5 November 2019

Fender products are always of interest, so Lifestyle Editor Eric Dahl couldn’t wait to get his hands on their new Vintera series Fender Musical Instruments showcased their best and newest products at Summer Namm in Nashville and one of these was the Vintera Series, with years of development going into creating a line of vintage-inspired iconic instruments from the ‘50s, ‘60s and ‘70s. Speaking with Al Abbassi, Fender Senior Product Development Manager, examples of each model were sought out, compared and used as the basis for creating the Vintera instruments – from period correct neck shapes, pickups, hardware and expanded finish options. The major models reflected include the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jazzmaster, Jaguar, Mustang, Precision bass, Jazz bass and Mustang bass, while some models are “Modified” versions, meaning that they have modern player updates that were not offered in the time period they were originally made. I’m a fan of the original designs, but I like the “Modified” designs because players through the years had specific needs for modifications to their guitars and Fender embraced those in the Vintera line. Another expansion in the line that originally launched in the ‘70s was the addition of the Deluxe, Custom and Thinline Telecasters. I played all of the ones that I could at the Fender booth but didn’t have enough time to play them all – and believe me I wanted to! For a hands-on review, Maverick Country received the Vintera Series ‘60s Telecaster with Bigsby B5 vibrato in white blonde with a Pau Ferro fretboard.  When it first arrived at the office and I removed it from the Fender gig bag, the guitar was a real stunner that everyone wanted to see and play! Having played an actual 1960s Fender Telecaster, the neck profile of the Vintera model felt almost identical to vintage pieces I have handled. The Bigsby vibrato adds to the weight of the body, but since it is factory installed, the setup was amazing. The attention to detail, such as the pickups, pickguard and hardware truly shine through on this guitar, while the tuners are much more efficient than vintage models and I prefer the attachment method Fender is utilising now on the back of the headstock to make it seamless. The ‘60s style C neck is very comfortable to play and I prefer the density of Pau Ferro over rosewood. The body is available in the White Blond we received, or 3-Colour Sunburst and Alder or Ash wood. The ‘60s style single-coil tele pickups offer a wide gambit of sounds with the standard 3-way selector, volume and tone and pickup guru Tim Shaw was involved in re-voicing the pickups for many of the Vintera guitars. This Fender Vintera ‘60s Telecaster Bigsby also came with a Fender deluxe gig bag and I was astonished at the fit and finish of this Telecaster’s playing, all while looking like a custom shop model at a much more reasonable price. If I owned a 1960s Fender Tele, I would leave it at home and take the Vintera on the road as my player. Whatever your taste in the Fender line, you can find a guitar or bass that will fit your needs or desires in the Vintera series. Fender put a vast amount of research and development into this line and players like us are the beneficiaries of their toil. Play one of the Vintera models for yourself – vintage Fender sound and feel without the price tag! www.fender.com

Maverick’s Lifestyle Editor, Eric Dahl, has been a very busy man testing out new products and appliances, one of which being the new DX Johnny Cash Martin guitar This past September in Nashville, TN, members of the C.F. Martin Company, media representatives, John Carter Cash and Carlene Carter all gathered for the release of the new DX Johnny Cash Martin guitar. Created in collaboration with Johnny’s son, John Carter Cash and the Cash Foundation, the guitar is an affordable alternative to higher end Martins that Cash played during his career. Always ahead of his time in music and style, Johnny Cash was the first artist to receive a custom ordered Martin finished in all black to match his style and persona in the 1970s. That iconic D-35 Martin graced many stages over the years and in 2006 Martin released a commemorative D-35 Johnny Cash model. Much like his father John Carter Cash is proud of the Martin affiliation and the level of craftsmanship they put into each instrument. The new DX Johnny Cash Martin is a dreadnaught body finished in solid Jett black with the Cash name inlayed in the fretboard. To keep costs down the top, back and sides are constructed from (HPL) high-pressure laminate, the neck is a black birch laminate and the fingerboard is Richlite. What surprised me is that the guitar comes equipped with the Fishman MX electronics system factory installed (with most Martin’s this is an option).  Controls are inside the sound hole for easy access and the battery compartment is at the bottom of the body next to the input for ease access, while also included with the instrument is an embroidered gig bag. At the release party, I was allowed to play the DX Johnny Cash acoustic guitar.  The high-performance neck taper and tonality when strummed or picked resonated with the feel of an expensive guitar. The finish seemed very durable and the inlayed stars and Cash logo in the fingerboard really pop visually when you are holding it, as does the custom rosette around the sound hole with Johnny Cash’s signature printed at the bottom. John and Carlene were both extremely pleased with how the completed guitar came out and it was obviously a goal to get this instrument into the hands of beginning and intermediate musicians who can’t afford a custom shop Martin, but still required a well-built instrument that they could learn and perform with. Having the ability to place a Johnny Cash instrument into up and coming artists also keeps his musical legacy alive for future generations, just as John Carter Cash has done through his music and the artists he records and produces at Cash Cabin studios, which Johnny had built as a personal sanctuary in 1979). The guitar’s body size is a D-14 fret, which makes it very comfortable to play seated or standing. This Martin won’t replace your favorite D28 Martin, but I see it as an ideal singer/songwriter guitar that you wouldn’t be afraid to bump, scratch or play as hard as you needed to while conjuring a new song from it. Martin Guitars has created a winner in the features of the DX Johnny Cash Martin and the value. I’m considering purchasing one myself, as I am listening to a Johnny Cash song playlist as I write this article. I believe the man in black would be proud to have his name on this guitar! www.martinguitar.com

