one of only six Customs). THE FENDER STRATOCASTER Though Fenders two-pickup Telecaster and single pickup Esquire were enormously popular, the company wanted a ashier, upscale model it could offer to guitarists. In 1954, Leo Fender along with Freddie Tavares designed a timeless classic, the Stratocaster. Styled in sleek, contoured, 50s tailn fashion, this instrument was an immediate success with its three pickups and standard tremolo tailpiece. The single coil pickups, typical for Fender products, produced a clear, bright tone that was highly desirable at the time, since it was able to effectively cut through even a dense monophonic mix. List price for a Stratocaster with tremolo was just $274.50 in 1957. Historically speaking, the Stratocaster (pretty much universally known as The Strat) was so successful and so well-designed, that only minor changes have been made to it throughout its 40+ year history, and it remains as popular today as it was back in the 50s maybe even more so. Though it never disappeared the way the Les Paul did, Strats did tend to go in and out of style. Surf music was popular in the early 60s and the Strat (along with the Fender Jaguar) seemed perfect for this genre of music. But then, in the mid to late 60s came the psychedelic era. As guitar fashions go, this was the time of the fat Gibson humbucker sound. Eric Clapton (then in supergroup Cream) was slinging an SG Standard. Other big name groups like the Jefferson Airplane, Fleetwood Mac and the Grateful Dead were all playing Gibsons. It fell to another guitar legend to reintroduce the Strat to an unsuspecting world: in the late 60s, Jimi Hendrix burst upon the music scene like a supernova. His slashing, screaming sound and dive-bombing whammy bar technique caught the music world by surprise. Everyone now agreed, the Strat was indeed well-suited for heavy-duty rock music and the instrument has maintained a constant presence among guitarists, both young and old, ever since. Currently, a number of high-prole guitarists like Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Buddy Guy and Bonnie Raitt all have signature model Stratocasters in the Fender line, assuring the instrument a place in modern music well into the next century. For our collection, we have sampled a sunburst 1957, white 1963, black 1972, sunburst 1988 American Standard Strat, a recent black Eric Clapton Signature Strat, and a late 80s olympic white Fender Strat XII electric 12-string. GRETSCH GUITARS Gretsch guitars have long had a rather unique reputation among guitarists. Most either love them or hate them. The Fred Gretsch Company of Brooklyn, NY was not only a manufacturer, but a distributor of a full line of musical instruments as well. It wasnt until 1955 that the company had much impact on the history of the modern electric guitar. That year, Gretsch introduced a number of new models in all sorts of unusual colors unusual at least for the 50s. From green and yellow to burgundy and orange, the company caused quite a stir with its new guitars which appeared in Gretschs rst full color catalog. Among the models introduced at that time was one that has become a true classic, the Chet Atkins Hollow Body, also known by its model number, the 6120. Sporting a Western Orange nish (sometimes also referred to as Amber Red), a Bigsby vibrato, steers head inlay on the headstock, western motif (cows and cactus) fretboard engraving and a stylized G branded right into the wood of the guitars top, the 6120 (list price in 1955: a whopping $385) was not content to be your ordinary, run-of-the-mill guitar, though its kind of funny that a guitar with so much western styling should be built in Brooklyn, New York. Eventually, there would be three models in the Gretsch family bearing the Chet Atkins name: the 6120 (which became known as the Nashville in the 1960s), the Country Gentleman introduced in the late 50s, and the low-end Tennessean, rst produced in the early 1960s. Gretsch also built a model known as the White Falcon, then the top-of-the-line guitar in its catalog carrying a list price in 1958 of a hefty $675. Oddly enough, it was the Gretsch Country Gentleman that most people came to recognize thanks to its use by Beatles

