MIKE LANDAU

He’s played with artists like Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, Phil Collins, Miles Davis and Pink Floyd – but he still mourns the ’61 Strat that got away…

What was the first serious guitar you bought with your own money?

“It was a vintage Fender Telecaster and I can’t remember the exact year but I must have been 14 or 15 years old. I remember that it had a bridge pickup in it that was squealing like crazy and I didn’t know how to fix it, which is a typical problem on Teles. That was the first electric guitar that I fell in love with. I remember a friend of mine, when we were very young, his dad had an all-rosewood Telecaster – it was basically the George Harrison model – and he had it stashed away under his bed and we would take it out and look at it. I just loved the way Teles looked back then, and I still do, but I’ve since become more of a Strat guy.”

What was the last guitar you bought and why?

“I bought a Custom Shop Telecaster Deluxe with two Wide Range humbucker pickups and it also has a Strat tremolo bridge on it. I’ve been in love with these Wide Range pickups recently. It’s a beautiful guitar.”

What’s the most incredible bargain you’ve ever had when buying gear?

“Well, this is going to sound funny but about 18 years ago I was fortunate enough to be able to afford to buy a Dumble Overdrive Special. At the time Dumble was selling these custom-made amps for $25,000 –certainly a high price for a guitar amp, but these days I’ve seen these amps sell for as much as $130,000 so the price I paid has to be considered a bargain if you look at it that way. I’ve never had a piece of gear appreciate in value the way that amp has. Some people drive fancy cars; I went with a cheap Ford and bought a fancy guitar amp instead.”

What’s the worst case of ‘buyer’s remorse’ you’ve experienced after buying gear?