What’s weirder- that this writer is finally interviewing himself, or that is has taken this long? Burning questions be soothed- here is my own long-awaited tell-all.
What’s your first memory of realising you might have more than simply a passing interest in guitars?
“I was always an obsessive child- firstly it was sharks and dinosaurs, then skateboards, so it figures that I’m now down this particular wormhole and have been unable to crawl out. I vividly remember using the library computers around age 12/13 to join the Ultimate Guitar forums, trawl through Musicians Friend, and gather any titbit of info I could about Kurt Cobain’s equipment. The gear used was always intrinsic to the music made by it for me, right from the beginning. There was something about it that elevated its user- like a transformative appendage.”
What was your first electric guitar and amp?
“A totally classic combo- the ubiquitous Squier Affinity Strat (full thickness body, small headstock) and a Vox Valvetronix 15 amp. That amp served me well for many years, the Strat I never really gelled with. I broke the high e within 10 seconds of handling it…”
Who were the primary influences on your gear and technique during your formative years?
“Like so many I started on a cheap classical guitar and would pick things up by ear. By the Way was big and I was mad on RHCP, but it was the s/t Nirvana greatest hits compilation that blew my tiny little brain. Hearing that for the first, second, eightieth time was a truly mind-altering experience. I bought a Nirvana tab & cd book from a music shop in Stamford and went to town. Soon after that, it was Jerry Cantrell from Alice In Chains who got me into playing more riff-based stuff, as well as Master of Puppets. I only really developed my own ‘voice’ around age 19/20 when I started getting into more ‘indie’ stuff, alternate tunings etc. There is nothing more exciting that hearing music that makes you want to redefine your own approach. I love intertwining players- Verlaine/Lloyds, Kokal/Wayman, Moore/Ranaldo, but also hate the logistics/egotistical strain of being in a band with another big-headed guitar player, so I’ve drawn my own style heavily from Ira Kaplan, Roger Miller, J. Mascis et al. I couldn’t afford any additional gear until I was about 21, so you could say I’m making up for lost time.”
How many guitars do you currently own?
“The lowly number of 4, plus an acoustic and a bass! 2 p90-equipped Tokai LPs, my Marr Jaguar, a G&L ASAT (Esquire), 80’s Greco P-bass and a folk-sized acoustic. I’ve had lots come and go- from Jazzmasters to Jacksons, but I’ve not the space or finances to justify stuff hanging around sadly. However, the ones I’ve currently got are the result of years of playing different guitars and knowing exactly what I want in a recording setting. And I’m also having a Champagne Sparkle Jaguar with Firebird pickups built which has me just a little, tiny bit bursting with anticipation. It’s the closest I’ll ever get to having my own signature model.”
What’s your biggest gear-related regret?
“Mainly offloading stuff simply to pay bills- but the one that comes to mind is my ’72 Fender Musicmaster. It was a dog but was ever so charming and sounded absolutely fantastic. You could wriggle the neck around in the pocket, and it was a truly utilitarian piece- stripped to the wood and with just one neck pickup (which was supposedly a prototype SD, but it sounded very much like a late 60’s Strat). Gaffa-tape “strap locks” and all. I wrote all my early Mutes stuff on it- much like a Tele it was free of fancy distractions and just encouraged you to make music, rather than play rock riffs (Les Paul), do dive bombs (anything with a trem) or make atonal nonsense (Jaguar 3rd bridge techniques). Sadly, Musicmaster prices are going the way of the Sun so it looks like I will have to scrounge a little longer before I may get another. I miss it very, very much.”
Desert island time- one guitar, one amp, one pedal…
“My Fender Johnny Marr Jaguar, a RAT, and a Fender Princeton (preferably a ’68 drip edge Silverface with a Ragin’ Cajun speaker to increase the volume whilst handling pedals like a beaut). That could do so much- verb n trem for surfing, cranked up amp for crunching, maxed-out RAT for burning.”
Why that particular guitar for your desert island choice?
“My Jaguar is an odd guitar- not ideal in many ways (no sustain, plunky, pokey and sometimes shrill) but it reacts superbly to any and all pedals and is practically indestructible. The Bareknuckle pickups are super low output, so it seems to impart less of its own character and let your pedals and amp do more work- it’s malleable. I use a lot of stupid tunings and the Jag just handles them all without going out of wack or anything. I’ve thrown it across stages, ripped off the strings, repeatedly bashed it into amps for 5 years now and it’s had nothing more than a fret dress in the cowboy-chord area.”
You win the lottery and may make one gear-related purchase only…
“For investment purposes I’d go with a CBS Strat, but for my own personal enjoyment I’d probably go with some kind of ’65-’66 Jaguar. Preferably Burgundy Mist with dots & binding and a matching headstock. I’d have to play a few to make sure it was the right one- the pickups vary so wildly between examples! I played a ’71 Jag in Brighton once that had the most sonorous, sweet, bell-like neck pickup I have ever heard. It was magical. But the bridge pickup was a flaccid, weedy piece of crap… so I’d need to go hunting.”
Impart some wisdom to fellow gear hounds…
“Do not be afraid to steal, mix and match- whether it be gear, techniques, pedal order etc. Every truly “original” player has generally stolen from many places to develop their own sound- whether that be from imitating other guitar players or attempting to emulate the sound of other instruments entirely. S-, steal unashamedly in principle and attempt to distort the influence in practice. And never, ever buy anything with a Floyd Rose.”
The Little Guitar Blog 