lead guitarist George Harrison. Still, the 6120 remains as the quintessential Gretsch, evolving over the years from a 2 3/4-inch deep single cutaway with real, open f-holes to a 2-inch deep double cutaway, also losing the western ornamentation and real f-holes along the way (replaced oddly enough by painted f-holes). Unlike Gibson and Fender, Gretsch guitars did not have many high-prole players associated with their instruments (you can hardly count The Monkees as guitar heroes), and in late 1967 the company was sold to the piano manufacturer, Baldwin. But the writing was already on the wall and all production had ceased by 1980. There was little or no market for used Gretsches at that time the guitars had somehow gained a reputation as being second-rate and many were destroyed or allowed to deteriorate to the point where they were unplayable (ask around; you might have a relative somewhere with an old Gretsch stashed away in the attic or coat closet). Today, Gretsch guitars have again regained a portion of the vintage guitar market and a mint condition late 1950s 6120 or White Falcon can sell for huge sums. The Gretsch company itself is once again building guitars mostly high quality reissues of their classic models this time in Japan. For our collection, we have included two classic Gretsch guitars. The rst is a 1964 western orange Chet Atkins Nashville with Filtertron pickups. Filtertrons, while being of humbucking design, have a uniquely distinctive tone that can be signicantly brighter than Gibson humbuckers, with more pronounced attack. The second is a late 60s burgundy Tennessean with Gretschs Hi-Lo Tron pickups. THE FENDER TELECASTER Leo Fenders Telecaster will always be remembered as the rst commercially successful solid-body guitar. It was also the rst guitar that was able to be mass produced thanks to its plank design which did not require a high degree of craftsmanship to build. Actually, it may indeed have been the Fender Esquire, the single pickup version of the Telecaster, that was Fenders rst production guitar in 1950, followed immediately by the Broadcaster, which was eventually renamed Telecaster due to a copyright problem. Essentially though, they are the same guitar, and some Esquires reveal the routing for the second neck pickup when the pickguard is removed. List price for the Telecaster or Tele was a modest $169.95 in 1950. Today, an original 1950s Tele in very good condition can fetch well over $10,000! Though Fender has tried to market a number of different Telecaster models over the years, including thinline hollowbodies and versions with humbucking pickups, it is the classic Telecaster that has survived and is the most desirable of the line, thanks to its simple, yet functional design and distinctive sound. Our Telecaster is a mid-1970s (probably 1974you have to remove the neck to be sure) model with a natural nish. BASS GUITARS Not long after he had pioneered the solid-body electric guitar, Leo Fender came up with another remarkable idea, and perhaps his most signicant: the electric bass guitar. Up until the early 1950s, bass parts were played on upright acoustic basses: huge, expensive instruments that were difcult to play and even harder to record. Thus was born the 1951 Fender Precision Bass, the worlds rst commercially-available fretted electric bass. With a single pickup and one control each for volume and tone, the P-Bass remains in production today. In the years since, just about every manufacturer has designed and built one or more electric basses. In fact, a number of companies sprang up in the 80s that built no other instruments but basses. Today, there are very high quality fretted and fretless basses being manufactured in price ranges from two hundred dollars, all the way up to astronomically-priced instruments that include sophisticated onboard electronics with parametric EQ and innovative pickup designs. Our bass collection includes a mid-60s Fender Jazz Bass, a current model Precision Bass, a 1964 Thunderbird Bass, 1975 Music Man Stingray, 1986 Steinberger, 1991 Wal Custom Bass, and a number of fretless basses by Rickenbacker, Modulus, Ibanez, Pedulla and Samick. OTHER GIBSON GUITARS While there have been many interesting Gibsons produced over the years, a number of electrics have come to be considered true classics. Most signicant is the semi-hollowbody ES-335 which has a solid block of maple running through the center of the body to reduce the feedback hollow bodies often produced at high volumes. The 335 rst appeared in 1958 in natural or sunburst nish, but cherry soon became the popular color in the 60s. Jazz-rock players like Larry Carlton, Lee Ritenour and Allan Holdsworth found that this guitar gave them the sweet tone and warmth usually associated with hollow bodies, but

