Tag: features

Don Latarski is well-known in the Pacific Northwest as a player, author, teacher, and composer. His acoustic playing is revered, but on his latest, Audiography, Latarski brings in a full band for a set of electric tracks laced with uncanny jazz, blues, and rock ideas. Let’s check in with the Oregon ace.

People mostly know your acoustic playing, but not electric.
My inspiration for playing guitar actually came from electric players; up until 1983, I didn’t even own an acoustic. My first LPs are all focused on the electric, but around ’96 I started making acoustic records. Later, I had a steady gig in Eugene, and I began to figure out how to play guitar without a keyboardist. I also quit using a pick. I look back on that period as really pivotal in my playing.

Do you play electric with fingers or a pick?
I’ve been playing fingerstyle exclusively since around 2000. Since I stopped using fake nails, I have to be more careful because my natural nails are thin and they do break. My tone isn’t as good as it used to be when using fake nails, but my life is simpler without all the maintenance. There’s just a different tone I love when using a little nail along with the fleshy part of the finger.

“Noctiluca” sounds like you were under the spell of Larry Carlton and Robben Ford as a young player.
Like so many guitarists of a certain age, I was smitten with Carlton, Ford, Scofield, Coryell, Bill Connors, Howard Roberts, Wes Montgomery, and George Benson. Before that, I was into early Clapton, Beck, Peter Green, Roy Buchanan, Mark Knopfler, and other blues-based players. I’ve always been attracted to the emotional, funky players – but when Pat Metheny came along, I was deeply affected by his melodic approach.

“Blues #1” is a lyrical, jazz-enhanced approach to electric blues guitar, and avoids the cliches.
My background as a jazz player enabled me to solo using a vertical approach. In other words, I’m integrating notes from each chord, chord extension, or substitution into the solo. I love this approach, and it opens the door to new ideas that scale-based playing can’t get to. I play a lot of arpeggio-based ideas. This approach gets me deeper into the harmony – and I want to take the listener into that harmony.

What do you look for in an electric guitar?
I look for something light, with a slightly wide and thick neck, and some undefinable “mojo” that speaks to me. I’ve had Les Pauls, Strats, archtops, and Teles, but when I became friends with Ralph Novak, he introduced me to his solidbody fanned-fret instruments. His Novax Sweet Annie model is the only electric guitar I used on Audiography. I’ve owned two of them and the current one has a particular sound I’ve never heard on an electric guitar before. It’s push/pull switch provides a huge range of tonal color.

What about the pedals and amps?
All of my electric parts were recorded direct through an Ethos Overdrive preamp. It’s all-analog and has a simulated speaker output, which went into a Neve DI – it’s like getting the front-end of a really incredible amp. I did use a little wah on a couple of tracks, but it’s a modeled pedal from inside Logic Pro X. Other than the Ethos and Neve DI – which I do think of as a tone shaper – I didn’t use any pedals or amps, or any of the modeled amps or speaker cabs in Logic. My goal with this project was to really up my guitar tone, and I think I achieved that from the last trio record. I play pretty quietly these days, and for live gigs I use the smallest Quilter Mach 2 Combo 8. An acoustic guitar sounds pretty good plugged into it, since it is has a full-range 8″ speaker.

“Bottoms Up” brings to mind that old jazz adage: “It’s not what you play; it’s about what you don’t play.”
The hardest thing to learn about playing is when to use space. There are times on gigs with my trio where I just quit playing. My group is also what I’d call “conversational”; we allow each other to experiment, and there’s always a give-and-take chemistry at work. These guys – Mark Schneider on bass and Jason Palmer on drums – are fabulous players with way more experience, stylistically, than me. I happen to be the writer, but they bring ideas to the tunes that I wouldn’t even conceive of. We’ve been together a long time and, from the first note on a gig, the magic always happens.

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This article originally appeared in VG’s February 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

Check out the credits on many jazz, pop, and Latin albums over the past four decades and you’ll see the name Lincoln Goines. As a session player, sideman, and teacher, Goines has carved out his niche as a top-tier bassist for Dizzy Gillespie, Carly Simon, and guitarists Mike Stern and Wayne Krantz. His new solo album, The Art of the Bass Choir, is not only an all-star effort with bass heroes like John Patitucci, Victor Wooten, and Tom Kennedy, it’s also a serious artistic statement.

