INTRO 60 SECONDS WITH…
A minute’s all it takes to discover what makes a great guitarist tick. Before she jumped into her limo for the airport, we grabbed a quick chat with the US singer-songwriter, guitar player, and Brian May Guitars artist.
GT: Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without?
A: Yes, I use Dava picks. When I was first starting out playing, I bought every style guitar pick I could find. Every size, thickness, and point type. I stuck with the Jazz 3’s for a while, and of course I used the Brian May sixpence, but I latched onto the Dava picks. I love the grip, as I am not a hard grabber with my right hand. The delrin tone is smooth, not too bright, and they have a break in the middle that allows you to have the feel of a medium pick or hard depending on how you grab or choke up on the pick. I recently found out that the founder, Dava Dave who was a genius in his own right, recently passed away. Heart-breaking to say the very least, but he invented my favourite pick that I truly couldn’t play without.
GT: If you had to give up all your pedals but three, what would they be?
A: I only use three anyway! My favourite pedal would be my 80s TC Electronics chorus/flanger. Eric Johnson got me into those. The next one would be my J Rockett Animal. Killer Dumble style pedal that I use if I can’t crank my amp as loud as I want. I suppose the last one might just be a wahwah. A simple Crybaby is fine. This is all I have on my rig, at this point. I suppose an A/B/Y switch too, but that doesn’t really count as a pedal, does it?
GT: Do you play another instrument well enough to do so in a band? And if so, have you ever done it?
A: I could play keys, bass, or drums in another band. Probably trumpet too. If I were going to play another instrument, it would probably be drums. I feel like that would be so fun. There’s something akin to running wild through a field of wild horses, and I just feel like that’s drumming.
GT: If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it?
A: I went to music school for four years, so let’s hope so!
GT: Do guitar cables really make a difference? What make are yours?
A: Yes, yes, and more yes. Each piece of gear makes a difference. Whether we care, or are attuned enough to hearing them or worrying about them is another story. I used to not care. I used to play high-end (and expensive) hi-fi cables, but I found they were too bright, and I didn’t love what they did to my guitar tone, so I changed them out. I have a few Alessandro high-end product cables, some solderless, and experimented with Ernie Ball’s curly cable too. They just look so rock and roll. But a buddy of mine turned me onto Evidence Audio cables and I haven’t looked back. I’ve been looking i
