303-665-7733
Hearing Revolver by the Beatles for the first time just blew my freaking mind. Every single track is a beast and historically this is where I believe the band truly got “experimental.” They laid down some fantastic blueprints for all future artists. I will be buried will this record.
A 1960’s Airline guitar amplifier which was previously owned by my great grandfather. This was the first amp I ever plugged a electric guitar into and I’m blessed to have it in my possession. Portable, practical, and 99% original. Looking forward to passing it on to my daughter.
Hearing “You Don’t Fool Me” by UFO and “Sails of Charon” by the Scorpions!
Reverend Sensei Jr’s
A defining moment in my musical journey was the first time I heard Beastie Boys “License to Ill” in like, the 4th grade. I listened to that tape so many times I wore it out. After that I became obsessed with Hip-Hop! When I got older and started playing guitar, it was when I heard the album Pure Guava by Ween. They broke all the rules when it came to making music. I loved the super experimental sounds they would come up with and all the different styles they fused together. It led me to go to recording school and start recording all my own music and dive deep into music production.
Teenage Engineering OP-1
When I was around 12 years old, I saw Green Day on their American Idiot tour with my Mom. I had gone to many other concerts prior to this show but for whatever reason, seeing Billie have a blast on stage made me want to play guitar more than anything. After the concert, I asked my Mom for my first guitar and the rest is history. Hello Squier Strat! I still tell people to this day that choosing to play guitar is one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
I’m a big nerd but it’s not the Final Fantasy XIV guitar in my picture. I have a lot of Ibanez guitars, my favorite being my RG in Blue Chameleon. It’s a very special guitar to me as it’s always been there when I needed it, through the best and worst times. My newest guitar is a PRS SE Custom 24 with a Poplar Burl top in whale blue, which I absolutely love to play around with. Since starting at Wildwood Guitars, it’s opened my eyes to many other guitars that I’d love to own someday. Looking at you Gibson Les Paul Special Double Cut!
When I was seven, my dad reached into his cassette case and introduced me to AC/DC’s “Back in Black” on the long drive up to our vacation spot in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. About halfway through the trip, he revealed a secret: AC/DC had OTHER albums! He popped in “For Those About to Rock” and we reached the title track right as my mom saw a farmer’s market she wanted to check out. When my mom got out to shop, my dad rolled down the windows, turned the stereo all the way up, and proceeded to teach me the true meaning of the words “rocking out.” If looks could kill, half the people looking at fruit that day would be in jail for murder, and my poor mother was embarrassed half to death. I was already a fan of loud guitars, but once I learned that you could ruin a quiet afternoon with rock and roll, I was hooked for life. What can I say? I never liked quiet afternoons much.
I am deeply satisfied with my bass rig. I have a 2013 American Standard P-Bass that I play through an Ampeg V4B with an SVT Heritage 2×12, and it doesn’t get much better than that! But, I’ll shout out an under-appreciated gem that I consider the third cornerstone of my sound: the humble DOD FX10 BiFet Booster. The FX10 was originally designed to help acoustic guitars sound better when plugged-in, but it’s way better on bass! I use flatwounds, and the FX10 helps me gain just enough clarity and bite to stand out in a mix while retaining the dark, pillowy quality of the strings. It sounds way too good to ever turn off, so I never do!
Hearing Randy Rhoads play “Crazy Train”. My friend Ted was playing along with the record, and I knew at that moment this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. I quit playing baseball and all other sports to focus on guitar. If you play the guitar, you are in the club. It is such a cool club to be in.
I own quite a few guitars I love including Les Pauls, Teles, Strats, Jazzmasters, a Johnny A, a Johnny Winter Firebird, a 1967 Gretsch, a PRS, Danelectros, Silvertones, Marshalls, Fenders, Bludotones, and Gibson amps. Don’t get me started on pedals!
My first Jimi Hendrix Experience Album… I traded my winter coat to my best friend’s older brother for it after he put it on the turntable and played it for us. I walked about a mile home in the snow with the record tucked under my arm to keep the snow off it.
Custom Shop Fender Strat Olympic White, 1964 Gretsch Double Anniversary Two-Tone Smoke Green Hi Lo Trons, 1987 Rickenbacker 360/12 Mapleglo Double Bound, Gibson Cloud Nine Chambered Goldtop LP with Pat. No. Pickups, 1983 Guild 12-String, Gibson Advanced Jumbo Acoustic, Late 1950’s Gibson Tweed Vanguard 77 Amp, 1965 Blackface Bandmaster
I’d have to say being forced to learn the Suzuki method as a young boy. Hated it at the time, but it has shaped how I listen to and think about music.
Working at this shop I am a bit spoiled, but I’d have to give a shout out to the Friedman Smallbox. I just cannot make it sound bad… and I’ve tried!
