Mackenzie Scott (aka Torres) likes a good juxtaposition. Her music is a tightrope act between vulnerability and violence. Scott's lyrics often reflect introspection over a backdrop of angular, explosive guitar sounds, and those lyrics and her imagery combat the standard gender tropes by deconstructing their longstanding definitions and re-empowering them for all people. (Look no further than the cover of Torres' latest album, Thirstier, to see her take on the "classic" guitar pose.)
Even her playing style is at odds with itself. "I prefer fingerpicking. I like playing really crunchy, loud, aggressive stuff in the styling of a classical player. And when it comes time to play big power chords, honestly, I just make my fingers bleed," she says. Those divergent personalities and approaches result in singular musical snapshots rather than a predictable path through each performance, song, and album.
Sprinter, from 2015, was angsty, urgent, and erratic. And 2017's Three Futures stripped back the guitar barrage for an electronic bent, centered around stark beats and cold synths. Last year's self-produced Silver Tongue twisted the previous albums' makeup into an unusual two-step that often made the guitars pretty and the synths wicked. (Don't worry, guitar loyalists. There's still some 6-string fire.) And now Thirstier is a concise blast of catchy, power pop numbers that are heavier and shinier.
Out in support of her new album, Torres' October 14 Nashville show had her headlining the Exit/In. Before soundcheck Scott introduced PG to her Tele companions, explained why she'd rather play with bloody fingers than use a pick, and showed how seven stomps cover all the shades of traditional rock guitar and much more.
[Brought to you by D'Addario XPND Pedalboard: https://www.daddario.com/XPNDRR]
Thrashy Tele
When Torres first hit PG's radar back in 2015, she was predominately raging onstage with a new-ish stock Fender Jazzmaster. She's still in the Fender family, but she remembers 2016 as the year she first flirted with the Telecaster, and she hasn't since looked back. Her current main squeeze is this Fender American Vintage '72 Telecaster Thinline.
"I'm in every way obsessed with this guitar," gushes Scott in a recent Big 5 video with PG. Some of the reasons she hasn't strayed too far from this particular T is its comfy neck profile, lightweight body, and rounder, more aggressive pickups than her aforementioned Jazzmaster or the ES-335 that was a collective Christmas gift from her family.
She typically plays on Ernie Ball Power Slinkys (.011 –.048), but this run she opted for Regular Slinky .010s. However, that experiment appears to be fleeting as she mentions in the Rundown that she's been breaking a lot more strings with the lighter gauge. And most of the set is in standard tuning, but there is a rare moment or two she'll go down to drop d.
Custom Backup
This T has a Fender Tele Custom makeup, but it's actually a parts guitar. (The dead giveaway being its naked headstock.) If all goes well with the Thinline, this yellow bird stays caged on the sidelines.
Pedal Platform Minus the Tinnitus
Scott has plugged into Blues Juniors and Twin Reverbs, but she feels the sweet spot for her live sound and volume considerations is the Fender Deluxe Reverb. The reissue is completely stock, including its Jensen C-12K speaker with a ceramic magnet.
Dirty Rotten Scoundrels
"Transparent" is a guitardom buzzword. It's often used in marketing speak for the next-best pedal offering organic, free-range, USDA-approved tone. (Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but you get the point.) Nothing Scott has selected for her stomp station can be described as subtle or translucent. Even her delays and reverbs accentuate weird, supernatural flavor crystals.
The filth and fury comes in the potent pairing of a Joyo Vintage Overdrive and EarthQuaker Devices Palisades. Next is the Death By Audio Echo Dream 2 that brings in modulation, delay, and boost/fuzz. She claims this is her "most-utilized" pedal. She really likes how the echo and fuzz circuits interact with the Joyo. The EQD Afterneath brings in ambient, deep, spelunking reverbs. Beefing up the Afterneath and filling it out with faux synth vibes is the Electro-Harmonix POG2. Another favorite application for the POG2 is pulling its attack all the way down and dramatically gliding into the notes. The Empress Vintage Modified Superdelay is a complex, time-bending tool that sprinkles in modulation, reverse delay, and compression, plus the grit and saturation heard in the old tape echoes. The last pedal is a Meris Enzo that is equal parts inspiring and frustrating. The multi-voice synthesizer reacts differently to each note played by Torres. "I have a hard time getting it under control and taming the beast, but that's what I love about it."
The cozy, clean, all-in-one command center was custom built by Onkel Amplification.
Phat Machine
The Phat Machine
The Phat Machine is designed to deliver the tone and responsiveness of a vintage germanium fuzz with improved temperature stability with no weird powering issues. Loaded with both a germanium and a silicon transistor, the Phat Machine offers the warmth and cleanup of a germanium fuzz but with the bite of a silicon pedal. It utilizes classic Volume and Fuzz control knobs, as well as a four-position Thickness control to dial-in any guitar and amp combo. Also included is a Bias trim pot and a Kill switch that allows battery lovers to shut off the battery without pulling the input cord.
