Phil O'Keefe

Gibson Memphis ES-275 Figured Is this the next great Gibson hollowbody model? by Phil O'Keefe When you mention Gibson (in the interests of full disclosure, Harmony Central is an independent division of Gibson Brands), the first thing that comes to mind for many guitarists is their SG and Les Paul models; being two of the most popular guitar designs in history, this isn't surprising. But Gibson's electric guitar legacy goes further than just their solidbody guitars, and in fact their semi-hollowbody and hollowbody models have been and remain very popular with musicians in a wide variety of styles. Let's take a look at one of the more recent hollowbody designs to come out of Memphis, the Gibson ES-275 Figured. What You Need To Know The ES-275 is a new model from Gibson Memphis and like all of their hollowbody models, it's made not in Nashville, but a bit further southwest in Memphis. It is hand built in the USA. The ES-275 is a true archtop guitar and features a full hollowbody with a single rounded Venetian cutaway and two unbound f-holes. The inspiration for the ES-275's flowing lines lies in Gibson's classic L-5, which was the first f-hole guitar ever made. The body of the ES-275 retains the basic shape of a modern L-5 CES, but it is about 10% smaller in length and width. It measures just a bit over 15" wide across the lower bout, which is less than the 17" body on an L-5 CES, and really noticeable when you hold it. The body is also fairly shallow compared to an L-5, measuring only 2" thick. Gibson calls it a mid-depth body. The wood used for the body is a three-ply laminate of maple, poplar and maple, with AAA figured maple used on the exterior. Inside, mahogany is used for the head and tail blocks, and the bracing is similar to what you'll find in a Gibson ES-175. The top has a seven-ply white/black binding, while a three-ply binding is used for the back. The review unit is finished in what Gibson calls Dark Vintage Natural, but it's also available in Montreux Burst, which is similar to a dark two-tone tobacco sunburst. Regardless of the color you pick, the finish is gloss nitrocellulose lacquer. A bound faux tortoise shell pickguard comes pre-mounted on the guitar. The pickguard binding is stark white, in contrast to the rest of the binding, which is more yellowed. Being a true hollowbody, the ES-275 Figured is a light guitar, weighing in and just a hair under seven pounds. The 24.75" scale set neck is one piece mahogany, which is stained a dark cherry color and finished with nitrocellulose lacquer. It joins the body at the 16th fret, giving excellent access to the upper frets. The neck profile is a rounded C shape that is very comfortable. The thickness measures 0.850" at the first fret according to my digital calipers, and at 1.690" wide at the (bone) nut it's not too wide or narrow either. The neck uses Gibson's historic truss rod, and the truss rod cover is the usual "bell" shape, with a F-hole lightly engraved into it. The nut is bone. Visually the neck reminds me of a Les Paul Custom neck; with genuine mother of pearl block position markers and MOP split diamond and Gibson logo headstock inlays, it's very classy looking. The headstock has a 17 degree angle, and is surrounded by five ply binding. The fingerboard has a 12" radius and is Richlite, which is a composite made from recycled paper and phenolic resin. I had been playing the guitar for a good two weeks before I noticed, and it was only on close inspection that I could tell it wasn't ebony like I originally thought. The sound and playing feel are nearly indistinguishable. Richlite also has other benefits, such as being renewable and having increased stability and resistance to warping, cracking or chipping when it's refretted. Of course, with 22 cryogenically treated medium jumbo frets that resist wear, you probably won't need to have this guitar refretted any time soon. The fingerboard is bound, with black dot side markers. The fingerboard binding is rolled, which gives the neck a comfortable, broken-in feel. The gold plated tuning machines are smooth and precise Grover Rotomatics with an 18:1 ratio. At the other end the strings are anchored in a gold plated zig-zag trapeze tailpiece, and a gold plated ABR-1 bridge with titanium saddles and rosewood base allows for full intonation adjustability. The guitar is set up with the PLEK system, so the nut slots and fret dressing and height are outstanding, as is the intonation. The action on the review unit was perfectly set too, which contributes to the ES-275 Figured's great playability. The electronics package in the ES-275 Figured consists of two top mounted, full-sized MHS humbuckers with gold covers. These are scatter-wound PAF style pickups. They're slightly under-wound, with unbalanced coils. The neck pickup has 4,900 wraps on the screw side coil, and 5,100 on the slug side, while