Rebecca Dirks -- Web Content Editor
What am I listening to?
I appreciate Spotify
for filling in the gap
between the ’50s and
’60s classics I listened to as a child and the
’90s music I grew up with. Right now, I’m
digging some Blue Öyster Cult. The introduction
to “Cities on Flame with Rock and
Roll” brings a smile to my face.
If you were a guitar, what model would you be and why?
Gibson Dusk Tiger:
technologically advanced, half-machine,
and kind of awkward. Yep.
Andy Ellis -- Senior Editor
What am I listening to?
Taj Mahal, Hidden
Treasures of Taj Mahal
1969-1973. The fat,
searing, soulful sound of Jesse Ed Davis is
woven into previously unreleased material.
Davis (Mahal’s lead guitarist for three years)
died young, but his playing is timeless.
If you were a guitar, what model would you be and why?
A 28 1/2"-scale B–B
baritone archtop with a 17" lower bout,
3" depth, Duncan Seth Lover, ToneStyler,
6230 fretwire, Waverly tuners, and trapeze
tailpiece. I’d ring like a miniature piano!
Shawn Hammond -- Editor in Chief
What am I listening to?
Field Report’s eponymous
debut—a lazy,
moody paean to Dylan
and wasting sunny days on the river.
If you were a guitar, what model would you be and why?
My manufacture date says
I’m a CBS-era Tele, but I’ve been modded
with a Bigsby (paired with brass bridge saddles,
of course), removable boxes that enable
both solidbody and hollowbody sounds,
and pickups that rotate to provide either TV
Jones Magna’Tron twang or traditional single-coil
bite.
Tessa Jeffers -- Managing Editor
What am I listening to?
Golden-toned fingerpicker
Michael Kiwanuka,
Home Again, for the
sunshine-y, mellow mood, and Smashing
Pumpkins’ Oceania, which satiates my need
for pounding, orchestral rock and riffage.
If you were a guitar, what model would you be and why?
A resonator, but not
your mama’s or daddy’s. A thinline single-cutaway
electric covered in rustic iron,
chrome cone, brass plating, and a versatile
P-90/piezo combo. Earthy, gruff growl with
a classic foundation, yet somehow edgy and
hard to wrap your head around.
Chris Kies -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
Polar opposites:
Thanks to my wife,
Maroon 5’s fourth disc,
Overexposed, is everywhere I turn and I can’t
escape its poppy-sweet nectar, while the debut
of German doom rockers Kadavar is reminiscent
of early Sabbath and Sleep wooliness
mixed with Rush’s prog and riff mastery.
If you were a guitar, what model would you be and why?
Silverburst Les Paul
Custom: It’s classy but not uptight, a dependable
workhorse, and most importantly—a
hell of a rocker that can get down.
Rich Osweiler -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
Bob Mould’s Silver
Age. The master of power
pop delivers a nice set of
10 shimmering gems on this solo effort.
If you were a guitar, what model would you be and why?
I love variety and am a
sucker for innovation that truly stands the test
of time, so I’m torn between a Martin D-28
and a Fender P. Both have inspired countless
artists and manufacturers and are go-to choices
for a crazy-wide spectrum of genres.
Grace Potter -- Guest Picker
What am I listening to?
I’m listening to
Duke Ellington, Louis
Armstrong, Buddy Rich,
Billie Holiday—I’m prone to listen to music
that’s pretty far from modern … I gotta get
my mind off pop music for a hot second
when we’re not onstage!
If you were a guitar, what model would you be and why?
I just designed my signature
Flying V from Gibson. I took a lot
of time making sure that the tone, weight,
shape, and design were right on. It’s an exact
replica of my personality! I like to call it
the “Flying Grace.”
Charles Saufley -- Gear Editor
What am I listening to?
Ty Segall’s Twins and
Slaughterhouse. This
Frisco garage savant is on
fire, manically prolific, and firing off should-be
hits like some hybrid, Gatling gun-toting,
flamethrower monster. Between those and
the forthcoming Rangda record (guitar
slinging demons Sir Richard Bishop and
Ben Chasny with the mighty Chris Corsano
on drums), my head is kinda spinning.
If you were a guitar, what model would you be and why?
Today, I feel like a rusty,
out-of-tune Mustang in lake placid blue.
Jason Shadrick -- Associate Editor
What am I listening to?
Zac Brown Band,
Uncaged. Seems like Zac
and the boys are heading
a little more towards the ABB-influenced
jamband sound. All they need now is for
Jack Pearson to join the group. Trust me,
look him up.
If you were a guitar, what model would you be and why?
It would definitely be a
semi-hollow guitar. I am thinking a cherry
red ’61 ES-335, but it has to have the
block inlays. That is not negotiable.