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QRD #55 - Guitarist Interview Series VI
QRD - Thanks for your interest & support
about this issue
Guitarist Interviews with:
Mason Jones
Chris Wade
Corbie Hill
Davy Curci
Matt Northrup
Xavier Dubois
Tony Sagger
Rich Bennett
Jonas Munk
Matthew Eyles
Francesco “fuzz” Brasini
Shawn Lawson Freeman
Jacques LaMore
Curran Faris
Sean Fewell
Ryan Scally
Shawn Steven
Sophia Johnson
Mick Barr
Joshua Heinrich
Jim Walker
Jacob Peck
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Davy Curci by Claudia Mayer-Maglione
Davy Curci by Frank Alo

Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Claudia Mayer-Maglione
Davy Curci by Frank Alo

Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Davy Curci by Claudia Mayer-Maglione
Davy Curci by Frank Alo

Davy Curci by Frank Alo
Guitarist Interview with Davy Curci
June 2012
David Curci by Frank Alo
Name: David Curci 
Bands: The Real Deal, The Acoustic Outlaws, Gaining Merit (work in progress)
Websites: www.therealdealhatesyou.com, www.facebook.com/therealdeal

QRD – What was your first guitar & what happened to it? 
 
Davy – A Slammer V guitar with a silver burst paint. Still have it in my basement.
 
QRD – What’s your typical set-up from guitar to effects to amplifier? 
 
Davy – Gibson Es-137 Classic, Dimebag Wah pedal, Turbo Distortion Boss pedal, Boss EQ pedal, Visual Sound Chorus/Delay pedal, Boss Super Shifter pedal, Boss phaser pedal, Xotic pre amp pedal, Boss Noise Suppressor pedal, BME contour rack EQ, MX200 rack reverb/compressor, Korg DTR-2000, Technical Pro DB meter, Furman Power Factory Pro, all going to a Crate BV-100 (usually use a Blackheart BH-100 head but it’s out of commission).
 
QRD – What’s the most important part of your rig - guitar, amplifier, or effects?
 
Davy – Guitar definitely. I adjust the neck myself & the pickups cause I know what I want & get it.
 
QRD – What’s your main amplifier & why?
 
Davy – The Blackheart Hothead 100 watt amp. I like it cause its beefy & clear sounding. The class A option (50 watts) is the best sounding amp I played through that wasn’t boutique.
 
QRD – What’s your main guitar & what are the features that make it such?
 
Davy – Gibson ES-137 Classic. I love it because it’s a hollow body & makes it so much easier to play live. The clean sound I can get out of it is great also. The balance of the guitar is really good also. The only problem with it is it’s a pain in the ass to repair the pickup selector.

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

Davy – Probably close to a Gibson LP Custom, with a blue burst like paint job & gold hardware (that doesn’t fade).
 
QRD – If you had a signature pedal, what would it be & what would some of its features be?
 
Davy – It would be a pre-amp pedal, with a compressor, a reverb, & a noise reduction all in one. These are all essentials for a good guitar tone in my opinion. There would be individual switches for each effect & the lighting scheme would be from green to blue, also it would be made out of heavy duty metal. No shit plastic.
 
QRD – How many guitars do you own?
 
Davy – 5 guitars.
 
QRD – How & where do you store your guitars?
 
Davy – In their cases & in my basement.
 
QRD – What do you wish guitar cases had that they usually don’t?
 
Davy – Built in guitar stands & to be more durable.
 
QRD – What features do you look for when buying a guitar?
 
Davy – Easy playability.
 
QRD – How much do you think a good guitar should cost?
 
Davy – Usually around 1K. 
 
QRD – Do you upgrade & customize your guitars or just stick with what you get?
 
Davy – Planning on upgrading the nut & bridge when I get enough cash.
 
QRD – How thoroughly do you research or test a piece of equipment before buying it?
 
Davy – I usually just buy it & if I don’t like it I don’t use it anymore.
 
QRD – Do you change your rig around often?
 
Davy – Every year I would change it a minimum of 3 times. Usually for the better, more effects or better quality effects to replace the older ones.
 
QRD – Are you after one particular guitar tone & locking into it, or do you like to change your tone around a lot?
 
Davy – I have recently found the one I’m looking for after passing my Lexicon unit through the effect loop of my amp.
 
QRD – What are some guitars, amps, & pedals you particularly lust after?
 
Davy – Gibson LP Custom Alpine White, the new blue Gibson LP studio, the Dean Dimebag Cowboys from Hell guitar. For amps I would have to say the Bogner Uberschall & there is a boutique amp that I can’t remember the name of, so oh well. For pedals I would have to say EHX Talking Machine, EHX Wiggler, EHX Freeze pedal, an Ibanez Tubescreamer, BOSS loop station, & the Damage Control Liquid Blues pedal.
 
QRD – What do you think are some important features to be on a person’s first guitar that aren’t always there?
 
Davy – Good tuning keys.
 
QRD – What have been the best & worst guitar related purchases you’ve made?

Davy – Best is the Xotic pre-amp pedal. Worst is my wireless system (cannot disclose the name of the company).
 
QRD – What are some effect, amp, & guitar brands you particularly like or dis-like & why?
 
Davy – Boss, Crate, Furman, Gibson, & Korg are all dependable brands that I never had a problem with.
 
QRD – What’s the first thing you play when you pick up a guitar?
 
Davy – Probably an E major chord & then whatever I feel like.
 
QRD – How old were you when you started playing guitar?
 
Davy – 12 years old.
 
QRD – At what age do you think you leveled up to your best guitar playing?
 
Davy – Probably 17, then I found the awesomeness of drinking beer & stopped practicing scales & what not.
 