Was part of the goal on The Art of the Bass Choir to help listeners understand the bass as a harmony instrument?
Indeed it was. I wanted to change the conception of the bass as a rhythm-section instrument, and move it to the forefront. We showcased all the harmonic possibilities of the low end in different multi-bass ensemble settings. I carefully chose and composed pieces in different styles and genres that represented the unique sonority and temperament of the instrument. On most tracks, I play the central trio, quartet, and quintet parts. The guests contribute solos, and in some cases, melodies, additional chord comping, and embellishments. Most of the parts, minus the solo spaces, were arranged and written in detail, and almost all of the contributing artists sent multiple takes.

On “All Blues,” is that some kind of soprano bass taking the melody?
That is my Fodera 33″ five-string, with a high C on top. The higher notes of the melody are played with artificial harmonics.

What’s the story behind that funky chord comping with Victor Wooten on the Herbie Hancock composition “Spank a Lee”?
I played most of the four core parts, outlining the original Headhunters groove and melody. I left some sections open, then asked Victor to add a track. He sent four parts that complemented mine and made the entire piece a cohesive funk symphony; that’s the genius of Victor. Of course, for sophisticated modern funk, there is no drummer on planet earth like Dennis Chambers.

When recording all those basses, did normal EQ rules apply, so you didn’t get a mass of muddy bass tones, as on “Spin the Floor.”
Those rules don’t apply. All my basses are single-pickup, which I find resonate with more clarity than dual-pickup basses. In addition, I panned all the basses wide because I discovered that positioning them together in the traditional manner had a tendency to squash and muddy them. I worked closely with the engineers to not over-compress, and use a minimal amount of reverb. This way, all the dynamics and the natural sound of wood and metal strings would remain intact.

“Velho Piano” has a long, beautiful improv. Is that you or John Patitucci?
That’s John. I play the melody in and he plays the melody out. I re-orchestrated my comping behind his solo after I placed it in the track to enhance and complement what he had done. On the double-time samba ride-out at the end, John and I exchange four-bar trades.

“Three Views of a Secret” has some great chordal work.
That’s a bass quintet, and the orchestrations are based in part on the Jaco and Weather Report versions. I consider that to be Jaco Pastorius’ masterpiece. There are two soloists: Tom Kennedy in the E-major row, and Mike Pope in the G-major one. They are spectacular contributions.

“Vassar Llean” is a collaboration with Ed Lucie from the Berklee College of Music.
That is a lesser-known ballad by the great bassist/composer Charles Mingus, arranged by one of my mentors and influences, bassist Steve Swallow. I spoke to Ed Lucie about the Bass Choir project and he mentioned the hand-written arrangement he had in his attic. We put this together, pretty much verbatim, with maestro Steve’s blessing.

What gear did you use on the album?
I used three Fodera Imperial basses – a five-string 34-inch, a five-string 33-inch, and a fretless 33-inch five-string, all built for me at the Brooklyn shop by Vinny Fodera. I also played my 1875 Italian-built acoustic bass, using a French bow, and I processed the tracks direct through an Epifani Piccolo 1,000-watt head with a custom 1995 Nat Priest DI.

Will you take a lineup of the Bass Choir on the road?
That is a goal for 2023.

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This article originally appeared in VG’s February 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

It’s hard to believe, but there is only one member still with us from the classic early-’70s Uriah Heep lineup that gave us classic albums like Demons and Wizards, The Magician’s Birthday, and Uriah Heep Live. Yet, the U.K. band manages to retain its unmistakable (at one time, trailblazing) merger of prog and metal, as heard throughout its 25th studio album, Chaos & Colour. That last man standing is Mick Box.

How did you approach Chaos & Colour from a guitar perspective?
When it’s time to write an album, I have a whole well of ideas – riffs, chords, melodies, lyrics. Then I usually get together with our keyboard player, and he has a similar thing, so we marry them and start writing songs. From a guitar perspective, [producer] Jay Ruston got a fantastic sound, I was so happy with it. It’s a guitar-driven album except for a few songs that we transposed to piano.

Which tracks are you most proud of, guitar-wise?
Generally, they’re all good as far as I can see – it’s up to the listener to decide. The rhythms sound great, the wah-wah solos sound great, the tones are good. The whole album has got a flow to it. “Hail the Sunrise” has a good solo.

What is your current guitar roster?
Studio and live, it’s the same, to be honest – Carparelli guitars and some of my Gibson Les Paul Black Beauties, along with a lovely sunburst one. I started using Carparelli because the Gibsons were getting totally trashed by airline people. I thought, “They’re too fragile, they’re too lovely. I’ll leave them at home.” I got in touch with Mike Carparelli, who was making guitars in Toronto. I picked up one, and I’ve been playing it ever since. It’s fantastic.

