A SON OF (A MOTHER OF) INVENTION
them quite where Frank got them but that’s
because [pause] he’s Frank. [laughs]
You’re particular about your picks. What
do you use?
Red Bear Trading Company. I use some of
the heaviest ones they make; they’re really
thick with the beveled edge and the whole
thing. That’s all I use. In fact, people get
bummed out when they ask me for a guitar
pick because they’re too expensive to give
away constantly so I have to get some plastic
ones made just to give out. The Red Bears
really do make a difference in your tone. For
me, less effort is involved because the pick is
so heavy to strike the note. Every note ends
up having a similar volume; there’s almost
a high-end attenuation because the mass
of the pick imparts more bass than it does
treble. Guthrie [Govan] is using them now.
I’ve also gotten John Petrucci on ‘em.
to moment the music changes drastically
and becomes these soundscapes and different types of music. It’s an insane project.
By the time it’s all done it’ll definitely be
one of these things that people say, “Uhhh,
how’d you do that?”
How long has this been in the works and
what will this finished product look like?
It’ll be one disc that runs in its entirety as one
piece of music. There’ll probably be index points
for people to get to parts they want to hear,
but it’s intended to be one continuous piece
of music that’s 75 minutes long. I’m not exactly
sure what the final product will be like when
it gets released, but I do want to put it in surround sound. It’ll be an interesting experience.
I started it almost 14 years ago. Crazy—back
Let’s talk about your What the Hell Was
I Thinking project—your ongoing project
that involves the best guitar players in
world—where are things these days?
It might have some new additions to it as
my playing evolves. That means I might take
some existing stuff off there, but there are
still some guitarists I’d like to include. There
are some modern players like Guthrie, and
there’s also a guy named Marshall Harrison
who, I don’t think there’s a guitar player on
the planet who has more ridiculous technique than this guy. You can’t even believe
what this guy can do. Check him out online.
I’ve never really heard much of his own
music; I’ve just seen his online stuff where
he’s playing Chopin, etudes and whatnot on
guitar. He’s playing like seven billion notes at
a tempo that’s ridiculous and he’s never making any mistakes. It’s crazy.
As for the project, the players that already
exist on the record are pretty impressive.
I’ve even got Angus and Malcolm Young,
who have never played on anything other
than AC/DC records—they’re on this
record. Eric Johnson, Yngwie Malmsteen,
Eddie Van Halen, Steve Vai, Steve Morse,
Albert Lee, Brian Setzer, Steve Lukather,
Robben Ford, Jimmie Vaughan, Joe Walsh…
I’m forgetting a ton of people, I’m sure.
Blues Saraceno, Warren DeMartini, Tim
Pierce… there are tons and tons of players, but I’d still like to record Jeff Beck and
Jimmy Page, and then some of the new
guys like I was saying. I think I’ll add some
more new interstitial musical pieces and
then mix the whole thing in surround sound
and make it an audio experience. Moment
www.premierguitar.com
PREMIER GUITAR DECEMBER 2009 81
Dweezil’s PRS
Dweezil recently chose wood for a PRS Private Stock guitar and Premier Guitar was there. Go
to premierguitar.com/video to see a video interview of Dweezil in the PRS wood library talking
about the wood selections, shape and features of his new guitar.
Photo by Michael Mesker