with the playability and sustain of a solid body. B.B. King used a similar model (the ES-355) for years before Gibson built him his own signature model, the Lucille. Eric Clapton has used a 335 at times, most notably with the group Blind Faith, and more recently on his From the Cradle album. For this collection, we sampled an antique sunburst 1981 ES-335 reissue and a recent B.B. King Lucille. Another popular 1960s Gibson is the SG (standing for solid guitar). This instrument temporarily replaced the Les Paul in the early 60s. In fact, the rst SGs were actually labeled Les Paul Model, a fact that didnt please Mr. Paul at the time, since he didnt like the design. The guitar was in production until 1979, then released as a reissue in 1986 and is still in production today. Eric Clapton played an SG for much of his time with supergroup Cream; Frank Zappa often appeared with a modied SG while with the Mothers of Invention; and even the late Jerry Garcia used one in the early days with the Grateful Dead. With its thin, lightweight body and exceptionally playable neck, the SG has been a favorite with many players through the years and remains a popular item in the Gibson line. This collection features a mid-60s dark cherry red SG Special with soapbar P-90 pickups. Three other Gibsons of note are the Flying V and the Explorer (both introduced in 1958) and the Firebird (launched in 1963). All have historical signicance, particularly since they were all unusual-shaped instruments from a manufacturer that was considered ultra-conservative at the time. Though they were not particularly popular when they made their debut in the late 50s, both the V and Explorer have since been reissued and have found favor with heavy metal groups thanks to their radical design and thick, snarling humbucker sound. Finally, Gibson has a long history of producing the highest quality hollow body electrics, in particular the ES-175, the L5CES, ES5 Switchmaster and the Byrdland (made popular as a rock guitar in the late 60s by Ted Nugent). All of these instruments have exceptional traditional jazz tones, but many are also perfect for blues and fusion. Our collection includes samples from both an ES-175 and ES5 Switchmaster through various amps. PAUL REED SMITH In the early 1980s, domestic manufacturers were not only battling the increased popularity of import guitars (like those being built by Ibanez and Yamaha), but they were also desperately trying to bring their quality back up to the levels of the instruments built in the 1950s and 60s. Another goal was to combine the best characteristics of the most popular guitars of all-time, the Les Paul and the Stratocaster. But it was an independent Maryland-based luthier, Paul Reed Smith, who was the rst to actually succeed in about 1982. His new vintage guitar was capable of producing the thick, warm sound of a Les Paul, while at the same time offering the brighter tones of a Strat, thanks to an unusual 5-way selector switch coupled with coil-tapping pickups. The instruments were also available with a simple, yet extremely effective vibrato, loosely based on that of the Stratocaster. A number of options, including bird inlay fretboard markers (see photo) and hand carved premium ame maple tops (dubbed 10-tops by PRS) helped make this a highly successful instrument in a very competitive market. Players like Santana and Al DiMeola have helped make PRS an unusual success story in the modern guitar world. Today, some PRS guitars actually fetch higher prices than many true vintage instruments, mostly because of the exceptional craftsmanship and the limited number of available instruments. Our collection features a 1993 vintage cherry sunburst PRS Custom with premium 10 top and bird inlays. YAMAHA SG2000 After he switched from his Gibsons and before he started using a Paul Reed Smith guitar, Carlos Santana helped give Japanese manufacturer Yamaha a healthy shot of credibility by playing this particular guitar. It is indeed the rst instrument by any Japanese manufacturer to gain general acceptance (and probably, ultimately, collectible status) among American guitarists.

