THE FORMER TRAFFIC GUITARIST AND ACE SONGWRITER/SIDEMAN DISCUSSES HIS RECORDINGS WITH — AND POTENTIAL INFLUENCE ON — GEORGE HARRISON
— Joe Matera
Do you remember your first gig?
I don’t, but most likely it was with my first band — an instrumental outfit called the Jaguars — when I was about 16.
Ever had an embarrassing moment on stage?
Yes, about four years ago. I collapsed on stage before the second verse of one of the songs. I was severely dehydrated, and it wasn’t pretty.
What’s your favorite piece of gear?
I don’t have any one favorite piece of gear; everything I use is a favorite. But my TC Electronic stage rig rates very high. It’s a custom-built preamp and effects unit made by Bob Bradshaw. I run it in stereo through two Fender amps, bypassing their preamp stage.
Suppose the building is burning down. What one guitar from your collection would you save?
It would probably be my Strat. It’s always been about a Strat for me, ever since Hank Marvin. The one I play is fairly new; I have two from the Fender Custom Shop.
What aspect of guitar would you like to be better at?
Everything! There’s not going to be any lightning blazing speed with me as I don’t have a lot of technique. My hands aren’t that fast. I wish I knew more about what the hell I was doing when I’m playing. I’ve treated guitar more as a melodic instrument than anything, so if I’m noodling around it’s probably mostly going to be some blues stuff.
What advice would you give to your younger self about the guitar if you had the chance?
To get some lessons from the get-go, and maybe learn to write music. It would have been great because I’m just basically self-taught on the guitar. I can’t read or write music. Some [lessons] from the beginning would’ve been great, but I just keep playing and never stop learning.
Do you think theory is vital in terms of understanding the guitar?
Theory has nothing to do with the creative process. You just get to interpret that part of it easier. I’m more concerned with tone than playing 20 million notes. I’d rather play three notes in the right place.
You played on George Harrison’s
All Things Must Pass in 1970. What do you remember about it?
I was just one of a lot of people there; if you ask me which tunes I played on it, I can’t remember. I just played some acoustic rhythm
