INTERVIEW
like “Impossible Germany,” when we have
three electric guitars up, the potential for richness is exponentially greater. And somehow
the arrangement works and we manage to
stay out of each other’s way. It was very carefully arrived at, but I don’t think we knew it
was going to be so successful. I think it maybe
means we’ll do more three-guitar things.
Is there any kind of music you play that
might surprise people?
Cline’s pedalboard for Wilco shows. Photo by Anne Erickson
I just think it’s a great sound. More than one
guitar is always the best way to go. I think it’s
so attractive to me because I like the sound
of the guitars slightly and naturally chorusing
together. The timbre becomes much richer. In
Wilco, Pat [Sansone] mostly plays Telecasters,
and he uses the bridge pickup a lot and has
more twang going on. Onstage, Jeff is playing
some Telecasters but he’s got his Gibson SGs
up there and whatnot, too. And then I have my
sound. I think the sound of all that together
can be powerful. For example, on something
Well, I had a band for a while that wasn’t sup-
posed to play live and it was called Destroy
All Nels Cline. There were four electric gui-
tars, bass, and percussion. I also had plans
for a band called Headstock, which would
be kind of a hardcore, fast fusion, punk-rock
kind of band with a lot of three-guitar songs.
the Straight Truth About Pickups by Jason Lollar
The “magic” found in some (but not all) classic vintage pickups
was created by accident. Don’t let anyone tell you different. And
over time, some pretty stellar accidents happened. The only way
to recreate that magic is to study more than a few exceptional
examples of all the classic pickup types, while acquiring a
thorough understanding of exactly what materials were used
and precisely how each pickup was constructed and wound. Only
then is the “magic” repeatable, if you are willing to spend the time
and money required to chase the dragon. I am.
I personally design and wind over 30 different pickup models,
including all the vintage classics, many obscure works of art
known only to lap and pedal steel players like Robert Randolph,
and even a few of my own designs that never existed in the past.
I invite you to visit our website for sound clips, videos and
current product information, or call us for a free product
highlight brochure.
Lollar Guitars PO Box 2450 Vashon Island, WA 98070 ( 206) 463-9838 www.lollarguitars.com
www.premierguitar.com
PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2010 95
