Pic: L. Hertwig
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 Travis Larson.
When did you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I bought my first guitar from a catalog when I was 15. It was an inexpensive Cort brand guitar painted to look like Eddie Van Halen’s red and white striped guitar. There was no internet so I didn’t even know how the whammy bar worked.
Pic: L. Hertwig
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
I started because of Jeff Beck and then became very influenced by Steve Morse and his original band the Dixie Dregs. I was also a huge fan of the band Rush. I of course also loved Steve Vai, Van Halen, Joe Satriani, Eric Johnson and many others from the time.
Pic: L. Hertwig
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I am not a collector of guitars so I probably have somewhere between 12-15. My professional guitars are all Ernie Ball MusicMan. I have a few John Petrucci models I like a lot as we were both with Ibanez back in the 90s and his model has a thin but more comfortable neck shape that I love. I also have a 20th anniversary Silhouette, 25th anniversary MusicMan and new Kaizen model from Tosin Abasi. Several others including an Axis Sport and a Game Changer that allows you to rewire the switching with an app or push and pull pots on the guitar.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
For me the Ernie Ball MusicMan guitars are perfect due to their flexibility and stability. I use DV Mark amps and cabs. They’re the perfect combination of tone, power and really light weight making it much easier to have a large touring rig without moving such heavy equipment all the time.
Pic: L. Hertwig
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
I love the convenience of modelers. There’s a different feel for the player more so than there is in the sound the audience experiences. Sometimes it’s worth the compromise of modelers when it allows you to travel and play shows with a smaller budget and less resources. The “Evening With Jen Majura and Travis Larson” shows have been all modelers for convenience. The technology has come a long way.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
On the latest Travis Larson Band album “The New Exhibit” I experimented for the first time with a Kemper for recording the guitars. I used all my MusicMan guitars and ran into the Kemper and into ProTools.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
I have a 2007 MusicMan Petrucci BFR Walnut Burst, Quilt Maple Top, that I have been touring with as #2 for years and currently with Jen Majura (Ex-Evanescence) because we travel light and fly so much. Bringing one guitar can be scary and this one has a piezo for acoustic songs but also passive pickups so I will never have a problem with power and electronics. At least I hope I won’t ever have a problem. Also the neck is extremely stable and I hardly ever have to adjust anything.
Klasse Artikel,Chris !