How about amplifer-wise?
Amp-wise, it’s Engl; I have a Fireball. Once I started using it, I threw away all my pedals except a Crybaby wah and a Carl Martin chorus. The rest of it is all fingers. I like to keep it really simple – I like to play guitar, I don’t like to tap-dance.

What was your setup in the early ’70s?
Pretty much the same, only Marshall. A Black Beauty, a Marshall 100-watt. I used to have a 1959 SLP – a beautiful amp, and it sounded really good, but it didn’t have a lot of power out on the road. I used a 4×12 and I don’t like the top cabinets because they give you too much treble, plus, if it goes into the microphone it gives the sound man a lot of trouble. Plus, I like to feel the low-end from a cabinet. Keep it simple – again, back then it was just a wah and, usually, a chorus.

Do you recall what year the Black Beauty was?
I got it in the late ’60s, at was Eddie Moors Music, in Bournemouth, in the south of England. It was the only shop where you could get a Black Beauty. And it came direct from Kalamazoo in those days. I had to trade my Telecaster and get some hire-purchase payments. I fell in love with it more so from Les Paul and Mary Ford; I loved their music. I came from a jazz background – with Les Paul, Mary Ford, Barney Kessel, Tal Farlow, and Django Reinhardt. That was my introduction to music, because the first few lessons I had, [the teacher] was very jazzy.

Is it true that Randy Rhoads was a fan of the Demons and Wizards album?
Absolutely. So many people were. I talked to Randy loads of times because our drummer, Lee Kerslake, went off with Bob Daisley and formed Blizzard of Ozz. I used to keep in touch with Lee and go see them rehearse. Randy was a really cool guy, and yeah, he told me that.

Which Uriah Heep album would you consider the most definitive, guitar-wise?
I think they’ve all got their moments, of course. Demons and Wizards took us on to the world stage – the searing rhythm on “Easy Livin’” seemed to catch on and inspire a lot of guitarists. When we reintroduced the band with , which went Top 40 in America, I played all over that one. Normally, I just try to enhance the song. But on that one, the producer was pushing me to do a lot more.

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This article originally appeared in VG’s February 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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Germany’s Sebastian Nagel is a producer, composer, session guitarist, performer, and fan of the funk. His latest project finds him joining Colemine Records for an odyssey into the groovy world of retro instrumental psychedelic R&B.

The project is called The Winston Brothers, where jazzy octave guitar work meets dreamy arpeggiation, fuzz solos, and hallucinogenic fade-outs. It’s outta sight, baby.

How did the idea for this music come about?
It was born when I was working on the first album by Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band. Around 2017, we were digging into hip-hop instrumentals, covering hip-hop tracks, and getting into that sound versus funk. I asked drummer Lucas Kochbeck to join me for some studio sessions to track ideas I had. Lucas is the funky drummer in town.

I was still with the Mighty Mocambos, so I thought I’d like to do something with a different sound and aesthetic. We made six tracks. After I left the Mocombos, I finished the songs and got in touch with Terry Cole of Colemine Records. Terry liked it and wanted to release “Winston Theme” as a 45 with “Boiling Pot” as the B-side. That was the beginning of the Winston Brothers. Later, we thought it would be nice to release a full album. I produced another five tracks with Lucas putting grooves together and then built it up with horns and synthesizers to finish the songs.

So, The Winston Brothers are you on guitar and bass, Lucas Kochbeck on drums, with session horn players.
The horn section is the same, but I did sessions with the Mocombo horns at the beginning, then moved on. I brought in people to add a different impact on the album and catch a certain vibe. I put everything together, wrote the songs, wrote the horn arrangements, and played bass on 50 percent of the songs. A few of the pieces were co-written with Lucas.

It has a ’60s retro-funk flavor. It doesn’t sound like hip hop.
It was more of the idea of a funk band playing hip hop instrumentals. I needed a starting point that would grow in a totally different direction. I love ’60s and ’70s funk, but I always try to bring something new to the music. What I did with Winston Brothers was put my own spin on it. I don’t like to copy. I always try to create something that comes from me.

