Coordinates	54°1′20″N15°38′10″N
Title	Fender Wide Range
Manufacturer	Fender
Period	1971–1979 (original)1983-current (Japan reissue)1998–current (Mexican reissue))
Type	humbucker
Magnettype	CuNiFe-(original), Ceramic-(Japanese RI),

The Fender Wide Range Humbucker is a humbucker guitar pickup, designed by Seth Lover for Fender in the early 1970s. This pickup was intended to break Fender's image as a "single coil guitar company", and to gain a foothold in the humbucker guitar market dominated by Gibson.

The pickups enjoyed some popularity, though they certainly were never as widespread as Fender's single-coil pickups. Original Wide Range pickups were available from 1971 and subsequentially installed in the Deluxe, Custom and Thinline Telecasters as well as the Starcaster, ceasing production successively in 1979 when these models were discontinued. Fender Japan were the first to introduce a reissue in 1983, followed by the Made in Mexico version around 1998. The Wide Range Pickup found on American made Fender guitars is actually the Made in Mexico model introduced in 1998. All reissues differ from the original Seth Lover design in both construction and sound (see below).

Construction

The Wide Range pickup was conceived to be sonically closer to Fender's single coil pickups than Gibson humbuckers. This concept called for the use of CuNiFe (Copper/Nickel/Iron) rod magnets as pole pieces within the coil structures, more closely resembling a regular Strat pickup than a Gibson humbucker. The CuNiFe magnets were threaded and slotted to function and resemble the adjustable screw type poles of a Gibson humbucker. The pickup bobbins were wound with approximately 6800 turns of copper wire around the pole-pieces and the Wide Range pickup has a DC resistance of around 10 kΩ.

There have been three reissues of the pickup, one manufactured in Japan using ceramic magnets, one in Mexico using alnico. Despite an almost identical appearance, both are constructed differently from the original 1970s unit. The current Mexican reissues, much like a Gibson humbucker, feature a bar magnet underneath the bobbins that abuts to 6 screw type pole-pieces in each coil; they are simply conventional humbuckers placed in the larger "wide range" humbucker casing, and the gap is filled with wax. Although neither pickup precisely replicates the sound of the original, they are at least tonally similar with the Japanese reissue sounding hotter and the Mexican reissue sounding more like a standard Gibson humbucker. A more recent reissue, currently exclusive to the Lee Ranaldo signature Jazzmaster, has been "re-voiced" to Ranaldo's specifications, but appears to be constructed similarly to the Mexican reissue.

Sound

Original "Wide Range" pickups are described as sounding "fat" but with a noticeable improvement in clarity and detail over Gibson humbuckers. Combined with a bridge single coil pickup on a Telecaster it gives a smooth, warm yet biting sound. Famous users include Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, Rich Robinson of the Black Crowes, Ryan Adams, Win Butler of Arcade Fire, Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand, Lúcio Maia of Nação Zumbi, Roy Buchanan, Billy Gibbons of ZZ Top, Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood of Radiohead as well as Lee Ranaldo of Sonic Youth's modified "Jazzblasters" which featured "wide range" pickups on modified Fender Jazzmaster guitars.

Market value

Due the use of the Wide Range Humbucker by legends of rock Sonic Youth as well as modern bands as Franz Ferdinand , Thom Lewis and the fact that the reissue FWRH sounds different from original, vintage pickups, demand has grown for the original pickup. , the value of an original WRH in excellent condition was approximately $200, while by 2008 the value had risen to $300-$400.

References

Pickup Measurements

External links

User Reviews on Harmony Central

Category:Guitar pickups

Coordinates	54°1′20″N15°38′10″N
Name	Victor Bailey
Background	solo_singer
Born	March 27, 1960Philadelphia
Instrument	Bass guitar, double bass, keyboards, vocals
Genre	Jazz, Jazz fusion, Pop
Years active	1980 - present
Associated acts	Weather Report
Url	Official website
Notable instruments	Fender Victor Bailey signature

Victor Bailey (born March 27, 1960 in Philadelphia) is an American bass guitar player.

Bailey attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston after being disqualified from naval service due to asthma.

