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 Krissy Matthews.
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I started to play guitar at the age of 8. My first time on stage was when I was 3 years old playing „Pretty Woman“ by Roy Orbison but I received my first electric guitar when I was 8. It was a cheap, smaller than normal sunburst stratocaster with no company name from British retail store Argos. I still have it somewhere in Norway and it is not so bad!
What are your influences and which guitar players are your favs?
First of all my Dad is my favourite guitar player. And then it would be Hank Marvin and The Shadows. I love Hank and everything he does!! After that, my favourite guitar players would be Jeff Healey, Roy Buchanan, Dean Brown, Freddie King and Derek Trucks. I love all kinds of music to be honest. Outside of the blues, I love BAND OF SKULLS, MARMOZETS and BLACK TONGUE.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
Me and my father share out guitars. But between us we have 40 guitars I think so not so many. My favourite 3 guitars are definitely my 2 Patrick James Eggle Macon Custom guitars and I have a beautiful Sandberg California ST in Gold. These guitars are incredible and my personal favourites that I use all the time.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
To be honest, I am so into gear. The perfect guitar and amp needs the perfect hands and fingers. Any good player will make anything sound good within reason and sound like themselves. When I play a festival show and equipment is provided, I just ask for an amp which is valve, has 2 channels and reverb. That is it. So, I can get some drive on the drive channel and some reverb so I do not have to fly with a reverb pedal. And I want it to be simple. Not an amp with so many controls so its like driving a plane! I am also the same with my guitars. One volume control if possible and just straight to the point. Most of a sound comes from the fingers!
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
Tube Amp all the way. No question. I am old school.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings? When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
On my last PIZZA MAN BLUES record, it was mainly my Patrick James Eggle Macon Custom and Sandberg California ST. I used a Epiphone 335 on a few tracks and my Patrick James Eggle acoustic, but the most of it was the first two I mentioned. If I had to bring one guitar, it would probably be my Sandberg, because there I have both single coil and humbucker, and a tremolo system so it is possibly a little more versatile.
Pics by Adam Glagla
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