KRUA 88.1 FM Anchorage, Radio show "Adrenaline Therapy" interviews Colin Marston about his band "Behold the Arctopus" and his Warr Guitar.
Download Behold_the_Arctopus_interview_pt_1_air_9-27-06.mov
Download Behold_the_Arctopus_interview_pt_2_air_9-27-06.mov
Behold..The Arctopus / Byla & Jarboe
Skullgrid / Viscera
Few musicians create their own vocabularies; fewer create their own worlds. While Colin Marston and Kevin Hufnagel have made diverse, quality music on their own, it's fortunate they found each other, as few others speak their musical language. Together, they fuse prog rock, jazz fusion, modern classical, technical metal, black metal, and ambient music into an idiosyncratic whole, parceled out to various ensembles. Their instrumental rock trio Dysrhythmia inhabits the middle of this universe. Behold...The Arctopus and Byla are extensions outwards in opposite directions, ultimately meeting full circle.
Behold...The Arctopus sound like more than the instrumental trio they are. This is due to Marston's Warr guitar, a strange instrument......
I thought that you might enjoy looking at this custom bodied Warr 14-String Phalanx.
Mahogany Body Core
Walnut Top
Wenge Fingeroard
12-strings Piezo and MIDI
I just posted this photo on the Warr Guitars Flickr site.
Hi to all! this is my first entry into warrzone. The first step to knowing what it is all about is to join the café, hi all warr players!
My first comment is about the instrument I have; my Artisan 8 is the third Warr I bought, all of them have been first class instruments but this last one is superb, above all the goodness it has, it’s a pleasure to play it, and this might sound as something easy to say, but if we consider how many hours in our life’s we spend hanging from this instrument I would say it is important to have a good feeling towards this live object with which we share so much time. For a musician to have a good instrument is to have a better life. All of us that have previously had not so good instrument can compare this fact.
I currently play in Spain with some goings out to Europe as a solo player and with my trio MUD, all I do is with the Artisan 8 strings with no midi but with a couple of excellent sound processors. When I look to my instrument I say: I have to developed the language of this new instrument, I am sure it has something new to bring to the world so I work in experimenting. I do not see it as the mix of others instruments, it is an instrument in itself and as such it must have its own language.
I wish all the best to you all,
alain
When someone decides to take up the touch-guitar, choosing the tuning can be a very confusing decision. There are so many tunings, and so many different string arrangements, that getting a grip on what tuning will work best for you can be a real task.
Here are some FAQ's that may take some of the guesswork out of deciding what tuning is the best for you.
Any reader taking this article seriously is advised to become familiar with the Touch-style Tunings page here at the WarrZone.
Highlighted names of the artists will take you to see videos of the tunings in action.
QUESTIONS TO ASK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU DECIDE
1. Do I want a mono instrument, or a stereo instrument?
Most touch-guitars are stereo, with the bass strings and guitar strings using separate outputs. Only 8-stringers are typically mono, but they can also be stereo, split 4 x 4.
10-stringers are usually split 5 x 5, but can be 4 bass/6 guitar.
11-string Warrs are always split 5 bass/6 guitar.
12-stringers are usually split 6 x 6 (Randy Strom or Kai Kurosawa) , but can be split 5 bass/7 guitar (Brian Kenney Fresno).
The Phalanx 12 is always split 6 x 6 (Jim Wright, Brendan Brossard), and the Phalanx 14 is always split 7 x 7 (Ron Fairchild, Jimbo).
Should you want a mono option, it is possible to have a mono switch installed on any stereo Warr that does not have piezo/MIDI options. Or use a "Y" cable at the outputs.
2. Do I want to play guitar and bass, or guitar only, or bass only?
If you have no desire to play bass, both sides of a stereo instrument can have guitar string sets. This allows one to easily tap chords with one hand, and play melody or chords with the other. Look at Jeff Moen to see this tuning in action.
By the same token, if one wishes to have two bass string sets, this is also possible. See Rev Jones, or the semi-hollow Artisan model that Trey Gunn sometimes uses. Half of this instrument is fretted, and the other half is fretless.
If you want to play guitar and bass, proceed to number 3.
3. Do I want to play guitar and bass simultaneously, using my left hand for bass, and my right hand for guitar, or do I want to use both hands to execute the same idea, and be able to choose to play guitar or bass at any given moment?
Most tappers play guitar and bass at the same time, using the instrument as a kind of piano for guitarists. See the You Tube videos of Randy Strom, Brian Kenney Fresno, Jim Wright, Kai Kurosawa, who all play 12-stringed guitars.
