This article series is about the tools of popular guitarists. What are their favorite guitars and how is it related to them? This time with Chris Duarte.
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I got my first guitar when I was 13, an old 3 pickup red Supro guitar. I had no idea how to tune it or play it and nobody showed me what to do with it so it went under my bed. A couple of years later my older brother got a classical Takamine guitar and since I was constantly picking it up and playing it my Mom got me my own acoustic Takamine guitar F-140. It was stolen out of a friend’s car while he was borrowing it.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
My first influences were the Beatles but I remember Stevie Wonder’s My Cheri Amore when it was on the radio all the time and Love is Blue by Paul Mauriat. Then as I got older I heard the Stones and Eric Clapton in Cream and Alvin Lee but I really liked Black Sabbath, but then I heard Al DiMeola and John McLaughlin and I was hooked. McLaughlin is still my fave but I have many more I sight as influences and love to listen to.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I have 37 guitars. There’s my working collection; the guitars that are always played on my shows. Those would be all 4 of my Xotics. Some of my faves is a 1995 Hamiltone with my name in the neck, a late 90’s Gibson 175 -TD and I have a Vestax D’Angelico New Yorker NY-2 Natural finish. Of course I still have my 63′ strat #71699
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
A guitar that feels good in my hands and an amp that has a warm sound to it where you can hear all the strings ring out when you’re playing rhythm.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
Not sure what ‚modeler‘ is but I’m guessing it’s an amp that tries to recreate an original amp? Maybe like Amp Farm plug ins for Pro Tools? They’re fun to play around with when you’re practicing or maybe throwing a demo down and you don’t have an original but I would take a tube amp any day over digital. You can’t duplicate that vibe and how it pushes the air. Tube for me.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
For this last album I used a early 60’s Fender blonde Bandmaster head with a matching 2 x 12″ blonde cabinet. It was a dream. I had 2 Pedal Digger 819 pedals for some solos. The large 819 and medium 819 pedal. That’s it.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
I gravitate towards Jazz Boxes. Just love the way they feel. I have several more than the 2 I mentioned on the earlier questions. Love em‘.
