Personal Sky Guitar Manual

by Uli Jon Roth

www.deanguitars.com
Dear new Owner of a Sky Guitar!
You have just joined the club of an elite few, and we hope this guitar will fulfill its promises
to you over many years to come.

We would like to apologize for your having to wait for so long after having placed the order.
May it console you to know that the waiting queue is only bound to get even longer in the
future... These instruments are much more intricate and more difficult to build than normal
electric guitars and a lot of love and care went into building them. That is one of the main

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reasons why it took so long to complete them.

Table of contents:
DEAR NEW OWNER OF A SKY GUITAR ............................................ 2
THE SKY IS THE LIMIT ........................................................................... 3-4
THE IDEA .......................................................................................................... 5
GENERAL PHILOSOPHY OF THE SKY GUITAR ........................... 6
THE SHAPE - THE SCRATCH PLATES & PLAQUES ..................... 7
THE WOOD ...................................................................................................... 8
THE FINISH ...................................................................................................... 8
THE VARNISH ................................................................................................. 8
THE NECK .................................................................................................... 8-9
STRING SPACING - 6-STRING VS. 7-STRING ................................ 10
THE FRETS ............................................................................................... 11-12
THE PICK HOLDER ................................................................................... 13
THE SCALE LENGTH ................................................................................ 13
THE STRING GAUGES .............................................................................. 14
LED POSITION LIGHTS IN THE FINGER BOARD ..................... 15
THE TREMOLO SYSTEM AND BRIDGE .......................................... 16
THE PICK-UP SYSTEM & ELECTRONICS ...................................... 17
THE 18-VOLT POWER-SUPPLY ............................................................. 17
THE MEGA-WING PICK-UPS ................................................................ 18
THE FIVE-WAY POSITION TOGGLE SWITCH .....................,....... 19
THE ELECTRONICS: MEGA-WING III SYSTEM .......................... 19
THE FIVE CONTROL KNOBS ........................................................ 19-22
SKY GUITAR COMMUNITY AND WEBSITE ................................. 23

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 The Sky is the Limit!
There had also been many illegal and incompetent
copies in several countries over the years, which had
been made without my consent and which were Sky
Guitars only in name… They were not authentic, they
didn’t play well, they didn’t sound right, most of them
looked wrong or even atrocious... I even have a few
of them at home, because they were given to me, so I
know what I am talking about.
It is true to say that no expense was spared in the
making of the Sky Guitars. Here is why I chose to go with Dean Guitars; it was
because their CEO, my friend Elliott Rubinson, gave
Most instruments are built with the intention to me carte blanche to come up with the best possible
make money – and therefore the thought to keep the guitar – rather than the most profitable guitar!
production cost as low as possible is a major factor
in the resulting quality - or lack of it, for that matter. We don’t see the Sky Guitar as a means to make lots
Business interests drive the markets, and that means of cash, but rather as an exciting new project, which
the concept of making money is always at the bottom brings forth something phenomenal, which all those
line of all these decisions. The dollar rules with an iron involved can be proud of for a long time to come.
fist. That is why there are so few truly great instruments
on the market. The result of this refreshing approach, which flies into
the face of any self-respecting business man’s mental
The applied philosophy in building the Sky Guitars tool box - was that we actually managed to produce the
was rather the opposite, and I am proud of that! For guitars that I had wanted, rather than some watered
once the iron fist of the dollar got soft like a bud of down, compromise-ridden tool of sadness; which no
cotton-wool, and - somehow and miraculously - the doubt would have resulted, had we chosen the one-
Sky Guitar managed to escape the clutches of this way route prescribed by business acumen. Therefore
ever-hungry, grey-eyed monster. Often the demands - although the guitars may seem expensive – in fact
of true Art and Spirit – are diametrically opposed to they ARE expensive – the current cost of bringing
those of Mammon and Greed. These concepts don’t go them to the market is actually not much less than what
together well most of the time. Instead, they tend to their purchase price is! From this you can see that
cancel out one another. the Sky Guitars are not primarily a business venture,
but that there is something else, which is much more
Over the years, many commercial guitar manufacturers important; this is to produce new instruments for the
had been keen to try and produce Sky Guitars for me future, which will stand the test of time and which can
to go the market. But I had always had far too many be a strong and lasting source of inspiration for years
reservations to get excited about this. I didn’t want to to come.
end up with a lousy compromise, which wouldn’t have
been worthy of the lofty concept and my aspirations Another crucial factor was also that Elliott allowed me
for the spirit of the Sky Guitar. to choose my own master luthier for the project, and
this was a lucky, but shrewd move. My choice fell on
I wanted it untarnished and unfettered from Boris Dommenget, who is truly gifted and who was the
commercial aspirations as much as possible. True only luthier known to me who was in the same league
top quality and commercial interests are usually and had the same magic touch as Andreas Demetriou
contradictions in terms – even with many so-called has had, who had unfortunately given up building
high-end products… guitars a long time ago due to problems with his back.

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 The Sky is the Limit! (continued...)

That was the reason why – after a period of almost are kind-of self-evident to experienced players
20 years (!) - there had been no further authentic anyway - but will mainly concentrate on those
Sky Guitars since the original five prototypes built features which makes the SG different from other
by Andy in the Eighties. guitars, and I will sometimes explain the reasoning
behind certain choices we made.
During that time period quite a few people had
tried to build Sky Guitars over the years, but they Sky Guitars are not for every one. For instance,
always fell way short of what I had in mind and they are also not really for beginners, it appears
what I was searching for. The project “Perfecting to me. I believe that they respond best to a certain
the Sky Guitar” had come to a grinding halt and it mind-set in order to get the most out of them. A
went into hibernation for many years. player who doesn’t rise to the occasion will not be
able to unlock their full potential, which is vast.
I simply never came across a builder to fill Andy’s
shoes until Boris came along. This instrument has the ability to humble us –
particularly the 7-string ones…
Due to their intricacies, Sky Guitars also take way
longer to build to perfection than other hand- It is not an ordinary guitar by a far cry, and therefore
built guitars – about four times as long, we reckon, it is advisable and important to spend some time
which is one of the main reasons why the waiting exploring its possibilities and to try and rise to the
list is so long. new challenges by striving for a new level of mastery.
Let the instrument speak to you.
I have personally played every single one of these
Limited Edition Sky Guitars, have spent a fair The Sky Guitar can take you by the hand and
amount of time with each one of these, and checked guide you in this process, but only if you allow
them through thoroughly in my studio before this to happen, will you manage to establish a
sending them on the journey. And I love them all! If personal, individual relationship with this powerful
anything wasn’t to my satisfaction, the guitars were instrument. Each Sky Guitar is different and has a
modified until they were right. distinct personality of its own - as you will soon
find out, hopefully.
It is maybe unusual to have an extensive manual for
an electric guitar, because most things should be But you may have to walk the extra mile to unlock
self-evident. However, Sky Guitars are different in its hidden mysteries and potential.
certain respects.
Otherwise there is a good chance that the
I am sure you will find your own way of exploring instrument will not respond amicably and may stay
its possibilities, but it may still be helpful to share either indifferent towards you, or possibly even
some of my experience regarding this. I have played reject you, which would be deplorable.
Sky Guitars for 27 years now, and you might benefit
from a few personal tips regarding how to get the “The wand chooses its wizard…” (not that I believe
best out of these amazing instruments. it is advisable to practice magician-ship or other
forms of sorcery – as evidenced by the lyrics to
I cannot explain ALL the features - most of which “Sails of Charon”, he he.)

