Editor’s Note | March 2019

March 6, 2019

“Yeah, some call me the Fuzz Lord,” laughingly shrugs Rival Sons guitarist Scott Holiday during our rollicking hour-plus interview last week. The California-bred band, who’ve become superstars in Europe and now find themselves hitting the charts in the US with their new Atlantic album Feral Roots, certainly do deliver everything you’d expect from high priests of rock and roll: supersonic vocals, powerful, nuanced drumming, and of course, Holiday’s patented searing, aggressive fuzz tones, courtesy of . . . well, you don’t think I’m just going to give it away, do you? Scott’s signature sound comes from a vintage pedal he’s re-housed now a few times, so it’s true secret sauce has remained a mystery . . . until now. Okay, not now. Soon. I promise. Scout’s honor. Scott’s honor? Stay tuned . . . !

Scott’s not the only badass we spoke to in just the last couple of weeks: rock legend Lita Ford also spoke to our very own Anna Blumenthal about two of her key pedal go-tos, and our man Dan Epstein had an amazing chat with the great Ernie Isley, who laid down some sonic secrets of his own, as well as incredible stories about his days chilling on the couch with Jimi Hendrix. Oh, and I spoke to this guy, um . . . Steve something. Steve Vai. Know him?

In this month’s new blog entries, you’ll want to read Bill Weir’s killer piece on the coveted The Fantastic Echoplex Echo-Chamber, or Echoplex, for short, in our “History of the Guitar Pedal” column, with Eilon’s stunning photos of an original unit in gorgeous condition. [Thanks Tom Beaujour, for letting us take us photos of it!.] And you’ll get to meet one of the driving forces behind Stompbox Book’s auspicious beginnings and continued growth, veteran progressive guitar wizard and journalist Barry Cleveland, who discusses his life on both sides of the glass, behind a pedal board and in front of a typewriter. (Remember those?)

Carry on, fuzz friends! In the coming months we’ll be talking to the guys at ChaseBliss, Walrus Audio, as well as the dudes from Nashville’s East Side Music Supply, and many more. Let’s ride, y’all . . .

—ROTO

Editors Note

Roto Editor

Guitarist and author James Rotondi has been a touring member of Air, Mr. Bungle, and The Grassy Knoll, a former Senior Editor for both Guitar Player and Guitar World, and a contributing writer for Spin, Rolling Stone, Mojo, and Premier Guitar. His 2014 album Into the Unknown, by Roto’s Magic Act, was hailed for its “masterful songwriting” (Blurt Magazine) and “wickedly skilled guitar work” (Powerpopaholic). Rotondi is also the lead guitarist for the hard rock bands Hundred Hounds and The Cringe, and currently writes songs, composes music for television, and pens articles from his studio in East Nashville.