QRD – Why do you think a guitar fits you more so than other instruments?
 
Davy – It just seems right when I pick one up.
 
QRD – Do you think guitar should be people’s first instrument as often as it is?
 
Davy – I think piano should be everyone’s first instrument. Sadly it wasn’t for me.
 
QRD – Do you see your guitar as your ally or adversary in making music?
 
Davy – Most of the time an ally. Sometimes it will get in the way of working with vocal melodies, which then comes to sacrificing vocal melody or guitar riffs.
 
QRD – Who are the guitarists that most influenced your playing & sound?
 
Davy – Dimebag Darrell, Aaron Barrett, Roger Manganelli.
 
QRD – Do you think people anthropomorphizing their guitars is natural or silly (e.g. naming their guitar)?
 
Davy – Don’t really have an opinion on that subject. People can do what they want.
 
QRD – What’s the most physical damage you’ve done to a guitar & how did you do it?
 
Davy – I was drunk at this small club in Winnipeg, Manitoba & was standing next to the road cases housing the power amps for the speakers. I did a guitar spin flipping it over my shoulder backwards & the top of the neck hit the case & it chipped a piece of the headstock.
 
QRD – What do you do to practice other than simply playing?
 
Davy – Play some random scales I can still remember & learning songs that I thought I wouldn’t be able to play.
 
QRD – How many hours a week do you play guitar & how many hours would you like to?

Davy – Probably around 5-7 hours when I don’t have a scheduled practice with my band. I should practice at least 2 hours a day though.
 
QRD – What type of pick do you use & why?
 
Davy – Dunlop Tortex .88 mm sharp picks. I love the sharp pick, it makes accuracy so much easier when playing single notes. I also use that gauge because it’s thick enough to be able to pick fast & not too soft to feel like nothing is in my hand.
 
QRD – What gauge strings do you use & why?
 
Davy – 10-52 Skinny top heavy bottom Ernie Ball. Coated strings.
 
QRD – How often do you change strings?
 
Davy – Once every couple of weeks if I’m playing often.
 
QRD – How often do you break strings?
 
Davy – Once in a couple of months.
 
QRD – Which do you feel is more proficient, your strumming hand or fretting hand & how does that effect your style?
 
Davy – My fretting hand, I didn’t spend enough time practicing my rhythm. Which in turn makes me able to play awkward rhythms since I’m not really stuck to one thing.
 
QRD – Do you set-up your guitar yourself or send it to a guitar tech (or not set it up at all) & why?
 
Davy – Set it up myself. I do it because it’s not hard & when you get the hang of it, it doesn’t take long.
 
QRD – What tunings do you use & why?
 
Davy – Standard tuning, just because I always used it.
 
QRD – Do you prefer tablature, sheet music, or some other notation system for writing down your own ideas?
 
Davy – I just record my ideas on my phone.
 
QRD – How high do you hold your guitar when playing (strap length)?
 
Davy – Hell if I know.
 
QRD – What’s a bad habit in your playing you wish you could break?
 
Davy – Beer.
 
QRD – Playing what other instrument do you think can most help someone’s guitar playing?
 
Davy – I would assume any other string instrument. Piano would be more for the technical aspects (reading & writing).
 
QRD – What’s a type of guitar playing you wish you could do that you can’t?
 
Davy – Sweep picking. I’m not patient enough to get it right.
 
QRD – What’s a guitar goal you’ve never accomplished?
 
Davy – Too many to list.
 
QRD – What’s the last guitar trick you learned?
 
Davy – Don’t remember it’s been too long. I’m trying to practice my finger picking though.
 
QRD – What’s your favorite guitar gadget (ebow, capo, slide, string cutter, etc)?
 
Davy – String cutter & string winder.
 
QRD – What’s a guitar technique you’d like to master, but haven’t?
 
Davy – Finger picking. Would help with my acoustic abilities.
 
QRD – Did you ever take guitar lessons & if so, what did you learn from them?
 
Davy – Yes I did. I learned a lot, about the techniques & what not. But there are some things you just can’t teach.
 
QRD – What would you teach someone in a guitar lesson that you don’t think they would generally get from a guitar teacher?
 
Davy – The different parts of the guitar, so they know the instrument they are playing.
 
QRD – What’s something someone would have to do to emulate your style?
 
Davy – I use a lot of flare when playing live, especially with my rhythm hand. 
 
QRD – What’s your take on tremolo systems?
 
Davy – Annoying to fix, therefore I just put stoppers so it doesn’t move.
 
QRD – How often do you adjust your tone knob?
 
Davy – Rarely, I play with the volume switches & the pickup switches to generate different tones.
 
QRD – What do you see as the difference between lead guitar & rhythm guitar players?
 
Davy – Mostly the quality of playing, but stage presence has a lot to do with it too.
 
QRD – If a band has good guitar work, can you ignore the rest of the band not being good?
 
Davy – Hell no. That’s why it’s called a band; you gotta all be good at your craft or your just mediocre. 
 
QRD – What famous musician’s guitar would you like to own & why?
 
Davy – Dimebag’s. He’s my biggest influence.
 
QRD – Who do you think is currently the most innovative guitar player & why?
 
Davy – Can’t say, I haven’t been listening to much music because I’m trying to make sure my composing isn’t inspired by anyone.
 
QRD – Where can people hear your best guitar work?
 
Davy – On The Real Deal’s album FUN. The secret song has the most technical playing that I’ve recorded.
 
QRD – Anything else?
 
Davy – Just hoping one day people will start respecting music again. A lot of people take it for granted & don’t realize how much goes into it. That is all.