INTRO INTERVIEW
A minute’s all it takes to discover what makes a great guitarist tick. Before he jumped into his limo for the airport, we grabbed a quick chat with the singer-guitarist from Austin, Texas.
GT: Do you have a type of pick that you can’t live without?
JD: I play with .60 grade Jim Dunlop picks because I can hold them in the palm of my picking hand. I play with my fingers a lot to get the tones I need.
GT: If you had to give up all your pedals but three, what would they be?
JD: If I could only keep three pedals it would be an original tube tape Echoplex and the stock Reverb/Tremelo pedal from my 1966 Fender Reverb.
GT: Do you play another instrument well enough to do so in a band? If so, have you ever done it?
JD: Yes, I’ve played drums and bass before in bands. I also play piano, but I have to say I’m no virtuoso.
GT: If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it?
JD: Yes, but it’s like a foreign language. If you don’t use it, you lose it. The musician Beck; his father is a renowned orchestra arranger. I got to play on a few big sessions in Los Angeles with him and my chops were way better back then.
GT: Do guitar cables really make a difference? What make are yours?
JD: I love being cordless on a big stage, but I can hear the difference in my tone, so I use Monster guitar cables.
GT: Is there anyone’s playing (past or present) that you’re slightly jealous of?
JD: Jealous is a weird word because it implies that you think you’re worthy of their talent. I’m very inspired by Jeff Beck’s touch, Buddy Guy’s emotion, Jerry Reed’s fingerpicking, Keith Richards’ riffs, but I’ll never be worthy of it!
GT: Your house/studio is burning down: which guitar do you salvage?
JD: My 1982 Custom Martin D-45. Luthier Wayne Henderson built only eight of them!
GT: What’s your favourite guitar amp and how do you set it?
JD: My favourite amps are usually mid 60s Fenders with reverb and tremolo. I put the treble on 10 and bass and mids on 5. I’ll roll off the highs on my guitar knobs if I need a warmer and darker sound. I set the reverb and tremolo accordingly to the style or turn them off completely.
GT: What kind of playing action do you like to have on your guitars?
JD: I like to fight my action a bit. If it’s too low, I don’t feel like I can get underneath it and control it. Also, if it’s a little high I can play slide and get better intonation.
GT: What strings do you use?
JD: I toured with Dick Dale opening up and kept breaking strings. He threw a set of 13 thro
