I’ll soon be swapping out the EMG 808s for a Seymour Duncan Pegasus and Sentient, although I’ll hang on to the EMGs to reinstall whenever I need them – it never hurts to have a spare set of pickups around for sessions and stuff like that, and these sound great. But I’m more of a passive-pickup guy so I’m looking forward to hearing how this guitar sounds when I wire up some coil-splitting capability. The wiring scheme I’m looking at involves a five-way switch: bridge humbucker, bridge single coil, bridge & neck single coil, neck single coil, neck humbucker. It just seems logical to have single coil options when you’re plumbing the depths of those low strings with a smoky, bluesy amp setting.

I’ll be posting a full review soon. In the meantime, you can find more info on the Iron Label series here. Thanks to Ibanez Guitar Centre for getting this guitar to me quickly: I contacted quite a few stores when I was trying to track one of these babies down and they got back to me the fastest with the lowest price, so I’m happy to support them here on I Heart Guitar.

Plus, I’m an Ibanez geek so it’s always nice to share the love with fellow Ibanez fans!

The Beatles’ second feature film, 1965’s Help!, is on the way on Blu-ray. On June 21, Help! makes its eagerly awaited Blu-ray debut in a single-disc package pairing the digitally restored film and 5.1 soundtrack with an hour of extra features, including a 30-minute documentary about the making of the film, memories of the cast and crew, an in-depth look at the restoration process, an outtake scene, and original theatrical trailers and radio spots. An introduction by the film’s director, Richard Lester, and an appreciation by Martin Scorsese are included in the Blu-ray’s booklet.

Help!’s Blu-ray edition follows the 2012 release of The Beatles’ digitally restored Yellow Submarine and Magical Mystery Tour feature films on Blu-ray, DVD and iTunes with extensive extras. Help!’s restoration for its 2007 DVD debut wowed viewers, earning five-times platinum sales in the U.S. and praise from a broad range of top media outlets around the world, including USA Today heralding the DVD as “a grand re-release,” The Guardian’s appreciation of the film’s director, Richard Lester, saying “Lester matches The Beatles’ ‘star’ power with smart, colourful visuals and casual surrealism,” The Los Angeles Times’ restoration rave: “With dynamic compression that was standard in the 1960s lifted for the digital age, the full range of the group’s musicality comes through – it’s like several coats of dust have been cleaned off an old master’s painting,” and four-star reviews from Rolling Stone and MOJO with the latter saying, “They really don’t make them like this anymore.”

Directed by Richard Lester, who also directed the band’s debut feature film, 1964’s A Hard Day’s Night,Help! follows The Beatles as they become passive recipients of an outside plot that revolves around Ringo’s possession of a sacrificial ring, which he cannot remove from his finger. As a result, he and his bandmates John, Paul and George are chased from London to the Austrian Alps and the Bahamas by religious cult members, a mad scientist and the London police.

In addition to starring The Beatles, Help! boasts a witty script, a great cast of British character actors, and classic Beatles songs “Help!,” “You’re Going To Lose That Girl,” “You’ve Got To Hide Your Love Away,” “Ticket To Ride,” “I Need You,” “The Night Before,” and “Another Girl.”

Help!’s Blu-ray package pairs the digitally restored original film with these extra features:

• “The Beatles in Help!” – a 30-minute documentary about the making of the film with Richard Lester, the cast and crew, including exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of The Beatles on-set.
• “A Missing Scene” – a film outtake, featuring Wendy Richard
• “The Restoration of Help!” – an in-depth look at the restoration process
• “Memories of Help!” – the cast and crew reminisce
• 1965 Theatrical Trailers – two original U.S. trailers and one original Spanish trailer
• 1965 U.S. Radio Spots (hidden in disc menus)

www.thebeatles.com

THE BEATLES – HELP! BLURAY – OUT JUNE 21

The lone pickup is a Gibson ’57 Classic hum bucker with controls for volume and tone (with the flanger engaged with a push-pull switch on the tone pot). The switch you see up in the traditional Les Paul pickup selector position is a kill switch. The body is mahogany with a solid carved maple top, and the neck is mahogany with a rosewood fretboard.

The LACE Nitro Hemi humbuckers are wired for coil-splitting, each with their own dedicated push-pull pot so you can combine humbucker and single coil tones. Lace says the Nitro Hemi is designed to go “from zero to metal in a heartbeat. This Nitro Hemi is a high output pickup with a thump of a fat humbucker and sparkly bell like top end. Harmonics jump off every note for increased depth and detail.” The neck model has a resistance of 15.8k, and the bridge version is 19.0k.

I’m sad to hear of the passing of The Doors keyboardist Ray Manzarek today. Y’know, I was never a huge Doors fan personally – you ever get that thing where you can appreciate the greatness of a band but they just don’t really resonate with you on a personal level? – but I loved hearing his stories when he would appear on documentaries or TV shows. He seemed to have a great memory of and appreciation for the history-changing musical and social era he arose from, and as we lose more and more of our classic rock pioneers, that sense of history is important to hold on to for all of us, especially those of us for whom music is a culture as much as a form of entertainment.

