The Guild G37

I’ve decided, reluctantly, to pen this month’s column as I am currently reading the bestseller, Who Moved My Cheese? This book is all about dealing with change.

Now, I’m an old gearhead who likes things to stay the same. That works out just fine for steady weekend warriors playing cover gigs around the country. But welcome to NashVegas, where there’s always a faster gun. Young gunslingers get off the stagecoach here every day—all hungry for work. So if you’re going to stay alive in this town, even an old dog must learn new tricks.

There is a mind-boggling array of gear out there, and unfortunately, one size does not fit all. It’s kind of like trying on shoes; eventually you’ll find that perfect fit. However, using it and knowing how to use it are two different things. When I find something that works, I like to stay with it. I’ve been playing the same guitars since the early 70s. I have an affinity for Guild guitars, especially their acoustics, so I use a ’73 G37 with a Fishman Matrix system in it and a ’76 prototype electric guitar with one-off Dimarzio pickups wired for series/parallel and phase switching. As far as electrics, I’ve always loved that Fender sound so my guns of choice are a ’72 Telecaster custom and a ’73 lap steel with pickups in it from a ’61 Les Paul and a ’56 Stratocaster. I run them both through a vintage tweed Fender amp. Having toured mainly as a blues guitarist, this has proven to be a great combo. As for effects, I use an old Morley volume/wah pedal and a Keely Java boost for added punch when needed—simple, efficient and comfortable.

That brings us to the subject of this column—change—Aarrghh! As more and more session work came along, I realized I was going to have to rethink my sound as my setup had its limits. I looked at countless stomp boxes and pedal boards and finally found a great deal (from Allen Haynes at The Music Stop) on a Line 6 Pod Pro XT. I really needed something that worked equally as well live and in the studio. Every effect and amp combination known to man is in this one compact unit. Great. New learning curve! The owner’s manual is a spiral-bound “book” called the Pilot’s handbook. I read it and stared at the unit for about a year before I could “embrace the change.”

It seems the problem with a unit such as this is that it reduces most of us to a kid with a new toy, one that makes lots of cool noises, and we feel the need to try all of them, all the time. Effects are great but just like hot-rod licks, you have to learn when to tastefully use them and when to keep them parked. I spent hours and hours experimenting and programming until I found the perfect settings for each instrument and got comfortable with them before I ever left the house. Trying out new toys at the show is not wise. Learn to use the gun before you take it out of the holster and live to play another gig.

That being said, I’ve finally learned to love my Pod. It works great for both my acoustic and electric instruments, including a modeler that makes the lap steel sound like a Dobro. Very cool! Change is good. More sounds = more work. Life is good. Of course as I write this, a dear friend is holding a ’68 “Hound Dog” Dobro for me. Some things never change.