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QRD #78
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Artistic Dad Interviews:
Justin Holt
Brian John Mitchell
James Gofus
Billy McKay
Jason Young
Matt Jones
Micah Liesenfeld
Nate Powell

Cartoonist Interviews
Chance Wyatt
Mike Rickaby

Comic Shop Interviews
Atomic Books
Illusive Comics & Games
Jetpack
Mavericks

Guitarist Interviews
Anda Volley
Anna Conner
Grant Nesmith
Lee McKinney
Max Kutner
Micheal M
Tristan Welch

Label Owner Interviews
Enough
Infraction
Taped Rugs

Touring Musician Interviews
Azalia Snail
Irata
Martin Newman
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Guitarist Interview with Anda Volley
August 14, 2017

Name: Anda Volley
Bands: Anda Volley
Websites: www.andavolley.com, andavolley.bandcamp.com, twitter.com/AndaVolley,
facebook.com/anda.volley

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

Anda – I don’t remember what kind it was, or how I parted ways with it. My mom got me a cheap acoustic when I was 15.

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

Anda – OD or fuzz -> Modulation -> Delay -> Reverb -> Amp

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

Anda – Effects.

QRD – What’s your main amplifier & why?

Anda – Toneblock 200 head + Mesaboogie 12” cab. To save space + I can’t lift a heavy amp.

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

Anda – Telecaster American Standard Deluxe. It’s just a really lovely guitar that sounds & feels good to play & stays in tune the longest during a set.

QRD – How many guitars do you own?

Anda – 6.

QRD – How & where do you store your guitars?

Anda – My bedroom.

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

Anda – It has to feel good to play. I prefer cutaways.

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

Anda – $1200.

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

Anda – I stick with what I’ve got.

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

Anda – I read all the reviews & play models in a store.

QRD – Do you change your rig around often?

Anda – Yes.

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

Anda – I like to change a lot.

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

Anda – I have enough to keep me satisfied.

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

Anda – Guitars that can stay more in tune & don’t have initial fretboard issues like buzzing.

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

Anda – A Traveler Acoustic guitar was the worst. The internal pick up was glued & fell apart fast. The strings were too high off the fretboard & risky to adjust. I couldn’t sell it. Their Traveler electric guitars are okay through.

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

Anda – I haven’t found a phaser or chorus pedal I like yet. Maybe I just don’t like those effects.

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

Anda – Some simple rhythm chords & pentatonic scales.

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

Anda – 15.

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

Anda – When I took more lessons & practiced more often. When I don’t as much, I regress. It’s less about age.

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

Anda – For me, they’re easier to write structured songs on.

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

Anda – No, I think piano/keyboards, even a midi keyboard would be better. Keyboards are better to learn music theory & reading music, imo.

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

Anda – Ally.

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

Anda – My mom.

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

Anda – Natural & shows a sense of humor.

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

Anda – I bumped into a  $1500 Fender Strat that fell off the wall & got a pretty bad gash in the body. A sticker would cover it.

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

Anda – Finger exercises & scales.

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

Anda – I used to practice about  10-12 hours a week.

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

Anda – Medium flexible for rhythm & harder & pointier for melodies.

QRD – What gauge strings do you use & why?

Anda – Lighter strings. I don’t have strong fingers.

QRD – How often do you change strings?

Anda – Less often than I should. When I was practicing a lot I changed them every month.

QRD – How often do you break strings?

Anda – Hardly ever.

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

Anda – Strumming hand. I fall into more trance lush sounds.

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

Anda – Only myself a couple of times. Usually I’ll have someone else do it. I don’t really know what I’m doing.

QRD – What tunings do you use & why?

Anda – Standard, & sometimes more drone tuning in C

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

Anda – Tablature & sheet music together for guitar.

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

Anda – Not too high. Not too low.

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

Anda – Ukelele.

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

Anda – Shredding.

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

Anda – Shredding.

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

Anda – String cutter.

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

Anda – Yes, I learned the blues structure & finger exercises.

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

Anda – How to follow what you feel like.

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

Anda – Pick up a guitar & strum

QRD – What’s your take on tremolo/vibrato systems?

Anda – Mostly boring, but I like the Boss Slicer & Dwarfcraft Twin Stags.

QRD – How often do you adjust your tone knob?

Anda – Just at the start of a set or song.

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

Anda – Lead is usually a better guitar player.

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

Anda – No.