Silk Worm Deluxe Overdrive
The Silk Worm Deluxe -- along with its standard Volume/Gain/Tone controls -- has a Bottom trim pot to dial in "just the right amount of thud with no mud at all: it’s felt more than heard." It also offers a Studio/Stage diode switch that allows you to select three levels of compression.
Both pedals offer the following features:
- 9-volt operation via standard DC external supply or internal battery compartment
- True bypass switching with LED indicator
- Pedalboard-friendly top mount jacks
- Rugged, tour-ready construction and super durable powder coated finish
- Made in the USA
Static Effectors’ Street Series pedals carry a street price of $149 each. They are available at select retailers and can also be purchased directly from the Static Effectors online store at www.staticeffectors.com.
Galloup’s Plek tech Adam Winarski preps a Yamaha acoustic for the machine.
Presently, many certified guitar-repair specialists possess the expertise required to deliver an instrument that both sounds and plays wonderfully. The standards set by manufacturers and distributors have significantly risen, safeguarded by rigorous quality protocols to guarantee the best possible acoustic experience for customers. Additionally, lutherie training has raised the bar for critical processes, and one of the most tricky is fretwork.
Traditional fretwork once involved manual labor, with technicians utilizing sandbags or similar supports to steady the neck as they straightened it with a truss rod during the filing process. A notable advancement in this field came in the mid 1970s when Don Teeter, an author and repair expert, imposed a new method: fixing the guitar body to the bench and using blocks to maintain the neck in a playing position. This refinement was one of many in the continued quest to produce superior instruments by standardized methods.
An example of the Plek’s readings from an acoustic guitar.
Photo courtesy of Galloup Guitars
In the late 1970s, another pivotal innovation was introduced by Dan Erlewine. He created an advanced fret jig with a specialized body-holding system and neck supports, adding another layer of precision to the repair process. During my collaboration with Dan in 1985, we developed a rotating neck jig that counterbalanced the forces of gravity, keeping the instrument in its playing orientation while adjusting the neck supports. This step represented a significant leap in establishing control and standardization of fretwork procedures in our industry. By 1986, our approach had evolved into a freestanding workstation coupled with a sophisticated hold-down mechanism and enhanced neck supports, culminating in increased accuracy, efficiency, and consistency. Over the decades, the Erlewine/Galloup rotating neck jig has become a benchmark in numerous shops, enhancing fretwork performance.
"This step represented a significant leap in establishing control and standardization of fretwork procedures in our industry."
By the 1990s, automated and computerized technologies permeated the guitar manufacturing and repair sectors. Initially applied by import companies in the mass production of guitars, the technology, although expediting processes, did not immediately achieve high execution standards. However, the tech dramatically improved over time, with computer-driven systems eventually transforming the industry. Contemporary automated production utilizing such advancements meets exceedingly high standards of precision. Some bespoke guitar manufacturers, such as Steve Andersen, were pioneers in adopting these methods, but it was companies like Taylor that established them in the modern era.
Inevitably, the progression of technology extended beyond the mere production of parts. Around 1995, German engineer Gerd Anke envisioned the integration of computer-assisted technology into enhancing instrument playability, giving rise to Plek technology, which uses computers to precisely measure and analyze the various components of a guitar, like neck relief, fret height, nut and bridge specs, and more. Nashville guitar-repair tech Joe Glaser was among the first to recognize the machine’s value, followed by San Francisco luthier Gary Brawer. When Heritage Guitar Inc. invested in a Plek machine, the guitar industry could no longer disregard the significance of this innovation.
“The machine’s scanning data confirmed that there was one nature of an ideal fret plane, done by hand or machine, and unsurprisingly, it conformed exactly to what physics predicts, not personal mojo.”
In the spring of 2022, Galloup Guitars obtained its first Plek machine. Promptly, our technician Adam Winarski paved the way for the Plek’s integration in our shop. Now, it’s a rarity for an instrument to leave our shop without having undergone Plek analysis and machining. Impressed by the results of our integration, we created “Intro to Plek” as a course for all students enrolled at the Galloup School of Lutherie, offering our students a practical introduction to this technology. We furthered this educational initiative with a comprehensive one-week intensive “Plek Certification Training Course” for both students and the public. This advanced Plek course serves those seeking to boost their knowledge base and employability in this high-precision field.
Plek is rapidly becoming an industry standard for major manufacturers and smaller shops alike. However, this does not mean that those without access to this technology cannot execute proficient fretwork. Personally, I continue to use my Erlewine/Galloup neck jig—not only out of nostalgia, but also because it remains an excellent method for delivering accurate and reliable guitars. Still, it’s undeniable that the process of fretting, fret dressing, and analytics of fretted instruments has undergone significant transformation, resulting in better sounding—and playing—guitars. And ultimately, that’s what it’s all about.