the bridge pickup is wound a bit hotter with 5,200 / 5,400 wraps. DC resistance is 7.5kOhm for the neck and 8kOhm for the bridge unit. The bridge pickup uses AlNiCo II magnets while AlNiCo III is used in the neck pickup. Full-sized 500k CTS linear pots are used all around for the individual volume and tone controls for each pickup, as well as orange drop (.02mF bridge, .015mF neck) capacitors. There's also a three-way pickup selector switch mounted in a rubber grommet on the upper bout. The knobs are gold "top hats" and have the more modern (read: pain-free) rounded dial pointers. The 1/4" output jack is mounted on the side of the guitar. Each Gibson Memphis ES-275 Figured comes with a signed Certificate of Authenticity and a hardshell case. Limitations When I first opened it up, the interior of the case was liberally littered with sawdust and tiny wood fragments. There is a slight bit of bleed from the red aniline neck dye on the binding in a couple of places on the bass side of the headstock and neck. This is minor, and it is not uncommon to see a bit of this on vintage Gibsons from the 1950s too. Conclusions Love the Gibson L-5? Who doesn't? It's a legendary guitar with a reputation that is rivaled by few others… but it's not ideal for everyone, especially if you're looking for a somewhat more compact and comfortable instrument to play or want extended note range and upper fret access. Enter the Gibson Memphis ES-275 Figured. It retains the same basic shape as the L-5 and a lot of the upscale style but with a body that's slightly smaller and thinner, it's a much more pleasant instrument to play. Coupled with the extended range, 22-fret neck, it also offers better upper fret access and note range than most jazz guitars do too. While it's considerably less expensive than an L-5 CES, you certainly aren't giving up anything in the looks department. The figuring on the ES-275's wood is alive with flame and vibe, and it's not just the top - the entire body is equally flamed, and the dark vintage natural-lacquer finish really makes it pop. The gold-plated hardware against the natural finish works really well too, while the zig-zag trapeze tailpiece adds a dash of art deco whimsy. The MHS humbuckers have a nice clear, yet warm sound to them, and while there's plenty of level, they're not overly hot in output, as is fitting for a guitar of this type. The ES-275 Figured is great for jazz, but it's a more versatile-sounding guitar than you might think - while most people aren't going to view this as a rock guitar, it does better than I expected it would at medium gain tones, and resisted feedback better than I initially assumed it would. The Richlite fingerboard is the only area of the guitar that I suspect will be controversial for some players, but having been fooled by it for two weeks and playing it for considerably longer, I'm now convinced - it looks, sounds and feels very similar to ebony. The liberal sprinkling of wood debris inside the case was a bummer initially, but in five years you'll still be playing and loving this guitar and will probably have long forgotten the five minutes you had to spend vacuuming out the case when you first got it. Still, this is something that Gibson Memphis is aware of and I'm told they've taken steps to alleviate the issues, so hopefully you won't have to deal with it at all. One personal note. While I was at the 2017 Winter NAMM Show I ran into my friend (and former editor) Mitch Gallagher at the Gibson booth. Mitch is a Grammy award winner, a highly talented guitarist, and is currently the editorial director at Sweetwater - so he gets to check out a lot of gear. While we were chatting about what we liked at the show I asked him which guitar he'd pick if he could take home any guitar that was on display in the booth. Without hesitation he said the ES-275 Figured. It was apparent from our conversation that he was as impressed with the guitar as I am. Shortly after NAMM I heard that he had in fact purchased one. That says a lot about this guitar. If you're looking for an upscale hollow body electric guitar, the impressive ES-275 Figured should be on your audition short list too. Like Mitch, you might find yourself taking one of these classy-sounding, great-playing guitars home. -HC- Resources Gibson Memphis ES-275 Figured ($4,249.00 MSRP, $4,099.00 "street") Gibson's product web page You can purchase the Gibson Custom ES-275 Figured from: Sweetwater (burst) Sweetwater (natural) Guitar Center Musician's Friend The Gibson Memphis ES-275 Figured in this video is the one that Mitch ended up purchasing. Have questions about this review? Want to discuss the Gibson Memphis ES-275 Figured? Then head over to this thread in the Electric Guitar forum right here on Harmony Central. __________________________________________________ Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.

