Backstage Pass

Welcome to Fishman’s “Backstage Pass” blog. We’re proud of our extensive artist roster, particularly because every player who chooses Fishman does so without incentives other than a desire for the best possible sound.

Here’s the inside scoop on what these discerning musicians are up to, and the Fishman products that they love and depend upon. And to all the artists, a heartfelt thanks!

The new year kicked off in full NAMM Show mode. Although the Aura Spectrum DI has been shipping since September, the Winter NAMM Show marked the first time we showed the product in conjunction with the new Aura Image Gallery III software – a powerhouse Aura Image database tool that allows users to access over 800 Images for free and load them into their Aura products. 

Utilizing an interactive kiosk, we also debuted the Mac version of the Aura Gallery software, which consumers have been anxiously waiting for.

We were also pleased to unveil the Aura Sixteen, based on the same design and functionality of the wildly successful Aura Imaging Pedals. The Aura Sixteen come pre-loaded with 16 dreadnought guitar Images but features a USB input to connect it with the included Aura Image Gallery III software.  For those customers who already have an Aura Imaging Pedal, we’ll be offering an Upgrade Kit to “unlock” software of the Aura Pedal and access the USB input for full access to all of the available Aura Images.

Of course, it wouldn’t be a NAMM Show without lots of visits from Fishman artists…

Jeff Pevar and Cornflower performed each day at the Fishman booth 

Craig Thatcher and Corey Congilio demo the new Martin Performing Artist
Series guitars featuring Fishman's revolutionary F1 Aura system

    
(L) Fishman's Corey Congilio and Chris DeMaria with Hutch Hutchinson; (R) Lorenza Ponce 


    
(L) Monte Pittman performs at the Fishman booth; (R) Mordy Ferber and John B. Williams 

Sharief Hobley brings a little rock and soul

Jorma Kaukonen chats with Ed Gerhard

Fishman's Bob Valyou talks Aura with the legendary Jorma Kaukonen

Shortly after returning from NAMM, we got right back in the swing of things and shipped out tons of Aura Spectrum DIs and Aura Sixteens to artists.  David Grissom, J’Anna Jacoby, Audley Freed, Norah Jones and Eric Clapton’s guitar tech all contacted Fishman to order the new Aura products.
 

I also caught up with two great bands on the same day in January. First up was Martina McBride, who was playing in Worcester, MA. Martina’s brother and musical director Marty Schiff has been loving his Aura Spectrum DI and recommended it to the band’s fiddle player Jenee Fleenor.  

After spending some time that afternoon with Marty and Jenee and walking through their gear setup, I headed to Boston to catch Cheap Trick at The House Of Blues. Our old friend Tom Morrongiello, who was working for Robin Zander, had a guitar that needed a little help. I stuck around for the show and had a great time. How could a Cheap Trick concert on a Saturday night not be fun?

John Mayer played the Banknorth Garden (around here, we still call it the Boston Garden) for a sold out crowd in late February. I stopped by early enough in the day so I could get some time with John’s tech – the legendary René Martinez, who is one of the nicest, most genuine and amazing guy you could ever meet. I also had enough time to meet up with guitarist David Ryan Harris, Feelie, and Robbie McIntosh’s guitar tech George Bade.  I left René with some Matrix Infinity pickup & preamp systems along with a new Aura Spectrum DI for John to try. It goes without saying that John Mayer’s performance was incendiary, soulful and just incredible. He just keeps getting better!

The one and only René Martinez

When it comes to learning new stuff for guitar (via books and DVDs), I usually gravitate towards two great players and teachers. We're fortunate enough to also work with them both as Fishman artists – Pete Huttlinger and Steve Kaufman. The Music Emporium in Lexington, MA had a clinic one Sunday afternoon with Pete. I was astonished that Pete spent so much time talking about his sound, particular the combination of his Collings OMC1A with the Matrix Infinity and Aura Spectrum DI. After all, this wasn’t a Fishman clinic but Mr. Huttlinger is an evangelist for great tone and live sound. Thanks for the props, Pete!!

 

Chris DeMaria with Pete Huttlinger 

Check out Pete Huttlinger and Steve Kaufman’s websites for info on their music, tour dates, DVDs and lessons.

The guys from Enter The Haggis stopped by Fishman HQ before a St. Patrick’s Day gig near Boston.  We did some custom Aura Imaging for fiddle player Brian Buchanan and loaded them up in his Aura Spectrum DI. That night, the Toronto band rocked Showcase Live with their fiery brand of Celtic rock. Enter The Haggis is a great example of an unrelenting, hard-working band’s grassroots success. They’re fantastic to see live!

Winter came to an official close with a stop at the Palladium in Worcester, MA to catch Dave Linsk and his band Overkill on their Killfest 2010 Tour. We first met Dave at a NAMM show and he mentioned that he was trying to get a better, more acoustic sound without having to switch guitars. I mentioned that a few guitar players we worked with were using the Fishman Powerbridge in conjunction with Aura.

While it’s not what Fishman intended Aura to be used for, guitarists John Petrucci, Matt Scannell, and The Killers’ Dave Keuning have had success using “concert guitar” Aura Images with their Powerbridge-equipped electrics.

So before the start of the Overkill tour, Dave tried it out and was instantly hooked. He could go from hard and heavy to light and strummy with just a flick and a click. By the way, Dave is a talented guitarist who’s versed in a variety of styles of music. Dave also is a versatile studio musician, producer, instructor and songwriter. And a terrific guy!


WHAT THE PROS PLAY...

