Tag: features

Phil deGruy is the rare jazz artist who’s also a bona fide entertainer – and a funny one, at that. His flashy, inventive playing is complemented by amusing asides and lyric parody. In fact, his observations on modern life could qualify for any stand-up comedy stage.

His unorthodox instruments attract the musicians in every crowd, but his overall mojo is the result of years entertaining at the grassroots level. Based in New Orleans, deGruy’s search for career nirvana included stops in Los Angeles and Nashville. Moreover, he studied with Ted Greene and Lenny Breau, the latter of whom once insisted deGruy (pronounced “degree”) give an ad hoc performance for Chet Atkins.

“I was living in L.A. when I heard Lenny was teaching in Nashville,” said deGruy. “So I made the drive. We hung out for about week, and I studied with him. Unfortunately, that was a dark time for him because he was a serious abuser. But, four years later I was going through Nashville again and heard Lenny was in town. We got together and played, then he said, ‘Chet’s got to hear you.’ And while we were at Chet’s place, Les Paul called. So I was immersed in all that.”

Even though his abilities can surprise all except regular fans, deGruy is modest enough to know he’s onstage to entertain. He’s perhaps New Orleans’ best-kept entertainment secret. In addition to stage presence, he discloses chops nurtured by Ted and Lenny, both integral parts of his backstory. And of course there were thousands of hours in the woodshed.

deGruy can hold his own with anyone from Tommy Emmanuel to Pat Metheny, but it’s not his style to challenge all comers. He’s an affable, astute guy who Greene said, “has chops for days.” And he presents a show that furthers his stature as one of today’s few true bon vivant players – one who’ll grab the attention of any musician within a hundred city blocks. His work is steeped in tradition, but edges the needle toward the red.

deGruy believes talent develops more naturally when it’s nurtured early, preferably from a musical family.

“I was 11 when I was forbidden to play our family’s guitar,” he laughs, remembering how his older brothers eventually tired of the instrument while he quickly grew to love the attention gained by playing it at school. “The Beatles and Clapton were the match, Chet was the fuse, and Lenny was the bomb.”

Many of today’s prominent players profess amazement and admiration for deGruy’s magic. His under-the-radar brilliance has impressed many heavies who’ve invited him to share the bill at their concerts. For instance, he recently contacted Steve Vai with a guest-list request for the rocker’s New Orleans concert. Instead, deGruy found himself opening the show and enjoying a killer jam at the sound check.

“Phil sounds like John Coltrane meets Mel Brooks at a party for Salvador Dali,” Vai told photographer Bob Barry in his new book, John Pisano’s Guitar Night, which documents two decades at the annual event considered a rite of passage for those in the Los Angeles jazz-guitar community.

He’s also shared bills with Andy Summers, Todd Rundgren, Stanley Jordan, Michael Hedges, Eric Johnson, Steps Ahead, Tuck and Patti, and Charlie Hunter, who turned deGruy on to using a fanned-fret instrument.

deGruy’s guitars are obviously unique and he went through a series of seven-stringed instruments. His first was from New Orleans guitar maker Jimmy Foster, but now he plays one made by Ralph Novak, inventor of the fanned-fret system.

“Ralph really created the ergonomics I needed,” he said. “I have a longer bass string, yet a shorter treble string because of the high A that I need to tune up to pitch. I’ve also incorporated complementary strings in various intervals from A^b to A^b where the pickguard would normally be.

“It’s what Pythagoras would build if he were alive,” deGruy laughs.

In addition, deGruy played Pierre Bensusan’s guitar festival in France, where he was featured along with Tommy Emmanuel. deGruy also modestly mentions a phone call from Steely Dan a few years back, expressing interest in auditioning him, but “…I just couldn’t go back to the six-string,” he said.

The Becker/Fagen connection is hardly superficial; Jay Graydon, who created the solo for Steely Dan’s hit “Peg,” is producing deGruy’s next album.

Other extraordinary names in deGruy’s life include Emily Remler and Larry Coryell. Both are now sadly gone, but Coryell, who loved unconventional talent, was enamored enough to hang out whenever possible and invite deGruy to sit in at a performance in Asheville.

When someone approaches deGruy to express awe in his ability, his stock response is, “Don’t confuse talent with someone who has a lot of time on his hands!” – Jim Carlton

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This article originally appeared in VG‘s June 2018 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Steve Morse has been revisiting the past. A member of Deep Purple since 1994, this year he reunited with the original lineup of Dixie Dregs, a band that was key to the ’70s jazz-rock revolution and added deep-fried bluegrass and Southern funk licks to the genre, bolstered by Morse’s rapid-fire picking and the contrapuntal bass work of Andy West. VG checked in with Morse as he was preparing for the long-anticipated tour.

