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What kind of rig are you traveling on tour with?
Because of the fact that I’m not on a Madonna or John Mayer type of budget, it’s tough to have exactly what I would want to have with me at all times. Generally when I go over seas I’ll bring my pedal board, which is very basic. There’s a TS808, a couple of the T-Rex pedals for reverb and delay, an Octave pedal, and a Wah pedal.
Usually I’m playing through a Marshall JCM2000 DSL. That’s the one they provide me. In a perfect world where there was a budget that really afforded me the opportunity to have exactly what I want, I’m still in love with the Cornford MK50 amps.
I’ve also been playing a lot with the Fractal Audio unit called the Axe-FX, which is absolutely incredible. It’s the only digital unit I’ve ever played where I could see actually using that full time. It’s by far the best multi-effects unit I’ve ever played through. All the reverbs, delays, choruses, flangers, and phasers, is the height of quality.
It also does amp modeling way better than anything else I’ve ever plugged into by a long shot. The problem I’ve always had with amp modeling is that a lot of times they’ll get really spot on with the sounds, but when you sit down and play, it doesn’t feel like it. I’ve recorded stuff with certain units where I’m hating the experience, but when I listen back I think, “Oh, it doesn’t sound too bad.” It doesn’t feel good while I’m doing it. The response is not being addressed.
Whatever the nuance is that you get from playing through tubes, it’s not being felt under my fingers. With the Axe-FX, they seemed to have addressed that. They understand how important that is, as well as how good it sounds. You’ve got pretty much any amp you can ever dream of, and every effect you can ever dream of.
What’s on your pedal board?
I’m using the Dunlop Buddy Guy Wah. I like it a lot because it sounds pretty much like a Crybaby but it’s supposedly true bypass. I don’t know for sure if that’s the case, but if not, it’s the closest thing they have to true bypass. I also use the T-Rex Octavius, the T-Rex Replica Delay, and the T-Rex Room Mate Tube Reverb. I’ve also been using the Arion SCH-1 Stereo Chorus pedal. The Ibanez TS808 Tube Screamer, pretty much in front of any amp always sounds great.
Are you still playing the Laguna guitar?
For the last three or four years I’ve been using the Laguna guitar. The bridge pickup in it is something I developed with Steve Blucher called the GH5. It’s basically a high output pickup that doesn’t sound high output. It feels great because there’s so much hitting the front end of the amp.
The main reason for that is because the Cornford is not an easy amp to play. You can’t fudge through it. It’s not a compressed high gain amplifier. It’s reminiscent of the old British pre-master volume stage amplifiers running at high volume. It’s not easy to play them but at the same time the benefits are amazing. When it’s right and you’re hitting on all cylinders, it’s another realm. It’s really fulfilling. The notes are so tight, and so fast, and so separated, and dense – but the price is that it’s tough to play. Recently I’ve been using the Dimarzio Chopper in the neck. It’s got a great twangy thing about it.
