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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.
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