OFFICIAL STATEMENT: Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of The Doors, passed away today at 12:31PM PT at the RoMed Clinic in Rosenheim, Germany after a lengthy battle with bile duct cancer. He was 74. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by his wife Dorothy Manzarek, and his brothers Rick and James Manczarek. Manzarek is best known for his work with The Doors who formed in 1965 when Manzarek had a chance encounter on Venice Beach with poet Jim Morrison. The Doors went on to become one of the most controversial rock acts of the 1960s, selling more than 100-million albums worldwide, and receiving 19 Gold, 14 Platinum and five multi-Platinum albums in the U.S. alone. “L.A.Woman,” “Break On Through to the Other Side,” “The End,” “Hello, I Love You,” and “Light My Fire” were just some of the band’s iconic and ground-breaking songs. After Morrison’s death in 1971, Manzarek went on to become a best-selling author, and a Grammy-nominated recording artist in his own right. In 2002, he revitalized his touring career with Doors’ guitarist and long-time collaborator, Robby Krieger.

“I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today,” said Krieger. “I’m just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him.”

Manzarek is survived by his wife Dorothy, brothers Rick and James Manczarek, son Pablo Manzarek, Pablo’s wife Sharmin and their three children Noah, Apollo and Camille. Funeral arrangements are pending. The family asks that their privacy be respected at this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, please make a memoriam donation in Ray Manzarek’s name at www.standup2cancer.org

Statement From John Densmore

“There was no keyboard player on the planet more appropriate to support Jim Morrison’s words. Ray, I felt totally in sync with you musically. It was like we were of one mind, holding down the foundation for Robby and Jim to float on top of. I will miss my musical brother.”

Statement from Kevin Gore:

“The Rhino family is devastated to hear about the loss of our dear friend Ray Manzarek. Ray’s astounding talent and deep passion have been a perpetual positive presence around Elektra Records, and then Warner Music, since The Doors’ debut in 1967.

Ray was a true music pioneer and composed songs that were so undeniable and profound that they continue to resonate today with fans around the world. His music and legacy will surely be celebrated for generations to come.

We offer our deepest condolences to his wife Dorothy and family in this time and encourage anyone wishing to pay memorial to Ray to make a donation in his name at www.standup2cancer.org.”

-Kevin Gore
President and Chief Executive Officer of Rhino Entertainment and Warner Music Global Catalog & Licensing-Recorded Music

PRESS RELEASE:

The event is expected to draw approximately 100 guests, and tickets are currently available ($20 each) through the Guitar Salon website. Complimentary refreshments, including Spanish wine and snacks, will be available to all guests.

This is really a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. To see these historic guitars that have made such an impact over the years be brought onto the concert stage again, let alone brought to life by one of today’s most significant performing artists…that’s not something you see every day. And we’re honored to be the ones to make it happen.

–David Collett, President, GSI

About GSI- For over 30 years, Guitar Salon International has been the world’s largest dealer of classical guitars, flamenco guitars and guitar products. We have been able to serve players, collectors and aficionados by promoting the best leading young guitar makers as well as established masters. We have also acquired and sold the largest number of vintage instruments from the most desirable makers of history, and have subsequently assembled some of the most important private collections in the process.

PRESS RELEASE:

Hot Rock Guitar grade 4 features tracks from the critically acclaimed Razorlight, the highly respected Irish rockers, Thin Lizzy and multi award winning AC DC. Also included are tracks from two guitar giants, Eric Clapton and Joe Satriani, one of the UK’s most successful acts, Oasis and multi Grammy award winners, Metallica. Last but not least is a track from heavy metal pioneers Black Sabbath.

The Grade 5 book contains an equally impressive varied track list. There is a song from the Grammy Award winning Foo Fighters, Southern rock legends Lynyrd Skynryd, and super group Velvet Revolver. There is more from AC DC, Joe Satriani and Metallica, plus an introduction to guitar god Steve Vai and a chance to play a track by the chart topping Kings of Leon.

Each track is packed with everything you need for a Rockschool graded guitar exam; written by guitarists for guitarists. They are designed to help you improve and develop as a musician, full of great songs from different musical styles and genres – all the assistance you need to play the music you love.

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For further information please go to http://www.rockschool.co.uk/ where you can see a new video on the books or contact info@rockschool.co.uk.

6/16/2013 The Joint – Los Angeles, CA
6/17/2013 DNA Lounge – San Francisco, CA
6/18/2013 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
6/19/2013 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
6/20/2013 TBA – Vancouver, BC
6/21/2013 Pawn Shop – Edmonton, AB
6/22/2013 The Exchange – Regina, SK
6/23/2013 The Zoo – Winnipeg, MB
6/24/2013 Station 4 -  St. Paul, MN
6/25/2013 Mojoe’s – Joliet, IL
6/27/2013 Wreck Room – Toronto, ON
6/28/2013 Foufounes Electriques – Montreal, QC
6/29/2013 Railroad Tavern -  Keene, NH
6/30/2013 Europa – New York, NY
w/ Valdur
07/01/2013 Montage Music Hall – Rochester, NY
07/03/2013 Riot Room – Kansas City, MO
07/05/2013 Joe’s Grotto – Phoenix, AZ
07/06/2013 Cheyenne Saloon – Las Vegas, NV
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