As musician

Bailey has recorded and/or toured with Omar Hakim, Sonny Rollins, Miriam Makeba, Larry Coryell, Lenny White, Mike Stern, Dennis Chambers, Poogie Bell, Weather Report, Michael Brecker, LL Cool J, Kenny Garrett, Jim Beard, David Gilmore, Madonna, Mary J Blige, Steps Ahead, Sting, Hamiet Bluiet, Olu Dara, Don Alias, Sadao Watanabe, Michael Urbaniak, Ursula Dudziak, Roy Haynes, Tom Browne, Bobby Broom, Kenny Kirkland, Bernard Wright, Donald Blackman, Rene McClean, Kevin Eubanks, Tommy Campbell, Kenwood Dennard, Delmar Brown, Najee, Bennie Maupin, Patrice Rushen, Rayford Griffin and Nick Smith, Scott Peaker and David Fiuczynski among others.

Gear

Fender has released a Victor Bailey Signature acoustic bass guitar, as well as the Victor Bailey Jazz Bass (Artist series), available in 4, 5-string, fretted and fretless versions. Bailey also uses Hartke amplifiers.

Discography

Bottom's Up

Low Blow

That's Right

Petite Blonde (compilation with Dennis Chambers, Mitch Forman, Chuck Loeb and Bill Evans)

Slippin' N' Trippin'

References

Category:American bass guitarists Category:Musicians from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Category:Berklee College of Music alumni Category:Weather Report members Category:1960 births Category:Living people

Paul Brandon Gilbert (born November 6, 1966 in Illinois, USA) is an American guitarist. He is well known for his guitar work with Racer X and Mr. Big, as well as many solo albums. He also joined Joe Satriani and John Petrucci on the 2007 G3 tour.

He has been voted number 4 on a list in GuitarOne magazine of the "Top 10 Greatest Guitar Shredders of All Time", as well as a spot in Guitar World's 50 Fastest Guitarists of All Time list.

Shrapnel Records

Around 1981-82 Paul first contacted Mike Varney, founder of Shrapnel Records, asking for a gig with Ozzy Osbourne. At the time, Varney couldn't think why Osbourne would want a 15 year old guitarist, but after listening to his demo he changed his mind. They talked for the next 3 years, until Paul went to L.A. for the GIT (Guitar Institute of Technology), and then was ready to record Racer X's debut album Street Lethal.

Racer X

Formed in Los Angeles in 1985, Racer X originally comprised Paul Gilbert (guitar), Juan Alderete (bass), Harry Gschoesser (drums) and Jeff Martin (vocals). They were heavily influenced by Judas Priest and Gilbert's playing was reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, displaying fast-driven solos with extreme-level technique. Gschoesser was replaced by Scott Travis (later known for being the drummer for Judas Priest) in 1986, and Bruce Bouillet was added as a second guitar player. Bouillet was a very skilled player, as he had to play over Gilbert's always difficult and challenging phrases. Paul Gilbert gained recognition as one of the fastest guitar players in the world due to incredibly technical pieces like "Frenzy", "Scarified", "Y.R.O." and "Scit Scat Wah". Gilbert left Racer X in 1988. Racer X carried on for a short time with guitarist (and fellow GIT alum) Chris Arvin and vocalist Oni Logan (later of George Lynch's Lynch Mob) when singer Jeff Martin departed to play drums in Jake E. Lee's Badlands, in which he replaced Eric Singer who left to join Alice Cooper. Shortly thereafter, the members of the re-invented Racer X went their separate ways. The original band would eventually reform (although without Bruce Bouillet, who in-turn did produce the first reunion record).

Paul contacted the members of Racer X, and all agreed to return, with the exception of Bruce Bouillet. In mid-1999 the band recorded the album Technical Difficulties. Technical Difficulties went gold in Japan, and Racer X's new record label requested a follow-up. In late 2000, the band released another album, Superheroes. The record was mixed by former Racer X guitarist, Bruce Bouillet.

In order to further capitalize on their new-found success in Japan, Universal Japan requested that the band record a live show for another live CD and DVD. On May 25, 2001, the band played their first live performance in thirteen years to a sold-out crowd at the famed Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. The show was recorded for both audio and video, and in 2002, both the CD and DVD were released under the name Snowball of Doom.

In January 2002, in support of Superheroes and Snowball of Doom, Racer X toured Japan and Taiwan. The band performed these shows in their Superheroes costumes, and the final show, in Yokohama, was hastily recorded in two tracks on the sound board and was to be later released as Snowball of Doom 2. Later that year, Universal Japan pushed for another Racer X release. In October 2002, all four members of Racer X gathered at Gilbert's house in Las Vegas to record Getting Heavier, which was sold alongside Snowball of Doom 2 in a package deal. Although the album was a successful release in Japan, some fans were disappointed with the lighter tracks, which resembled a Paul Gilbert solo album more so than a traditional Racer X album.

Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Andy Timmons and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Paul Gilbert, and finally Racer X. The Racer X lineup consists of Paul Gilbert, Scott Travis, Jeff Martin and John Alderete.

Mr. Big

When Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth's band in 1988, he joined with Paul Gilbert, who had left his former band, Racer X. They founded Mr. Big, with Pat Torpey on drums and singer Eric Martin. The band was initially a huge success in Japan, and became famous internationally in 1991, with the release of their second album, Lean Into It. This album featured the ballad "To Be With You", which received strong media play and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Gilbert continued playing in Mr. Big until the late 1990s. He left the band in 1997 to pursue a solo career, and was replaced by Richie Kotzen. Mr. Big disbanded in 2002.

In June 2009, Paul Gilbert reunited with original Mr. Big members; Eric Martin (vocals), Billy Sheehan (bass), and Pat Torpey, for a world wide reunion tour. They recorded a new album with producer Kevin Shirley. titled What If... The album was released in Japan on Dec. 15th, 2010, in Europe on Jan. 21st, 2011 and in the USA in Feb. 2011. A tour to support the album kicks off at The House of Blues, in Hollywood, CA on April 2, 2011.

Projects

In May 2003 he played on an only twice-performing project called Yellow Matter Custard, a Beatles cover band consisting of Mike Portnoy (ex-Dream Theater), Neal Morse (ex-Spock's Beard), and Matt Bissonette. They took their name from a Beatles lyric in "I Am the Walrus": "Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye".

He rejoined Portnoy along with Dave LaRue and Daniel Gildenlöw for a Led Zeppelin tribute band called Hammer of the Gods in November 2003. The same year, he toured Japan with Linus Of Hollywood, TJ Helmerich, and Scot Coogan in support of his solo albums Burning Organ, Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert, and Gilbert Hotel. In September 2005, he joined Portnoy, Sean Malone, and Jason McMaster in the Rush tribute band Cygnus and the Sea Monsters. In May 2006, he joined Portnoy, Gary Cherone, and Billy Sheehan to form Amazing Journey: A Tribute to The Who, playing three shows. The band (excluding Sheehan) destroyed their equipment after the show in homage.

He was also revealed to be the guest guitarist on the Neal Morse solo album, Sola Scriptura. In 2007, Paul Gilbert toured with Bruce Bouillet for promotion of his first instrumental album, Get Out of My Yard, which was released in 2006. Also joining him was his wife, Emi Gilbert, on keyboards. Paul Gilbert also joined Joe Satriani and John Petrucci in the 2007 G3 tour. This was the 5th North American G3 run and the 12th tour worldwide since its inception.

On January 23, 2008, Paul released an instrumental CD titled Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar. It was released in Europe on March 31, 2008, and in America on April 8, 2008. This is Paul's second instrumental album.

On October 22, 2008, Paul released an album with vocalist Freddie Nelson entitled United States. The collaboration has been described as a cross of Queen and Mr. Big. They will be playing their first live shows in the first days of February 2009, with more dates to be announced.

Paul with Racer X performed at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Andy Timmons and his band opened the show, followed by a solo set from Gilbert, and finally Racer X. This Racer X lineup consisted of Gilbert, Scott Travis, Jeff Martin and John Alderete.

Paul's appearance at the 2009 Tuska Open Air Metal Festival was cancelled.

On June 30, 2010, Gilbert's new album Fuzz Universe will be released in Japan, with a release in America and Europe soon after. It will be Paul's 3rd solo album being entirely instrumental.

Gear

Paul Gilbert primarily uses his Ibanez PGM signature series guitars, identified by the unique painted on "F" holes. Although earlier PGM models featured the Ibanez Lo-Pro/Edge double locking tremolo system, many of his guitars (such as his main PGM300) were modified to accommodate a fixed bridge after he stopped using whammy bars in the early 90s, hence the Ibanez PGM301 series. Along with his signature guitars, Gilbert often uses his sticker-covered "Dino" Ibanez RG750, in addition to a wide variety of Ibanez solidbody and semi-hollow electric guitars. Recently, Gilbert has been using Ibanez "Fireman" (a reversed-body Ibanez Iceman with single-coil pickups and an extra cutaway) guitars, which he designed himself.