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 The Idea
The idea for this new instrument came to me create a new instrument, which would go way
at the end of the year 1982, pretty much 28 beyond that and would offer way more range and
years ago, while I was living at Little Thatch in versatility. The Sky Guitar was the first guitar
Seaford, Sussex. that provided a vastly extended upper range and
thus opened the doors to a new dimension of
The first Sky Guitar was built by master luthier guitar playing. It was brimming with innovation,
Andy Demetriou in Brighton, England, in but some of that was subtle and not instantly
1983. This one already had virtually all the visible.
typical features regarding the shape, but in
other ways there was still quite a bit of room for But from the very beginning I was also intending
improvement. to eventually achieve a guitar that would be able
to produce the creamy rich tones of a Gibson
But although it may look similar, the first-ever Les Paul, as well as having the incomparable
Sky Guitar - the Dolphin Sky - which is in a clarity and precision of a Strat. Initially that
museum now - did nowhere near have the same seemed like an impossible undertaking, because
sonic abilities that the new instruments have. there were many hurdles to overcome, but I can
The guitar you are holding today is the latest now honestly say that this goal has not only
incarnation of Sky Guitars, and they have come been achieved, but also been surpassed. This is
a long way since those early days. something of a tight-rope straddle that – to my
knowledge – no other guitar has achieved so far.
The first thing that defines a Sky Guitar is the And it took many years to get to this point.
characteristic shape with the S-shaped scratch
plates. The intention behind the whole design The idea for the Sky Guitar was also partially
was to combine a practical necessity – that of inspired by the concept of the classical violin.
obtaining a more comfortable access to the top It has always been an aspiration of mine to
registers of the guitar – with an equally strong give the guitar the same kind of wings a violin
aesthetic demand. I wanted to design a guitar, has – meaning to extend its potential into that
which not only went way beyond existing models direction… There is no instrument which has
in terms of natural range, but I also wanted to do mastered the art of singing and sheer playful
full justice to the aspects of ergonomics, sonic virtuosity the way the violin has. Of all the
prowess and overall response; and last - but not guitars on the market that I have played – for
least – I wanted a guitar that looked beautiful at me, at least – Sky Guitars are capable to produce
the same time. the most singing tone. Perhaps their closest
counterpart in the violin world might be the
The Sky Guitar was intended to be a true virtuoso priceless Guarneri del Gesú violins, which were
guitar. It was designed to be the most versatile, built in the 1700s in Italy by the amazing pupil
most powerful guitar on the planet at the time. of the venerated master builder from Cremona –
Antonio Stradivari.
The original aim was to take the concept of the
Fender Stratocaster as a departure and then

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 Playing Position – Balance –
General Philosophy of the Sky Guitar

The violin is best played while standing. That

stance adds a certain amount of energy and
composure/attitude which is hard to match
when sitting down. Therefore I made the choice
to play Sky Guitars mainly standing up and they
are designed that way. The flow of energy through
our bodies is totally different when standing, as
opposed to that of sitting or lying down. Standing
up makes for a way more energetic and interactive
flow and definitely enhances the rhythmical
impulses in a particular way.

Sitting down has its advantages, too – but Sky

Guitars are not built for rest and repose. They
are built for action – flow of energy – activity.
They are built to fly and they challenge you to be
a good pilot in more ways than one. These guitars
have the power to make you grow as a guitarist,
even as a musician, if one knows how to benefit
from this challenge.

One thing that has always bothered me about

many electric guitars is the fact that - when one
is standing, instead of sitting down - the body of
the guitar rests against the player’s body in such a
way that the finger board is pointing upwards to
a certain degree. That leads to a less than perfect
posture, meaning the left hand has to constantly
overstretch in an unhealthy and unnecessary way.
This violates the beautiful law of economy in
motion.

The Sky Guitar is perfectly balanced so that this

doesn’t occur. The knobs which hold the straps
are strategically placed to achieve a perfectly
comfortable position for the left hand. This gives
you ultimate control over your positions and it
won’t tire the hand either.

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 The Shape –
The Scratch Plates & Plaques

“scratch-plate” I guess, he he, but there is nothing

that can be done about this, because I don’t want
to have the plates laminated with a lacquer of
sorts.

Having said that, I have had golden plates on

Mighty Wing for over twenty years – and only
in recent years the gold has come off in the place
where my pick hits the plate the most. If one is
bothered by this, the solution is to fit a new lower
scratch plate after some years, if we feel that is a
problem. I personally have still the original on
Mighty Wing, because I prefer the continuity of
things.

On the back of the guitar you will find two oval,

gilded plaques.

The first of these – in the spring cavity – displays

the date the guitar was finished (hand-crafted
Sky Guitars usually take several months to
be completed), the name of the builder, Boris
Dommenget - and the manufacturer who licences
it, Dean Guitars.