What provoked a Dregs reunion after all these years?

When keyboardist T Lavitz died in 2010, it shook us all up – and then Mark Parrish (keys on What If and Night of the Living Dregs) also died around the same time. We didn’t even know where our first keyboardist, Steve Davidowski, was, but we finally got in touch with both him and violinist Allen Sloan, and got together for a trial playing session. It went surprisingly well, so we decided to do a reunion tour.

Fans are thrilled that Andy West is back in this lineup. On Dregs records, he provided that Baroque-styled bass so central to the music.

Since high school, Andy and I always shared similar styles of humor – starting with the name, which we got because we were the dregs of our band that had just broken up, Dixie Grit. So, if Andy said something that made us laugh, it became a song title, or even the name of the band. Since he always played with a pick, and was open to things like putting the bass through a guitar amp, as well as a folded-horn cabinet, we considered his parts as half of our sound. After all, we really started playing gigs as a trio, with Andy and I playing all the notes.

What other memories derive from those early days?

We were sort of a prog rock band before the term got used. When we played at a dance or some other function, people were divided in the audience between really liking us and really hating us because we didn’t play the Top 40 hits. Back then, there were opportunities to play, even if they were for free concerts. All young people went out of their way to listen to live music, and I still wish that was more common.

What’s in your rig for this tour?

I’m using my original Music Man signature guitar, which is configured like the FrankenTele I used on the first six Dregs albums, but with one extra fret. I’ve even ordered another bridge with nylon pieces, which is what I used with the Dregs. And I’m using my Steve Morse Model Engl amp, but with much less volume and fewer speakers than my Deep Purple rig. Same TC Electronic pedals for delay, since they are fantastic quality and small size.

Forty years ago, you were a pioneer in bringing things like guitar synthesizer, octaver, and envelope filters to rock guitar – things we take for granted now.

I should say that Andy did all of those things on his bass, too! I ended up using the guitar synthesizer for gigs, but the easiest sound on the ears was an octave below. Later, synths became digitally tuned and I used more-typical synth sounds, but back in the day, it was a pain to keep my MiniMoog in tune.

What was the gear scene like?

Fairly exciting. I loved messing with tape echo, and finally got an Echoplex, which had noisy tape hiss at higher gain settings. Then I had the idea of putting the echo on a “wet only” setting through a second amp with the treble turned down. This gave the basic effect of the echo with reduced tape hiss, and the sound didn’t distort the dry notes. It was an easy step to use my volume pedal to regulate the amount of echo, and that became the basis of my rig from then on.

In the early ’80s, the Dregs had to face changing tastes in music, and eventually broke up. Forty years on, how do you recall the original band?

I never had delusions of grandeur. I knew as a teen that the music I liked would go in and out of fashion, but that I could survive doing music that I enjoyed. And that’s how it developed. It was great to have a band of like-minded people that were able to get satisfaction from playing. We were young and had little income, but we all got a sense of satisfaction from a band that gave us pride. That’s a great way to launch a career. Looking back, I’m grateful to all the guys for everything they did. – Pete Prown

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This article originally appeared in VG‘s June 2018 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

If the Beatles were still around, chances are they’d be checking out Spoon. Like the Fab Four, the group revels in sonic exploration, creativity, and stunning pop tunes. Since forming in’93, the Austin-based unit has recorded nine studio albums, including their most recent, Hot Thoughts, and a 10th-anniversary remastering of their best-known, Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga.

Front man and songwriter Britt Daniel is just one of Spoon’s guitarists; bassist/keyboardist Rob Pope and keyboard player Alex Fischel double on guitars. Jim Eno sticks to drums.

Daniel’s style is unique. He plays like the Thelonious Monk of guitar heroes with chordal stabs, syncopation, off-kilter intervals, and plenty of effects. All of which combine to craft the novel sound that is Spoon. VG spoke with him in the midst of a year-long world tour.

Do you follow the Lennon-McCartney style of songwriting – lyrics first, then music? Or is it more Jagger-Richards – create riffs and melodies with “placement” syllables?

I’ve done both, but mostly I come up with chords and melody first, with made-up words, syllables – a couple might stay in to lead the direction. And the less I think about it, the better. To me, the melody is what a song’s all about – chords and melody effect you emotional. Doesn’t happen all the time. “The Underdog” (from Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga) was an exception; I wrote the words first.

