Limp Bizkit's Wes Borland

Monkeying at his best

New look, new weapon, Wes with the new Yamaha CV820WB

- Press ReleaseYamaha Guitars adds another new signature to its roster with the NAMM introduction of the CV820WB Wes Borland signature electric guitar. Designed in cooperation with Yamaha Guitar Development and Limp Bizkit axeman Borland, the CV820WB delivers contemporary features in a uniquely classic design.Borland worked hand-in-hand with Yamaha master luthier John Gaudesi on all specifications for the guitar and was heavily involved in every aspect of the design process from conception to completion. “Designing and building this guitar along with Wes was a pleasure,” states John Gaudesi, senior design engineer, Yamaha Guitar Development. “It allowed me to incorporate some very traditional hollowbody construction techniques that give this guitar a unique tonal palette.” The end result stayed very true to Wes’ original vision and compliments his individual playing style.The CV820WB is constructed using a dual-chambered alder body leaving a solid center block for sustain and structural integrity. The top is a fully-carved traditional, maple top with a classic recarve. The neck is three-piece quarter-sawn maple with a 25.5” scale, 24-fret bound rosewood fingerboard. It comes standard with jumbo frets and a bound and inlayed 12-degree angled headstock. Other classic styling and features include bound F-holes, fully bound contoured body, and two custom-designed dual split humbucking pickups.

“It was a great experience to partner with Wes and add his signature to our product line,” states Bryan Savage, marketing manager, Yamaha Guitars. “Wes has left an indelible mark on the guitar industry in his relatively few years and, looking at the near future, he has only begun.”

After a three-year break from Limp Bizkit, Borland rejoined the group in August 2004. The band’s latest album, a greatest hits collection aptly entitled Greatest Hitz, was released in November 2005. Additionally, Borland is fronting his own band called Black Light Burns. Friend and producer Danny Lohner of Nine Inch Nails fame is assisting Borland and his band on a record slated for release in the first quarter of 2006. Borland has also been a member of bands Big Dumb Face, Eat the Day, and Goatslayer.

The CV820WB carries an MSRP of $1,499.99 and ships April 2006.

Wes Borland (Band / Personal) current project:

After leaving Limp Bizkit in late 2004, Wes continued to work in his own band Black Light Burns

Borland's latest project Black Light Burns is an industrial/gothic/alternative band featuring members of Borland's previous band The Damning Well, with Borland this time on Vocals, Guitars, Bass, Keyboards and Programming, Danny Lohner on Guitar, Bass, Keys, Programming (but is sparingly using these instruments on the record, as he is mainly BLB's producer), Josh Eustis on Programming, Keys and Josh Freese on Drums. The project evolved from Borland's initial attempts at writing a solo effort, but according to Borland, now includes that solo material, material from Eat The Day, material from The Damning Well, and material from an ambient solo record that Borland wrote during his time in Eat The Day that still remains unreleased. He disclosed this crucial piece of information in a podcast he did for On The Pulse. The initial plans of their record release was posted on their MySpace page: “Final tracking is almost complete on the debut album and the band plans on releasing during the first quarter of 2006 with a world tour to follow.” All guests on the album are confirmed to include Carina Round, Limp Bizkit bassist Sam Rivers, From First To Last frontman Sonny Moore. Sam Rivers has recently disclosed his displeasure of contributing to the Black Light Burns track titled “I Have A Need” because of Borland's falling out with the Limp Bizkit camp. However, their then record label, Geffen Records, went through a personnel change and didn't bother returning Borland's phone calls, so both parties split. Borland is currently looking for another record label to have Black Light Burns signed to and the projected release date is late fall of 2006 or early winter of 2007.

Wes has been touring with From First to Last roughly since early 2006. From First to Last and Black Light Burns are finalizing plans for a club tour of the US with Borland playing both sets, as frontman of Black Light Burns and bassist of From First to Last.

Q: Why learning music is one of the best thing you could do in your life? Apply the priceless elements you learnt in music in your daily life, your studies, your career, your family, and your every thing! It helps in shaping you into a better person.