Embertone Sensual Saxophone Sexy and sensual sax app for your iOS device by Phil O'Keefe My earliest musical experiences as a player were with reed instruments, and while I spend more time with guitar, keyboards and bass these days, reeds still hold a special place in my heart. That's why, when I learned about the Sensual Sax app from Embertone, I knew I had to check it out. It looks kind of corny, but the real question is, how does it sound? What You Need To Know Sensual Sax was developed by Embertone, in cooperation with Blue Mangoo (I must resist the temptation to comment on that name!). Designed for iOS devices (iPhones, iPad, iPod Touch), it requires iOS 9.0 or later. There's also a Kontakt Instrument version, but I didn't test it as part of this review. As the app is loading the splash screen says "Loading Your Sexperience," which kind of sets the tone for the whole app. One of the first things you'll notice when the app finishes loading is the large Sex Knob in the center of the screen immediately above the virtual keyboard. This is the very first app I've come across with a Sex Knob, and playing with it liberally is really the key to getting the most enjoyment from Sensual Saxophone. Yes, I just told everyone to enjoy playing with their Sex Knobs. Higher settings of the Sex Knob gives the sound more reverb and delay, more vibrato, and most importantly, more of the articulations "between notes" that separate real saxophone parts from most imitations. This includes grace notes, slurs, falls, ghost notes, lipping notes up and down and all the other sexy articulations that make playing sax so expressive. Tonality-wise, the sound is very reminiscent of Steve Gregory's sax tone used on George Michael's "Careless Whisper" ( ), especially at high Sex Knob settings. With billowing pink smoke (and droplets of, well, I really don't want to know what that is), neon colored indicators and gold accents, the graphics are pretty kinky, and they get more over the top the higher up you crank the Sex Knob. At the highest settings you get six animated sexy sax man profiles - three on either side of the Sex Knob. The samples are extensive for an iOS app, with over 600 samples used for the sound engine.There are three main articulations, which are selected from a main panel switch. Staccato plays short samples, no matter how long you hold the keys down, while the Sustain setting provides more flowing lines and the ability to play chords. Legato is a mono (one note at a time) mode, and it's where this app really shines. It's here that you can get the most expressive and sax-like performances from the app. In Legato mode, Sensual Saxophone plays true legato samples, which greatly increases the realism compared to many sampled saxophones. They sampled a sax player transitioning from each note to every other note, and incorporated those in what you hear, with more and more of it as you push the Sex Knob higher. The Keyboard can be locked into position with a main panel switch, or allowed to scroll from side to side as you're pressing down and sustaining notes, giving it extended range. There's also a switch for selecting a dual keyboard, which allows you to play duet lines with two legato sexy saxophones. OSC is supported, so you can connect to OSC-enabled applications running on other devices. Inter App Audio and Audio Unit 3 are also supported. Inside the Sex Knob, there's a small green button that you can press to access the Advanced mode. Here you'll find slider controls for adjusting the amount of Reverb and the Room Size, as well as the Vibrato depth. Delay controls are also available, with separate sliders for controlling the delay Amount and the delay Time. MIDI input and output are supported, which means you can connect an external controller to your iOS device and use it to trigger Sensual Sax. I was able to successfully use both an external keyboard as well as an Akai EWI USB MIDI wind controller to trigger Sensual Sax. For more on using external MIDI controllers with iPad apps, be sure to check out my article here on Harmony Central.Alternate graphics are available via the MIDI menu's Modesty Mode switch (accessed by pressing the green button in the upper left hand corner of the screen), but the change is fairly limited - instead of a Sex Knob, the labeling for the main control is changed to LUV. You still get the same amount of pink smoke, gold accents and even the side profile shots of the sexy sax men when the knob is dimed. The MIDI menu also allows selecting a MIDI input source, MIDI output destination, and the corresponding MIDI input and output channels. Limitations