I come up with chords as I go, and sometimes switch from guitar to piano; I futz around, playing rhythm chords on piano and sometimes end up going where I wouldn’t if I was writing on guitar, just because I know less about it.

Many Spoon songs have complex arrangements. Do you come up with them, or is it a full-band process?

I do a lot of demoing on my own, and if there’s something good, I know there’s a song there somewhere. If something’s not demoing so hot, I’ll take it to the band and say, “How can we do this?”

Do you have rules about things you won’t try? I’ve never heard a blues shuffle or big AC/DC power chords in a Spoon song.

Oh, I would love to write an AC/DC-type song! I’ve been trying, but it doesn’t come across. “Do You” (from 2014’s They Want My Soul) was my best stab; a simple, repetitive riff. But it’s me, so it comes off differently.

What are your favorite guitars?

It used to be ES-335s. Before I could afford a 335, it was a Guild Starfire that just would not stay in tune, so it needed to be put out to pasture. I still play a Starfire with DeArmond pickups that are worth more than the guitar. They do sound amazing.

Onstage, Fender Thinline Telecasters are all I play. They have the scrape-y Fender sound I like, and I’m mostly a rhythm player, so that works. It’s lighter than a 335, so I can toss it around, and that f hole is such a cool detail. I’ve bought a lot of guitars based on looks.

What about amps?

My main amp is a small head built by Matt Gilchrist that I plug into the speakers of an AC30. The idea is that if I fly somewhere, I can plug it into any AC30 speakers. On tour, we have a few AC30s with us and I just plug into those. But the Gilchrist head is like an AC30, but made exactly the way I want it. Whenever I rent an AC30, they’re always way too hot-sounding, without detail and finesse; I just want to get a full sound that’s not distorted and crunchy. I was finding that rentals went straight from “off” to way distorted. The Gilchrist is a little mellower and provides more detail and options. I’ve also got a really nice old tweed Princeton from the ’50s.

And you love effects…

There’s effects all over everything on this last record, [especially] a Klon Centaur. We use a Boss CE-1, and I’ve never heard any vibrato that sounds anywhere near as good; it just sort of twists everything up. I don’t use the chorus, just the vibrato. We use a lot of tremolos. I’m pretty happy with the Boss TR-2, which is basic but does the job.

The Lightfoot Labs Goatkeeper is an amazing tremolo that can give all these different wave forms, but the cool thing is it will generate a tremolo according to the speed of the signal. That’s really handy if you want to do something that’s right on, although sometimes you want to drift a little.

We also use a lot of JHS Pedals, especially the Colour Box, which emulates the sound of plugging directly into a Neve preamp board and cranking it! – Michael Dregni

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This article originally appeared in VG‘s June 2018 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Unleashing pent-up creativity is a gratifying experience for a band, as Kansas guitarist Richard Williams can attest. The band known for the prog-/hard-rock hybrid exemplified by “Carry On Wayward Son” and “Dust in the Wind” recently released Leftoverture Live & Beyond, which included the 1976 classic Leftoverture performed in its entirety along with material from 2016’s The Prelude Implicit.

Original members Williams and drummer Phil Ehart today lead a rejuvenated lineup that includes longtime bassist Billy Greer, violinist David Ragsdale along with three new members – vocalist Ronnie Platt, keyboardist David Manion, and guitarist Zak Rizvi. Their collective excitement is palpable on both Leftoverture Live & Beyond and The Prelude Implicit.

Leftoverture Live & Beyond is 19 songs recorded at 12 shows in early 2017.

“The only song we’d never played live from Leftoverture was ‘Questions of My Childhood.’ And we didn’t re-record anything or go back in and do overdubs,” Williams said.

“Traditionally, we’ve done a lot of rearrangements of Kansas songs – sometimes for good, sometimes for not so good. With this new lineup, we’ve gone back as much as we can to the way the songs were written and recorded. We’re trying to lean more on the original arrangements.”

Before they started work on The Prelude Implicit, the band toured, and it went so well, he said, “…the restraints were off of us, musically.” At first, doubts nagged about their ability to write new songs because former vocalist/keyboardist Steve Walsh and guitarist/keyboardist Kerry Livgren had always been Kansas’ primary songwriters; Somewhere to Elsewhere was Livgren’s material with the original members performing, but Williams said it was “an assembly-line thing” with parts recorded separately.

