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TEST
TUBE RHINO |
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Essentially
a one man band, Test Tube Rhino is the brainchild of guitarist Joe
Pinnavaia. The first self-titled album from Test Tube Rhino is
a real curious affair. All instrumental, the sound is a pure sonic
guitar feast in the timeless musical spirit of Robert Fripp and even
Norwegian guitar god Terje Rypdal but Pinnavaia often replaces the
shock and awe of those masters with some subtle acoustic effects and
assorted guitar atmospherics that balance out the electric guitar
onslaught. Very uniquely packaged, the silver disc CD features modern
and cutting edge guitar sounds while echoing some familiar progressive
rock edges. The upstate NY-based Pinnavaia cites influences from Angus
Young and Hendrix to shredders like Greg Howe and Van Halen while
also paying respects to guitar icons like Allan Holdsworth and Eric
Johnson. Always tasteful, yet always rocking on the cutting edge,
Test Tube Rhino are clearly on the path to bigger and better things.
Lets hope Pinnavaia gets to further realize his guitar mission.
www.myspace.com/TestTubeRhino I've
been playing for almost 25 years. I started taking private lessons
when I was 13 years old learning solos from my favorites like Eddie
Van Halen, Gary Moore and Joe Satriani to name a few. I was a slow
learner with music theory but I graduated from Villa Maria College
where I studied theory with Jim Kurzdofer (Spyro Gyra) and then went
to the University at Buffalo and studied under Joanne Castellani from
the Castellani-Andriaccio Duo. She was tremendous in opening my eyes
to the way that I practiced and performed. Basically I listen to everything
from Bach to Meshuggah!
The CD
InVitro started as an experiment in just getting used to recording
in the digital world. With other groups I was in we always went to
a studio to record and I wanted to do it myself to see what the possibilities
could be. InVitro was recorded in various pieces of time between
2004 to 2007 in my apartment in downtown Buffalo, NY. Basically I
used a Pro Tools LE M-Box (the original), Reason software to make
up some different layered loops, a V-Amp which is a digital amp modeler,
some different pedals such a Digitech Whammy, Cry Baby Wah, a Marshall
VST combo that I wound up selling - but I got a killer tone on the
outro solo on "High." As well as some other assorted pedals
delays and distortions. I have some Keeley moded pedals as well. Basically
what I like to do is get a loop up that I find interesting and start
improvising over it. When I get on to an idea that I like I record
just that idea. Then I might add some other parts over just that part
and then move on doing the same thing. It's inspiration that drives
these tunes. However I make no apologies in the fact that I focused
only on playing and not song-writing. I wanted to be selfish in recording
this disc. For future projects I plan on developing more interesting
compositions.
I used
several different guitars on this disc. I tried to pull as many different
tones as I could so here's the list: Anderson Guitarworks Droptop
7 string, Schecter 007 Seven String (my fave), G&L ASAT (Tele)
and Legacy (Strat guitar synth enabled), Fender Strat 50's reissue,
Brune hand made classical. For amps live I use a Mesa/Boogie Mark
IV and a FJA moded Laney GH 100L head. I used mainly models of amps
on the CD and the only amp I used was the Marshall VST combo. Generally
for guitars the lower the action the better. I use mainly 10 gauge
strings from D'Addario and Ernie Ball 7 string sets. I prefer mainly
the mahogany wood guitars because of the weight factor and they seem
to have a the best overall sound characteristics. I just picked up
an SG which I love. For pedals I use a Tube screamer, BOSS BD-1, DS-1
Distortion, MXR Phase 100, Digital Delay from BOSS, Digitech Whammy
Pedal, Digitech Bass Chorus, BOSS Flange and Tremolo. My pedal-board
changes from week to week.
Angus
Young, Jimi Hendrix, Gary Moore, Tony Iommi, George Lynch, Eddie Van
Halen, Allan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Buckethead, Eric
Johnson, Paul Gilbert, Shawn Lane, Steve Morse, Greg Howe, Stevie
Stevens, Mick Mars, Alex Skolnick, Pat Martino, Mike Stern, Larry
Carlton, Randy Rhoads, Dimebag Darrell (RIP), Scott Henderson, Jeff
Beck, Robin Trower, Ty Tabor, John Petrucci, Michael Brecker, Oscar
Peterson, Sonny Rollins, Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Samuel Barber,
Anton Bruckner, Beethoven, Bach, Mozart, Chopin, Liszt, Haydn. Most
influential albums: Van Halen 1, Van Halen - Fair Warning,
AC/DC - Back In Black, Michael Brecker - Now You See
it... Now You Don't, Joe Satriani Surfing With The Alien
and Engines of Creation, Jeff Beck - Wired, JEFF, Who Else?,
You Had It Coming, Buckethead Bucketheadland Vol 2. and
all of anything that Allan Holdsworth has ever put out there. There
are many more of course but these are the first to pop into my head.
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