If you’ve ever seen Philip Sayce perform live, you’ll know just how ferociously he attacks the instrument, leaning into giant bends and setting off avalanches of cascading licks during his virtuosic solos. So who better to kick off a series of articles on strings and tone than Sayce – who must surely be one of the world’s most demanding players when it comes to tone, durability and feel? Sayce is best known as a Strat player, so we kick things off by asking what his go-to choice of strings is…
“I use D’Addario strings and I pivot between 11s and 10s; 0.011 to 0.054 or 0.010 to 0.054,” he explains. “And really that just depends on how many shows we’re doing, depending on how things feel. If you play five or six shows in a row, and you’ve been playing hard, by that sixth show you might be feeling like, ‘Man, I’m getting a little tired,’ and that’s just reality. And I think listening to your body is really important.
“One of the things I’ve noticed is that people don’t talk about injuries in guitar playing very much. But it’s a real thing, man. Especially if you’re following in the footsteps of somebody who’s a heavy blues player with a lot of bending, a lot of vibrato – and you’re in that world, getting things like bigger frets and figuring out what is the right fit for your body makeup. Not everybody has hands as strong as Stevie Ray Vaughan, right?” says Sayce.
Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra October 2019-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
QUICK CHANGE
As Gibson finally adds some Quick Connect pickups to its Pickup Shop line-up, Dave Burrluck revisits this simple no-solder method to mod your Modern guitar
Return Of The Rack
A revered rackmount digital delay makes a welcome comeback in pedal form.
Pure Filth
This all-analogue preamp pedal based on Blues Saraceno's amp is a flexible powerhouse with a variety of roles.
Reptile Royalty
From Queen to King - there's another Electro-Harmonix royal vying for the crown of octave distortion
Tradition Revisited
Line 6 refreshes its Helix-based modelling amp range by doubling the number of available amp voicings - and more
Ramble On
Furch's travel guitar folds down so you can transport it in its own custom backpack and, the company claims, it returns to pitch when you reassemble it. Innovation or gimmick?
Redrawing The 'Bird
A fascinating reimagining of one of Gibson's more out-there designs, the Gravitas sticks with vintage vibe and mojo. Oh, and that sound...
1965 Fender Jazz Bass
\"They made them later on, but it's not something I've ever seen this early.
Boss Cube Street II
Regular readers will know that the last time I took the Boss Cube Street II out, I was in rehearsal for a debut gig in London.
STILL CRAZY
One of the most creative yet reliably great-sounding effects makers out there, Crazy Tube Circuits grew out of a fetish for old valve amps. We meet founder Christos Ntaifotis to find out more