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 Jon Gomm.
What can you tell us about the new Album? What inspires you and how go the production?
The Faintest Idea had a different approach from my other albums: I had a lot of stuff I needed to express, after experiencing losses, the birth of a child, and finding new meaning in my life and in the existence of everything. And I did that with my guitar and voice as usual, but I wanted the album to have a deeper aesthetic. I wanted the songs to be worlds to lose yourself in. So I explored new approaches with layering of effects and synthetic sounds to envelope the guitar, with my producer Andy Sorenson.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
I used my Ibanez JGM10 guitar. In fact it was a prototype, because we hadn’t quite finalized the design yet, but it was virtually the same as the production model I’m using now. It’s fitted with a custom pickup system made by Fishman which has 3 completely different sources: A magnetic pickup, a condenser mic and a body sensor. They went through my super-hi-fi Klotz „Titanium“ cables into my Klotz DIs. I use a Blackstar Sonnet amp for monitoring and rehearsing, but it’s not recorded.
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I wanted a guitar when I was only two years old, but I was too little so my parents got me a ukulele. Here’s a photo! I got frustrated with it and smashed it into pieces, so they got me a half size classical guitar and crucially they also found me a teacher!
What are your influences and which guitar players are your favs?
I have so, so many from a lifetime of learning. Michael Hedges is my single biggest acoustic fingerstyle inspiration. Joe Satriani is a huge influence on my technique and harmonic sense. Jeff Buckley is a massive influence on my creative approach and attention to detail.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I’m not a collector by nature. Guitars are for playing. Right now I’m playing my Ibanez JGM10 pretty much all the time. My current workhorse JGM10 is called Marvin, but his twin brother Colin comes out for special occasions like recording sessions. Occasionally I play my Ibanez AZ2202A, which I got last year and has inspired me to start playing electric again after a long lay off. My old Lowden OC12 „Wilma“ is still with me, but she just stays in her case enjoying her hard-earned retirement.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
For modern fingerstyle guitar, you need three main things. First, a tone with a huge range from the very deep bass to the highest treble. This is a solo style in the main, so that grand piano palette is ideal. Secondly, playability. If you want to be able to tap notes and percussion and pluck harmonics, you need a highly sensitive instrument which wants to make those sounds. Thirdly, you need a pickup system which can produce all of that. And for an amp, you need something which is essentially a PA system in a box, withdeep sub and sparkling highs. I really demand a lot from my gear!
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
This doesn’t really come into the equation for acoustic players so much, but I hate using tubes! They change so drastically over time. As they warm up, and then as they decay over the years. I want consistency. I’m really glad to be able to get such realistic tube tones now from digital modeling.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
My Ibanez JGM, no question. Not only because it’s the best guitar I ever played, but because I’m so proud of it. That process of designing it with the master luthiers at Ibanez was a thrill, and now people are enjoying using the guitar themselves, it’s just such a privilege.