“It’s not the same as sitting in a room with a bunch of guys, developing ideas. That ebb and flow is really where some of our best stuff came from – not just from one person but by the combination and effort of everybody. We didn’t have that on Somewhere to Elsewhere. That’s what we had on The Prelude Implicit again,” he said. “We made the album for us as much as we made it for anything else. We didn’t know what it was going to be going into it. We had never done it this way before. We wanted to be quintessentially Kansas from the artwork to the lyrics to the music to the variety within the music – very well-thought-out to be as Kansas as we possibly can.”

Williams’ main concern has always been about what’s best for Kansas as a whole.

“I’m a team player. There’s no Richard Williams solo album. I’ve never had a desire to do a solo album,” he said. “In my opinion, Kansas has always been the sum of its parts, not so much the talent of any one person. I’ve always just been very comfortable in the role of a team player.”

His attitude applies to working with other guitarists in Kansas, whether it’s been Livgren, Steve Morse, or Rizvi.

“In our early days, we were doing an interview and they asked Kerry, ‘Who’s your biggest influence?’ He said, ‘Probably Rich, because we play together all the time.’ We were working on equipment together and guitars and guitar tones and different things. You’re not in competition, but constantly working together. That’s all very positive,” said Williams.

For more than 30 years, Williams’ main electric has been a PRS Custom from ’84 or ’85. Early in Kansas, he played a Gibson L-6S that’s still part of his collection of about 30 guitars. He also plays a Martin D-28 based on the one he used on “Dust in the Wind.”

The uncertainty nipping at Kansas’ heels in recent years has been replaced with forward-thinking confidence; pending is a tour during which they’ll perform 1977’s Point of Know Return in its entirety, and they’re set to record a new studio album.

“The quality of the shows and the performance level of the band is at an all-time high,” said Williams. “The energy level, the crowd enjoyment – everything – is greater than it has been since the early days. It feels much like it did on the second, third, and fourth albums,” said Williams. “It’s that type of focused energy. It’s been a tremendous experience. None of us are looking back, remembering when. Our best days are in front of us.” – Bret Adams

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This article originally appeared in VG‘s June 2018 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

The Routes embody all the best elements of the ’60s psychedelic-rock scene. Based in Japan and fronted by British-born guitarist and songwriter Chris Jack, the band’s sixth release, Dirty Needles and Pins, has the band staying true to form by relying on period-correct gear.

“In England, you rarely see vintage guitars in good condition, not even in shops,” Jacks said. “When I started out, everyone wanted an Ibanez or Kramer; I got a Westone, which was actually a really good guitar. In the late ’80s and ’90s, buyers from Japanese shops went to England and the States and bought guitars. Now, Japan has more vintage guitars than they need and a lot of buyers from America are coming over and buying stuff back.”

Over the years, you’ve established quite a collection of vintage guitars, including some rare Guyatone and Burns models.

A lot of my stuff came from a famous collector in Japan who has a book about his collection. By chance, I stumbled on one of his guitars at auction. The first one I bought was my ’63 Burns Black Bison. I also have got a ’67 Guyatone LG-220T, which is the holy grail of Japanese guitars, a ’65 Burns Double Six, a ’65 Burns Vista Sonic and a ’64 Burns Vibra Artist. I’ve also got a ’67 Gretsch Astro Jet and a ’64 Fender Jaguar, which I love.

Do you modify your vintage guitars to make them play or sound better onstage or in the studio?

No, mine are all stock, I don’t want to change anything on them. I have a ’67 Vox Starstream that has all the built-in effects – wah, distortion, a repeater effect which is like a tremolo, a treble booster, and a bunch of stuff. I do have to clean it all the time or it gets that horrible static noise.

Do you tour with them?

For touring overseas, I usually take a Japanese Jaguar. Fender guitars are great for touring because they’re so solid. They’re really trebly, though, so I change the pots. They have 1,000k pots, and I swap them out to 500k which takes the edge off the treble. Then I throw American pickups in them. The Japanese Jaguar pickups aren’t wax potted, so they’re really microphonic. I put the neck pickup in the bridge position and the bridge pickup in the neck position and it makes it much better for what I do.

What is your go-to guitar for playing live?

