Guitars & Gear

I am asked a lot of questions about the guitars and other instruments I play. Here’s a little bit about what I use. As you can see I prefer handmade instruments when possible (even if it’s my hands that make them.)

 

Mythic Guitars OM I built this guitar with the help of my friend Wind Oneal. My roommate at the time had built one. I had done some carpentry and woodworking, so it seemed like something I could do, too. I drove out to the Martin 1833 shop in Nazareth, PA and Frank Finocchio helped me pick out the woods. It has walnut back and sides and a spruce top that was originally made for one of the Martin Perry Bechtel guitars. There’s no plastic on it - it’s all wood, understated, elegant design. This guitar came out so well that I sold the other guitars I had at the time and made this my main one. Wind made the custom pyramid bridge, set the neck and did the finish. The guitar is more resonant than anything I’ve ever played. It is the perfect fingerstyle guitar, and I’ve recorded almost every acoustic track with it. I’ve been keeping it tuned to open C recently (CGCGCE).

 

 

2007 Mythic Guitars OM Cutaway I love the main guitar Wind helped me finish but, at the time, I wanted a cutaway to try some different woods. So I asked him to build an OM size guitar with a cutaway and a slightly deeper body. We decided on Black Acacia for the back and sides (apparently this is the wood they built the Ark of the Covenant out of) We used another Perry Bechtel top. It took six years to make. This guitar is relatively new, but starting to open up, so we took some wood off the braces this winter. It plays perfectly.

 

 

1999 Gibson J-45 I bought this guitar on ebay a few summers ago. It’s a standard J-45. At the time I was doing a lot of shows with the full band and needed a guitar that cut a little more. This worked. It compares favorably to some of the vintage J-45’s I’ve played.

 

 

2001 Martin 00-15 When I had a resurgence of my interest in Nick Drake’s music and then discovered Jose Gonzalez last year, I started looking for a small body mahogany guitar like Nick’s Guild M20. This is similar. I found it on Craig’s List, unplayed by its original owner. Amazing. The fingerboard is much narrower than my other guitars. I still haven’t found the right live tone for it yet. Acoustically, it’s small but well balanced.

 

 

1991 Dobro DM-33H I bought my Dobro mainly to add a different texture to my solo shows. I enjoy musicians like Bruce Cockburn and Bon Iver who use a dobro for a different tone but don’t get too bluesy with it.

 

 

Porchboard Bass (stompbox) I had been using a Shure SM-91 wrapped in a t-shirt underneath a roadcase lid for a stompbox. It was a nightmare getting soundguys at different clubs to get the tone I wanted out of it. Then, I saw Chris Pureka at Jammin’ Java, and she was using one of these. It sounds perfect, and it’s much easier for sound guys to get the right tone out of it. It’s very consistent and, apparently, uses a proximity sensor made for cars to generate the tone.

 

 

Pedal Board I’ve been experimenting more with looping and other effects on the acoustic guitar. I settled on the Akai Headrush for the looping and tap-tempo delay. I have a soft spot for Electro-Harmonix pedals since I used to work there in New York and use the Holy Grail for a digital reverb. The Fulltone Fulldrive is new to me but love it so far. It is very musical for an overdrive pedal. The A/B/Y Box is by Audible Disease and the preamp/DI is a Raven labs PMB-1. This box is the best I’ve heard for acoustic guitar, but I think the guy who made them retired.

 

 

Fender Telecaster ‘72 Reissue This is another good ebay purchase. It is made in Mexico and sounds and plays like it should.

 

 

Banjo This is a plectrum banjo I’ve used on a couple songs. I traded in some random stuff for it at a music store in Rutherford, NJ where it was handmade by a local man. His card was in the case (made out of wood panelling, by the way) and when I called the number to ask him some questions, his widow told me he had just died.

 

 

Appalachian Dulcimer I got this at Mandolin Brothers in Staten Island, NY for Christmas after hearing Joni Mitchell and early Bruce Cockburn ("Arrows of Light", etc) use them. I used it live a little early on, but I don’t think I’ve recorded with it or played it recently.