The second plaque tells you the name of the

guitar, which I have personally chosen after
The shape of the guitars is still largely the same spending some time playing it and checking it
as it was in my first design, but while the original out thoroughly. I strongly believe there is a name
S-shape scratch plates were just made of either hidden in all things – we just have to find it. I
white plastic or wood, all new Sky Guitars of hope I found the right name for your guitar. Each
this limited edition have scratch plates made of guitar has its own individual something, I believe
solid brass and which are fully gold plated with – almost like a little mind of its own. To me,
18 karat gold as are the springs in the back. The instruments like these are alive in more ways than
first such guitar was Mighty Wing – which also one – particularly when crafted by an artistically
was the first-ever 7-string Sky. gifted crafts man. They take on a persona. It’s like
an invisible energy field, which you can sense if
A minor draw-back with these plates is that they you are hip to these things.
do scratch relatively easily – hence the name

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 The Wood The Varnish
Most Sky Guitars are made of alder, which is a The varnish on the first models of this edition is
preferred wood for the Strat. nitrocellulose lacquer, which is the same that is
The present series uses mainly Bavarian alder. used on Gibson guitars. There are advantages and
Some guitars come with quilted maple tops – very disadvantages to this – as with all things. The use
few with a flamed top. of nitro is going to be outlawed soon it appears,
because of environmental concerns – a lot of the
Most 7-string Sky Guitars are made of mahogany, gas just evaporates when applying it.
and most of them feature a quilted maple-top –
even those which don’t show the pattern of the The Sky Guitars from number Eight onwards
wood, like the Blue Infinity Sky, which is one of are varnished with polyurethane – which is the
my recent preferred prototypes. These guitars varnish that was also used for Mighty Wing.
sound amazing – as do the 6-string ones – but in
a different way.

The Finish The Neck

Sky Guitars come in many different finishes, but I The necks on most of the present Sky Guitar
am making sure that they all comply with certain edition are made of maple with a flamed maple
important parameters and they must be pleasing finger board with abalone inlays. Very few necks
to the eye. The colours need to be in tune with are made from ebony.
the instrument so-to-speak. The first Sky Guitar
prototypes, like the Dolphin Sky, the Purple and The head-stock uses my favourite tuning-pegs,
the Emperor all had a stylized spiral galaxy pattern which are basically Strat style. I really dislike pegs
on their bodies, while some - such as Mighty Wing that make it necessary to clip the string and leave
and the Rembrandt Sky - had jewelled broaches disorganized ends of strings dangling into all
on top of that. The current edition is different in directions.
that respect, but all of the new guitars feature the
Sky Academy spiral & stars symbol in gold, which Inside the neck there is a truss-rod, which can
is located on the front at a distance behind the be adjusted into both directions by turning the
bridge. screw, which is hidden under the little golden
brass cover on the front of the headstock.
Every Sky Guitar is slightly different, and that
includes the colouring, because they are all Depending on temperature conditions, the neck
hand built. To me this is desirable. These are not may move a little over time and may need to be re-
identical Sky Guitar clones. Therefore - although adjusted. If you are not comfortable about how to
made to perfection - they are not as predictable do this, please consult a qualified guitar builder.
and uniform as CNC-machine built guitars, It is just part of general maintenance to check
which nowadays make the bulk of instruments on through the guitar every once in a while.
the market to make them more affordable. (continued...)

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 The Neck
Talking about long-term maintenance: most of finger does not dampen the string in the same way
my Sky Guitars have been “pleked” by now. If you as when we are in direct contact with the wood,
are not familiar with this ingenious invention, you and the result is a more resonant, a more freely
may want to take the time to read up about it on vibrating string. If one listens closely, this is quite
the web. The Plek machine effectively measures obvious.
all the height and detail of each and every single
fret on the guitar. The scalloping, however, is a definite drawback
when it comes to the intonation of certain
It analyses the perfect curve and shows the result complex chord patterns. Since the majority of
in 3-D. Then it polishes each single fret to the chords is played on the lower half of the neck
perfect height that is wanted. It is an amazing section and lead is predominantly played in the
process and really works. This is particularly higher positions – at least this has always been
helpful, when – after much playing – certain frets my personal preference for reasons of sonority
become worn down more than others. Rather - my solution was to leave the first positions
than completely re-fret the guitar, which is a unscalloped.
somewhat drastic option – the Plek process can
make sure that there is no unwanted string-buzz Should there ever be any questions regarding the
and other abnormalities. guitars which you may have, feel free to contact
Boris Dommenget at [email protected]. He
At this point a word of caution: we strongly will gladly assist you and answer your queries.
advise against changing or personalizing any of
the features of the Sky Guitar. This instrument
has been conceived as an organic whole, and any
type of changes may detract from its quality, apart
from the fact that it would definitely devalue the
guitar seriously. You can be assured that these
limited edition guitars will one day become very
expensive collector’s items. Their value will never
diminish – as long as they are in good condition.
Instead, their value will increase substantially over
time, because there are so few of them around,
and they are extra-special.

Most new Sky Guitar necks are scalloped from

the 5th or 8th fret onwards. I personally much
prefer scalloped necks for lead playing for several
reasons; first of all, one has so much more micro
control over the string, because there is no friction
with the fret-board.

Secondly: scalloped simply sounds better! The

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 String Spacing –
6-String vs 7-String

Another idiosyncrasy, which you may notice comment on, because it is slightly asymmetrical -
upon closer inspection, is the fact that my top but was made by design and is fully intentional.
E-string has considerably more distance from
the edge of the fingerboard than you will find on The 7-string Sky Guitars implement a somewhat
other guitars. Armed with a real Sky Guitar you narrower string-spacing than the 6-string ones.
will probably be the only kid on the block (or In certain respects they are even more virtuoso
man in the city) who manages a decent full-depth guitars and are “geared” slightly differently. Due
vibrato on the top E-string! to the narrower string spacing, it is easier to play
extensive arpeggios and to fly over the strings like
This is something that is simply impossible to one can on a violin. However, this type of spacing
achieve on most electric guitars. Don’t ask me may take some getting used to. It demands a
why nobody seems to have ever questioned this, greater picking precision and is more generally
because it seems a very obvious defect, but 99.9 unforgiving of any kind of sloppy playing, On
percent of guitars seem to suffer this deficiency. the 7-string guitars there is very little margin for
Sky Guitars finally put an end to that sorry state error.
of affairs.
One simply HAS to be precise with those.
Another advantage of this is that the string also Therefore they really are made for expert hands,
sounds much better, because it isn’t as close to who can get the best out of them. The 7-string
the edge of the neck as on a standard guitar. And also allows for easier access to the very top notes,
even the B-string benefits by allowing for an even because the bridge is in a different position
wider and more secure, resonant vibrato, because altogether. The 7-string Sky Guitars are based
it is further away from the edge, where the tone directly on Mighty Wing, which has always played
gets thinner and more brittle. like a dream, but which is taking a sabbatical right
now.
So, the placement of the nut is not a sloppy
accident - as an observant luthier would probably

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 The Frets
Top Notes - Whole Tone Spacing

