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 Shawn Pittman.
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
My first guitar was some kind of piece of junk Ibanez, but I worked at a laundry mat long enough to buy it from a friend from school. I just wanted a guitar and didn’t care what kind. I played that for a while until I realized I needed a Fender Stratocaster especially if I was gonna play Texas style blues. My Dad saw my progress on the guitar and bought me a Reissue 1962 Strat. It was great.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
My influences are really about the same ones that every other blues player learns from. Guitar Slim, Otis Rush, Lightnin Hopkins, Freddie, Albert and BB, Magic Sam, Eddie Taylor, Elmore James, Hubert Sumlin, Grant Green, The Vaughan brothers (I lean a little more toward Jimmie but love them both) Albert Collins, Hound Dog Taylor and Brewer Phillips, T Bone Walker, Jimmy Rogers just to name a few. Of course locally in Dallas I was listening to Anson Funderburgh, Mike Morgan and Hash Brown.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
Right now I only have four electric guitars, I used to have a lot more but ran into hard times and had to sell them to pay the rent sometimes. The guitars I have are extremely special to me and are unique because 3 of them were made for me. One is a 1950’s Kay guitar that I use for slide. It is one solid peice of wood and was given to me by a great friend of mine named Darren Price. Mark Pollock (formerly owned Charlie’s Guitar’s in Dallas) said it was the biggest neck he has ever seen. It’s all original with the DeArmond Pancake pickup and brass frets. I have a blond Tele that was put togethe also by Darren with parts and customized with a single coil DeArmond pick up that came from a mid 60’s Kay Vanguard a Mighty Might esquire neck.
I have a cream colored Stratocaster that was built by another great friend of mine Tom Hyslop. It is basically like a 1954 relic with Vintage Peter Florance Voodoo Pickups with a maple neck. Very light! I keep it in Europe as my main guitar. My friend Sam Massey (former owner of Rockin‘ Robin guitars in Houston) put together a nice Aztec Gold MJT body with an All Parts rosewood neck that has chrome cupcake knobs with Texas Special pickups in them I love them all equally!
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
That’s a tough one. It depends on the sound you are looking for. I like a Stratocaster through a Fender Vibro King and I can just about any sound I need out of that.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
I have always prefered tube amps, because of they way the tubes break up. I like not having to use a pedal to get the kind of natural break up or overdrive that I like.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
I used the cream colored Strat from Tom Hyslop and two different amps. A couple of songs had a Fender Vibrolux, but mostly I used a blackface Super Reverb.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
I would have to say a 1959 Strat would be the one!
https://continentalrecordservices.bandcamp.com/album/my-journey
