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Guitarist
Interview
with Jacob Peck June 2012 Name: Jacob Peck Bands: Symbolikas, Cosmic Mystery Band of Unknown Websites: symbolikas.com QRD – What was your first guitar & what happened to it? Jacob – My first guitar was a gift from my father for... I think it was Christmas. I was probably ten. I still play it... it’s a Fender electric/acoustic. I really play the crap out of it. I have other guitars for more delicate playing. I buried it once & let the earth play it. There’re photos of that somewhere on the web. The guitar continues to live & love. QRD – What’s your typical set-up from guitar to effects to amplifier? Jacob – Generally have a guitar with many random goodies, such as drum sticks, mallets, alligator clips, cloths, fuzzy paint brush things, pens, paper, chains, sticks... sticks are important... pedals... well, I don’t use them too often, but when I do, I use a Boss Loop pedal & that awesome green delay one... the Line 6... & I have a Fender Vibrolux tube amp.… QRD – What’s the most important part of your rig - guitar, amplifier, or effects? Jacob – I am the most important part of my rig... ha-ha-ha.… QRD – What’s your main amplifier & why? Jacob – My main amp is a Fender Vibrolux tube amp. QRD – What’s your main guitar & what are the features that make it such? Jacob – Ooo... different guitars for different days, moods, moments, & so on. Fender strat used most often... then my Fender electric/acoustic, which I usually tune funky & bang on wildly... then my dandy dandy Taylor, which I play oh so very sweetly... & then...my Raemundo nylon string... it’s been chilling in its case for quite some time.… QRD – If you had a signature guitar, what would it look like & what would some of its features be? Jacob – A guitar I envision would have drum skins built into the body... as well as plants growing out of the sound hole.… QRD – If you had a signature pedal, what would it be & what would some of its features be? Jacob – My signature pedal is my foot tapping. QRD – How many guitars do you own? Jacob – I believe I own 5 guitars.… QRD – How & where do you store your guitars? Jacob – I put my guitars in places that they go... & keep them safe from extreme temperatures & direct light. QRD – What features do you look for when buying a guitar? Jacob – The purity of tone... the reality of its tone.… QRD – How much do you think a good guitar should cost? Jacob – A good guitar will cost what it is worth to the one purchasing it.… QRD – Do you upgrade & customize your guitars or just stick with what you get? Jacob – I got noiseless pickups installed... that’s about it.… QRD – How thoroughly do you research or test a piece of equipment before buying it? Jacob – Not too thoroughly. QRD – Do you change your rig around often? Jacob – Nope. QRD – What do you think are some important features to be on a person’s first guitar that aren’t always there? Jacob – It should feel good to hold.… QRD – What have been the best & worst guitar related purchases you’ve made? Jacob – The guitarist needs the feature of being able to do dandy things with her or his fingers, palms, wrists, tendons, shoulders, & toes. QRD – What are some effect, amp, & guitar brands you particularly like or dis-like & why? Jacob – Tube amps. I enjoy their sound.… QRD – What’s the first thing you play when you pick up a guitar? Jacob – A very mysterious something. QRD – How old were you when you started playing guitar? Jacob – Probably 10. QRD – At what age do you think you leveled up to your best guitar playing? Jacob – I’m not there yet... doubt I ever will be... I am always learning. QRD – Why do you think a guitar fits you more so than other instruments? Jacob – Because I’m a rock-n-roll superstar. QRD – Do you think guitar should be people’s first instrument as often as it is? Jacob – I believe it would be beneficial for young ones to choose their first instrument. If they were exposed to the wild world of music in a more open way, we may have more trombonists & flute players on this planet. QRD – Do you see your guitar as your ally or adversary in making music? Jacob – My guitar is a magical means of meeting the Mystery. QRD – Who are the guitarists that most influenced your playing & sound? Jacob – Some big influences have been Tommy Emmanuel, Fred Frith, Lenny Breau, John Stowell, Trey Anastasio, Jimi Hendrix, Jerry Garcia, Keb Mo, & all those guitarists playing on the radio. QRD – Do you think people anthropomorphizing their guitars is natural or silly (e.g. naming their guitar)? Jacob – Ain’t nothing what we call it. QRD – What do you do to practice other than simply playing? Jacob – Setting goals... working on the same facet of the same thing for many weeks until whatever it is I am working on is fully integrated... practice is study.… The best way to practice is to work on the same idea or song or concept or exercise again & again & again & repeat & repeat slowly, softly, consciously, courageously until the material is in your bones body blood & brain.… QRD – How many hours a week do you play guitar & how many hours would you like to? Jacob – I don’t believe in hours. I play as I will & as it may. QRD – What type of pick do you use & why? Jacob – I use picks made of polished agate because earth tones are groovy, plastic is moody, & the soft supple edges of a curved, polished stone sound softer, more supple, & more whole. QRD – What tunings do you use & why? Jacob – In the past few months I’ve been playing in a tuning of fifths... that is... C G C G CC.… It’s great for raga singing & epic dronal explorations. QRD – Playing what other instrument do you think can most help someone’s guitar playing? Jacob – Piano, drums, flute, sticks & stones. QRD – What’s your favorite guitar gadget (ebow, capo, slide, string cutter, etc)? Jacob – I like clipping alligator clips to the strings directly over the active pickup(s). QRD – Did you ever take guitar lessons & if so, what did you learn from them? Jacob – Yes, I have taken guitar lessons. I learned some teachers are great & others aren’t. The best teachers teach me how to teach myself while showing me some remarkable things along the way. QRD – What would you teach someone in a guitar lesson that you don’t think they would generally get from a guitar teacher? Jacob – If you have a string & pluck it, it makes a sound.… If you divide the string in half & pluck it... it makes another sound that is the same sound.… Oh yeah, & there isn’t a single instrument in the world that is totally in tune.… QRD – What’s something someone would have to do to emulate your style? Jacob – They’d have to be who they are. QRD – If a band has good guitar work, can you ignore the rest of the band not being good? Jacob – No. QRD – Where can people hear your best guitar work? Jacob – I’m on the YouTube... & symbolikas.com QRD – Anything else? Jacob – Listen closer.
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