Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 60

COLUMN Fretprints

Holdsworth with a
variation of his Carvin
signature model.

ALLAN HOLDSWORTH

Farewell to the King of Future Guitar
By Wolf Marshall

T

his has been a tough year, with the loss
of beloved players like Chuck Berry,
Larry Coryell, and most recently, Allan
Holdsworth (see memorial in the "First Fret"
section of the July issue).
A true trailblazer, he was an innovator
and virtuoso whose name prompted the
superlative "Holdsworthian" to describe a
sound and approach created by an unbridled
imagination combined with Olympian
physical technique. Inspiring and astonishing, he exerted indelible influence on giants
like Van Halen, Lifeson, Satriani, Lukather,
Vai, Petrucci, and a legion of metallic shredders, fusioneers, and prog-rockers.
I met Allan in a professional capacity
after being a longtime admirer, and we
remained friends. Generous and forthcoming, I'll never forget the insights he shared
- everything from his uncommon scale

systems and chordal concepts to views on
the intricacies of gear and dialing-in sounds
from equipment. In 1990, he lent me his
famous homemade "juice extractor" when
I was struggling to get optimal tone from a
vintage Marshall, educated me in how he'd
obtained that signature sax/violin timbre
from similar rigs, and advised me on effects
use and amp safety, as well as guitar setup
and playing.
Holdsworth's saga began in England after
the British Invasion. Introduced to jazz by
his father, Fred, at age 17 he gravitated to
the sound of the saxophone but decided on
guitar. Inspired by rock of the day as well as
John Coltrane, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell,
Django Reinhardt, and Charlie Christian,
he fashioned a jazz-informed conception
and style. His early work was captured on
'Igginbottom's Wrench (1969) with art-rock

VINTAGE GUITAR

60

September 2017

quartet 'Igginbottom. In those days, he
favored a Gibson 335 and a cleaner sound,
but his playing was characterized by virtuosic
lines already rich in legato phrasing. His
sojourn continued with
Sunship, Nucleus, and a
seminal recording with
Tempest, a progressiverock outfit with Colosseum's rhythm section (Jon
Hiseman and Mark Clarke) and
vocalist Paul Williams; Holdsworth helped
the band reconcile Cream-influenced power
blues and prog-rock sophistication with a
blend of Clapton-like string bends, Gilmour
melodicism, and florid, jazzy double-timing
delivered with a definitive SG-into-Marshall
tone. Particularly noteworthy moments
include his work on the blues-rock shuffle
"Strangeher," wah colorations on "Dark
House," acoustic/electric layered sounds
in "Gorgon," and an impromptu jazz-violin
solo on "Upon Tomorrow."
Holdsworth solidified his jazz-rock credentials in the mid '70s with Soft Machine
(on Bundles) and The New Tony Williams
(Believe It and Million Dollar Legs). "Hazard
Profile" and "Fred" (must-see clips are posted
online) remain important fusion pieces of
this period, epitomizing his signature SG
sound, while "Sweet Revenge" and "Million
Dollar Legs" with their whammy-bar inflections foreshadow his Strat excursions of the
next decade. In '76, Holdsworth pawned his
SG, favoring a humbucker-equipped Stratstyle guitar from that point onward. His work
with the Strat was featured on Gong's Gazeuse
and Expresso II, Jean Luc Ponty's Enigmatic
Ocean, UK, and Bruford's Feels Good To Me
and One of a Kind. Allan described the sessions as comparable to a sax soloist waiting
his opportunity in designated solo space.
His early modded Strat with two DiMarzio
humbuckers is seen online in a telling live
clip of "Beelzebub" with Bruford.
Holdsworth's solo career began with
I.O.U., a 1982 album with Williams, Paul
Carmichael (bass), and Gary Husband
(drums). I.O.U. is deemed his genuine solo
debut, though CTI had released Velvet Darkness, an unauthorized record culled from a
1978 rehearsal; Holdsworth dismissed it as
illegitimate. On I.O.U., he revealed his rich
chordal palette often colored with vibrato
and pitch bends ("Where is One," "Letters of
Marque," "White Line") alongside evolving
single-note improvisations. His orchestral
aspirations, aided by carefully crafted
delay processing and volume swells via two
volume pedals, guided the guitar-generated



Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open

Contents
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - Cover
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - IFC
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 3
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 4
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 5
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 6
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 7
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 8
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 9
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - Contents
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 11
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 12
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 13
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 14
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 15
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 16
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 17
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 18
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 19
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 20
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 21
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 22
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 23
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 24
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 25
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 26
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 27
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 28
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 29
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 30
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 31
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 32
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 33
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 34
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 35
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 36
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 37
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 38
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 39
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 40
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 41
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 42
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 43
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 44
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 45
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 46
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 47
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 48
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 49
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 50
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 51
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 52
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 53
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 54
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 55
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 56
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 57
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 58
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 59
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 60
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 61
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 62
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 63
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 64
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 65
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 66
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 67
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 68
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 69
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 70
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 71
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 72
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 73
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 74
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 75
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 76
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 77
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 78
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 79
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 80
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 81
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 82
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 83
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 84
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 85
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 86
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 87
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 88
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 89
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 90
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 91
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 92
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 93
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 94
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 95
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 96
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 97
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 98
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 99
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 100
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 101
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 102
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 103
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 104
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 105
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 106
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 107
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 108
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 109
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 110
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 111
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 112
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 113
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 114
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 115
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 116
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 117
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 118
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 119
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 120
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 121
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 122
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 123
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 124
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 125
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 126
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 127
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 128
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 129
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 130
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 131
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 132
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 133
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 134
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 135
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 136
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 137
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 138
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 139
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 140
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 141
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 142
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 143
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 144
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 145
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - 146
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - IBC
Vintage Guitar - September 2017 - open - BC
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201903_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201902_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201901_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201812_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201811_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201810_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201809_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201808_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201807_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201805_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201804_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201803_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201802_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201801_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/2018priceguide_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201712_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201711_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201710_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201709_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201708_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201707_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201706_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201705_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201704_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201703_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201702_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201701_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201612_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201611_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201609_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201607_v2
https://www.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/vintageguitar/201606_v2
https://www.nxtbookmedia.com