Unfortunately Sensual Sax currently does not support MIDI CC2 (breath control), so if you want to use it with a MIDI saxophone or wind controller, you won't have breath control and won't be able to perform some of the dynamic techniques that those controllers are usually more adept at (at least compared to a keyboard controller), such as sforzandos and crescendos. Embertone has promised this will be coming in a future update. The only other thing I'd really like to see is a Reverb & Delay Follow Sex Knob (On/Off) switch in the Advanced mode. Being able to control how busy and expressive the "in between notes" stuff gets using the Mod wheel is a great feature, but because the reverb and delay also get heavier at higher, more expressive settings of the Sex Knob, it's a dead giveaway when you're shooting for a more authentic-sounding sax. Being able to uncouple the reverb and delay from the Sex (Sensuality) Knob would let you leave the delay and reverb at fixed settings (like you'll hear on most recordings) while allowing the player to retain control over the notes' expressiveness (via the modulation wheel / CC1). Conclusions While the naming of the Sex Knob, along with the honeymoon suite in a cheap Vegas hotel-inspired graphics are an obvious play to make the app funny and slightly risqué, the actual functionality of the Sex Knob, with more expressive transitions from note to note at higher settings, is a really cool feature that lets you play more expressively and provides a lot more realism. The sample set is really well done, particularly the legato samples. This is a very fun app that comes oh so close to greatness… with a few minor additions, not only would it be fun for imitating Sexy Sax Man or playing along with the "Careless Whisper" music at the end of Deadpool, it could be a breakthrough app for emulating saxophone parts, whether you play them via the built-in keyboard / dual keyboard, or even better, an external keyboard or wind controller. Unfortunately wind controllers are not quite as well supported as they could be, but hopefully Embertone and Blue Mangoo will consider adding MIDI CC2 support and a switch to make the reverb and delay not follow the Sex Knob. If they do, they will rule the sexy sax world. It's a fun app now, but with those additions people everywhere - including serious musicians - will discover the fun of playing with their Sex Knobs! -HC- Resources Embertone Sensual Saxophone app for iOS ($4.99 MSRP) Embertone's product web page You can purchase Embertone's Sensual Saxophone app from the Apple App Store. Want to talk about this review? Join the discussion here. __________________________________________________ Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.

Using Bus-Powered Hardware MIDI Controllers with iPad Apps Connecting and using external controllers with your iPad is easy - if you know the tricks by Phil O'Keefe So now that you have the necessary hardware: Connect a USB cable from your MIDI controller into your powered USB hub. Plug the powered USB hub into the Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter and plug that into your iPad. Finally, connect one end of the USB OTG cable that comes with the powered hub into your USB powerbank (or into the wall adapter that comes with the hub, it if you don't need mobility) and the other (smaller) end into the USB hub itself. You will need to use a virtual instrument app that responds to incoming MIDI and you may need to assign your controller as a MIDI input for your softsynth iPad app, but most of them will do it for you automatically when you connect everything. If not, check the documentation for your softsynth - the MIDI input assignment will usually be somewhere in the settings or options menu, as it is with Cakewalk's Z3TA+ synthesizer app shown here. That's all there is to it! You're now powering the hub from the USB powerbank (or AC wall outlet), and the USB MIDI controller is drawing its power from the powered hub. The iPad will get the MIDI data from your controller through the Lightning to USB Camera Adapter, and I'm sure you'll find that the external USB controller is much more fun and expressive to play than those tiny virtual onscreen keyboards. Have fun! -HC- Resources: Anker 4-port powered USB 3.0 Data Hub ($16.99 "street"), available from Amazon Apple Lightning to USB Camera Adapter ($29 "street"), available from Sweetwater, B&H, Amazon, Apple, and others Have questions? Want to comment on this article? Join the discussion here. __________________________________________________ Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.

