The Alchemists Vol II (2007)
Label: Liquid Note Recordings (LNR)
Artist: Various
Featuring: Bumblefoot, Terry Syrek, Dave Martone, Brett Garsed, Christophe Godin, Richard Hallebeek, Marco Sfogli, Doug Doppler (Guitars)
For more information: The Alchemists II on Apple Music

Fumble Fingers

I was contacted by Liquid Note Recordings (LNR), an independent instrumental guitar label out of the UK, about a follow-up to their popular The Alchemists compilation. This time around they wanted two guitarists to collaborate on a tune. Dave Martone came immediately to mind and after some emails back and forth we got to work composing a tune for the project. After giving Dave some initial concept ideas, he cranked out the bulk of the tune in no time, we pissed and moaned over arrangements, and then started recording. Very few drummers could do what we had in mind and luckily Gene Hoglan (Testament, Death, Strapping Young Lad) was available and down for the fight.

I bring the tune in with a vintage Mu-Tron Bi-Phase-induced delay pads and then disappear until 1:07 where I lay more swells under Dave’s nasty-ass harmonic technique (check out the Dec. 2008 issue of Guitar Player magazine for a Master Class lesson I did on Dave where he drops the genius behind that maneuver). At 1:57 I break out my trusty Frostwave Resonator for a sweep, which leads into my whole-step below slap guitar foray played on my ’73 Gibson L6-S through a Lovetone Meatball. The Resonator connects the transition to the lo-fi double time section that is also slapped. Next up is Dave’s ridiculous solo and breakdown section – fuckin’ awesome playing. Me and my big mouth (or, better yet, my big mouth and I) cornered me into playing my solo in double time. If that wasn’t enough, to add to it, I brazenly told Martone I would modulate the changes down a major 3rd. At 3:35 I throw down with a 4mS Triwave Picogenerator while Gene comes back in under me – think Keith Moon, “Won’t Get Fooled Again”. The first set of proper changes is my ’87 Ibanez JEM777 into a Z.Vex Fuzz Factory and a Frantone Glacier (ring mod). That’s followed by two more choruses of Whammy-fied madness with the Fuzz Factory all through ’65 Fender Pro Reverb. Dave takes it out. Needless to say, this tune rocks.