1) Visualization / Interpretation

In order to play good music, a student will have to learn to read notes, musical symbols, be able to write and understand musical notations. He must learn to interpret a song with feelings, approach the song with the correct mood, and deliver it like what it is felt in his heart. This skill will sharpen a person’s ability in executing procedures such as interpreting languages and logicalities.

2) Discipline / Determination

Playing music requires great deal of discipline. A successful musician must go through long, some times tiring, but ENJOYABLE journey in order to be where he wants to be. Routine practice, research, performing, analyzing, listening, these are the paths that a musician has to go through. It takes perception and discipline, and that shapes up a well-organized person indirectly.

3) Self Confidence

A music performer being able to coordinate his / her limps in playing wonderful music instill tremendous amount of confidence. It’s like wow, I can’t believe I can really do it at the first place. The first time you hold the drum sticks, you think they are cool, after years of practice, your drum sticks will think you are cool. How can I say? It’s a BIG, and I mean HUGE accomplishment. All successful musicians believe their songs could blow your mind away.
4) Team Work
One of the best thing you gain in playing music is the way you work with people around you, how you dissolve yourself into the society, how you survive in this dog-eat-dog world. Ha, am I going to far? Playing solo in a band does not make you a super-hero, you have to click well with all your members, understand them, like you can see through their feelings with superman’s infra-vision. It’s like a few members delivering a piece of music with one heart. Even if you are a solo acoustic guitarist, you have to coordinate well with your stage master, the sound man, the event organizer. Everything is about getting on with people. And off course, if you are a student in a music institution, group performances and recitals are such unique and priceless experience for you in team-building.

5) Patience
Musicians were not made overnight. You have to really walk down the path steadily with a clear mind and slowly, topping it up with consistency of countless hours of practice. Learn to be more patient, taking everything step by step. Give and take also plays a part here, when you play in a band, be considerate and always be patient with your members who are working up the ladder where you are standing higher than them. It will pay off at the end of the day.

6) Memory
Playing music definitely helps to build your short-term (if not long term) memory, both visual, and aural. We perform our pieces without looking at the scores, and for sure we will deliver our best in our bands on stage without staring at the score too. If you can memorise thousands of notes and lyrics in so many of your songs, then put it into good use in your academic or career too.

7) Ability to Solve
One of the most important skills you can gain from learning music is the ability to solve. Huh? So I thought learning music is about solving problems? No. What I mean is by learning music, one will indirectly develop problem-solving skill. How? In order to make your songs sound nicer, with more vivid colours and directions, not to mention to shape it up with your own style or taste, you have to learn harmony, the theory of music and apply them in your songs. In fact, it’s better than mathematics, because you get to modify your answers the way you want it to be.

Art Appreciation
This is one of the most abstract yet valuable skills you can get from taking music lessons. For example, before you enter your drum class, all you know is to hit and crash all those drum skins. After some time, you know how to enjoy various beats, how to express your mood, how to groove your body and soul to the drum beat, how to play the drum in accordance with your heart beat and feeling… ha, these are all which could NOT be taught in a text book. I have piano students who did not like jazz but only commercial radio-friendly pop numbers, as they learn, they started to appreciate and understand more. To tell you the truth, now he has his own jazz compositions.
I can go on for endless advantages in learning music, but to sum it up, learning music is better than sitting at mamak stall whole night smoking; leaning music is better than grabbing a stolen bike and racing on the road and get yourself killed; learning music is better than staring at your computer screen playing endless hours of DOTA or O2jam; learning music is better than sitting infront of your laptop for hours to monitor football results;learning music is better than poking with your snooker stick holding a beer can in the other hand; learning music is better than…..
References:

TEN-YEAR STUDY SHOWS MUSIC IMPROVES TEST SCORES:

UCLA professor, Dr. James Catterall, led an analysis of a U.S. Department of Education database. Called NELLs88, the database was used to track more than 25,000 students over a period of ten years. The study showed that students involved in music generally tested higher than those who had no music involvement. The test scores studied were not only standardized tests, such as the SAT, but also in reading proficiency exams. The study also noted that the musicians scored higher, no matter what socio-economic group was being studied.

Dr. James Catterall, UCLA, 1997.

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