PG Staff Gear Abuse Confessions We’re not perfect. Although we worship the very air surrounding our beloved sonic paraphernalia, we’ve made some mistakes and—gasp!—even mistreated our most prized babies. We hope you can forgive us these
slights, or at least take a bit of joy in the fact that it happened to somebody else.
STAFF PICKS
Andy Ellis
Senior Editor
What are you listening to?
Howlin’ Wolf, Smokestack
Lightning—The Complete
Chess Masters 1951-1960.
For me, hearing Chester Arthur Burnett—
the mighty Howlin’ Wolf—cut loose with
his band is one of life’s great pleasures. The
music swings so hard!
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever
done to a piece of gear? In 1969, I stripped
the paint off my ’ 68 Les Paul goldtop reissue (which I’d bought new) and stained the
top red.
Shawn Hammond
Editor in Chief
What are you listening to?
Nada Surf, The Stars Are
Indifferent to Astronomy.
Fantastic vocal hooks
(think Cheap Trick’s Robin Zander) and
jangle-pop tones that instantly feel classic.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever
done to a piece of gear? In the ’90s,
I wanted my iridescent red Kramer
Stagemaster Custom to look more low-key,
so I hit Home Depot to begin the process
of sanding it and botching a new stain job.
Jon Levy
Publisher
What are you listening to?
Fitz and the Tantrums.
Also, the Skrillex single
“Bangarang”—it’s simultaneously brilliant and seizure-inducing—
and Big Star’s Radio City. I never get tired
of Alex Chilton’s voice and guitar.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever
done to a piece of gear? Years ago, I routed
my 1976 Fender Telecaster to replace the
stock neck pickup (which I never used)
with a humbucker (which I also never
used). Still have the guitar, but the 3-way
switch is perma-frozen in the bridge position for righteous twang.
Rich Osweiler
Associate Editor
What are you listening to?
Noel Gallagher, Noel
Gallagher’s High Flying
Birds. I was never a huge
Oasis fan, but the elder Gallagher brother’s
new project is full of super-solid rock tunes
that prove Liam was never a necessity.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever
done to a piece of gear? I’m embarrassed
to say it’s something I’ve done over and over
again during momentary, hallucinogenic
states of clutter-free grandeur. Yes, I’ve sold
gear and regretted most transactions 10
minutes later.
Susan Tedeschi
Guest Picker
What are you listening to?
Scrapomatic, the Wood
Brothers, Fela, Etta, The
Band, the Stones, Eric
Clapton, Elmore James, Junior Wells and
Buddy Guy.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever done
to a piece of gear? I checked my guitar on an
overseas flight. The airline took it out of its
case and leaned it up against a chair to check
the case. It slid and the back of my guitar had
a huge scar down the entire neck. It tore the
finish off and was unplayable. You have to be
careful about trusting your gear with those who
don’t respect it the way you do.
Charles Saufley
Gear Editor
What are you listening to?
Grateful Dead, Dick’s
Picks 14. I got homesick
for San Francisco while
back east for the holidays, and this thing
cut the gray and warmed up the joint like
a blast of noonday sun in July. The 23-plus
minute “Playing in the Band” is super-double sick.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever
done to a piece of gear? I’ve mistaken my
guitars for machines capable of sustained
flight. Let’s leave it at that.
Zechs Marquise, Getting
Paid. Their sophomore
album goes down like a
peculiarly tasty shot: Part Permanent Waves-
era Rush synths, part Mars Volta-esque
rabid riffing as orchestrated by Hunter S.
Thompson on a bender.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever
done to a piece of gear? I was coming
inside from my deck with my Recording
King acoustic and I tripped on the sliding
door track and fell on the guitar. It go boom.
Brett Petrusek
Artist Relations Manager
What are you listening to?
UFO, Strangers In The
Night. Killer, old-school
Michael Schenker—sick
live tone, amazing vibrato … it got me
hooked on guitar.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever
done to a piece of gear? After a few beers,
I decided my Gibson Explorer needed to
be relic’d. A few You Tube videos later, I was
dragging the poor guitar on the sidewalk.
I used a power sander on the neck, then
rubbed in oil and dirt for effect. It’s
arguably the worst job in history, but
I love it!
Jason Shadrick
Associate Editor
What are you listening to?
Steve Masakowski, For
Joe. He’s one of the most
underrated jazz guitarists
of the last 30 years. His swinging lines and
woody 7-string tone pay fitting tribute to
Mr. Pass.
What’s the stupidest thing you’ve ever
done to a piece of gear? After my uncle
passed down a vintage Ross distortion
pedal, I thought it would be a good idea to
take it to school and try to clone it. It never
sounded the same again.