Regarding amplifiers, Gilbert used A/DA preamps(A/DA MP-1) and rack effects units early in his career prior to switching to Laney amplifiers. He praised the Laney amps as having "the best natural distorted sound of any tube amp ever heard" Since the G3 2007 tour however, Gilbert stated that playing with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci inspired him to take a closer look at his own guitar sound. As a result of his search he found the Marshall Vintage Modern series. He currently uses the Marshall Vintage Modern 2266c combo amps. Paul uses Jim Dunlop Tortex picks, of which he prefers the orange (.60mm) picks.

Paul has been known to use the following effects:

Homebrew Electronics Bajo Mos

Homebrew Electronics Detox EQ

Tc electronics nova delay

Homebrew Electronics compressor retro

MXR phase 100

MXR Script phase 90

BOSS Digital Delay DD-3

Ibanez Airplane Flanger AF2

MXR Blue box

Homebrew Electronics THC chorus

Robert Keeley Nova Wah LE

Electro-Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress

Korg Pitchblack tuner or Boss Chromatic Tuner (depending which is more visible in stage lighting)

Majik Box Fuzz Universe (as of 2010)

Jim Dunlop 535Q Crybaby (as of 2010)

Paul also used a modified vintage A/DA Flanger from the 1980s (source: Berlin VIP session interview). You can hear it on tracks like 'Bucket of Rocks', and he also uses it on the 'Snowball of Doom' DVD. Paul stated the flanger had been modified. He would set the flanger to self oscillate, which would make the pitch of the resulting signal alternate up and down to create a sound similar to a dive bomb or a pull up on a whammy bar. Unfortunately, during Paul's 2008 European tour, his trusty A/DA Flanger broke. Thankfully, before the pedal broke, he and Ibanez collaborated to make a similar pedal, with both a regular flanger mode and a mode which can be set to create a close approximation of the A/DA pedal's sound, and the pedal has been released as the Ibanez Paul Gilbert AF-2 Airplane Flanger. He also uses the Psilocybe phaser and THC chorus pedals from Home Brew Electronics.

In the intro to "Get Out Of My Yard" Paul uses a Boss DD-3 Delay pedal to achieve the altered pitch looped effect at the beginning of the track. This was also demonstrated by Paul on the instructional DVD of the same name.

He is also famous for using a Makita cordless drill with three picks mounted on the end of it, which he used most famously on the Mr. Big track "Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy".

In 2009, Ibanez released a new PGM model, the Ibanez PGM401, which is rather different from most of Paul's previous models, with an ash body (most of his previous models were made of basswood, although his PGM800 guitar was made of lightweight ash, a similar but different wood than that used in the PGM401), Trifade Burst finish, Cosmo Black hardware and a regular headstock replacing the reversed one of the previous models. Also, rather than the DiMarzio PAF Pro, Tone Zone and Super Distortion pickups used in his previous models, the PGM401 comes with Paul's favorite humbucker model for the past five years, the DiMarzio Air Classic, arranged in a dual humbucker arrangement. Paul has stated that he had the bridge pickup moved 1mm closer to the neck, which he said results in a warmer and thicker sound, particularly for the high notes he often uses in soloing. The F-holes are 3% smaller, to make the look more balanced with the pickup mounting rings. But perhaps the biggest difference from other current Ibanez guitar models, is that the PGM401 uses the old late-1980s neckjoint, which is thicker than the current neckjoints on other Ibanez guitars.

Discography

Racer X

Street Lethal (1986)

Second Heat (1987)

Extreme Volume Live (1988)

Extreme Volume II Live (1992)

Technical Difficulties (1999)

Superheroes (2000)

Snowball of Doom (2002)

Getting Heavier (2002)

Snowball of Doom 2 (2002)

Mr. Big

Mr. Big (1989)

Raw Like Sushi (1990)

Lean Into It (1991)

Raw Like Sushi II (1992)

Bump Ahead (1993)

(1994)

Channel V at the Hard Rock Live (1996)

Hey Man (1996)

(1996)

Next Time Around Best Of (2009)

Back To Budokan Live (2009)

What If...]] (2011)

Solo Albums

Tribute to Jimi Hendrix (EP) (1991)

King of Clubs (1998)

Flying Dog (1998)

Beehive Live (1999)

Alligator Farm (2000)

''Raw Blues Power With Jimi Kidd (2002)

Burning Organ (2002)

Paul the Young Dude/The Best of Paul Gilbert (2003)

