What piece of equiptment have you found in the last while that might have excited you or changed the way you play? Steve Vai: My wife! Mike Turner: I've always been a sucker for effects pedals and delays in particular. To that end I have collected several tape delays, old analog delays, and even an old 8-bit digital delay because they all have signatures to them. As soon as I got all the delays I liked, someone put them all into one box. The best pedal, by far, of the last several years in theLine 6 Delay modeller (DL-4). It also has an amazing 'looping' setting that is the best I've found. It's one of those pedals that has you saying "Oops, that's cool' about every five minutes. Dawn Mandarino: I started feeling a lot more confident on guitar when I purchased my Marshall JCM 2000. It seemed so big and powerful and made me feel like a professional player. I was amazed at how crunchy and distorted it could sound without any pedals at all. To this day I still only use an overdrive pedal for my solos but I run my guitar straight through my amp. It sounds great on its own so I see no reason to mess with it! I've always been facinated by Marshall stacks - especially since that was the favorite of Johnny Ramone.
What was the first guitar you owned? Steve: A beat-up Tesco with three huge pick-ups and a whammy bar. I used to use this big power amp I took from my sister's stereo and hook it up to these little transistor speakers and blast them until the magnets melted. Smelled great. Mike: I was lucky. At 16 I got my first real guitar, which was a 1972 Gibson SG. I wish I still had it... Mark Makoway: My first guitar was a piece of shit classical guitar that I stole from my sister. I remember it had the widest neck ever made and terrible intonation. I replaced the nylon strings with a set of metal acoustic strings and played it to death. Unfortunately, it was destroyed during an incident at a house party when I was at university (although the extremely wide neck is sitting in a box somewhere in my parent's basement). Dawn: The first guitar I owned was a small acoustic guitar that my grandfather made for me. I honestly started learning Ramones songs on that little guitar, power chords and all! It wasn't until I started taking lessons from a rock and roll guitar teacher who said, "Dude, you gotta get an electric guitar." That was when I went and purchased something else. It ended up being a "rockstar in training" set which consisted of a black Yamaha electric guitar with a small Cheri amp. I thought it was pretty cool.
How have you developed your style as a guitar player over the years? Steve: Very carefully. Paying more and more attention to melody and dynamics. But if that doesn't come with age and maturity then you must be dead. Mike: Largely by accident! I've always tried to do what sounds good to me (and serves the song) without needing to compare it to anyone else. I'm getting better at being me but it's taken quite a while to figure out who the hell that is. Dawn: I developed my style through watching my favorite guitar played and learning as many songs on guitar as I could. I would usually listen to a CD and learn the songs as best I could, then dig up a live performance of the band and watch how they play. You pick up a lot of great techniques this way that you can carry on to your own playing. I have recently been playing a lot more solos than I ever did before so I've been practicing scales to get my fingers moving faster! So the bottom line it, practice, practice, practice!
Have you achieved your ideal on-stage rig? Steve: It's always changing according to the gig, the band and the songs I am playing but the Legacy amp that I designed with Carvin makes every day Christmas. Mike: Yes, it's huge and I can't get it into my house. It developed in response to the need for versatility and turned into something that I can get to do almost anything I can think of. It was built by Dave Freedman at Rack systems in L.A. and it's based around a Marshall JMP-1 and VHT 2-50-2 tube power amp running in class A mode. Then there's lots of effect pedals and three mulit-effects rack processors, two by Lexicon (MPX-1 MPX-G2) and an old Digitech delay/harmonizer (IPS 33B). Dawn: I have always considered myself a Gibson through a Marshall girl myself. As soon as I could afford either, I purchased a Gibson SG-X and a Marshall JCM 2000. I absolutely love the sound and consider it my ideal stage rig right now. Perhaps my tastes may change one day and I will decide I need some crazy effects, but for the sound I'm going for now, my set-up is killer! The only thing I would love to have is more SGs or Les Paul Jr.'s to play for some variety, as I only have the one SG right now. Another Gibson is definitely next on my gear purchasing list!
Is there anything in your guitar closet you aren't using but can't bring yourself to get rid of? Steve: No, I give that shit away quick. I try to keep a small closet. It's all dust someday anyway. Mike: Pretty much everything... the 'closet' is actually a basement (and some warehouse space at a backline company!) and it seems to be intent on taking over the house. Dawn: It's definitely that black Yamaha guitar that I purchased years ago. It is very special to me because it is the guitar that I learned all my favorite songs on. I became a guitar player on that Yamaha and although I have never played it on stage, I will never get rid of it.