What’s your musical background?
My first guitar teacher was a friend of my dad. He was into blues guitar, so that’s where I started. I loved all the old blues guitar players and bought old records from flea markets when I was a teenager. I prefer ’60s and ’70s music and got into jazz-rock and funk. After high school, I studied jazz guitar in the Netherlands. I love Jimi Hendrix and Clapton, particularly when Clapton was in John Mayall and the Blues Breakers. I also love John Coltrane. It’s the energy I like. I love funky R&B, as well – not so much as a guitar player, but more as a writer and producer. I love Parliament-Funkadelic. When Daptone Records came along, it was a real game changer for me in terms of sound and how to record a band. I’m also a huge fan of Lee Fields’ My World.

Let’s talk guitars.
My main guitar a 1989 ES-335, but a few years back I bought a ’56 ES-125T. I’m a lefty, so it’s hard to find guitars. So, I took the 125 to a guitar builder who modified it into a left-handed model with DeArmond pickups. It has a nice vibe. I also have an ES-330 with a P-90 in the middle position that I used for some wah. It has a woody, percussive sound.

How about amplifiers?
I used a Vibrolux reissue from the ’70s with a reverb tank, a Carr Vincent, which is like a Deluxe Reverb, a ’62 Bassman, and a ’63 Super Reverb.

“Drift” is a standout on the album. Which effects did you use on that track?
I used the reverb and the tremolo from the Vibrolux, and either the Devi Ever Legend Of Fuzz or the Fender Blender Fuzz. They’re both great pedals.

The oscillating, fuzzy guitar fade-out is super cool.
That’s the Roland Space Echo doing the repeats at the end. I used that a lot, especially where the sound oscillates at the end. I also use plug-ins, so it’s kind of the best of both worlds. When it comes to the guitar, I prefer the analog stuff.

What’s next for The Winston Brothers?
Concerts in Hamburg and a tour through Europe. We’ll see where it takes us. I’m already working on the second album.

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This article originally appeared in VG’s February 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

The wildly named Rickshaw Billie’s Burger Patrol doesn’t play the typical “doom metal” or “stoner metal” that has been hip for decades. Based in Austin, this power trio delivers its melodic, catchy, and often straight-up fun tunes on Doom Wop, combining the eight-string guitar of Leo Lydon, the bass of Aaron Metzdorf, and drummer Sean St. Germain. Through nine anthems, RBBP has created near-perfect driving music, good for commuting or headin’ out for a nice, juicy burger.

Throughout Doom Wop, we hear a combination of ’90s rock and Black Sabbath.
I would say there’s a loose connection to that, yes. Our songs are very sing-along and anthem-like – we try to make annoyingly catchy hooks that you can’t help but hum after the song is over. There’s not really a Black Sabbath connection, though I get the Ozzy and Jack White comparison a lot. I sing that high to cut through all the low-end content of the instruments.

Your eight-string and Aaron’s bass mesh without stepping on each other’s toes. It sounds huge. How do you keep RBBP’s music sonically uncluttered?
We both run dual-mono rigs. I run a vintage Sunn Model T for my highs and mids, and an Orange Terror Bass for my low-end, through an ABY switch. Aaron splits his bass tone in a similar fashion; we both use Worshiper cabinets, out of Austin; I use a 2×12 and 1×15 and he uses a 4×10 and a 3×12. We want to create a giant wall of sound, but also act as one unit without stepping on each other’s toes. Aaron plays a lot of chords on bass, while I play a lot of single notes on the eight-string. We’re reversing a lot of traditional guitar/bass roles.

On “Jesus Was An Alien,” the guitar and bass are fat, dry, and chunky. How did you track it?
All of the new record was tracked the same way – our amps were DI’d into a stereo tube preamp and straight into Pro Tools. Cody J. Simpson, our mixing and mastering engineer, had some real magic going on this track. He especially captured that ’90s vibe on that one. The chunk comes from certain parts where I’m running on my neck pickup – a Seymour Duncan Sentient with an Earthquaker Tentacle box to get it to sound really sluggish.

Who are your guitar influences?
Dimebag Darrell was my biggest inspiration growing up, as well as Mårten Hagström and Fredrik Thordendal from Meshuggah – if you want to guess where my eight-string influence comes from. More recently, I really love Chico Mann from Here Lies Man.

What is your eight-string and how do you tune it?
I use a Jackson DKA8M – the Dinky with a 28″ scale. I drop the low F# a whole step to E, and the rest is standard tuning; low to high, it’s E-B-E-A-D-G-B-E.