In general, I do prefer frets to be super jumbo – I don’t difficult and the whole instrument becomes more
want to feel them. You may have noticed that the temperamental, less even and less predictable. But - on
width of the fret wire on these guitars is not the same the plus side – a high action guitar is definitely more
throughout. That is intentional. The fret wire on all individualistic in terms of overall response.
Sky Guitars gets less wide as we go up the neck in order
to guarantee space for the fingers on the higher frets. You will have noticed that the fret spacing suddenly
doubles from the top A onwards (on some guitars
The extended finger board is, of course, one of the from the top B). This is due to the fact that on the very
main features on Sky Guitars. first Sky Guitars it was virtually impossible to create a
truly singing tones on the very highest notes, because
The actual number of frets may vary between the there was simply not enough space for my fingers to fit
different models. Theoretically, there could be a few comfortably between the top frets.
more frets on these guitars, but we have experimented
a lot with this, and I opted against it. The main We overcame this problem by settling on a compromise
reason for this being the fact that it is pretty nigh-on – but a compromise that definitely works very well.
impossible to get musically convincing sounds out of Most good solutions to problems involve a compromise
these highest notes on the guitar. of sorts. That is a design law. Every gain incorporates a
loss – and the opposite holds true as well: in every loss
We also deliberately left a space between the bridge there is a gain…
pick-up and the fingerboard to allow for some deep
picking. It is an idiosyncrasy of Sky Guitars that, when The solution was to – for want of a better expression -
picking closer to the neck, the depth of the picking “change gear” and to change the spacing by switching
needs to be adjusted a little, because one is effectively to whole-tone steps, instead of semi-tones, which is the
picking over the finger board. standard for all guitars. That worked. Mighty Wing
has beautiful singing tones from the top A upwards,
This also very much depends on the height of your and it is a joy to play those notes with comparable ease.
action. I personally have always favoured a high action When I say “comparable ease”, it must be taken with a
for reasons of tone, increased dynamic range - and pinch of salt, because it will never be as “easy” to play
sheer physical control over the string. With a higher up there in these regions as it is in the centre of the
action, it is possible to really lay into the strings, when neck – and why should it?
it is desirable. And one can achieve any dynamic
shading from double pianissimo to triple fortissimo In terms of music – to me these are the extreme
without the string collapsing, as is the case so often regions – the Himalaya of guitar craft - and they are
with low action. best treated with the respect they deserve… One needs
extra oxygen up there and the sun-light is so intense
The control over vertical vibrato is also so much better that one needs shades…
with a high action guitar.
It would also be artistically unsavoury to constantly
Most tone-conscious players do favour a higher action. play up there – and it would go on every one’s nerves,
The downside is, of course, that guitars with a high too. To me these high notes are more like the end
action are harder to play and therefore somewhat points of a potential journey and I use them sparingly.
“slower” when it comes to fast playing. That way they stay more precious, too. An operatic
tenor doesn’t constantly fire off his precious top C’s all
Further cons are that the intonation becomes more (continued...)

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 The Frets (continued...)

Top Notes - Whole Tone Spacing

the time. The result would be an inflation and “How many frets do they have?” I am still giving
the value of something that is extra special would the same answer that I have always given:
decrease and become cheapened and common
place, by over-extensive and indiscriminate use. “I don’t know!” I don’t think in terms of frets,
but in terms of musical tones.
When I first started playing “up there”, my hands
had to develop a new approach, because very The truth is that a lot of Sky Guitars have slightly
different ergonomic rules apply. Depending on different numbers of frets. This may seem odd,
the shape of one’s hand, it may be best to bring but can be explained easily: we have always
forward the thumb and to play in a hovering experimented with the number of top-frets, and
position. This is, of course, unusual at first and very often I have asked the guitar builders to
takes some getting used to, because the thumb take away or add certain frets.
is the master controller behind the scenes in
normal playing. New muscles come into play Furthermore – I would count the top frets –
– or, at least, the muscles have to perform in a which are whole-tone steps – as two frets per
different way and in a different sequence. But step, although physically there is only one fret
after some time this will become second nature. there. It depends on this decision how one
counts. If I count the frets on the new Sky
Another hurdle is the fact that – when playing fast Guitars, the number is 37, although some have
– the chromatic notes seem to have disappeared 35, which is my current preferred state. I may
at first. But they have not – they are only harder still change my mind about that, though. I like
to come by… There are two ways to deal with the to have the extra space there for the deep picking
absence of the chromatic top notes: the first is angle. There have been attempts to go as far as
– to simply play them on the B-string, instead 40 frets, but I wasn’t happy with the results, and
of the E-string. That means that a chromatic run had them removed. The string just gets too short
would have to criss-cross between the E- and the up there to produce meaningful results.
B-string in an alternating fashion. Somewhat
cumbersome, but doable. Hey, no obstacle is The second Sky Guitar ever built – the Purple
too great for a great tone, right? A second way Sky from 1985 – even has a fretless section at
is to pre-bend the required notes to the desired the very top. Again, this was an experiment.
chromatic pitch. But that habit may take a little While it yielded some interesting musical
practice. results, I eventually decided against using that
approach on other guitars, because the fretless
Have I already said that the Sky Guitar will section produced a diminished sonority and the
challenge you to rise to a new plateau? response was poor – unless one actually turned
ones’ finger upside down and played the note
Finally, an ever-recurring question regarding Sky with the nail, which I did sometimes.
Guitars, which I have often been asked:

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 The Pick Holder
It has always bothered me to have to put my
guitar pick into my mouth when switching to
finger picking and back. That’s why I didn’t
used to employ the finger picking technique
a lot when playing live. Finally, after 40-plus
years, we found the perfectly simple solution:
a spring-loaded pick holder at the top of the
bridge-pick-up. Try it for yourself ! It works
a treat! Just snap the pick into position and
retrieve it when needed. With a little practice
this is very easy and it makes the change-over
super-fast.

The Scale Length

Regarding the scale length, I have decided
to have almost all Sky Guitars fitted with the
long scale length of Fender guitars, which
is approximately 65 centimeters long. The
reason for this is greater sonic clarity. However,
a shorter scale-length has some advantages,
which is why on a few select instruments we will
implement this option. For example, my Blue
Infinity 7-string, which I am playing a lot these
days has a slightly shorter scale length. While
certain things are definitely easier to play on this
guitar – such as super wide stretches – the draw-
back is that the top notes are definitely harder
to play, because the string becomes physically
more taut and simply shorter. It simply doesn’t
resonate quite as well in the highest regions,
which is why I tend not to play there as much
on that guitar, which is otherwise phenomenal
with a beautiful tone and response.