Now it gets confusing.
All four players mentioned above use different tunings, or different methods of playing their tunings.
Randy, Brian, and Kai use standard tunings or variations of standard tunings. This means that the bass strings are inverted, and in 5ths. (please refer to the Touch-Style Tunings page on the Warr Zone for details). Randy and Kai's 12-stringers are split 6 x 6, and Brian's is split 5 bass (inverted)/7 guitar. I believe all of them have the bass from low C, and a high D for their guitar strings, but am glad to be corrected if this is not true. This covers almost all of the usable range on a 34-inch scale.
Randy and Brian play with the left hand tapping bass, and the right hand tapping guitar. This is the traditional way.
Kai found this did not work well for him, so he plays the bass with his right hand, and the guitar with his left. This is called playing "uncrossed", as he is not reaching over one set of strings to play the other, as Randy and Brian do. This allows him to do things that can't be done with crossed hands in standard tuning, and keeps him from doing things common in standard tuning techniques, though it is always possible for any of these players to switch hands and use any of these methods.
As a result, Kai's playing is quite different from Randy and Brian, even though they all use essentially the same tuning.
Jim Wright plays "uncrossed 4ths" tunings on 12-strings, a tuning which has no inverted strings, and the bass and guitar are on opposite sides of the fretboard as in standard tuning. The Phalanx models are made to take advantage of this tuning, but it can be had on any 12-string Warr Guitar. This means that certain techniques available in standard tunings are not possible, and vice versa.
For example, it is easy to play an uncrossed 4ths instrument like a standard bass, using the fingers of the right hand to pluck, pop, strum, and slap the strings, as well as tapping to play notes. This is not nearly as easy in standard tuning, as the bass strings are on the other side of the neck, and inverted. On standard tuning, it is easier to pluck the guitar side, because of it's position on the fretboard.
There is a technique in standard tuning, where the left hand plays the root with the index finger, and the other fingers of the left hand play notes of a chord on the guitar side, allowing the right hand to play melody above these notes. This technique is not very easy on uncrossed 4ths tuning.
True unison lines between both hands are simple on uncrossed 4ths, and nearly impossible on crossed standard tunings.
In other words, every tuning has it's strong and weak points, and understanding what they are is the key to choosing the correct tuning for you.
At the moment, Trey Gunn is playing 10-string Crafty tuning. He rarely plays both sides of the instrument at the same time, and rarely (if ever) plays chords. He usually uses both hands to execute the same idea, playing either bass or guitar, depending on what is called for at the moment. Using this method, Trey can play lightning fast lines on his Crafty (mostly 5ths) tuning, in a manner similar to the way that Eddie Van Halen uses both hands when he taps on a 6-string guitar. Since the instrument is stereo, Trey can have two different sounds ready to go at any moment.
Trey also has developed new methods to vibrate the string by striking it, and is constantly looking at new techniques and methods. He previously used the 8-string Crafty tuning, but doesn't seem to play it much these days, though there are many players who continue to use it exclusively, such as Markus Reuter and Kuno Wagner.
Bill Burke uses an 8-string Warr tuned in 4ths like an extended range bass, but his musical style is more like a progressive guitarist, in the manner of Michael Hedges. Bill can be bassist, guitarist, and extended-range player at any moment.
The point of all this is to show the incredible variations possible in playing methods with touch-style guitars, and give some examples to help new players decide which tunings will suit them best.
4. Do I want a tuning similar to an instrument I already play, or something different?
Some people are comfortable with their technique on standard guitar or bass, and are looking for a challenge to spur their creativity. They want a tuning different from the instruments they already play, which will lend a different flavor to the music they make. Others want something similar to an instrument they already play to facilitate learning the new technique more quickly.
For example, if you play standard bass, and want something similar, uncrossed 4ths tuning may be the ticket. The bass side is tuned exactly the same as a 6-string bass, and the guitar side is an octave above (or a major ninth), making pattern visualization on the neck extremely facile, and second-nature.
If you play standard guitar, and want something close to this tuning, an 8-stringer with a similar tuning will be easy to play and visualize. (see 8-string tuning #3 on the Touch-style Tunings page). Also, the radius on the 8-string Warr fingerboard will feel very comfortable to standard bassists/guitarists. All Warrs over 8 strings have flat fretboards.
If you have experience with cello or 5ths-tuned instruments, maybe a standard or Crafty tuning is what you are after.
If you want something new and different, there are many odd and custom tunings possible within the range available on a 34-inch scale. Warr will even build custom guitars with other scale lengths if a shorter (or longer) scale is desired.
