Listen to “proti village meteora odeon of herodes atticus”

QRD – What was your first guitar & what happened to it?

Brian – A $200 Yamaha acoustic… still have it.

QRD – What’s your typical set-up from guitar to effects to amplifier?

Brian – It varies from project to project… could be simply a guitar into amplifier (no effects) or a 100 pedal effects into amplifier… or guitar into computer… depends.

QRD – What’s the most important part of your rig – guitar, amplifier, or effects?

Brian – Me.

QRD – What’s your main amplifier & why?

Brian – Live a Mesa Boogie Mark 4… with 3 separate channels it makes it a pretty versatile amplifier…. or a Jazz Chorus 120 cause I can’t get that particular sound out of the Mesa... a Peavey Classic Chorus 130 with Electric Bird Noise.   

QRD – What’s your main guitar & what are the features that make it such?

Brian – With Electric Bird Noise & SAVAS I use a couple Paul Reed Smith EG Series guitars. These guitars are really good at going between single coil & humbucker pick up selections… a Gibson Les Paul & a Gretsch Super Axe get used quite a lot as well. 

QRD – If you had a signature guitar, what would it look like & what would some of its features be?

Brian – I’m so A.D.D. when it comes to equipment… don’t think there’s one guitar I could be married to for too long. Any six string on a plank of wood with some magnets (or not) will work just fine.

QRD – If you had a signature pedal, what would it be & what would some of its features be?

Brian – One feature only… remove all snare drums from the building! Snare rattle drives me crazy when I’m doing my solo ambient sets.  

QRD – How many guitars do you own?

Brian – 7 electrics… 2 acoustic… 1 bass guitar.

QRD – How & where do you store your guitars?

Brian – In cases in my studio.

QRD – What do you wish guitar cases had that they usually don’t?

Brian – Lift.

QRD – What features do you look for when buying a guitar?

Brian – Versatility. Playability.

QRD – How much do you think a good guitar should cost?

Brian – $5 & up.

QRD – Do you upgrade & customize your guitars or just stick with what you get?

Brian – Stick with what I get.

QRD – How thoroughly do you research or test a piece of equipment before buying it?

Brian – I’m very thorough before I pull the trigger.

QRD – Do you change your rig around often?

Brian – I do.

QRD – Are you after one particular guitar tone & locking into it, or do you like to change your tone around a lot?

Brian – I lock into one tone remembering it then moving on to another.

QRD – What are some guitars, amps, & pedals you particularly lust after?

Brian – Any that inspirers creativity.

QRD – What do you think are some important features to be on a person’s first guitar that aren’t always there?

Brian – A tuner. 

QRD – What have been the best & worst guitar related purchases you’ve made?

Brian – Been happy with every purchase thus far... for me all gear has some usefulness.

QRD – What are some effect, amp, & guitar brands you particularly like or dis-like & why?

Brian – I’m a fan of old Boss pedals particularly the ones made in Japan… Mesa Boogie… Paul Reed Smith… Z Vex… Amplitube…. Why? Versatility. 

QRD – What’s the first thing you play when you pick up a guitar?

Brian – Depends on my mood.

QRD – How old were you when you started playing guitar?

Brian – 15.

QRD – At what age do you think you leveled up to your best guitar playing?

Brian – 189.

QRD – Why do you think a guitar fits you more so than other instruments?

Brian – It doesn’t … I’m pretty tall & lanky, so bass is probably a better fit.  You should see me behind a mandolin.

QRD – Do you think guitar should be people’s first instrument as often as it is?

Brian – Sure.

QRD – Do you see your guitar as your ally or adversary in making music?

Brian – Ally!

QRD – Who are the guitarists that most influenced your playing & sound?

Brian – My pedals, guitar, amp, & mood have more of an influential pull than any outside source.  Not until after I dial up a sound I’m content with will I go, “Hey, this sound reminds me of that guy that plays in….” 

QRD – Do you think people anthropomorphizing their guitars is natural or silly (e.g. naming their guitar)?

Brian – Doesn’t bother me.

QRD – What’s the most physical damage you’ve done to a guitar & how did you do it?

Brian – Broke the headstock off a Gibson 335s (a 335 solid body) while rocking out!

QRD – What do you do to practice other than simply playing?

Brian – Golf. 

QRD – How many hours a week do you play guitar & how many hours would you like to?

Brian – Around 10 hours… around 10 hours.

QRD – What type of pick do you use & why?

Brian – A D’Adarrio green pick because they’re heavy, but not overly heavy. 

QRD – What gauge strings do you use & why?

Brian – 10s… because they’re not too heavy & not too light.

QRD – How often do you change strings?

Brian – About once every other month.

QRD – How often do you break strings?

Brian – Rarely.

QRD – Which do you feel is more proficient, your strumming hand or fretting hand & how does that effect your style?

Brian – I feel pretty confident in both… but there’s a speed threshold for me so I tend to write slow to medium tempo tunes.  

QRD – Do you set-up your guitar yourself or send it to a guitar tech (or not set it up at all) & why?

Brian – Sometimes I’ll tinker around with intonation & small issues, but there an art to set up a guitar to it’s full potential… so I do send my guitars off to the pros from time to time.

QRD – What tunings do you use & why?

Brian – Standard 95% of the time…cause I’m lazy.

QRD – Do you prefer tablature, sheet music, or some other notation system for writing down your own ideas?

Brian – Recording a rough draft… or remembering it most of the time works for me.

QRD – How high do you hold your guitar when playing (strap length)?

Brian – Pretty low.

QRD – What’s a bad habit in your playing you wish you could break?

Brian – Bad habits lead to mistakes, which leads to inspiring new ideas.

QRD – Playing what other instrument do you think can most help someone’s guitar playing?

Brian – Tennis racket.

QRD – What’s a type of guitar playing you wish you could do that you can’t?

Brian – Anything super fast & articulate.

QRD – What’s a guitar goal you’ve never accomplished?

Brian – See above comment

QRD – What’s your favorite guitar gadget (ebow, capo, slide, string cutter, etc)?

Brian – I like the ebow, capo, & slide… what’s a string cutter?

QRD – Did you ever take guitar lessons & if so, what did you learn from them?

Brian – I did…. I did.

QRD – What would you teach someone in a guitar lesson that you don’t think they would generally get from a guitar teacher?

Brian – No matter how wrong it sounds keep playing it over & over again & again …then it becomes the right way.

QRD – What’s something someone would have to do to emulate your style?

Brian – Breathe.

QRD – What’s your take on tremolo systems?

Brian – Love ‘em!

QRD – How often do you adjust your tone knob?

Brian – 20% of the time.

QRD – What do you see as the difference between lead guitar & rhythm guitar players?

Brian – Whoever is louder is the lead.

QRD – If a band has good guitar work, can you ignore the rest of the band not being good?

Brian – I can.

QRD – What famous musician’s guitar would you like to own & why?

Brian – Any one of those famous 60 hero guitars will do.  Why?  So I can ebay it.  

QRD – Who do you think is currently the most innovative guitar player & why?

Brian – Brian John Mitchell… because he loves you.

QRD – Where can people hear your best guitar work?

Brian – Silbermedia.com, myspace.com/electricbirdnoise, myspace.com/brianmckenziesmusicfactory, myspace.com/savas

QRD – Anything else?

Brian – Naw.

Other QRD interviews with Brian Lea McKenzie:
Electric Bird Noise Interview (October 2007)