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 The String Gauges
The instruments are currently fitted with slightly But on Sky Guitars – due to the length of the head-
thicker gauge strings than I am using personally. The stock – strings feel a little harder than on most
action is also slightly lower than mine, but still fairly guitars. This will also give you greater clarity. An
on the high side. Most people would not be happy 008-string on a Sky Guitar may feel like a 009 on a
with the height of the action on my personal guitars. Strat or a 010-string on a Les Paul.
It is definitely harder to play like that, and many a
guitarist may not want to give up vital points in the My favourite B-string has always been the 011.
department of ease and dexterity for the sake of tone
alone. G-strings have always been either 014 or 015 – these
both have advantages and disadvantages.
The way the guitar responds is also very much
connected with the particular tuning you choose. D-strings are always wound. They tend to vary from
The guitars do react completely differently as soon 022 to 024 to 026.
as the tuning changes. Even tuning down a semi tone
from standard E-tuning to E-flat totally changes the A-strings tend to vary a lot with me. Currently they
overall response of the guitar in more ways than one. are either 030 or 032, but in the past they were
Furthermore, this is also directly related to string sometimes as thick as 036 for the Electric Sun sound,
gauges and scale-length. which was slightly harder and tighter.

Here are the string gauges as I currently use them; The bottom E-string is varying a lot from 042 (rare)
over the years I have tried many different gauges, but to 046, 050. In Electric Sun days they used to be
certain gauges seem to be my favourite constant. 052 sometimes, whereas during early Scorpions
days, I remember them being as light as 038 (!) at
In general, I tend to prefer lighter strings on the first. I don’t really remember when I migrated to
top while leaning towards the more heavy types for heavier bass strings, but when I did, the sound of the
the bass range. To me that gives the guitar a nice guitars improved considerably. I guess it was during
grounding, and I prefer chords that way with a the “Earthquake” period of Electric Sun in the late
distinct, clear-cut bass, but with a more shimmering, Seventies.
slightly softer ring towards the treble register. I also
don’t want to have to overcome too much physical The bottom B-string on the seven-strings can also
resistance while manipulating the top strings during vary a lot. One has to find the right kind of type
solos. of string. You will get good results from 050-058,
possibly thicker, but sometimes these are too slow in
My favourite E-strings for Sky Guitars are definitely response because of their thickness.
008s. I sometimes use 009s, particularly when
tuning down, but the top 008 gives a more “shiny”, It also depends on the pitch you tune it to. I sometimes
more alive vibrato. Though there have been albums, tune it to C, to D, or to a low bass A, which results
where I used top 010 E-strings, but with hindsight I in an actual 6-octave instrument (!). A Stratocaster
can tell the difference in the tone of the vibrato and or a standard Gibson guitar has only three and a half
I don’t like it. octaves in comparison… The 7-string Sky Guitar is
Of course on a Les Paul, with a shorter scale length, virtually a different instrument altogether.
even I would use heavier top-strings.

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Led Position Lights in the Finger Board
As I got older, my eye sight gradually started to
deteriorate… The finger board became more and
more blurry, and when the light was low I saw even
less.

I never used to look much at my guitar necks while

playing, because I often played with closed eyes.
But there are certain songs, which contain more
technically demanding leads that feature wide
position changes and skips such as Sky Overture and
the Vivaldi Four Seasons… For these pieces it is very
advantageous to be able to see what your fingers are
doing and where the frets are.

When I was younger I was used to having perfect

vision, but there came a point when I couldn’t see
the frets on the finger board any more. Nowadays,
particularly with those glaring lights the finger board
is nothing but a shiny, reflective blur. I actually grew
to like this state of super-soft vision. It is very relaxing,
but a definite drawback when aiming for certain skips
on the fingerboard at top-speed. Ever since then I
dreamed of having lights in the fingerboard.

Now all new Sky Guitars come equipped with

beautiful blue LED position lights in the top edge of
the neck. I LOVE the position lights and don’t ever
want to be without them.

Apart from the obvious advantage of giving totally

clear positions – even in a pitch-black room – it also
has a nice little psychological side-effect – at least for
me. As soon as power comes to the guitar, one feels
one is entering a different dimension. The instrument
is ready to fly! We have lift-off always makes me feel
good. I don’t get that on a “normal” guitar…

The brightness of the LEDs can be adjusted with a

screw driver or a pick, by twisting a small screw which
is on the plastic sheet that covers the electronics
cavity. The LED lights are fed through the 18-volt
power supply.

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 The Tremolo System & Bridge
All Sky Guitars come equipped with free-floating If one prefers the tight approach of a flat bridge, an
tremolo systems and don’t have a locking mechanism. easy solution is to insert a locking spring.
When the guitar is set up properly there will be no
problem to keep the guitars in tune, even when using I personally prefer three tremolo springs - instead of
the whammy bar extensively. I prefer to have a subtle five or two - to balance the system, the tension and the
and accurate response of the whammy bar, and the sound.
systems we use give me exactly that.
The choice to have no rear plate to cover the springs is
However, it is not a Floyd Rose system, which is a deliberate one.
more extreme. The basic idea of the Floyd Rose is
appealing in one way, but the sound they produce Each guitar has a resonance of its own, usually several,
is awful. By clamping down the strings in such a depending on the propensities and density of the
“brutal”, unforgiving way, the guitar loses a lot of its wood. But the springs also have definite pitches of their
overall resonance and beauty of sound. Floyd Rose and own which are close to a B-flat, a B natural, sometimes
similar systems always deaden the sound of the guitar. higher. While this can be very desirable, because it
To my ears that is totally unacceptable. The sound leads to some kind of cathedral effect, particularly
of an unamplified electric guitar is small enough in in certain keys, it can also be a nuisance, when one is
physical terms; the last thing we need is to make it even looking for a super-tight, super-clean sound. I usually
smaller… hold the SG in such a way that the springs are muted
by my body. However, sometimes I will consciously
To help the guitar stay in tune, I use a simple, yet use the “reverberation” of the springs and will keep the
effective method: I either use a Graphite solution, guitar away from the body. It then works almost like
which is easily obtainable or “Nut Sauce” on the nut, some kind of eerie echo chamber.
sometimes also on the tuning pegs and even the saddles
of the bridge sometimes. That eliminates any potential I dislike having to tune a guitar, because of many
points of friction, where the string might get stuck reasons. Just like I want to drive a car without having to
in one position which leads to tuning instabilities. first calibrate the wheels each time I prefer to just pick
It is not necessary to do this often in my experience, up the guitar and play. There is a tuning system which
because the stuff lasts for quite a while once it has been I love, which was developed by my good friend, Chris
applied. Since I don’t change my strings often, I need Adams, in Hamburg. It was originally called Tronical
to apply the stuff only rarely. Powertune. These systems are already available on
many of the new Gibson guitars and are fantastic
The bridge allows you to change the intonation of each and are even getting better all the time. I was hoping
string with a small Allen key, which is provided. This to include them on the first guitars of the new series,
may become necessary, when using different gauge but so far they are not yet available for Sky Guitars
strings. unfortunately. When they are, they can be retrofitted,
and we will let you know, in case you are interested.
My tremolo systems are always free floating with the I will certainly have all of my guitars equipped with
ability to go up as well as down. these, because you can change to any desired tuning
in split seconds. Since I often play in either standard
This allows a better tremolo vibrato as well as pulling tuning or E-flat tuning, I will be able to do this on the
up to achieve upward glissando sounds or downward fly on stage, which is veritable dream.
dive bombs.

