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1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
1970 Jedson Tele shaped thing, couldn't play, looked better than a tennis racquet when posing in front of the mirror
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
1989 Yamaha MSG standard customised with Lindy Fralins
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
Early 1980s Yamaha SG500 heavily customised for slide - Bare Knuckle P90s
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
I'd really like to make proper use of what I've got [recently acquired a wonderful Yamaha TRB4 bass from NoisePolluter of this very forum]
5: What strings do you use?
Picato 10s on the MSG 13s on theSG
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
No recordings survive - my gift to good taste...
7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Hyperventilating
8: ...And five minutes after?
Feeling happy and [hopefully] fighting off the hoards of adoring fans
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Drummer in totally different time zone...
10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
If you care about what you do and try your best to sound like you are enjoying yourself [within reason] they will love you...well, what is not to love?
The very first was an acoustic my Dad built. First electric was some no-name piece of crap that got trashed on stage when I got my second electric - a Grant LP copy.
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
The tele built for me on my 50th by Sander at Guitarshop.com
Mid 70's tele.
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
I have boner GAS for a Coronado.
D'addario 11s on electrics. 12s on my acoustc.
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
More attention to the drum sounds.
7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
In the far past - something naughty. Nowadays - final look at the setlist and a cuppa.
8: ...And five minutes after?
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Horrible cheap Japanese thing called an Audition. Marine ply body and only one of the two pickups worked. Poorly balanced and buzzed all the time unless you were touching a metal part! It was sunburst but I sprayed it red. I bought it for £15 from a teacher at school in 1983/4 on the strict understanding that playing the guitar would make me more attractive to women. About a year later I bought a first edition MIJ Squier Tele from a guy who had played in Lene Lovich's band. I wish I still had that!!
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
J Mascis Jazzmaster. The best guitar Squier has made.
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
1986 Epiphone Casino.
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Yamaha THR10 (if the wife lets me!)
Ernie Ball Cobalt
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
I played bass on most of my recordings and would thus spend far more time sorting out the bass and drums sound and a lot less time listening to the guitarist doing 20+ takes!
7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Haven't been on stage since 1998 but it was usually having a nervous emptying of the bladder.
8: ...And five minutes after?
Beer!
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Someone turned on Eubank v Benn in the back room and half of the audience disappeared.
Spend more time practicing the guitar and less time deciding what bit of kit you need.
1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
Some terrible acoustic that my parents got me for Christmas. I found the box in the wardrobe and it was so small that I thought they'd got me an electric! Managed to hide my disappointment on the day as it was the best thing they could afford.
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
Hmm. My Mary Kaye blonde partscaster. Not the most valuable guitar I own but, being a one-off, the one that could not be replaced. The fact that it was finished/assembled by a friend makes it more special.
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
A late 70s/early 80s Yamaha L25a acoustic.
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Do monitor speakers count? If not, then another Casino - one that doesn't sound like it's got a wooly blanket over it.
5: What strings do you use?
d'Artagnan 10s - "all for one and one will snap". It's usually the top E. I've got about 5 new sets without top Es.
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
"Improve it" is probably too vague but could apply to any of them!
7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Last went "onstage" (probably was more like "on filthy corner of very small pub floor") almost 30 years ago. Still had hair so was probably playing with it or chewing it, which was a nervous habit I had.
8: ...And five minutes after?
Quickly lugging our gear into the van so that the "proper" band could play.
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
The usual "starting solo a semitone flat" thing.
10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
Take up keyboards.
I wanted to play bass, so was given a Satellite Strat-a-Mustang hybrid for Christmas, 1979. It was truly horrible and I never really learned to play till I bought a Hondo Les Paul two years later.
My 1982 Tokai Strat that I bought new in 1984. I've customised it over the years and though I go through periods of not playing it, but of all my guitars. it's the one that is mine.
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
A 1966 Fender Electric XII
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
I'm not sure. Maybe a Squier Bass VI.
5: What strings do you use?
D'addario XL 10s on most of 'em, GHS Boomer 12s on my Jags.
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
Less flanger on some older stuff
It used to be setting up my gear coz I'd spent all the setup time sorting out the PA for the Fucking Singer (TM).
8: ...And five minutes after?
Explaining that we'd been promised a fee, and no mention had been made of 'Sex On Fire' prior to playing...
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Pedalboard meltdown. Aaaaaaagh! Rapid re-deployment of cabling!
10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
Next time someone offers to swap your Hondo Les Paul for their old Epiphone Casino, in natural, in a case and including an optional Bigsby, ACCEPT THE OFFER!!!
'95-'96 squire strat
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
The SG special my mum got me when I was 17
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
strat mentioned in #1
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
Some sort of plexi-sounding thing
5: What strings do you use?
10s, roto yellows
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
My tone
7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
I used to enjoy a cig with some drink; beer or coffee. Now it's strictly warming up somewhere quite.
8: ...And five minutes after?
Drinks are good but now I just prefer to fuck off to somewhere quite. Then drinks I guess.
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Was so drunk that almost fell asleep during the encore song..
10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
"You may or may not have skill, but it's certain that you have time; instead of trying to hit this posh & shallow chick who doesn't like you and your long hair, go home and practice some more. You 're wasting yourself and you'll regret it later + you're not having a great time here either. You're not as good as you think! Keep on working on licks and transcriptions, don't forget that that's what pushed you forward in the beginning. And always warm up"
Site doesn't like it.
Here goes then:
A Kawai Aquarius AQ555 in a light aqua blue colour. Christmas 1987.
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
Probably my Charvel 375
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
Shergold Meteor. 1976
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
I'm really not sure, I've got too much stuff already if I'm honest.
5: What strings do you use?
D'adario XL's
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
Ummm. Not sure
7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Warm up exercises. Tuning up.
8: ...And five minutes after? Packing up gear.
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Passing out on live TV.
10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
Stop trying to play fast and get some proper lessons
Studio: https://www.voltperoctave.com
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Yamaha F310 acoustic, still got it but the top's starting bellying a little so I've put it in retirement until I get it fixed.
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
The yamaha, it's easily the longest I've owned a single guitar, and I wouldn't want to lose it.
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
1: What was your first guitar and when did you get it?
My parents bought me a 3/4 size nylon string acoustic when I was about 11, but I didn't start learning to play it until I was almost 16 when my other mates also got acoustic guitars.
2: The building’s burning down – what one guitar do you save?
I'd save my Rickenbacker 330. It was the first 'proper' guitar I bought and even now, 18 years later, I still get childishly excited when I look at it :-D
3: What’s the oldest guitar that you own?
My 1949/50 Gibson J45 acoustic guitar. It had a respray to cherry sunburst and changed tuners when I bought it, but I didn't mind as I wouldn't of been able to afford it otherwise!!
4: And the next piece of gear you’d like to acquire?
I just need 1 more guitar...
5: What strings do you use?
D'Addario 10-46
6: If you could change one thing about a recording of yours, what would it be?
I'd lower all the other guitars in the mix, except mine )
7: What are you doing five minutes before you go onstage?
Tuning up for the 10th time and trying not to play anything.
8: ...And five minutes after?
I'd be easily all packed away by then, so usually relaxing while sipping a beer watching the others slowly pack away.
9: What’s the worst thing that’s ever happened to you onstage?
Nothing serious or embarrassing, but we did hire a smoke machine for a gig that was a bit big for the venue, so the whole band were obscured in a massive cloud for most of the entire set :-)
10: What advice would you give your younger self about playing the guitar?
"Stop trying to be John Lennon and learn some lead guitar as well, it's gonna take ages to catch up!"
With so many comparison web sites out there, how do I choose the best one?