I use a lot of vintage guitars, but with some of the Guyatones and Burns, the microphonic pickups just don’t cut it live. So I gave a famous luthier in Japan, A. Kuwano, my Starstream, Astro Jet, ’64 Jaguar, and Guyatone, and I said “Put these four guitars together.” And the one he built is my main live guitar. It has the scale length and neck shape like the Starstream, which I’m very comfortable with, and the inlays because I’m blind as a bat onstage. It’s got a solid mahogany body, mahogany neck, and an ebony fingerboard. It originally had Filter’Trons like the Gretsch, then I switched to humbuckers. I tried all kinds of pickups and we ended up with a set of current Guild pickups – the small D’Armond P-90-shaped ones – and they sounded the best out of everything.

Are you also a fan of vintage stompboxes?

I like vintage fuzz pedals, especially Japanese ones. One I use a lot is a ’70s Acetone Fuzzmaster II. I also use an early-’70s Univox Super Fuzz, a Vox V810 Valve Tone, a ’70s Eko Multitone, a pair of ’70s Roland Bee Baas, a 1967 Maestro Fuzz Tone and a ’70s Elk Super Fuzz Sustainar. I have clones made for travelling overseas. Mitstuteru Takaki at MT Labs is my effects man and he makes original pedals and clones using NOS parts. On the first album, I didn’t use any effects, I just plugged straight into a Roland JC-120.

Given your choices of guitars and pedals, is it safe to assume you also rely on vintage amps?

Yeah, I used my ’60s Selmer Treble ’N Bass Mk II on most of the new record. That’s the same model Syd Barrett used. You crank it all the way up and get that “Interstellar Overdrive” sound. I use a Roland JC-40, as well, and occasionally gig with my ’60s Vox Super Beatle, which I really like. It’s a workhorse and has such a huge sound. When you put the fuzz through it, you get every bit of fuzz; nothing’s affected. So I’ve got all the vintage gear for performing live, but for the convenience of recording, I sometimes use modern gear. – Johnny Zapp

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This article originally appeared in VG‘s June 2018 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Bill Nelson is one of the unsung heroes of British rock guitar. From his ’70s work with Be Bop Deluxe through a lengthy solo career, Nelson has delivered powerful, artistic songs and thrilling solos brimming with taste, chops, and soul. His latest, Songs for Ghosts, was cut in his studio in North Yorkshire, England, and reflects his Be Bop Deluxe roots.

You release a few CDs every year. Where does Songs for Ghosts sit in your catalog?

It has elements from several periods of my history; there’s rock, psychedelia, instrumentals, a little jazz, some twangy stuff… I have 14 new albums waiting for release. I really love recording. It’s akin to painting with sound.

Your lead style doesn’t rely on blues clichés – the interweaving arpeggios suggest you listened to jazz.

Improvisation is very much at the heart of my soloing. When I was very young, I was surrounded by the music of swing bands because my father played sax and led bands in the ’40s and ’50s. Later, I discovered Django Reinhardt, Joe Pass, Jim Hall, Barney Kessel, Kenny Burrell, and particularly Wes Montgomery, who like myself couldn’t read music. I rarely play the same solo twice – I like seeing where the wind will carry me.

You must’ve been a young teen when instrumental rock arrived, circa 1960.

I loved that era. It was Duane Eddy who kick-started my infatuation with electric guitar and “Because They’re Young” hit so many spots for me. My mother bought it when I was in bed with flu because she knew I loved hearing it on the radio. I made a cardboard guitar and painted it to resemble Duane’s Gretsch. I’d mime in my bedroom mirror. Duane’s music led me to the Ventures, Hank Marvin, the Spotnicks, Peter Jay & the Jaywalkers, and the John Barry Seven with Vic Flick on guitar.

Did you ever meet Duane?

I had the privilege to present him with a Mojo magazine Icon award a few years ago. Such a future was unimaginable when I was a 10-year-old kid living in a small town in Yorkshire.

Which guitars did you use on Songs for Ghosts?

I’m a big fan of contemporary guitars that nod to quirky instruments from the ’50s and ’60s. My Musicvox MI-6 has a retro-futuristic look, as does my Backlund Model 100. My Nelsonic Transitone signature model made by Campbell American, and my Astroluxe Custom and Cadet signature guitars made by Eastwood are on the album, too. I also used classics by D’Angelico, Gretsch, Gibson, Fender, Guild, and Peerless.

How do you get your guitar sounding so lush when recording?

My most-used processor is an old Line 6 Pod II. I don’t know what it is about that processor, but it has a very nice way of dealing with the tones I love. For gigs, I use a Zoom 9050S digital processor and a Digitech Valve FX. My newest is a Fractal Audio Axe FX II XL.

