Steven Wilson & Niko Tsonev On Music & Guitar Solos [From Steven's Record The Harmony Codex]

Solo sounds, construction and inspiration with a modern British leg-end!

Welcome to the show! It's our great pleasure to welcome back musician, composer, producer and all-round leg-end, Steven Wilson. Dan’s been doing Steven’s touring pedalboard for, ooh, ages, and so he’s dropped in with guitarist Niko Tsonev to tell us about new release, The Harmony Codex, alongside a chat around life, music and everything that goes with it.
Steven and Niko also play through five guitar solo sections from the new record to help us understand a little bit about the process that informs their creativity. Loads of great stuff here, including some fab advice around being a pro player. Enjoy the show!

56:13 The new record is called The Harmony Codex, not Economies Of Scale. Sorry!

- Steven’s website - https://stevenwilsonhq.com/
- New record, The Harmony Codex - https://stevenwilson.lnk.to/theharmonycodex

Please visit That Pedal Shop https://www.thatpedalshop.com/

Pedals & stuff in this episode

Steven’s board
• Dunlop Cry Baby
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/2AUoOTp
Australia: https://bit.ly/2HUY0nX
USA: https://bit.ly/3GLoSnN

• TC Electronic Polytune
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3RUVan5
Australia: https://bit.ly/2GiHjRc
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/ZQYVAq

• Origin Effects Cali76 Compact Deluxe
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/2uVGMBL
Australia: https://bit.ly/2rPSRWo
USA: https://bit.ly/323rheM

• Source Audio EQ2
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/48dR6GE
Australia: https://bit.ly/3r2y70Z
USA: https://bit.ly/3spyUHh

• Analog Man Prince of Tone
http://www.buyanalogman.com

• Electro Harmonix Nano POG
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/2wpXglm
Australia; https://bit.ly/3oEElmk
USA: https://bit.ly/3EiFS3p

• Option 5 Destination Rotation
Erm, no longer available?

• Diamond Vibrato
Not currently available

• Red Panda Tensor
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3z6rEC2
Australia: https://bit.ly/2URKYlb
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/EKR0DP

• Red Panda Particle
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3rbp8uk
Australia: https://bit.ly/48fnDMy
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/DKRWxj

• Strymon Timeline
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/2fzulGD
Australia: https://bit.ly/2pSEFKm
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/k0J46z

• Moog Minifooger MF Trem
No longer available

• Strymon Big Sky
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/2wpLdEx
Australia: https://bit.ly/2x0GSdY
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/Qy2YDA

• TheGigRig ABY BABY
https://www.thegigrig.com/aby-baby

• TheGigRig G3
https://www.thegigrig.com/g3


Niko’s board
• Dunlop Volume X Pedal
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3RiDaVK
Australia: https://bit.ly/464UX6T
USA: https://bit.ly/3sQwUu2

• Digitech Freqout
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/2vtXHN6
Australia: https://bit.ly/3lxXnJd
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/Vm2OM3

• Source Audio ZIO
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3sA2Or8
Australia: https://bit.ly/40Y7Eyv
USA: https://bit.ly/3oBzuiE

• Bogner Harlow
No longer made

• Bogner Wessex
No longer made

• Source Audio Ultra Wave
Australia: https://bit.ly/3EFUBYw
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/DKRW7d

• Chase Bliss Automatone Preamp MkII
https://www.chasebliss.com/preamp-mkii

• Eventide H90
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/40T0yeN
Australia: https://bit.ly/40Yl3qC
USA: https://bit.ly/40RnYB7

• Eventide Rose
UK & Europe; https://bit.ly/2ZsYj1q
Australia; https://bit.ly/48bUf9K
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/751XYQ

• Morningstar MC6
Australia: https://bit.ly/46a4edM

• Dunlop DVP4
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/2QLS44K
Australia: https://bit.ly/45P6OGj
USA: https://bit.ly/3m424bk

• Lehle P-Split
UK & Europe: https://bit.ly/3bKM5aa
Australia: https://bit.ly/3PByU2n
USA: https://sweetwater.sjv.io/rQJE73

Interesting bits & go-to sections
0:00 Intro & welcome
1:50 Impossible to pigeonhole?
4:00 Hello Niko!
5:28 Steven’s needs for a guitar player
9:30 Great pop melodies
11:40 Demos as final takes
16:45 Solo 1 - Time Is Running Out background
18:53 Solo 1 performance
21:24 Recording apart, directing from afar
22:49 Solo 2 - Rock Bottom background
26:28 Solo 2 performance
29:40 Dry signal, or effected?
31:28 Solo 3 - What Life Brings background
34:03 Solo 3 performance
37:15 HK Tubemeister 5
39:25 Solo 4 - Staircase background
40:15 Solo 4 performance
44:48 Solo 5 - Actual Brutal Facts background
46:23 Solo 5 performance
50:00 Advice for budding pro guitar players

Guitars today
• Gibson SG Special
• Fender Stratocaster [bitsacaster that Niko put together]
• PRS Single Cut Trem
• Squier 40th Anniversary Jazzmaster

Amps today
• Hughes & Kettner Puertone and HK Vintage 212 with 2 x Celestion G12M Greenback Speakers
• Hughes & Kettner Tubemeister 5
• Matchless C-30 & 212 ESD with one Celestion G12M Greenback and one Celestion G12H Anniversary

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