What Brand...?

Questions & Answers with the one and only Jim West, Weird Al's guitar player!

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weirdalfan95
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Post by weirdalfan95 »

What brand of guitar do you use? Do you also know what brand Al uses during SLN? I have a Schecter Diamonds and a Mondo amp (don't ask why I have a different brand in guitar and amp...my parents bought them...ask them! (lol, j/k). What brands would you reccomend for beginners? I'm still kinda learning...
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gtrmu
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Post by gtrmu »

I can field part of this one for Jim, he uses Tom Anderson guitars for electric, and an old Ovation acoustic. As far as Al's SLN guitar, it looks to me like a Fender Strat with a Telecaster neck. And don't worry about different brand in guitar and amp WAF, not everyone who makes guitars make amps too. Take me for instance, my 2 electrics are a Kramer and an Ibanez, and my amp is a Pignose. So it's not uncommon. Anyway I hope I helped Jim a bit with this question, but as always, Jim, please correct any info that I might have said that's wrong. Thanks!
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Post by Driew_La_27 »

Not to sound rude or anything, but that can be answered in some of the links the mods gave us in the FAQ portion of this forum. ;)

Here's what he said in an
interview:

TAGW: How many Anderson guitars do you have and which ones are your favorites or do you spread it out fairly evenly?

Jim: I have, to date, about four hundred and ten Anderson Guitars. They have been so incredibly generous to me over the years! No seriously, I have two—The Classic with a “Floyd” and a single/single/humbucking pickup set-up and a Hollow T Classic with a newly-added middle pickup. They pretty much cover the bases, although the new Crowdster Acoustic is pretty cool.

And about the amps question:

TAGW: You must have to cover a lot of styles, what amps do you play through?

Jim: Well, for live shows it’s pretty simple since sound is less critical and reliability is paramount. My guitar signal goes through a Shure wireless and into a Cry Baby pedal which feeds a Marshall JMP-1 preamp with a Roland line-level volume pedal on the output. Out of there it’s into an RSP Intelliverb—an older FX box that still sounds great. Then it goes to both a Ground Control Mix-Plus—for the amp simulator-stereo out to the board—and also to a Boogie 2:90—which feeds a pair of Marshall 4x12’s, that are mic’ed. Midi switching is via a Rocktron All Access switcher. I’ve been using the same setup for years. It works great and never breaks.

:blink: I didn't understand half of what he was saying, though. :P

And here's a COMPLETE list of everything you need to know about his guitars. :P
GUITAR SPECIFICATIONS:


• MODEL: – Hollow T Classic

• FINISH: – Cherry Burst

• BODY WOOD: – Alder

• BODY WOOD BACK COLOR: – same

• NECK WOOD: – Maple

• HEADSTOCK COLOR: – Natural

• NECK BACK FINISH: – Satin

• NECK BACKSHAPE: – Small 50’s “V”

• NUT WIDTH: – 1 5/8ths

• SCALE LENGTH: – 25 1/2-inch

• FRETS: – Heavy

• BRIDGE: – Fixed with Piezo Saddles for plugged-in Acoustic Guitar Sounds

• TUNING GEAR: – Split Shaft

• HARDWARE COLOR: – Chrome

• PICKGUARD: – Pearl White

• NECK PICKUP: – TV1

• MIDDLE PICKUP: – VA1

• BRIDGE PICKUP: – TV3

• SWITCHING: – 5-Way with Push/Pull Add-Bridge Switch on Tone Control—for 7 sounds

• PICKUP COVERS: – Chrome for Neck and Coffee Dipped for Middle

• PICKUP RINGS: – N/A

• STRING GAUGE REQUESTED: – .010-.046

• DESTINATION/LOCATION: – Artist

• 09-28-99P

GUITAR SPECIFICATIONS:


• MODEL: – The Classic

• FINISH: – 3 Color Burst

• BODY WOOD: – Swamp Ash

• BODY WOOD BACK COLOR: – same

• NECK WOOD: – Maple with Madagascar Rosewood Fingerboard

• HEADSTOCK COLOR: – Natural

• NECK BACK FINISH: – Satin

• NECK BACKSHAPE: – 62 Roundback

• NUT WIDTH: – 1 5/8ths

• SCALE LENGTH: – 25 1/2-inch

• FRETS: – Heavy

• BRIDGE: – Sunken Floyd Rose

• TUNING GEAR: – Split Shaft

• HARDWARE COLOR: – Chrome

• PICKGUARD: – Pearl White

• NECK PICKUP: – SD1R

• MIDDLE PICKUP: – SD1

• BRIDGE PICKUP: – H3

• SWITCHING: – Switcheroo—for almost unlimited sound combinations

• PICKUP COVERS: – N/A

• PICKUP RINGS: – N/A

• STRING GAUGE REQUESTED: – .010-.046

• DESTINATION/LOCATION: – Artist

• 09-13-94P

Question though, about the mandolin. We have been having a discussion about seeing a pic of you on the mothership playing a mandolin for the upcoming ALbum, and we were wondering what songs you played it on PH. People have said that it was used for OTAS, but not AWBP..... Also what brand is it? :lookaround:

Also, do you play any other types of guitars? I know for the Anderson interview you were basically promoting their brand so you couldn't really say "I play other types of guitars too....." Just wondering. ;)

:S D'oh now I feel stupid.... looks like you already answered that here:
Which are your favorite guitars?
As far as electrics, I use a couple of Tom Anderson guitars. His are by far the best I've ever played. I also have a small vintage collection, including a nice old Silvertone [manufactured by Sears], a Danelectro, a 50's Martin Tenor Guitar, 1938 Rickenbacher lap steel, a great 60's Guild acoustic, and a couple of Martin ukuleles. The other day, Martin Simpson showed me his Stefan Sobell acoustic and I HAVE to have one! It's the most beautiful sounding guitar I've ever heard.
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scottidog
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Post by scottidog »

WeirdAlFan95 did have a legitimate question buried in his post, though. Which is why I didn't edit it earlier today.
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Post by Driew_La_27 »

scottidog @ Jul 27 2005, 06:13 PM wrote: WeirdAlFan95 did have a legitimate question buried in his post, though. Which is why I didn't edit it earlier today.
:S Right, I knew that. Man I hate it when I do that.
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Post by algonacchick »

Um, not to sound picky, Driew, but, wasn't it a banjo we saw him playing in the new in studio pics, and not a mandolin?

Btw, the only songs I remember Jim playing mandolin for on the PH tour were OTAS and Lasagna. As far as on PH, OTAS for sure. You can check the liner notes for any others. Kinda neat that all the instruments used on each song were listed for PH.
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Driew_La_27
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Post by Driew_La_27 »

algonacchick @ Jul 27 2005, 07:00 PM wrote: Um, not to sound picky, Driew, but, wasn't it a banjo we saw him playing in the new in studio pics, and not a mandolin?
I'm just striking out left and right today. X*

Well what was it then? :P Jim/Snoodle?
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algonacchick
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Post by algonacchick »

?? It is clearly a banjo in the picture, Driew.
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"How's Problem Child doing?" - 7/12/11

So awesome!

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Driew_La_27
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Post by Driew_La_27 »

algonacchick @ Jul 27 2005, 07:45 PM wrote: ?? It is clearly a banjo in the picture, Driew.
:S Man I need to slow down and read what you say. I thought you said, "it wasn't a banjo we saw him playing in the new in studio pics, and not a mandolin?"

Man sorry about this. I'm doing about thirty different things at the present time.
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Post by samuraisumo »

Jack of all trades, master of none!!! :P
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