5. Why are the 8-string guitars the only instruments with tunings that go from low to high as normal guitars and basses do?
With metal strings on a 34-inch scale length the entire range can be had on a 9-stringed instrument tuned in 4ths. Don't ask me why we don't make such a model, 'cause I don't know. The Crafty 8-string tuning covers the entire useable range on 8-strings, and still has to shorten the intervals on the higher strings to make it fit.
Anyway, we sometimes get requests for instruments of 10-strings and more to have the strings go from low to high. This is something we try to discourage, though we have done it on occasion.
The reason for this is that it is a long way to reach across a 10-string neck to play the low strings with your left hand. A 12-string neck is about 3.5 inches wide at the nut. This makes it very hard to play the low bass strings, and almost impossible to play any kind of chords above the low notes with the left hand, since you are also reaching across all the other strings. It leaves the left wrist at an uncomfortable angle, and can lead to physical problems.
This is one of the reasons for the inverted bass strings on the standard tap tuning, and for uncrossed playing styles and tunings. It is possible to play such an instrument in the uncrossed fashion, with the right hand playing bass, and the left playing guitar, but most right-handed players want their more facile right hands playing melodic lines.
6. Am I left-handed?
Left-handed models are available.
7. Am I crazy?
It's possible, but the tap-guitar world is full of some wonderful crazy people who are inventing their own genres of music, and making tracks in virgin musical territory.
Think you got what it takes?
JW
I had the pleasure of working with a fantastic singer/songwriter/guitar player at the Paradise Cove Beach Cafe aka PCBC last night ( nov. 13th ), Shawn Barry has such a cool groove/guitar chops and great voice, I hope to work with him again soon. Check him out. http://myspace.com/shawnbarry
thanks,
Randy Strom
KTU is Kimmo Pojhonen - accordian
Trey Gunn - touch guitar
Pat Mastelotto - drums & percussion This is footage of them writing and recording for their new record in Dripping Springs, Texas October 11, 2007. Shown is part of the composing process and the final result.
Watch them laugh.
Watch them fight.
Watch them cry.
Watch them make a pop wonder musicial hit.
Warr Guitars just purchased two Canon HG10 HD camcorders. We are putting together a video on the operation and rig set-up of a Warr MIDI/Synth Guitar.
Soon after the completion of this video, Warr Guitars will produce a video on "How to set up your Warr Guitar".
Please use the "comment" link below and give us what videos/tech-articles you would find helpful as a Warr Guitar Player.
Thank you,
Mark Warr
Reuter’s unique compositional approach is at the core of Pole [Unsung], the new CD by Tuner, his duo project with King Crimson drummer Pat Mastelotto. The song-based album weaves together melodic, minimalist, prog rock, and experimental influences into an edgy, yet cohesive whole.
read more | digg story
“I’ve always admired Warr Guitars both for their company culture, and the innovation they bring to the market,” said whurley. “I'm looking forward to working with the board to drive the execution of the amazing vision Mark Warr has for the company.”
“whurley is an innovative leader and expert in open source and social media,” said Mark Warr. “His expertise will give Warr Guitars, Inc. a prominent position in the growing world of social media and digital strategies.”
"whurley", aka William Hurley, is a technology visionary and holder of 11 important patents, whurley brings 16 years of experience in developing groundbreaking technology. He is the Chairman of the Open Management Consortium, a non-profit organization advancing the adoption, development, and integration of open source systems management. Named an IBM Master Inventor, whurley has received numerous awards including an IBM Pervasive Computing Award and Apple Computer Design Award.
The Warr Guitar deseringly made its way into the "Gibraltar Encycolpedia of Progressive Rock Instruments". The listing displays the Warr Guitar 14-string model "Phalanx".
read more | digg story
There's a new video of TU (Trey Gunn and Pat Mastelotto) performing recently in Poland. If I've done this right, the video should appear below.
Announcing “UKZ”--the definitive musicians' band, formed by keyboard and electric-violin legend Eddie Jobson (co-founder of the legendary prog-rock band UK). UKZ features Aaron Lippert on vocals, Trey Gunn on the Warr touch guitar, Marco Minnemann on drums, and Alex Machacek on guitar. Their debut album is slated for a February 2008 release.
read more | digg story
Do to my special digestive needs, we chose to have our weekly
corporate meeting at Bob's Big Boy in beautiful Burbank Ca. Our focus
was on social media logistics, guitar design, induction of a new board
member, and of course, Randy Strom's Halloween party!