You wear the guitar high on your chest. Is that for comfort or technique?
A bit of both. I run around onstage, so having it up high allows me to tuck the body under my right elbow and still play accurately. With the scale length being three or four inches longer and the neck much wider than a standard six-string, having it up that high gives easier access to everything.

Which pedals do you use?
I run the Sunn through an Earthquaker Talons overdrive and Tentacle up-octave, with a noise gate and tape echo for solos. I run the Terror Bass head through a Sunn Life octave-distortion pedal; all that goes into a Bones ABY pedal.

Aaron also uses a lot of fuzz on his bass. Do you ever experiment with crunch tones to find the perfect balance between the two of you?
I’m not much of a gear nerd and have used the same setup for about three years. Aaron experiments with his setup much more than I do, but we always have the same goal in mind – to be as complementary as possible to the tonal structure.

It’s hard for any band to make a living these days. Are you all full-time musicians or do you have other jobs?
Myself and Aaron are pretty much full-time musicians with Burger Patrol. We pickup oddball jobs here and there when we need to. Our drummer, Sean, is a cook when we’re not on the road. It’s pretty amazing we’re able to pull it off, and we’re grateful for all our fans that make that possible!

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This article originally appeared in VG’s February 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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The British blues movement of the late ’60s lost one of its original proponents and practitioners when Savoy Brown lead guitarist Kim Simmonds died December 13, following a year-and-a-half bout with colon cancer. He was 75.

A native of Wales, Simmonds became aware of the blues thanks to the record collection of an older brother. He founded the only band in which he was ever a member when his family moved to London in 1965.

“It was literally a case of being in the right place at the right time,” he told Vintage Guitar in an August ’93 interview. “I dºecided I wanted to play Chicago blues as opposed to Delta blues, and formed Savoy Brown with that musical style in mind.”

Savoy Brown became known as one of Great Britain’s preeminent blues ensembles, often cited alongside Fleetwood Mac and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers. However, Simmonds sought to clarify his band’s concept for playing blues.

“We didn’t want to be absolute traditionalists,” he said. “We wanted to add our own embellishments. I’ll admit, however, that Eric Clapton and Peter Green influenced my playing style. The first instrument I had was a Telecaster; to get a warm, sweet tone, I only used the neck pickup. I ran it through a Vox AC30.”

Blues guitarist Duke Robillard was an early fan.

“When I first heard Kim, it was apparent he was dedicated to the blues form,” he said. “I loved the spirit of the band. The tunes were great and I liked the combination of his sound and the traditional aspect of his playing, but he had his own musical personality.”

Savoy Brown’s history was marked by numerous personnel changes.

“I’ve always thought I’ve had the pulse of the band and what direction it needed to take,” Simmonds explained. “That’s not to say I’ve done it all by myself; I’ve had a lot of other talented players and singers over the years.”

“I don’t think Kim was averse to calling it the way he saw it,” added guitarist Andy Powell of Wishbone Ash. “He was good at being a bandleader. I can relate to that.”

For many fans, the definitive Savoy Brown lineup was the late-’60s aggregation that included Simmonds, Chris Youlden (vocals), Dave Peverett (guitar, vocals), Tone Stevens (bass), and Roger Earl (drums). Their masterwork song was the live, side-long “Savoy Brown Boogie” (on the 1969 release A Step Further), which featured Simmonds’ searing tone evoked from a rare-in-the-U.K. Gibson Flying V.

Peverett, Stevens, and Earl departed Savoy Brown in late 1970 and, shortly after, founded Foghat. Later incarnations of Savoy Brown included vocalist Dave Walker, whose first go-round included lead vocals on fan favorites like “Tell Mama” and “Hellbound Train.”

“Kim’s slide tone on ‘Tell Mama’ knocked me out,” said Buddy Whittington, who did a long stint as guitarist for John Mayall’s Bluebreakers. “When I asked him about it, he said it was a single-cut Les Paul Junior.”

Simmonds eventually moved to the U.S., settling in Oswego, New York. Various incarnations of his band continued to record and tour; it and the Bluebreakers would sometimes share a bill.

“We had quite a few memorable times,” Whittington remembered. “He was always gracious and friendly with us.”

Simmonds’ primary instruments included Gibson guitars and Stratocasters, as well as a Zion and a Bacorn thinline. He continued to develop his slide and fingerpicking skills, and in 1997 released a critically acclaimed solo acoustic album.

In 2001, Savoy Brown was the last band that played in the summer concert series on the plaza of the World Trade Center before the terrorist attacks of September 11.

