Gear: Tools of the trade.
We’re certainly far from having professional instruments and tools for our recordings, yet this little collection is still sufficient to get some neat stuff recorded. If you have questions concerning these instruments and tools, feel free to ask.
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My newest guitar - ordered straight from the USA, the korean version of the Steinberger guitar. There are two reasons why I bought it: I've always wanted a shorter scale electric guitar, in order to have a sound alternative to my Fender style guitars. And I always dug the cool and weird Steinberger looks (and thought it would be great for travelling!), so finally I got one. Exciting!
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My main axe. A red Stratocaster. What more is there to say? It had to be. It’s an American Standard, I must have bought it brand new around 1990 – 1991. It's the guitar I feel most at home with, both live and when recording. Since I have it, the setup has never been worked on, so the action may need fixing. High bends sometimes suffer a bit. Still: Love it, would take it to the proverbial island with me. In case they have electricity there...
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My first electric guitar ever. There was this fun German guitar manufacturer "Rockinger" - they used to sell kits that you put together yourself. The interesting aspect was that you could have it customized. This model was called "The Strat". I had a few things added. It’s kind of a hard rock guitar. On stage, it doesn’t really cut through too well, and the clean sounds aren’t the best. But for recording, it really does produce some sweet distorted sounds! It's equipped with two OBL humbuckers, and Rockinger's own TruTune tremolo.
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I was in the USA and needed a guitar. Financially, Fenders were out of reach then. But I could get a hold of this baby - technically speaking, it was a Fender, too. At the time, Leo was still active at G & L. And it sounded like it, too. The sound is a bit crisper and thinner than my Strat. I have set the action up high to play slide on it. Recently, I have started playing slide on my regular action Strat, so I’m looking for something new to do with this axe.
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This is the first guitar I ever owned. The plan was to study classical guitar for a couple of years, before going for the electric guitar. A friend, who had got me started with playing the guitar, introduced me to his teacher, a really weird guy - but a good teacher! I did learn a good deal and kept coming for another year and a half when I already had my electric guitar. Now I only occasionally play on this Yamaha CG-110. It can be heard on "More than much". (When I took the picture, the d-string had just broken...)
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It’s taken me a really long time to actually buy an acoustic guitar. Money certainly always was an issue. And somehow I knew that I needed to have one, but I just couldn’t get around to getting one. Finally, I bought this one in 2000. Ever since, my musical style has changed a good deal, it’s now more about actual songs, and singing. I do know, though, that singing is not really my strongest point. And I also know that I am way more comfortable with an electric guitar. But this instrument certainly plays an essential part in my playing and writing these days. From Ibanez.
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"Under the influence" of Mark Knopfler, and while discovering the Blues, it’s obvious that I had to get a "Dobro style" guitar one day. This one’s made by "Carter", I couldn’t afford the real thing. But this, too, has a gorgeous sound. And: Gorgeous looks! It’s a guitar like a friend, always fun and good to have around, with a few difficult edges. When I play on my own, this is the guitar I usually use. There aren’t too many recodings with it on, simply because I haven’t had it for too long yet. I think I bought it in the winter of 2001. Great instrument.
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A cool bass-track can save lives. Branded "Tune", this instrument accounts for practically all the bass sounds on these recordings. For a guitarist, it's always an interesting challenge to pick up a bass. This one is nice to handle, has passive and active circuits, one precision-bass style pick-up, one jazz-bass style pick-up and always produces great sounds when played directly into the mixer.
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Old Faithful: My first and always guitar amp. This Music Man 112 RD Fifty was bought second hand at the beginning of the nineties and smelled like it had seen a lot of action. When staying with me, the action probably died down a bit, in comparison. But we're really getting along great. When it comes to edge, sharpness, clean sounds, he's way cool. Distorted he doesn't do that well. Surprisingly good for recording directly into a mic. Will probably serve generations of guitar players after me...
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