Who were some of your early influences and how have your influences changed now that you are a professional musician? Steve: I was very influenced by the great rock guitar players of the '70's like Jummy Page, Hendrix, Brian May, Richi Blackmore etc. As I grew through the various genres and trends that have passed I usually take from them the things that push my buttons. Usually it's the grooves and some technology. Mike: Brian May and The Edge. I'm always trying to make up for the fact I'm not as good as Brian May and not as original as The Edge! Mark: My favourite guitarist is probably Jimmy Page. I've been into Zeppelin since I was a kid, although I think their appeal for me has changed over time. I was first attracted to Page's playing because of the power of songs like "When the Levee Breaks", but now I find I listen to the albums more for the arrangements. I love the way Page weaves together multiple layers of guitar melody, especially in their later albums such as Physical Graffiti. Check out "Ten Years Gone" and "Down by the Seaside". Dawn: My early influences were definitely The Ramones, Veruca Salt, Rancid and Hole regarding guitar playing. Those were the bands that I learned almost every song on guitar and really inspired me to play. I think it was mainly because they all had catchy guitar solos that weren't impossible for a beginner to learn and play along to. My influences over the years haven't changed necessarily, but there have been addition! I've been paying more attention to guitarists such as Duke Erikson and Steve Marker from Garbage who use a lot of interesting effects and are constantly playing intricate melodies. I've also been recently inspired to be a better guitar player by my boyfriend. His ability to get around the guitar amazes me and makes me want to play as good as he does. Maybe it's a competitive thing!
If you could get your hands on any guitar in history, not including one you already own, what would it be? Steve: I don't really care about that stuff. I did play Brian May's guitar once. That's probably the guitar with the most mystique. Mike: A Gibson Moderne! That would be a comfortable retirement fund. Dawn: The Johnny Ramone signature Mosrite guitar! It's the Ventures II model that Johnny used to play and they've even made all the adjustments that Johnny made to his such as putting in the Dimarzio "Fat-Strat" pickup. The headstock is signed by Johnny and the Mosrite logo is replaced with the Ramones logo. I must get this guitar soon!
Is there an up-and-coming guitarist that has caught your eye who deserves a little more attention? Steve:Johnny A. Mike: During Canadian Music Week I was lucky enough to catch a set by John Mayer, and the man's chops were astounding! Always in service of a song, but he was effortless and fluid - just a joy to watch. Dawn: When we toured with The Donna's, Donna R. really caught my eye as a great guitar player. She is the only guitar player in the band and her sound is full and powerful. I was surprised at how many rockin' solos she played and how solid her rythm was. I was also pleasantly surprised to see that she plays through a Marshall JCM 2000 with her Gibson Les Paul. We both agreed that Gibson/Marshall combo is the only way to go!
Do you have any warm up tips or advice for the young guitarists out there? Steve: Watch your fingers in the mirror when you play and make it look as easy and elegant as you can. Mike: Do what you need to in order to keep your hands healthy, warm up and stretch your hands and arms well before you play (especially if you're going to be playing a while) but most important of all, warm up your EARS! Do some interval training (vocal exercises are great for this) and work on your harmonic knowledge with your voice and your guitar. This will help you hear what you need to play more instinctively. Mark: Get out of your house and jam with other musicians as often as you can, because jamming teaches you how to listen and play with other musicians. It's amazing how much you can pick up just from playing for a few hours with other players. Dawn: My advice is to learn as many songs as you can by your favorite bands when you are starting out. Figuring the songs out by ear and learning how your favorite artists play these songs is bound to make you a better guitar player. It depends on how far you want to take it. It doesn't hurt to go the technical route and learn the musical theory to determine which patterns to play over certain chords and understand why certain melodies will sound better than others. Although I did learn some theory, I found it much easier and more fun to learn to play by ear. You have the ability to hear what sounds good so when you write a song or try to come up with solos, your ear can figure it out!
What are some other stringed instruments you dabble in, and do they help further your understanding of the guitar? Steve: Anything with a G-string. Mike: I use a Gibson Les Paul bass for my demo work and I have an old zither that I've never been able to get to stay in tune! Any instrument lets me develop my harmonic knowledge. The nots always relate in the same way, you just need to see the picture of music without it always being coloured by the instrument you play. Dawn: Not so much stringed instruments, but I found that my knowledge of the piano really helped my understanding of the guitar. Having a basic knowledge of musical theory, which for me started on piano, helped me figure out songs on the guitar faster and aided in writing songs. Even if you don't feel it will benefit your understanding of the guitar in particular, it's always a good idea to try new instruments. It just gives you more tools to use for writing and performing your songs. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to create your own demos in your bedroom and have played every instrument yourself. It also gives you the ability to throw different sounds into your songs to create interesting vibes. I love playing the saxophone and fiddling around with sounds on my synthesizer when writing songs at home. You never know what the outcome will be!
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