| Tailor-made music rises from basement
EATON RAPIDS, Mich. (AP) -- In the basement of an unassuming white house on the edge of Eaton Rapids works an electric guitar player's savior.
The ping and ting of a Fender would be wimpy and barely audible if not for the box he designs, builds and tunes. He's not a household name, but at 72, Max Butler has built a reputation on that box -- a custom tube amplifier he builds for guitar players lucky enough to find him.
"When I got a chance to use some of his equipment, it just blew me away," said Bill Malone, lead guitar and vocals for the Old Town Blues Band.
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Indigenous frontman chasing the sun on his own
Guitar heroes don't come easy these days. There was a time generations were marked by their six-string icons. We know most of them -- Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, Ritchie Blackmore and Eddie Van Halen -- just to name a few. Some hail hyper-speed wizardry or plodding tuned-down tones as the makings of a guitar god, while others are more inclined to use descriptions like "passionate," "emotional" and "soulful." Native Nakota Indian Mato Nanji falls in the latter category. He leads an idea more than just a band. He calls his music Indigenous. It's how he expresses himself in a number of different directions within his chosen genre, that of electric blues. Eight years ago vocalist and guitarist Mato, his brothers Pte (bass), and Horse (percussion) along with sister Wanbdi (drums) left their reservation in South Dakota to record "Things We Do," a tangled mixture of rocking blues with Stevie Ray Vaughan appeal.
Strictly Acoustic
Surf's up this Saturday at Leonesse Cellars in Temecula's Wine Country when the Duo-Tones perform surf guitar music straight from the '60s. Paul Johnson was 15 when he cut his first record, "Mr. Moto," with the Belairs in 1961, and Gil Orr has played with the Chantays since the mid '60s. Their number one hit, "Pipeline," is still popular at surf music concerts. The two have formed a partnership in the Duo-Tones and perform the music they love. Their sound, like that of most original surf guitar, is unique in that there's no amps, no drums and no bass. It's strictly pure acoustic guitar which fits right in with the 100-person venue at Leonesse Cellars. Johnson has been playing rock instrumental music for more than 40 years. He started with the Belairs in 1961 and continued playing with some of surf music's biggest names, including the Galaxies.
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