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 The Pick-Up System & Electronics
Mega Wing III

It took many years to get the Mega Wing system of a whole host of improvements right away.
perfected.
Well, today – some 23 years later – most of these
The electronics were designed by none other have been implemented on the Mega-Wing III.
than my old friend John Oram, aka “the father But the project went through several stages of
of British EQ”. The Mega-Wing project began in research and development, before we arrived at
the late Eighties, when John asked me the loaded the “perfect” solution for the electronics.
question: “If you had the chance to dream up
the perfect pick-up system – what would it have To the best of my knowledge the MEGA-WING
to be like for you?” A dream question, to which III is easily the currently most powerful and most
I didn’t hesitate to reply with a whole string of effective and versatile pick-up system on the
unreasonable demands. In short, I was deeply planet. Please correct me if I am wrong, and you
dissatisfied with existing pick-ups and could think will make your own opinion about that.

The 18-Volt Power Supply

In order to achieve the incredibly high 100 Wing”. Because of this it is not possible to play
dB maximum output of the MWIII system a the guitar with radio transmitter units. They
dedicated 18-volt power-supply is needed. For sound bad anyway…
more than one reasons no other power-supplies
than the ones that come with the guitar can be It best to avoid “hot-plugging” the guitar – which
used. The power-supply is fine tuned to enable means to try and avoid plugging the instrument
the best possible performance of the Mega- in, while the power-supply light shows the “on”
Wing system and it also powers the LED lights position. Nothing will usually happen, if by
in the guitar neck. If it is not calibrated perfectly accident one plugs in while the power-supply is
and matched to the guitar, the power-supply already in the “on” position, but a freak current
intelligently adapts itself to international voltages. might potentially fry a capacitor in the system,
It does not need to be manually switched from which might result in unwanted noise. In all my
110 volts to 230 volts when traveling from years this has only happened once, but it did, and
America to Europe, for example. Earlier Mega- therefore I am always cautious to be on the safe
Wing incarnations - the M-W1 – used two nine side and I make sure that the light is in the “off ”-
volt batteries inside of the guitar. But the latest position before I plug in the guitar. Once plugged
Mega-Wings are simply too powerful to be fed by in safely, we can turn the safety switch to ON,
batteries. They would empty far too quickly and so that the lamp on the unit emits a steady light.
not even last a show. Hence the necessity of the Only then is the guitar ready to produce a sound
power-supply. The Mega-Wing receives power through an amp. Remember: no power-supply,
through a stereo-cable, which connects from the or no stereo-lead: no sound. It is actually quite
jack in the front of the unit, which says “Mega- simple. Even I have learnt it.

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 The Mega-Wing Pick-Ups
All MEGA-WING III pick-ups are hand-wired As it is – Mega-Wing systems on Sky Guitars are not
by Boris Dommenget, who is a superb and very microphonic at all (within reason), but will give you
experienced maker of pick-ups. What is more, Boris tremendous amounts of natural and desirable feed-
has developed an amazing patent, which actually back from the amps.
changes the magnetic field of the pick-up and manages
to achieve a perfectly clear single-coil Strat type sound The actual noise levels are also very low, even at full
as well as a super-fat hum-bucker Les Paul type at the blast. But it is obvious that any form of EQ that you
flick of a switch from one and the same pick-up. And dial in and a raise in the master gain level will result in
this totally works! If you look at the Sky Guitar, you a slightly higher noise level. If you step on a Wah-Wah
will see a little toggle switch on the lower scratch plate pedal or switch on a gain-boosting stomp box you will
below the pick-up position switch. know what I mean. The Mega-Wings – in comparison -
are much quieter than that, although the actual output
When the toggle points downwards, the whole guitar is enormous. We have opted against a noise limiter,
is in perfect single coil mode – and it has a beautiful because the threshold settings are volatile and don’t
single coil tone, which is not harsh or grating, but allow for truly dynamic playing. I always immediately
pleasing to the ear. turn off my guitar volume knob as soon as I stop
playing. It is a very healthy habit, which I was forced to
When you flick the switch upwards you will be greeted acquire in my early days of playing super-noisy, hum-
by sweet roaring thunder: a very powerful, creamy, sensitive Stratocaster single-coil pick-ups.
warm, but singing hum-bucker will be music to your
ears. Enjoy! One extra comment: when one starts to play higher
than the 24th position, it is best to switch to the bridge
There are three pick-ups: the first is actually hidden pick-up, because the first pick-up will by design be out
under the finger board. This gives you the warmest and of range.
richest tone, because it is positioned exactly over the
sweet spot where the string modulates in the richest It will still pick up a little bit of the signal, but won’t be
fashion and where the overtones are the sweetest. able to give you a great tone.

This is pretty much the 24th fret or second octave The centre pick-up does not actually turn into hum-
position. Note: on the 7-strings we found a slightly bucker mode. It is always a single-coil.
different solution regarding the placement of the pick-
ups. This has a great advantage: if you quickly need to
switch to a very different tone while playing (which is
The pick-up under the neck was an idea of Andy sometimes the case), all you need to do is switch the
Demetriou’s who was the original builder of all the first pick-up toggle switch from either 1st or 3rd position
SG prototypes. Amazingly, there is no deterioration of to the middle – or reverse. The middle pick-up on all
sound, because the wood doesn’t affect the magnetism Sky Guitars sounds beautiful – much better than those
of the low impedance pick-ups. The tone is loud and on a Strat, to my mind, which tend to be somewhat
clear. It is, however, important to keep the neck pick- fleshless and nondescript. This is because of its
up flush against the fingerboard, because it physically placement and because of the Mega-Wing system.
supports it from below, but - more importantly –
because microphony would arise if there were air- The bridge pick-up is very powerful, but not piercingly
pockets allowed to develop due to an empty space. bright, and gets even stronger when the pick-up is
raised up with its screws.