Loosely based on the Les Paul, the SG2000, which was introduced in the mid-1970s, combined modern performance with vintage appeal in a surprisingly well-built instrument with a maple top and mahogany body. To add sustain, a block of solid brass was actually built into the guitar beneath the bridge. Significantly, the instrument was introduced at about the same time that domestic manufacturers were experiencing a decline in the level of overall craftsmanship (which, most agree, peaked in the 1980s). The humbucking pickups, while yielding a credible Les Paul-type sound, are also capable of producing slightly brighter tones, making it, in some ways, a nice compromise between the trademark Gibson and Fender sounds, particularly on later models with coil-tapping (which allow switching from humbucker to single coil operation) on each pickup. Yamaha produced these guitars from 1976 to about 1988, and the SG2000 is at last beginning to attract the attention of some collectors. In fact, Yamaha recently announced a limited run of accurate reproductions of this instrument. Our sample collection features the same cherry sunburst 1976 SG2000 as played by Santana on many of his mid-70s through mid-80s albums. ACOUSTIC GUITARS Nothing backs up a great power ballad like a thick, lush acoustic guitar sound with plenty of overtones. There are probably more acoustic guitars being manufactured today than at any time in history, but top honors pretty much still go to the select few like Martin, Gibson and Taylor. Even so, a number of manufacturers (like Canada-based Godin) are coming up with innovative new designs, as well as crafting instruments whose high quality construction and overall tone are surprising, particularly considering the fact that many are remarkably affordable. Our collection features a number of exceptional instruments, from some vintage D-Series Martins to a modern Taylor 12 string and Yamaha APX-Series electro-acoustic (sampled both acoustically and via the on-board piezo pickups). Also represented are a several Classical (nylon string) guitars, including the top-of-the-line Godin Multiac, a piezo-equipped instrument with sophisticated onboard EQ. Playing a guitar sound from a keyboard is difcult, particularly if youre trying to reproduce strums or fast rhythm parts. Lead lines are somewhat easier, but still require that you think like a guitarist when you play. For playing rhythm parts, we suggest you consider investing in the inexpensive six-string Digitar, a nifty little device which allows you to strum its six strings just like a real guitar player. The main thing is. PLAY LOUD! Well, not so loud that you hurt your ears or irritate your neighbors, but loud enough to imitate a living, breathing guitar player (we all know they cant play quietly, right?) and really get that guitar vibe happening. For added realism, you can even play your guitar samples through a small guitar amp, then add some outboard effects like wah-wahs (very effective), angers, delay, etc. IMPORTANT NOTE: To put it simply, electric guitars are noisy instruments. When each note is isolated (as in the case of these samples) you will nd that just about all electric guitars exhibit some anomalies which prevent them from producing the pure tones of an acoustic instrument. These are a result of string type, tunings, phase cancellations, wood type and body resonance, specic metal hardware, pickup type, outboard processing (like fuzz or overdrive), etc. While we have tried to minimize certain non-musical artifacts produced when playing electrics, it is part of the guitars personality and a certain amount was deemed necessary to accurately capture the sound of a particular instrument. Of course, when you add in amplier characteristics, these artifacts become more noticeable in some cases. This is because amps (in particular, tube amps) all have their own set of anomalies and character aws. When a tube amp is cranked up to

PERFORMANCE NOTES

produce distortion, there is always some amount of hum and other undesirable noise present. Again, while some care was taken to minimize such elements, they are part of the electric guitars personality and to completely eliminate them would be practically impossible in the real world. When these samples are played over accompaniment, you will nd that such sonic artifacts often become transparent or, in some cases, actually add more personality to the sound. Below you will nd descriptions of the actual performance controllers and programmers notes on the many les contained on this CD ROM. We hope youll take some time to read over this valuable material, since it can help acquaint you with the many cool performance features programmed into each guitar so superbly by Daniel Fisher.
ULTIMATE GUITAR PERFORMANCE CONTROLLERS
