For anyone who might have a remote interest in the gear I use, please continue.

 

The guitar has been the principal instrument of choice for me from the beginning of time, and my preoccupation with it shows no sign of abating. I'm rather glad about that as, otherwise, I'd have nothing to do.

 

My progress on it has been long and lonely, like most others similarly fixated, I suspect. I've sorely fingered my way through several levels of competence, as well as various standards of equipment used.

 

I'm now up to a Fender Strat, Fender Telecaster and a Hofner Verythin for electrics and a Takamine EF360SC for acoustic, but I've had Gibson electric copies and a couple of Ibanez's too. There’s a Fender Jazz bass that I use for recording. I've also got a cheapo acoustic that often lies on the floor, made by a company called Fenix. It serves as a vehicle for bashing out initial ideas, until they become so polished that I have to get the good one down to make it all sound superb. I occasionally fanny about on a ukelele.

 

I must also mention a lovely Takamine Spanish that does its utmost to let me sound suitably lush and exotic. I must stress that I'm not quite at the Steve Howe/Andy Summers plateau of having hundreds of guitars wantonly filling up the air-conditioned ante-room, but there's still time (donations to any collection would be humbly accepted).

 

In my "About Henry" page, I make fleeting reference to Stevie Ray Vaughan and Adrian Belew and I can add the following, gifted exponents to a list of players that have left a lasting impact on me : Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, Eric Clapton, BB King, Jeff Beck, Wes Montgomery, Robbie McIntosh, Dave Davies, Mike Keneally, Brian Setzer, Guthrie Govan and the guy who plays dobro for Union Station (I think it's Jerry Douglas). There'll no doubt be a few more to add once I can remember them (ah, yes - Martin Taylor, Stanley Jordan, Django Reinhardt, George Benson and Joe Pass from the world of Jazz).

 

The main Takamine acoustic has a few chips and scuffs on it now, a legacy of its road service, but it still rings out with a set of 0.11 gauge Martin strings on there. It has a heavy-duty pickup with a DSP in the body that puts out some nice tones, and offers independent volume control and a tuner function that's valuable in a live situation. I've just bought a nice new case for it.

 

The Strat is an American Performer, burgundy with a rosewood fingerboard, 2 single coil pickups, a humbucker, a 5-way switch and a standard Fender tremolo that allows all the strings to be simultaneously  'wobbled' as I see fit. The Telecaster is a very nice pale blue and gives me that necessary, Brad Paisley twang whenever it's required. Amplification is catered for by Thomas Blug’s BluGuitar Amp1, sat on an interesting new pedalboard I’ve built which also contains a Line 6 HX Stomp and a Morningstar MC6 Midi Controller. I’m still in the process of figuring out how to make some kind of portable, “wet-dry-wet” set up with this arrangement.

 

Acoustic strings are invariably by Martin, although Ernie Balls and D'Addarios have been known to muscle in from time to time. I tend to fingerpick on the acoustic in a style borrowed from John Martyn, whereas the plectrum still tries to pick its way around the electric.

 

Right, I must stop now so I can complete my daily, 3 hour practice ritual...........

 

Thank you and have another pleasant evening.