- 18 -
 The Five-Way
Position Toggle Switch
The Electronics
Mega-Wing III System
The 5-way toggle switch is currently wired to The electronics are hidden inside a so-called
achieve the following constellations: “black box” inside of the electronics cavity on the
back of the guitar. Please do not try to open that
Position 1: neck pick-up box, which is sealed – doing so would irreparably
Position 2: neck & centre pick-up (resulting in an damage the system.
out-of-phase sound)
Position 3: centre/middle pick-up I have used Oram electronics ever since we had
Position 4: centre & bridge pick up the first Mega-Wings in 1987 I believe and the
Position 5: bridge pick-up old systems are still functioning fully. I have never
had a problem on stage with them, although they
Note: some of the older 7-strings - including were all only prototypes - knock on wood. That is
Mighty Wing - came with two pick-ups only. a pretty good testimony to their durability - and
it is true.

The Five Control Knobs

There are 5 control knobs on all new Sky is achievable under the respective gig conditions.
Guitars. Some stages and halls simply don’t sound good
These are – from top to bottom: – some are too bright, some too dead, some too
1st control knob: volume booming, some too ambient, some too loud,
2nd control knob: treble/high end EQ some too quiet, and so forth…
3rd control knob: mid-range EQ
4th control knob: bass range EQ The list is far from comprehensive. Finding a
5th control knob: master gain perfect stage is relatively rare, but the Mega-Wing
gives you the ultimate power tool to deal with
Before I shall explain the various functions of the a very wide variety of sonic conditions and can
five individual control knobs, I would like to make smooth out many a potential problem. The trick
a general observation. Most knobs of this kind on is to listen carefully and to learn how to get the
standard guitars have either numbers or markers best results. It doesn’t always work, but it works
to indicate their respective positions and values. most of the time.
Since all stages and environments are different, I
simply use my ears for my eyes and dial the sound Certain combinations are simply magical. I use
in completely just by listening. Therefore we don’t a lot of additive EQ combined with subtractive
have any markers. EQ and thus can achieve a huge variety of organic
colours with that guitar. A lot of that is in finding
I do this during the sound check, but it is a the right EQ settings. It is a rather subtle process
process which is ongoing during the show even. I of fine tuning while playing, and I am not saying
am always looking for the best possible tone that it is easy, but it is worth learning how to do it.

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The Volume Control The Bass EQ
The volume works just like a normal volume control. The fourth knob is the bass control. The previous Mega-
Nothing fancy there. It is conveniently located so that Wing systems didn’t have a bass control yet, but I have
the player can control the volume while picking. This always wanted one… All new systems have a separate
also allows for convenient and smooth swells and bass control – and what a difference it makes… I found
decrescendos. that now it is a lot easier to control an amp through the
guitar. Some amps have very different bass responses.

The Treble Control With the new Mega-Wings 3, I am able to compensate

for either too little or too much bass. It works a treat!

Usually I have the bass dialled in at about twenty to

The second control knob is a treble sweep EQ. The thirty per cent all the time. This makes a big difference
zero position is in the middle. If you turn the knob in most environments and on most amps. It gives a
up beyond that point a pleasant, but powerful treble really pleasant and warm grounding to the overall tone
will be added across the spectrum. You can add up to and sets off the two other EQs perfectly.
20dB. But you can also roll off twenty dB of treble if
you turn the knob anti-clockwise. We have therefore
the option of both additive, as well as subtractive EQ.
For instance to achieve a Strat type sound you need
The Master Gain
to roll off some of the “yellow” mid range and dial in
more “blue” – more treble. The last knob is the master gain control of the MEGA-
WING.

The Mid-Range EQ This is our turbo charger, in effect. It can be likened

to a seamless kind of gearshift and it turns the guitar
from a normal, well behaved lounge lion into a roaring
The third control knob fades in or out an extremely tiger.
strong mid-range sweep filter. The frequency range
has been chosen by myself with great care and centres This gain control is absolutely unique in electric guitars
around a definite sweet spot which is kind of “yellow” in and makes all the difference. You have to experiment
my mind at a precise centre frequency, where the EQ is with it to see its incredible advantages. When the knob
most effective. I hardly ever dial it in to the maximum, is turned anti-clockwise all the way, the guitar has the
but for example, if you want to obtain a Les Paul type out-put of, say, a standard Strat. It will react like any
of sound, a certain combination of the three EQ knobs guitar. But as soon as you increase the gain amazing
will give you that, as long as you know how to dial it in. things are happening.
These things take a little practice, particularly when you
have to do it on the fly during a gig. Most environments The guitar will start to sing at even very low amp
or amps will require different EQ settings. You have to settings such as 1 or 2!
trust your ears and experiment. Whatever setting you
have, it is almost impossible to create a bad sound – Because it is an integrated fully calibrated system the
the EQs are powerful, but very musical and have an sonic quality of the overdrive thus achieved is far, far
organic, natural response. Therefore they are also very superior to any available gadget in the field of gain.
forgiving, unlike some of the modern techno type EQ That includes tube screamers – which are certainly not
on some recent mixing consoles or equalizers. This is bad - and it most definitely wipes the floor with all
state of the art technology, but the design concepts are those high gain channels of all modern amps. All that
organic and “old school” – solid. (continued...)

- 20 -
 The Master Gain (continued...)

is required to obtain a great singing tone is an amp with I can certainly tell you about my own experiences,
lots of head room – the clean channel on most amps is because I have come across many an amp on my travels,
the preferred option. And you never need to switch and not all have lived to tell the tale…
channels again, which in itself for me has always been
an unacceptable compromise – and one that delivers Truth is: Sky Guitars with MEGA-WINGS can be
very poor results. amp killers…

Truly great guitar tones cannot be achieved in the Therefore one word of warning: when you are turning
way most amp manufacturers are aiming at these days. all the knobs clockwise – the kind of setting that
In fact, today, most of these amps are built in such a I almost never go to – the guitar resembles a raging
way that it is impossible to get a fantastic sound. They volcano and is much harder to control on certain
are built for convenience of use, or to cover up for amps. In that state it delivers an incredible 100 dB of
players’ potential deficiencies with super-high, but signal – pure plasma – that is more than ten times the
comparatively crude gain. Some of these sounds may output of a standard Strat! Some amps simply cannot
sound impressive to untrained ears at first hearing, handle this kind of abuse and they will soon cave in,
but they tend to wear off quickly, because they tire the they may get oversaturated with gain, may not have
ear and are usually pretty useless when one seeks for enough headroom – or may simply implode and blow
individual expression and character of tone. a fuse.