Rising star Dylan Schneider recently achieved a milestone as he made his Grand Ole Opry debut on November 2 at the fabled Ryman Auditorium. The 20-year-old performed Hometown Heartless and How to Country – both from his latest EP ‘Whole Town Talk’ – at the Opry’s original home, where of course, shows are held over the winter months. Speaking about his experience, Schneider said that he refused to go into the Ryman no matter how tempted he was until he was pencilled in to perform there and to have the opportunity to do so will be something that lives with him forever. “I’ve passed the Ryman Auditorium a million times in the past few years and I always told myself I wouldn’t set foot in the building until I was there to play that stage,” Schneider said. “So for my Opry debut to be in its original Ryman home was an incredible honour and one I’ll never forget.” Schneider recently finished a 16-city tour supporting Florida Georgia Line around America, while his aforementioned EP was released in August.

In association with The Americana Music Association UK, AmericanaFest UK will be returning on January 28-30, with the UK Americana Awards rounding things off. The awards will be held at London’s Troxy, upgrading in size once more due to to the increasing demand, while the full list of nominees have also been announced. Much like last year, five key awards have already been revealed – they are the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Trailblazer Award, the Grassroots Awards, the Bob Harris Emerging Artist Award and the Legend Award. This year, Joan Armatrading will take home the Lifetime Achievement gong, Nick Lowe will have his name on the Trailblazer Award and Mark Whitfield from Americana-UK.com has a taken the Grassroots Award. Meanwhile, Ferris & Sylvester have been crowned with the Emerging Artist Award and Lonnie Donegan is the 2020 recipient of the Legend Award. On January 28, the Conference will take place at Hackney Picturehouse, with Armatrading taking up the role of keynote speaker, while the evenings of the 28th and 29th will see 75 artists from the UK, the US, Canada, Australia and Europe showcasing across eight venues in Hackney. The full list of nominees are: UK Instrumentalist of the Year Ben Smith Jim Maving Siân Monaghan Will Page UK Song of the Year Little Piece of Heaven – Elles Balley (written by Elles Bailey, Bobby Wood, Dan Auerbach) This Fire – Jamie Freeman (written by Jamie Freeman, Ben Glover) Hear Your Voice – Danni Nicholls (written by Danni Nicholls, Kyshona Armstrong) Amy – Rosanne Reid (written by Rosanne Reid) UK Album of the Year ‘Here There’s No Sirens’ – Pete Now (produced by Joe Bennett) ‘Chasing Lights’ – Ida Mae (produced by Ethan Johns) ‘Bleeding on the Soundtrack’ – William the Conqueror (produced by Ethan Johns) ‘Walk Through Fire’ – Yola (produced by Dan Auerbach) UK Artist of the Year Jade Bird Bear’s Den Frank Turner Yola International Song of the Year Turn Off the News (Build a Garden) – Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real (written by Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real) Letter to Madeline – Ian Noe (written by Ian Noe) Saying Goodbye – J.S. Ondara (written by J. S. Ondara) Me and the Ghost of Charelagne – Amy Speace (written by Amy Speace) International Album of the Year ‘Undress’ – Felice Brothers (produced by Jeremy Backofen) ‘Highwomen’ – Highwomen (produced by Dave Cobb) ‘Songs of our Native Daughters’ – Our Native Daughters (produced by Rhiannon Giddens and Dirk Powell) ‘Mint Condition’ – Caroline Spence (produced by Dan Knobler) International Artist of the Year Brandi Carlile The Dead South Larkin Poe Mavis Staples