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 Aynsley Lister.
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
My dad had a guitar that I use to play around with, an acoustic. I never actually saw him play it but I was always intrigued by it and would pick it up and just play with it like a toy. One day I dropped it and broke it, my dad was not impressed!! Eventually after lots of persuasion, my parents agreed that if I learned to play properly they would get me one for my next birthday. When I turned 8 I got a 3/4 size nylon strung classical guitar before I finally got my first electric when I was 10 – a cheap Strat copy.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
My earliest influence was Eric Clapton, he’s the one I really spent the time watching and listening to and trying to copy. Then it was basically all the 60s electric blues players that I’d hear on my dads records – Freddie King, Buddy Guy, Peter Green, Mick Taylor, Albert King, Albert Collins. My dad had given me an old record player and i would spend hours in my bedroom playing along to the records and trying to imitate what I was hearing. Thats basically how I learned to play, by mimicking what I was hearing on those old records.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I think around 15 or so. I’m mainly a Strat player so there’s more of those than anything but I do have some other really nice guitars that I use on and off. On a typical tour I’ll take 4 or 5 guitars. I go between 4 vintage Strats depending on my mood – I have a green ‘63, a blue ‘70, a yellow ‘74 and a sunburst ‘75. They’re all equally vibey but all have different personalities. So there’ll always be a couple of those on tour, then I’ll have something a bit thicker sounding and that rotates through a fair few different guitars. There’s an old ‘61 Silvertone Jupiter with goldfoils, a few really nice handmade guitars by Damian Probett, Patrick Eggle and Eternal Guitars… all with either humbuckers or P90s and then a killer old 335. So plenty to pick from really!! The one guitar I always have with me is my old no name cello slide guitar – that gets more questions than anything! I picked it up about 30 years ago for 50€ and still don’t really know what it is!!
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
I guess you need gear that allows you to achieve the sound you hear in your head so you can then concentrate on making music and getting lost in it. When I play live it’s mainly centred around Strats, some other guitar that sounds a bit thicker and then my signature Rift amp. I think Strats are probably the most versatile and expressive guitars, you can just get such a variety of sounds just by using the controls on the guitar and by changing how you play. But it’s always cool to have a Les Paul or something like that too just to keep it interesting. My signature amp is based on an old JMP Marshall I have but it does this thing no other amp does. It’s got a beautifully rich harmonic overdrive to it but when you back off the guitar volume it cleans up to a really sweet vocal like tone. I get asked a lot about my guitar sound and how I’m getting all these varieties of tone and 90% of it is that amp with a good guitar.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
I think modellers have their place and serve a purpose in the right scenario for some guys, but they’re not for me at all. I think a really good tube amp is a physical thing that just can’t be replaced by a modeller – it’s moving air, you can feel it when you play, you feel connected to it and you play to that sound. The whole experience of playing a loud tube amp is a world away from modellers in my opinion. Also when I go and see a band, I want to see a stack of big cranked up amps behind them, not plugged straight into the PA system.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
I’ll always take a good variety of guitars and amps into the studio but I usually just end up settling on a couple of combinations that just ‘work’ For my last album I took my old Marshalls and Fenders in but mainly just used my Rift signature amp. For guitars it was the old Strats, 335, Les Paul and my old no name cello slide thing.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
My lake placid blue 1970 Strat! It’s probably my fave out of all the Strats. It’s just a really really good one and anyone who picks it up comments on how it just has that extra ‘something’ – not because it’s an old one either, it’s just a really exceptional Strat that one. I was really lucky to get it but the stars just aligned for me. Aswell as being the exact same specs as Hendrix’ white Woodstock Strat, it’s probably my coolest looking Strat…. and that’s got to matter, right?!
All pics @darkstars.de