Gilbert Hotel (2003)

Acoustic Samurai (2003)

Space Ship One (2005)

Get Out of My Yard (2006)

Tough Eskimo (limited edition EP) (2007)

Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar (2008)

United States With Freddie Nelson (2009)

Fuzz Universe (2010)

Other appearances

Trouble In The Streets- Black Sheep(1985)

Atomic Basement Tapes - Missing Lynx (1981)

Revelation - Darrell Mansfield Band (1985)

''Pump It!' - Jeff Berlin (1986)

Out of the Sun - Joey Tafolla (1990)

Humanary Stew - A Tribute to Alice Cooper

Guitars That Rule the World (1992)

Smoke On The Water: A Tribute (1994)

Samad: Samad Lead Guitar on "Joget" and "Animo" (1994)

Jeffology: A Guitar Chronicle (1996)

Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus (track "Dislocated") (1996)

Akira Takasaki - Wa (1996)

Merry Axemas - A Guitar Christmas (1997)

''Mikazuki "In Rock" Sound Track, Guitar on tracks "Crescent Moon" & "Theme for Kazeo" (2000)

Becker 2001, Warmth in the Wilderness -A Tribute to Jason Becker(Guitar and vocals for Hawkin)

Hughes Turner Project'' - HTP (2002)

Battle Gear III: The Edge (played on "Charge and Discharge," "Morning View," and "The Machine of Rage" bonus tracks) (2003)

Kim Fox Return to Planet Earth (2003) Guitar on track 4

Guitar Wars (2003)

Return to the Planet Earth - Kim Fox (2003)

One Night in New York City - Yellow Matter Custard (2003) Available @ MikePortnoy.com

Mieze - Marco Minnemann (2004)

Five Feet...No Inches - Pintsize (2005)

Contraire de la chanson - Marco Minnemann (2006)

Parador (track "Joke") - Wisely (2006)

Light at the End of the Tunnel - War and Peace (2006) (with Richie Kotzen, John Norum, Jeff Pilson)

Two Nights In North America - Hammer of the Gods (2006) Available @ MikePortnoy.com

One Night in Chicago - Cygnus and the Sea Monsters (2006) Available @ MikePortnoy.com

''Live with Sex Machineguns - Tokyo (2005)

One Night in New York City - Amazing Journey (2007) Available @ MikePortnoy.com

Spin The Bottle - An All Star Tribute To Kiss (guitars on "I Want You") (2004)

Numbers from the Beast - An All Star Tribute to Iron Maiden (guitars on "The Evil That Men Do") (2005)

Evil Lives: A True Metal Tribute to Black Sabbath (with Racer X on Track 4: "Children of the Grave") (2006)

The Fool - Jeff Martin solo album (2006)

Sola Scriptura - Neal Morse (2007)

G3 Tour (2007)

Lifeline - Neal Morse (2008)

Guitar Hero Hero (Beating Guitar Hero Doesn't Make You Slash) - MC Lars (2008)

''Bowling For Soup - Merry Flippin Christmas VOL 1 (I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Clause) (2009)

Videography

Intense Rock - Sequences & Techniques VHS version

Intense Rock II VHS version

Guitars from Mars Japanese DVD release

Guitars from Mars II Japanese DVD release

Terrifying Guitar Trip VHS version

Eleven Thousand Notes DVD

Guitar Wars DVD

''Space Ship Live DVD (2005)

''Complete Intense Rock DVD (2006)

''Terrifying Guitar Trip DVD (2006)

''Get Out Of My Yard Guitar Instructional DVD (2007)

''Get Out Of My City Guitar Instructional DVD/VCD (2007)

One Night In New York City - Yellow Matter Custard (2003)

Two Nights In North America - Hammer Of The Gods (2006)

One Night In Chicago - Cygnus And The Sea Monsters (2006)

''One Night In New York City - Amazing Journey (2007)

''Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar Guitar Instructional DVD And Shred Annex (2008)

''The Last Note of Freedom

References

External links

The official Paul Gilbert site

The official Racer X site

Paul Gilbert - Rock Squad Interview

Gilbert's solo on Mr Big site

Paul Gilbert on Last.fm

Category:1966 births Category:Living people Category:American rock guitarists Category:Lead guitarists Category:American people of Polish descent Category:American musicians of Polish descent Category:Racer X members Category:Mr. Big members Category:G3 Category:Musicians from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Category:People from Carbondale, Illinois