GEAR 23_COVER - JHS

With the PREMIUM PR:O line, HK AUDIO has raised
the bar for modular sound reinforcement systems
for musicians. Alongside excellent audio quality,
this line of speaker cabinets offers a rich feature
set ordinarily found exclusively on very pricey pro
equipment. Until now, that is. Like all HK AUDIO®
products, PREMIUM PR:O is all about well-balanced,
transparent sound and controlled power.
Now a passive 2 x 10” PRO210 subwoofer (£519 rrp)
and an active version, the 2 x 10” PRO210SA
(£849 rrp) have joined the range, further
increasing the versatile yet compact attributes
of the range.
Meantime,
weatherproof
covers (they’ll
be needed!) are
now available
for the existing
cabs in the PR:O
range, typically
priced around
the £30 mark.
l PRO210
DC59 STILL A CLASSIC
Well, we just love Danelectros at Gear, don’t we? Why? They’re
just brill, that’s why, okay? For such ridiculously inexpensive
instruments, they certainly punch way above their weight and
sound amazing in many different types of music. For a perfect example,
a certain Mr Mark Knopfler, guitar hero to the cognoscente, enjoys
spending time with a Danelectro DC59 double cut, in the classic
Jimmy Page (oops, there’s another famous Dano name) style black
body/white scratchplate finish. And, like Jimmy, boy does he make
it sound like something very special – check it out on Mark’s
collaborative DVD concert performance with Emmylou Harris, ‘Real
Live Roadrunning’, and watch a Danelectro in the hands of a master.
And now, even better – later this year we’ll again see the 12-string
version of the fab Dano double cut! Gear editor Gibson Keddie has
used one of these Dano 12-string beauties for almost
10 years now, and comments that no end of people
at gigs have commented on its superb sound.
“Unlike some other electric twelves, there’s actually
room on the fretboard to properly finger out all the
chords and the between-string spacing is just right
with enough clearance for the back-picking you
need to do to get that classic 60’s 12-string
sound,” he points out.
The legendary DC59 retails at a mere £229,
while the 12-string version will cost £329 rrp.
Don’t miss getting one this time around!
DES HORSFALL
Des Horsfall made his debut as a solo recording artist in 1995 on
fledgling London label Southbound Records with his first commercial
album release, ‘Easy Road’. The album was produced by highly respected
fellow Yorkshireman, songwriter and producer Jon Strong at Tube
Studios in Leeds. The album established Des
as a mainstream Country-Rock artist and
gained him popularity and recognition
among the Country and Roots Music
communities. His videos enjoyed heavy
rotation on Country Music Television and
VH-1, whilst the album received substantial
radio airplay including Bob Harris and
Nick Barraclough shows on BBC Radio 2.
Des subsequently worked the stage
with such artists as Joe Ely, Steve
Earle, Emmylou Harris, Little Feat
and many others.
36
AND KUSCHTY RYE
The end of the nineties saw
Des working with producer
Gary Hall on his second
studio album ‘Mixed Grill’
which forayed more into
‘Roots/Rock’, adding
Blues and Folk influences
to the mix.
After touring Mixed Grill with his band
‘Fallen Horses’ Des entered the new
Millennium with a live
album ‘Breathing the
Same Air’ produced by
Gary Nattrass. Intrigued, and with
a desire to learn the secrets of the
‘Dark Arts’, Des studied recording
and production techniques at Leeds
College of Music where he attained a degree
in Music Production. He subsequently built
and equipped his own analogue recording
studio (Valve Studios) which is now first choice to a growing number
of musicians and bands who are beating a path to his door.
Des is currently putting the finishing touches to his latest studio
album ‘Leave ‘em Wanting More’, under the watchful eye of ‘rising-star’
producer/engineer Andy Bell who has recently worked with Seasick
Steve, Teenage Fanclub, Kerfuffle, and many other Folk and Roots artists.
“...my Vintage resonator
ticks all the right boxes”
Looking for a slightly different sound on this recording, Des plumped
for the Vintage VRC800BK resonator guitar to capture some authentic
slide and blues tones. "I like to try to create as many textures as
possible both live and in the studio" he explains, "and my Vintage
resonator ticks all the right boxes"
Des will be touring solo, duo and with his new band Kuschty Rye
throughout 2009 and beyond. www.myspace.com/deshorsfall