You’re back to performing live. How are you feeling and what are you plans?

I’m a diabetic, which affects my vision. I’m also deaf in one ear from years of being exposed to loud music – as they say, old age isn’t for sissies! Nevertheless, I have an absolute and continuing love of music. It has been my saving grace, and guitars are at the heart of all that. – Pete Prown

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This article originally appeared in VG‘s June 2018 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Nole Floyd “Nokie” Edwards, former lead guitarist and bassist with The Ventures, passed away March 12 from complications related to ongoing medical problems. He was 82.

Edwards was born May 9, 1935, in Lahoma, Oklahoma, the son of Elbert and Nannie Edwards. He began playing guitar at age five, as well as the mandolin, bass, steel guitar, banjo, and fiddle. His father nicknamed him “Nokie” by combining his given name with “Okie” to form one of the most unusual first names in show business.

After the family relocated to Washington state, Nokie began playing in local country groups and became an in-demand guitarist. Buck Owens, then based in Tacoma, hired him to play lead for his local television show. He played with Owens for over a year before joining a local group known as the Versatones in 1958, which consisted of Don Wilson and Bob Bogle. Edwards joined on bass and the group was renamed The Ventures before recording their first hit, “Walk Don’t Run,” in 1960.

After a couple years as the bass player, Edwards and guitarist Bob Bogle switched roles. The group knew Nokie was a hot guitarist when he joined, and eventually it was agreed he would be an asset as featured soloist. With him on lead and new drummer Mel Taylor joining the ranks, The Ventures were essentially a different band. Many fans agree that the 1963-’68 era represents the high-water mark for the band, and Edwards’ cutting tone (courtesy of their Mosrite Ventures model guitars) along with his hot country-meets-shred licks established him as one of the biggest guitar heroes of the time.

Though the band’s biggest-selling singles came from before and after Edwards’ tenure as lead guitarist, Ventures albums in the mid ’60s sold by the truckload and inspired countless garage bands and up-and-coming guitarists.

Tracks like “Journey To The Stars,” “Diamond Head,” “Slaughter On 10th Avenue,” “Walk Don’t Run ’64,” “Driving Guitars,” “Bumble Bee Twist,” “The 2,000 Pound Bee,” “Ginza Lights,” “House Of The Rising Sun,” “Caravan” and “Surf Rider” (the latter an Edwards composition that decades later was featured on the Pulp Fiction soundtrack) set the bar high, and secured Edwards’ legacy as one of the greatest exponents of guitar instrumental music. The Ventures’ Play Guitar With… series of instructional albums also proved highly influential to thousands of kids in the ’60s.

Edwards was an early experimenter with guitar effects, using a fuzz device made by steel guitarist Red Rhodes on “The 2000 Pound Bee” in 1962, and creating a wah-like effect with a DeArmond Volume and Tone pedal on “Pedal Pusher,” in ’65. He was also an old-school proponent of simple guitar tricks to entertain audiences, such as playing the strings between the bridge and tailpiece (this unusual sound can be heard on many live versions of “Wooly Bully” recorded in the ’60s), and pick-scratching against the wound strings (heard to great effect on “He Never Came Back” on the Ventures In Space album). It can also be said that he took use of the vibrato to new levels, inventing the “dive bomb” technique he used liberally on many Ventures recordings in the ’60s (listen to the Live in Japan ’65 version of “Driving Guitars” to hear an extreme version of this effect).

Edwards left the Ventures in ’68, but returned from ’73 to ’84, after which he would join them off and on over the years, splitting time with guitarist Gerry McGee, and occasionally performing together.

The Ventures had huge success in Japan, where they experienced Beatles-like admiration. In addition to releasing a host of Japan-only recordings, the group toured there for decades, filling large venues. Edwards toured Japan as a solo artist during and after his tenure with The Ventures, and last played there in 2015.

The Ventures were inducted to the Pacific Northwest Hall of Fame in 1999, the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2006, and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in ’08. In ’93, they received the Guitar Player magazine Lifetime Achievement Award. All told, they sold more than 100 million records.

In recent years, Edwards had continued health problems and was being treated in Yuma, Arizona, where he lived. He had been hospitalized during the Christmas holiday and eventually succumbed to complications. He is survived by his wife, Judy, sister Louise Jensen, daughter Tina, four stepchildren, 25 grandchildren, eight great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren. He is interred in a maple urn made by builders at Hitchhiker Guitars. – Deke Dickerson

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This article originally appeared in VG‘s June 2018 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.