KEY RANGE: All of the Guitars and Basses found on this CD-ROM have identical octave placement. This makes swapping various guitars in your sequences an easy process. Based on several years of creating and performing keyboard guitar sounds, we have found that putting the Low E of a traditionally tuned guitar at E3 (in the octave below Middle C) is the ideal setup for real-time performance. This allows both hands to work comfortably in the center of the keyboard while playing the most often used range of the guitar. It also allows for an extended left hand part which can be used for bass accompaniment or special effects such as scrapes, squeaks and knocks. Guitar Key Placement: Low E String = E3 All of the Bass Guitars on this CD ROM follow the same octave placement. In this case, the Low E is found at E2 (in the second octave below Middle C) where it can be played comfortably with the left hand and augmented with the right. If a bass le has special effects or harmonics, they can be found to the right of Middle C after that particular instruments range has run out. Bass Key Placement: Low E String = E2 VELOCITY: Guitars and Basses have a very dynamic range in both amplitude and tonal variations. In order to mimic this response we have made use of the entire range of the 128 Velocity values. It is important that you try playing each instrument both as hard as you can as well as with your softest touch. The more control you have over velocity, the more your K2000 or K2500 will sound like a real guitar. Velocity also controls whether a Sample starts before or after a portion of the pick sound. This is very effective for realistic strumming and picking techniques. All of the Acoustic Guitars and most of the Country and Blues Electric Guitars have a further program variation called v/Slide. When you strike a note with a high velocity the note scoops up from a whole step down. Important Note: If you are using a K2500 Keyboard you should try changing the Vel Touch parameter (found in the Master Page) from 1 Linear to 5 Hard1. This may work better for you if you are used to hitting the keys like a piano. Making this change will keep Velocity tricks like Harmonics or Slides from happening too easily. MONO PRESSURE: For all of the Guitars and Basses, Mono Pressure adds a natural vibrato whose speed and amplitude increases with the amount of pressure. Two FUNs were used to create a special curve that prevents you from accidentally triggering vibrato until you really intend for it to happen. You will nd that it takes a deliberate press to activate vibrato from the keyboard. Vibrato Speed is controlled by the combination of Mod Wheel and Pressure. This allows you to get normal Vibrato Depths and Speeds from either the Mod Wheel or via Pressure and then get a more exaggerated Vibrato from using both controllers. On some of the Acoustic Guitars and Fretless Basses, Mono Pressure is used to enable Harmonic Picking. The Programs are marked pr/Harm. MOD WHEEL (CC#1): In most cases Mod Wheel controls Vibrato Speed and Depth and interacts with Mono Pressure as described above. One unique use of the Mod Wheel is found in all of the distorted Guitar les. Programs that have MW=Wah use the Mod Wheel to sweep a lter designed to sound much like a guitarists Wah Wah Pedal. If you change the Foot Controller (for the K2000 go to the MIDI Xmit Page. For the K2500 go to Control Setup #97 and Edit FOOT) to send out CC#1 (Mod Wheel), you can also sweep the Wah with your foot using a continuous control pedal (available through Sweetwater, of course). PITCH BEND: All of the Guitars and Basses use a Key Bend technique. This means that only the notes that are being held with your hand will Pitch Bend. Notes held by the Sustain Pedal will not bend. This allows you to do many guitar-like tricks where you can play several strings (notes) but only bend one of them. This technique takes some practice, so hang in there. All of the Acoustic, Electro-Acoustic, and Clean Electric Guitar les have programs with frt at the end. This means that the Pitch Bend will simulate sliding over the frets as opposed to a smooth bend. This can be used for a very realistic performance. All of the Distorted Guitar les have programs with Whammy, Whmy or Wmy at the end. This indicates that the Pitch

Bend Depth will be 2 Steps Up and 12 Steps Down. This has been designed so that you can Key Bend individual notes up and then whammy all notes down like a real guitar. DATA SLIDER (CC#6): All of the Guitars and Basses use Data Slider to control the Wet/Dry Effects ratio, as well as the intensity of whatever Effects are used in that program. SUSTAIN PEDAL or FOOT SWITCH 1 (CC#64): The Sustain Pedal is programed to continue playing whatever notes you were holding. If you Sustain several notes and then only hold one or two notes by hand you will be able to Pitch Bend only the notes you are holding. SOSTENUTO PEDAL or FOOT SWITCH 2 (CC#66): All Acoustic, Electro-Acoustic, and most Clean Guitars use Ft.Switch to quickly Mute the strings. This is useful when using a MIDI Guitar Controller or Digitar which can sometimes be difcult to stop all notes. If you strum a chord by hand just as you step on the Sost Pedal, you can create a Muted Strum Effect. You can also get a quasi-muted string effect by holding the pedal while you play but it is best used sparingly.