Flatwound vs. Roundwound Strings by Phil O'Keefe Does it make a difference which type of strings you use? The average person probably doesn't put much thought into guitar strings guitar strings; to them, guitar strings are guitar strings and as long as you get the right strings for your guitar they're all pretty much the same. Yet experienced musicians know that's not the case. There's a huge variety of guitar string types available, and they come in a wide range of scale lengths and thicknesses or gauges. Instead of overwhelming you with every possible consideration when choosing the best guitar strings, we're going to focus in on just one in this article flatwound vs roundwound guitar strings. Flatwound Guitar Strings or Roundwound Guitar Strings - What's the Difference ? Guitar strings are made by wrapping material around an inner core of wire. Roundwound guitar strings use a round external wire to wrap around the inner wire core, while flatwound guitar strings use a flat, tape-like wire. The difference has an effect on the sound and playing feel of the guitar strings. Roundwound Guitar Strings Roundwound guitar strings tend to have a brighter, more harmonically complex tone. They are available in the widest selection of string gauges and materials (nickel, stainless steel, etc.) and many companies now offer treated or coated roundwound guitar strings to improve their life, as well as reduce the buildup of dirt and oils in the wraps that would otherwise make them "go dead" faster. The downsides to roundwound guitar strings are that finger squeaks and other noises from repositioning your hands on the guitar neck. Roundwound guitar strings also tend to cause little grooves to wear into your frets faster than flatwound guitar strings, so you may need to refret your guitar more often if you use roundwound guitar strings . Flatwound Guitar Strings Flatwound guitar strings tend to have a darker tone that emphasizes the note fundamental, with limited harmonic content compared to roundwound guitar strings. Another big advantage to many players is the smoother playing feel of flatwound guitar strings, which can be easier on the fingertips, not to mention your fingerboard and guitar frets . Flatwound guitar strings tend to be harder to find, cost a bit more and come in a more limited variety of string gauges. Flatwound guitar strings can also be harder to bend. However, note that guitarists who play MIDI guitar often find tracking is more reliable with flatwound guitar strings due to the reduced harmonic content; flatwound guitar strings are also popular among jazz guitarists. Does It Matter Who Wins the Popularity Contest? Roundwound guitar strings and flatwound guitar strings are available for both guitar and bass. Roundwound guitar strings are by far the more popular of the two with modern players, and most new guitars come equipped with this guitar string type. While generally not as popular as they once were, flatwound guitar strings are more popular with bassists today than they are with guitarists. What's the sonic difference? Think of "Bernadette" by the Four Tops - that's a flatwound guitar string sound on the bass, while "Roundabout" by Yes features a bass with roundwound guitar strings. If you play guitar, don't overlook the usefulness of flatwound guitar strings for getting different tones. There are some guitar tones you can't get any other way than by using flatwound guitar strings, so if you've never tried a set of flatwound strings, you should give them a try sometime. Not only may you find interesting new sounds, you may find you prefer the playing feel of flatwound guitar strings. At the end of the day, that's what the decision comes down to - sound and feel. There's no "right or wrong" answer when selecting guitar string types - just preferences. The only way you'll know which one you prefer is to try them both. -HC- Have questions? Want to comment on this article? Join the discussion here. __________________________________________________ Phil O'Keefe is a multi-instrumentalist, recording engineer / producer and the Senior Editor of Harmony Central. He has engineered, produced and performed on countless recording sessions in a diverse range of styles, with artists such as Alien Ant Farm, Jules Day, Voodoo Glow Skulls, John McGill, Michael Knott and Alexa's Wish. He is a former featured monthly columnist for EQ magazine, and his articles and product reviews have also appeared in Keyboard, Electronic Musician and Guitar Player magazines.