What was the first serious guitar that you bought with your own money?
“The first guitar I bought was from a catalogue. It was a Kay bass guitar and it didn’t have a name on it, and I remember I paid 65 quid for it. I believe it had copper strings on it for some reason, which I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. I used to sweat while I was learning and I’d end up with blue and gold fingers. I think it got sat on and the neck snapped. After that I got a Rickenbacker 4001 – that was a huge jump up. My dad bought me that. I must have proved to him that I meant the music thing. But unfortunately I got rid of that as well!”
What was the last guitar you bought and why?
“It was an Alvarez jazz guitar and I bought it because it had a set of flat-wounds on it, which I hadn’t used before, so I just thought it would be good to buy that guitar. It’s different to the normal things that I play, like the Gibsons or Fenders, but it just had this beautiful dead tone. Even though I did take a few jazz guitar lessons after that, it wasn’t the reason I bought it. It was just lying around and I played it. It was my first intro to flat-wound strings and I thought the tone was incredible.”
What’s the most incredible find or bargain you’ve ever had when buying gear?
Denne historien er fra June 2021-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra June 2021-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
BASIC INSTINCTS
The sophisticated range of Swedish-designed guitars made by .strandberg* has lured thousands of players over to the headless side. But the company's new stripped-back Boden Essential model is its strongest play yet for the hearts and minds of mainstream players
Second String
As PRS's more affordable USA-made S2 line moves into its second decade, the series gets a revamp with - at last - USA-made pickups and electronics. What took so long?
PABLO VAN DE POEL
When a band from The Netherlands describes themselves as 'raw, psychedelic Southern rock', it may take a little cognitive processing to work out what that might mean. One listen to DeWolff, however, and you will be duly transported to the 60s for some fuzzed-out rock 'n' roll
THE BERNIE MARSDEN COLLECTION
With a fabulous collection of the late Bernie Marsden's guitars, amps and other highly collectable music gear going under the auctioneer's hammer on 11 June, we were thrilled to have the chance of a sneak preview
LENNY KRAVITZ
Some 35 years since the release of his debut LP, for his 12th record, Blue Electric Light, Lenny Kravitz is back again with equal doses of vigour and vibes, using vintage guitars and the purest valve amps
GEORGE VJESTICA
You may not know him at first glance, but the work of Stoke-on-Trent native George Vjestica has probably impacted some of your favourite albums and movies
DICKEY BETTS
Emerging from the shadow of Duane to write signature hit Ramblin' Man, the Allman Brothers guitarist was a hard-living pioneer of Southern rock
NICK GUPPY
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our highly valued amplifier guru, who died suddenly in April
Lucky Break
Alex Bishop blends old wood with new in an attempt to fix a severely damaged guitar headstock
Tones Behind The Tracks
Cedric Burnside learnt at the knee of his fabled grandfather, but his latest album is a hill country blues masterclass on his own terms