Siouxsie Medley | Dead Sara
Photo by Steve Porter
A: A 1991 Gibson Les Paul Florentine was the last touring guitar I bought. I bought it from my buddy because the Les Paul Custom I was playing for years broke my ribs twice. Not even kidding, mid-show! Haha. That's not a knock on the Les Paul; it's just a heavy guitar for a chick who weighs a buck-five. So, the Florentine has been a breeze on my back and ribs but still has the chunky Les Paul sound that I love and is vital to the Dead Sara sound.
I've purchased a couple of old Silverstones for home use. My early '60s Japanese 319 model has such a special feel. The action on it is literal butter. I do all of my writing on it. It's my best friend. I'd love to get another Grammer acoustic. I have a '70s G10. Country artist Billy Grammer made a line of his own guitars and they're the best-sounding acoustics—they resonate for days.
Current obsession:
Magic Wands, Viagra Boys, Harriet, Tom Waits, Future Islands, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, T. Rex, Sam Cooke, Richard Swift, and the list goes on.... I've been cycling through that list most heavily recently. Magic Wands will always have a soft spot in my heart, as the lead singer, Dexy, was my nanny as a kid and taught me how to play guitar. Don't know where I'd be without her influence. (And all the times she did my homework for me so I could keep practicing chords). Love her and her music.
Dorian Ford | Reader of the Month
Dorian Ford
A: I bought an American Original Fender Jazzmaster. I bought an American Pro Jazzmaster a couple years prior, and I wanted a more vintage-sounding Jazzmaster with a rhythm circuit, so I bought it. Next, I'm going to get an MIJ Jazzmaster, a Fender Coronado II, or an Eastwood Airline 59 3P DLX. I'm torn!
Current Obsession:
I don't know why, but lately I've been obsessed with the Dandy Warhols, specifically The Dandy Warhols Come Down album. Love the guitar tones on that album and the hooks are hauntingly catchy.
Ted Drozdowski | Senior Editor
A: A while back I concluded a decade-long search for a National. For a long stretch, money was an issue, but that didn't stop me. Thankfully, I didn't find The One until I had the scratch. It was right after Christmas 2018, and, on a whim, I played through a clutch of them on the wall at Carter Vintage here in Nashville. Two Style 1 Tricones really spoke to me: a 1930s and a 1997.
Photo by Laurie Hoffma
The '97 was easy to play, had better tonal detail and sustain, and was cheaper, so—no brainer. It also has a mysterious mandala-like symbol that George Harrison painted on some of his guitars welded onto it.
Photo by Laurie Hoffma
Plus, the owner knocked a couple hundred bucks off. Since then, it's appeared on my band's acoustic EP and some videos—and it makes me happy when I see it perched on its stand, every time. Dunno what's next!
Current Obsession:
Getting back to work on music. The first leg of the pandemic laid me out creatively. Now, I've got a patch of new songs and arrangements, and I'm working on a script.
Jason Shadrick | Associate Editor
A: The last guitar I purchased was my Schroeder Chopper TL. About eight years ago we reviewed one of Jason Schroeder's instruments and the feeling of having to return it stuck with me.
Once one of his Chopper TL models became available, I had to jump on it. It's a T-style that is light as a feather and just feels great. Naturally, the Lollar pickups sound great, too. It's become the standard to which all my other guitars need to measure up to. Next on my list is something in the 335 family. Still on the hunt for that.
Current Obsession:
With the recent demise of my band, I've noticed that finding something non-musical to fill my time helps and I'm deep in a chess phase. It's simple enough to break out your phone when you have a few minutes and solve a few puzzles. I highly doubt I'll be going pro anytime soon, but it's fun to dive deep into a world where nobody gives a crap about how transparent your overdrive is.