Savoy Brown released 44 albums in its 57-year history. Simmonds fostered relationships with his peers in America, and influenced younger players.

“When I was trying to resurrect my band’s fortunes in the United States, he was invaluable in terms of very practical advice,” said Powell.

Miami guitarist Albert Castiglia cited Simmonds’ primary influence as “…his phrasing, plain and simple. Tasty licks for days! He had great tone, of course – all the great ones do. But I loved the way he spoke through his axe. No wasted notes.”

Blues guitarist Sean Chambers was also an admirer.

“He had a distinctive raw, gritty-from-the-heart kind of sound,” he said. “There was something just so real and true about his playing. It hit home with me, instantly, and his songwriting was unique. He had his own thing, his own sound.”

“Kim was a wonderful, sweet guy and a real blues lover,” Robillard summarized. “He will be remembered for a long time by everyone who knew him.”

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This article originally appeared in VG’s February 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.

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In 1997, the rock music being embraced by radio and MTV was primarily pop punk (Green Day), rap metal (Limp Bizkit), nu metal (Korn), alt rock (Radiohead), and Britpop (Oasis). It was not blues rock. But, thanks to the surprise success of Kenny Wayne Shepherd’s sophomore album, Trouble Is…, and its single/video “Blue on Black,” the genre surged. With 2022 marking a quarter-century since the album’s release, Shepherd has issued a complete re-recording, Trouble Is… 25.

What made you decide to re-record Trouble Is…?
There were a lot of reasons. There’s business reasons to it – Taylor Swift recorded songs from her catalog for business reasons. It’s revealing that some artists re-record their earlier material. But we had a whole thing planned; I knew I wanted to do a 25th anniversary tour where we were going to play the whole album in concert for the first time. Then I thought, “If we re-record this music, it’s better than rehearsal.” Also, this one holds special significance. It was a monumental record for us.

Did you have a sense that “Blue on Black” was a special song right away?
Yes. Without a doubt. Especially when it came down to mixing the record – we were in Burbank, and Tom Lord-Alge was mixing. We were all in the studio and played it. By the middle of the song, people’s wives and girlfriends were dancing around the studio. It was this really euphoric moment. And by the time the song was done, people were hugging and high-fiving. It was one of the more-incredible experiences I’ve had as far as music goes.

Which solos are you most proud of?
“Blue on Black” obviously – that’s the unique solo. John Mayer came up to me at the Hollywood Bowl when we were doing the Van Halen tour in 2015. He said, “You’re the only guy since Jimi Hendrix to get an Octavia on mainstream radio.” That guitar tone was something the record label was concerned about, but I didn’t want to bend on it. The solo itself is very abstract, like a jazz singer doing scat. It’s not melodic – it’s a free-form, free-flowing thing.

Another was the song “Slow Ride,” which won “Guitar Solo of the Year” from [a guitar magazine]. I was really proud of that, especially being an 18-/19-year-old guitar player.

What were your main guitars back then?
I’ve always been an old-school guy. Most of the songs were on my ’61 Strat – a rosewood slab-board. It’s pretty much all original except I put Graphtech saddles on it. I also picked up a ’59 hardtail Strat I used on a few, and I had two Custom Shop Strats. But I’d say 90 percent of the songs were played on the ’61.

Which amps and effects were you using?
I had a ’65 Twin reissue from the first series; it was a numbered limited edition before it became a regular production amp. And I had a ’64 blackface Vibroverb, and a Vibro King.
For effects, I used an original Univibe; I had an original TS808 [Ibanez Tube Screamer]. I found some old photos of us in the studio, and I’m sitting on the floor with my guitar in my lap, and in front of me plugged in is a silver Klon [Centaur].

And what are you using now?
I carry about 20 guitars on the road with me. On this tour, I have my ’59 hardtail, for some shows I have the original amps, all those same effects, and a regular pedalboard that has various reissues of those pedals. I also have my ’60 Les Paul sunburst. All of my regular amps were built by Alexander Dumble.

Do you think Trouble Is… helped keep blues-rock alive in the late ’90s?
I would say so. There was a real void when Stevie Ray passed away. And I wasn’t scheming to fill somebody’s shoes – especially not his. I was just playing music I loved to play, things fell into place, and I got an opportunity. I broke through to the mainstream. And when things like that happen, record companies start looking for other people to do it. So, it helped break down a lot of walls at radio for this music, and opened a lot of doors for other players at the time.

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This article originally appeared in VG’s March 2023 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.