April 2013
Bands: Soumonces!, Stahlmus Delegation,...
Websites: www.jeandl.net
QRD – What was your first guitar & what happened to it?
Jean – My first guitar was an Ibanez GRX40 & I bought with that a Boss DS-1 & all ready I played with the feedback of my amp.
QRD – What’s your typical set-up from guitar to effects to amplifier?
Jean – Guitar: My Destroy Squier Jagmaster. Pedal board: Boss Octaver, Turbo Rat, Fuzz, TS9, Red Panda Context, Line6 M09, Digitech Delay. Amp: Kustom Defender.
QRD – What’s the most important part of your rig - guitar, amplifier, or effects?
Jean – Red Panda Context.
QRD – What’s your main amplifier & why?
Jean – My Kustom Defender because I like the clean sound.
QRD – What’s your main guitar & what are the features that make it such?
Jean – My Destroy Squier Jagmaster.
QRD – If you had a signature guitar, what would it look like & what would some of its features be?
Jean – I don’t know... I don’t care.
QRD – If you had a signature pedal, what would it be & what would some of its features be?
Jean – A very deep reverb like a black hole.
QRD – How many guitars do you own?
Jean – Five.
QRD – How & where do you store your guitars?
Jean – In my car.
QRD – What features do you look for when buying a guitar?
Jean – The price.... I don’t have the culture of a good guitar.… A cheap guitar is fine for me.
QRD – How much do you think a good guitar should cost?
Jean – I don’t know, depends on your proper demands & what you expect. Between $0 to $200 is fine for me, but maybe for another guitarist it’s maybe more.…
QRD – Do you upgrade & customize your guitars or just stick with what you get?
Jean – I stick with what I get until I’m ready for a new guitar all together & that usually takes a while.
QRD – How thoroughly do you research or test a piece of equipment before buying it?
Jean – Not that thoroughly.…
QRD – Do you change your rig around often?
Jean – Not often.…
QRD – Are you after one particular guitar tone & locking into it, or do you like to change your tone around a lot?
Jean – I change the overall tone.
QRD – What are some guitars, amps, & pedals you particularly lust after?
Jean – Jolana Galaxis.
QRD – What do you think are some important features to be on a person’s first guitar that aren’t always there?
Jean – I think for a first guitar you must feel good with the instrument’s proper sound... because the first guitar will influence your research in the future.
QRD – What have been the best & worst guitar related purchases you’ve made?
Jean – Best purchase: my dulcimer & my bells. I don’t really have any regrets purchasing something, in everything I try to find something little that may function in my work.
QRD – What are some effect, amp, & guitar brands you particularly like or dis-like & why?
Jean – I really like my Red Panda Context, TS 9 Ibanez, & MXR blue box
QRD – What’s the first thing you play when you pick up a guitar?
Jean – Nothing. I try to master the feedback & distortion.
QRD – How old were you when you started playing guitar?
Jean – 17 years old.
QRD – At what age do you think you leveled up to your best guitar playing?
Jean – I don’t know.
QRD – Why do you think a guitar fits you more so than other instruments?
Jean – It was the most logic choice & I stuck with it.
QRD – Do you think guitar should be people’s first instrument as often as it is?
Jean – It is a normal choice, since its overall presence.
QRD – Do you see your guitar as your ally or adversary in making music?
Jean – Both, depends on my concerts... I have a peculiar relationship.
QRD – Who are the guitarists that most influenced your playing & sound?
Jean – Loren Mazzacane Connors, Lee Ranaldo, John Fahey, Keiji Haino....
QRD – Do you think people anthropomorphizing their guitars is natural or silly (e.g. naming their guitar)?
Jean – I do not anthropomorphize my guitar... but depends on the guitar player, why not?
QRD – What’s the most physical damage you’ve done to a guitar & how did you do it?
Jean – Damage? I don’t care about my guitar every day.
QRD – What do you do to practice other than simply playing?
Jean – I never practice…. Just plug & play.
QRD – How many hours a week do you play guitar & how many hours would you like to?
Jean – Only during my show or on recording session.
QRD – What type of pick do you use & why?
Jean – Dunlop Tortex standard 88mm.
QRD – What gauge strings do you use & why?
Jean – D’Addario 09-42 XL.
QRD – How often do you change strings?
Jean – Whenever they break!
QRD – How often do you break strings?
Jean – I don’t keep count.
QRD – Which do you feel is more proficient, your strumming hand or fretting hand & how does that effect your style?
Jean – It depends, I use both for different sensibilities during my set.
QRD – Do you set-up your guitar yourself or send it to a guitar tech (or not set it up at all) & why?
Jean – I set up myself.
QRD – What tunings do you use & why?
Jean – My guitar is never tuned... I like accidents.
QRD – Do you prefer tablature, sheet music, or some other notation system for writing down your own ideas?
Jean – I write my idea with words. I never use tablature.
QRD – How high do you hold your guitar when playing (strap length)?
Jean – Low.
QRD – Playing what other instrument do you think can most help someone’s guitar playing?
Jean – Piano.
QRD – What’s a type of guitar playing you wish you could do that you can’t?
Jean – Brian May.
QRD – What’s a guitar goal you’ve never accomplished?
Jean – Brian May.
QRD – What’s the last guitar trick you learned?
Jean – It’s a secret.
QRD – What’s your favorite guitar gadget (ebow, capo, slide, string cutter, etc)?
Jean – A brush.
QRD – Did you ever take guitar lessons & if so, what did you learn from them?
Jean – Never took a guitar lesson.
QRD – What would you teach someone in a guitar lesson that you don’t think they would generally get from a guitar teacher?
Jean – Just feel your mind.
QRD – What’s something someone would have to do to emulate your style?
Jean – Listen.
QRD – How often do you adjust your tone knob?
Jean – Never.
QRD – Who do you think is currently the most innovative guitar player & why?
Jean – Derek Bailey... for the improv music.
QRD – Where can people hear your best guitar work?
Jean – On my bandcamp page.