KEY TO PROGRAM NAMES

Because a program name can only contain 16 characters, weve had to use abbreviations often. The following is a list of all these abbreviations and their meanings. St. = A very special Stereo technique which makes for a full sonic spread. Due to the way the program was created, you can sum the Left and Right sides together with no complications. Or you can Pan them closer or farther apart to get the desired spacial effect. fx = Left hand sound effects like Squeaks, Scratches, Slides, Knocks, etc. Theses will typically start below Key C3. ful = Guitar sound goes all the way down keyboard. Whenever possible, similar sounding Bass Samples were matched and used to keep the range sounding natural. frt = Fretted Pitch Bend Chrs or Chr = Chorus effect added. Flng or Flg = Flanger effect added. Whammy, Whmmy, Wmy = Pitch Bend 2 Steps Up and 12 Steps Down. v/Slide or v/Slid = Velocities above ff will start pitch 1/2 step under the note and bend upwards automatically. v/Mute or v/Mt = Softer velocities will play Muted String Sample and will switch or fade to regular picking with faster velocities. v/Harm or v/Hrm = Velocities above ff will trigger Harmonic Samples. pr/Harm = Pressing down on the keys will make the next notes play with Harmonic Samples. mw = Wah = The MW will sweep a Wah Wah Filter. mw = Trem = The Mod Wheel controls the Speed and Depth of Tremolo. +5ths = The Key Range from C2 to D#3 is made of open 5th chords. Split or Splt = The left hand 5ths can be held with the Sustain Pedal while the Pedal has no effect on the right hand part. The Pitch Bend and Mod Wheel only work on the Right Hand Lead. This allows you to jam over a chord and still have your left hand free to work the Mod Wheel and Pitch Bend. (If youre extra tricky, the Sost. Pedal only holds the Lead notes so that you can do Key Bend.) Room = This program demos the Chunky Room Reverb which can be used in any Program. Warm or Wrm = Filters are used to create a warmer texture. Brite or Brt = Treble Boosts are used to make a more cutting edged sound. Thin or Thn = HiPass Filters are used to thin out the sound. Maj/min/7th/min7 = Chord Keymaps that have Major Chords from C3 to B3, minor Chords from C4 to B4, Dominant 7th Chords from C5 to B5, and minor 7th Chords from C6 to C7. Many of the Guitar les have a Demo Sequence attached which highlights some key features of that instrument. These were all created on a 61 note K2000 keyboard by hand in real-time on the Kurzweil Sequencer. No MIDI Guitar, MIDI Strummer, Digitar Controller or Note Editing was used. Some of the Songs have two tracks where the second track is playing FX like squeeks, slides or Bass + Chords. These Songs are not meant to be examples of stellar performance or songwriting skills. They were quickly recorded the night before the CD ROMs were sent off to be duplicated in an effort to provide a quick introduction to the instrument and possible playing techniques. With just a little practice you will be creating even better guitar emulations.

DEMO SEQUENCE NOTE

Jim Miller has been a Sound Designer since 1984 and a guitar player since the age of 16. His company, Stratus Sounds, has released samples in most of the major sampler formats and the companys sounds have appeared in sample libraries and ROM-based instruments from Roland, Kurzweil, Alesis, InVision Interactive, Peavey and, of course, Sweetwater Sound. Jim is also a freelance author and many of his articles on sampling have appeared in Electronic Musician magazine. Daniel Fisher is the Chief Soundware Engineer for the Sweetwater Soundware Development Facility. He holds two degrees from Berklee College of Music; one, a B.M. in Music Production and Engineering, and the other, a B.M. in Music Synthesis. He comes to Sweetwater from Kurzweil Research & Development in Boston where he worked for over two years creating and programming soundware for various Kurzweil Music Systems products. He was also an Alpha-Tester for the K2000s Sampling Option, Versions 1.3, 2.0, 3.0 and the new K2500 Rack and Keyboard Versions 1 and 2. Daniel has also created soundware for InVision Interactive, E-mu Systems, Korg, Sonic Arts, and Alesis.
ULTIMATE GUITARS booklet by Jim Miller. Programming documentation written by Daniel Fisher.
Many thanks to my good neighbor Richard Lavin and Main Street Music for the kind use of some of their instruments and ampliers and to TECH 21 for the use of the SansAmp PSA-1 and XXL pedal. Of course, we all want to thank John Teele and all the people at Kurzweil R&D for their invaluable help and for designing such a great instrument. Finally, my own most special thanks go to Chuck Surack of Sweetwater Sound for producing this great collection and Daniel Fisher for his stunning programming skills which make these samples truly come to life. JM (October 1996)
5335 BASS ROAD FT. WAYNE, IN 46808
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