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Guitarist
Interview with Azalia Snail
January 2011 Bands: Azalia Snail Website: www.azaliasnail.com Listen to “Ginger Ale” Listen to “A Heavy Leaf Falls” QRD – What was your first guitar & what happened to it? Azalia – First acoustic was a Harmony; but I so wanted electric so I snuck my bank savings & bought an electric guitar/amp special for $500. Then my Mom heard my screeching & called my father who had to take the door off the hinges of my bedroom to take it away from me. QRD – What’s your typical set-up from guitar to effects to amplifier? Azalia – All Boss effects - DD3, Chorus, Heavy Metal to Fender Deluxe Reverb circa 1977-ish. (Traded a Marshall amp for it in Arizona on tour 1996.) QRD – What’s the most important part of your rig – guitar, amplifier, or effects? Azalia – All equally vital. QRD – What’s your main amplifier & why? Azalia – Fender Deluxe Reverb; love the purity & the resonance. QRD – What’s your main guitar & what are the features that make it such? Azalia – Rickenbacker natural wood; circa 1976; shaped like a bass. Easy to play, nice to hold, signature Rick sound makes it melodic & pure. QRD – If you had a signature guitar, what would it look like & what would some of its features be? Azalia – I suppose I’d have to have it custom made to look like a Snail. That would be too silly, however, & I probably would never play it live. QRD – If you had a signature pedal, what would it be & what would some of its features be? Azalia – I’m so satisfied with the Boss DD-3, so I can’t really improve on that. QRD – How many guitars do you own? Azalia – 2 acoustic; 2 electric. QRD – How & where do you store your guitars? Azalia – 1 in the bedroom, 1 in the living room, 2 in a back room. QRD – What do you wish guitar cases had that they usually don’t? Azalia – I love bright colors so you can tell which one belongs to you. Patterns would be fun as well. Glow in the dark bits so you can see it on a dark stage or stowed away somewhere. QRD – What features do you look for when buying a guitar? Azalia – I’ve done most of my research
from articles & books about my favorite musicians. & even
better, watching them play live to see what they use & how it sounds.
Azalia – I’m a vintage girl, so back in the day, I got great deals. The Rickenbacker was $200 from an ad in a paper. My old Gibson Melody Maker was $250 from a vintage guitar shop on 23rd St, next to The Chelsea Hotel (it’s still there). My 12-string Yamaha was a gift from my record label at the time; it had supposedly belonged to Leslie West of Mountain at one time! QRD – Do you upgrade & customize your guitars or just stick with what you get? Azalia – The 12-string was “customized” with red velvet & sequin flowers. QRD – How thoroughly do you research or test a piece of equipment before buying it? Azalia – Gotta play before you pay. QRD – Do you change your rig around often? Azalia – No. QRD – What are some guitars, amps, & pedals you particularly lust after? Azalia – I’ve always wanted a nice little Gretsch, double cutaway. Someone, please? QRD – What do you think are some important features to be on a person’s first guitar that aren’t always there? Azalia – Get one easy to play. That’s most important when you’re just getting started. QRD – What are some effect, amp, & guitar brands you particularly like or dis-like & why? Azalia – Boss, sponsor me! QRD – What’s the first thing you play when you pick up a guitar? Azalia – An old song of mine called “So Much More to Go.” QRD – How old were you when you started playing guitar? Azalia – 11. QRD – At what age do you think you leveled up to your best guitar playing? Azalia – 29. QRD – Why do you think a guitar fits you more so than other instruments? Azalia – Actually, I’m more into keyboards now. I’m a unique guitarist, but there are so many superior players! QRD – Do you think guitar should be people’s first instrument as often as it is? Azalia – No. I would recommend bongos first. QRD – Do you see your guitar as your ally or adversary in making music? Azalia – Beloved companion. QRD – Who are the guitarists that most influenced your playing & sound? Azalia – Mark Bolan, Lou Reed, Brian May, Mick Ralphs. QRD – Do you think people anthropomorphizing their guitars is natural or silly (e.g. naming their guitar)? Azalia – No, but I’ve never done it. QRD – What’s the most physical damage you’ve done to a guitar & how did you do it? Azalia – I wore the hell out of my Fender acoustic until it got nabbed in Chicago. QRD – What do you do to practice other than simply playing? Azalia – Worshipping the instruments. QRD – How many hours a week do you play guitar & how many hours would you like to? Azalia – Used to be many; now very few. QRD – What type of pick do you use & why? Azalia – Herco Gold (I even wrote a song called that. Love them!) QRD – What gauge strings do you use & why? Azalia – Medium. QRD – How often do you change strings? Azalia – Rarely. QRD – How often do you break strings? Azalia – Rarely. QRD – Which do you feel is more proficient, your strumming hand or fretting hand & how does that effect your style? Azalia – Strumming! QRD – Do you set-up your guitar yourself or send it to a guitar tech (or not set it up at all) & why? Azalia – Me. QRD – What tunings do you use & why? Azalia – Many open tunings. Much more variables to songwriting. QRD – Do you prefer tablature, sheet music, or some other notation system for writing down your own ideas? Azalia – Notebooks, college bound. QRD – Playing what other instrument do you think can most help someone’s guitar playing? Azalia – Banjo. QRD – What’s a type of guitar playing you wish you could do that you can’t? Azalia – Finger picking. Wild lead guitar riffs. QRD – What’s a guitar goal you’ve never accomplished? Azalia – Picking. QRD –What’s your favorite guitar gadget (ebow, capo, slide, string cutter, etc)? Azalia – Capo followed by slide. QRD – Did you ever take guitar lessons & if so, what did you learn from them? Azalia – Very young; teacher made me play dumb kid songs which really turned me off. QRD – What would you teach someone in a guitar lesson that you don’t think they would generally get from a guitar teacher? Azalia – Open tunings! QRD – What’s something someone would have to do to emulate your style? Azalia – Lots of delay! QRD – If a band has good guitar work, can you ignore the rest of the band not being good? Azalia – NO! QRD – What famous musician’s guitar would you like to own & why? Azalia – Mark Bolan, bar none. QRD – Where can people hear your best guitar work? Azalia – “Retribution” off the Hail/Snail album How to Live with a Tiger. “Fiery Skies” single on Dark Beloved Cloud. Links:
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