The concept and the road map with most modern Having said that – some amps, like old Marshall
amplifiers is totally wrong in my eyes. Plexis, Superleads, can handle that kind of input and
still sound great without giving up the ghost. But this
An artistic dead end – a death trap, which results in is not true of all amps. For instance a VOX AC 30 will
people getting used to guitars sounding primitive and sound sweet and beautiful with a Sky Guitar, but if you
one-dimensional. turn it up too much, it won’t last long.

While the Sky Guitar equipped with Mega-Wings may I once blew up an AC30 in 10 seconds by turning it up
not be able to reverse that deplorable trend - which is all the way. It sounded great while it lasted… The same
one that guarantees mediocre results at best - you are happened several times to a poor Fender Bassman amp,
now free to create your very own great tone! You have which also sounded great before it gave up the ghost…
the power tool in your hands. All you need to do is to Peavey graciously sent me two 51/50s after I had
find your own way to get the very best out of it. jammed with Deep Purple and played Steve Morses’
guitar and amp set-up and liked it… Nice sounding
To achieve this it is important to get the kind of amp, but same story: one lasted 30 seconds – the other
amplifier and cabinets that will respond best to the one expired terminally after a few seconds – sounding
power and the resources of the Sky Guitar. You will best just before dying…
find that when you plug into virtually any amp with
a half-way decent clean or crunch channel the Sky Fender Twins last from between 1 hour to three
Guitar will give you superior results… The more the days…
amp distorts by itself, the higher the gain on the amp
channel – the less distinctive quality you will get from Don’t get scared now: I have learnt to not destroy
the Mega-Wings. amps any more (or at least rarely so)…

But to get the very best results, only certain types of And usually it is “only” the fuse that blows anyway.
amps will deliver those. Please feel free to experiment. (continued...)

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 The Master Gain (continued...)

It is actually quite simple: just don’t turn up the on my next tour. I particularly like the 100Watt
amps beyond 50 per cent of their capacity! Artisan, and it is even better in conjunction with
a 200W BlackStar head. I even get a great tone out
What’s more: they sound best when not cranked of both channels by just setting them to as low as 1
to their fullest. This was, of course, fundamentally or 2! This is because they have plenty of head-room
different in the olden days of my Strat with its tiny and are not over challenged.
single-coil output going straight into the Marshall
Plexis… In order to get any singing whatsoever one They are built to a very high standard and they
simply HAD to crank the amp and turn it to “ten”. follow the philosophy of the old Marshalls, but
incorporate very important innovations. They
With the Mega-Wing system this approach is sound more musically gratifying to my ears than
usually counter-productive. most of the recent Marshalls, which tend to sound
very hard and unforgiving with the exception of
However, it took me some time to realize this, certain signature models and the KT66 based
I have to admit, because – as caring and careful I Vintage modern. This one sounds beautiful, but
am by nature when it comes to handling guitars belongs to the category of amps, which need
– when it comes to amps I used to be an ogre – a careful handling, otherwise the Sky Guitar/ Mega-
brute – don’t ask me why, but I never used to treat Wing combination will put an untimely end to
amps with respect. Hence the long list of broken their sweet singing voice.
amps. In my old age, however, I have finally come
to my senses and have learnt to give amplifiers the Instead of a summary: like a thoroughbred stallion,
respect they deserve. a Sky Guitar does not like confined spaces. It needs
plenty of headroom to soar into the sky above. It
Should you want to be abusive to amps – for also loves a powerful amp with resources; just like
whatever reason – here are the recommended ones one can’t drive a Formula One car without certain
which will last even if you crank them AND give pre-cautions, it may be necessary to keep the Mega-
them the full-on Mega-Wing treatment: Wing in check on certain amps.

1) Most older Marshalls, particularly when Having said all that – it also depends on the strength
they have new valves and have been properly biased. of your right hand attack, wether an amp lives or
The newer Marshalls, such as the 2000 series will dies. If you are a soft or mellow picker by nature
last, but don’t last as long as, say the Plexis. who generally favours a more piano or pianissimo
picking approach, you are much less likely to cause
2) Framus amps also last when going all out. damage, because you will create less violent peaks
I often played the Framus Cobra in conjunction in your playing.
with a Marshall Super Lead and obtained great
results. It is like a huge Fender Bass Man, but Don’t come crying to me if you blow up any amps
doesn’t break easily, although it sounds a little hard after having read this: in the words of John Cleese:
and Germanic. “I warned you”!…

3) My latest discovery are BlackStar amps,

which sound amazing and which I am going to play

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 Certificate of Authenticity
Certificate of Authenticity to follow, signed and dated by Boris Dommenget, Uli Jon Roth,
John Oram and Elliott Rubinson, CEO of Dean Guitars.

Sky Guitar Website & Community

We are planning to launch a dedicated Sky Guitar I hope you will be as satisfied with the instrument
website. as I am, and that it will give you great pleasure
playing it and filling the air with beautiful
We want to devote a separate page to each and sounds.
every authentic Sky Guitar ever built and would
therefore also include the instrument you For this I wish you lots of inspiration, as well as
obtained. Each guitar has its own story to tell and good luck. May the Sky Guitar help you to be
there would a space for this. You could update it more inspired. It comes with a positive blessing
any time with a list of gigs you played, recordings towards you. May the force be with you!
that you made using the SG.
I also hope to meet you one day! You are always
There will also be a Sky Guitar user forum - for welcome to visit me back-stage at any of the shows
members only - where you can exchange your in the world, and if you like – I will play your
experiences and where you can give tips to the guitar at one of the concerts. I would love to see
other users. It would also be nice to have a picture it again, because it wasn’t easy for me to part with
of yourself with the guitars, or perhaps even music it. I feel connected with all Sky Guitars. They are
that you performed or recorded with the Sky special to me in a very personal way. I hope they
Guitar. The website will be launched in the not- respond to you in the same way they do to me.
so-distant future, and we will send you an e-mail
regarding this, should you be interested.
Thank you for becoming a member of the “Ring-
of-Sky-Guitars”.

- 23 -
 God bless!

Uli Jon Roth

Schloss Rietzneuendorf, Germany, September 2011

- 24 -