Here are just a few of the artists who picked up Fishman gear this winter:

Downs Thompson (Clay Walker band)

Aura Spectrum DI

Ysanne Spevack (Studio musician, Billy Corgan)

AFX Reverb

Jeff Larson

Matrix Infinity, FT-1 Tuner

Chad Jeffers (Carrie Underwood band)

Aura Spectrum DI

Audley Freed

Aura Spectrum DI, Matrix Infinity

Dave Linsk (Overkill)
Aura Sixteen, AFX Delay

Levon Helm

Loudbox Performer

Eric Clapton

Aura Sixteen, Aura Spectrum DI

J'Anna Jacoby (Rod Stewart band)

V300 Violin Pickup, SA220, Aura Spectrum DI

Richard Gilewitz

AFX Delay

Robby Wilson (Halfway to Hazard)

Full Circle Upright Bass pickup

Dave Kuening (The Killers)

Aura Spectrum DI, Matrix Infinity, M-300 mandolin pickup, Banjo pickup

Norah Jones

Aura Spectrum DI, Aura Sixteen

John Mayer

Matrix Infinity, Aura Spectrum DI

Tim Sergent (Dierks Bentley)

Jerry Douglas Aura Imaging Pedal, Spider-style Resophonic pickup

Stuart Kimball (Bob Dylan band)

Matrix Infinity

Jim Rea (The Hillbenders)

Aura Sixteen

John Petrucci

Aura Sixteen

Jennie Arnau

Loudbox Performer

Evert Wilbrink (Cadillac Sky)

Banjo pickup, Full Circle Upright Bass pickup

Zachary Bevill (The Farewell Drifters)

Matrix Infinity

Jimmy Mattingly (Garth Brooks, Reba McEntire)

Pro-EQ II Preamp/EQ

Dhani Harrison

Aura Spectrum DI

Sublime

Aura Spectrum DI, Loudbox Performer

Muriel Anderson

Aura Sixteen

Jenee Fleenor (Martina McBride band)
Aura Spectrum DI

I drove down the long, winding dirt road to Levon’s farm, which includes a large barn with a recording studio where the "Rambles" are staged.  After unloading a couple new Loudbox Performers for Larry Campbell and Teresa Williams, we spent the afternoon soundchecking and listening to the amps and some new Aura Images for guitarist Jim Weider.

Larry Campbell, Levon Helm and Jim Weider at The Ramble

Around 150 people packed the sold-out barn and were treated to a rousing two hour performance of songs from Levon’s new “Electric Dirt” along with some old favorites from The Band. As cliché as it may sound, the night was truly magical. Check out Levon’s site and learn more about the Midnight Ramble here.

The following weekend we checked in with Rascal Flatts at the sold out Comcast Center in Mansfield, MA.  Fiddle player John Jeansonne got his new Aura Spectrum DI just in time for the tour and was eager to show us his live rig. A special thanks to John, Travis, David, and Bucky for their hospitality and taking the time to give us the full tour. Opener Darius Rucker (who uses the Matrix in his Gibson acoustic) did a great mix of new tunes and some Hootie & The Blowfish favorites.

Jon Jeansonne's pedal board with Aura Spectrum DI

Jon Jeansonne with Rascal Flatts

Rascal Flatts' Gary LeVox and Joe Don Rooney

Darius Rucker and his Fishman-equipped Gibson

If you’re an acoustic guitar player and have never seen Tommy Emmanuel perform live, please do yourself a favor and catch him when he comes to your area. As someone who’s always been blown away by his recorded music, Tommy Emmanuel live is truly an experience – he is a masterful player, excellent showman, and truly captivating in every sense of the word.  I stopped by before the show and spent some time with Tommy, walking him through the new Aura Spectrum DI (Tommy used the original Aura Imaging Blender with his Maton guitars). Did I mention that this was an incredible show?

Tommy Emmanuel with Fishman's Chris DeMaria

In late September, I went to see Assembly of Dust in Boston. Our friend Reid Genauer and band hung out for a while before the show and we talked about Fishman AFX pedals, Aura and a new Matrix Infinity for Reid’s stage guitar. In the world of jam bands, AOD is really at the top of the heap – great hooks and lyrics and just an all-around fun band! Check them out: www.aodust.com

Reid Genauer of Assembly of Dust

In October, I finally got to see Ra Ra Riot live. We’ve been working with this Syracuse, NY band for a couple years and have been watching their star rise with performances on Letterman and Conan.  Their debut album “The Rhumb Line” was released in August 2008. Electric cellist Alexandra Lawn and violinist Rebecca Zeller have been loving our Loudbox amps! Ra Ra Ra Riot puts on an energetic live show. Check them out live and learn more about the band here: www.rarariot.com

Ian Anderson did an acoustic tour featuring a wide range of material including some of Anderson’s acoustic World Music compositions and a few Jethro Tull numbers (some rarely ever played). The show featured an amazing band (including amazing German guitarist Florian Opahle)playing tunes that drew on Hindu and Persian music, with a splash of classical thrown in. I especially enjoyed “A Change Of Horses,” “March The Mad Scientist, “and the classic “Skating Away…”

Ian Anderson

Vertical Horizon’s Matt Scannell invited us out to a show in Boston. Matt is a super guy and a talented musician and songwriter. A few months earlier, we sent Matt an Aura Spectrum DI and he instantly fell in love with this new piece of gear. In fact, he’s not only using it with his acoustics but also with his Powerbridge-equipped Gibson electrics. I had a great time at the show and enjoyed spending some time with Matt and the band!

Matt Scannell with his Aura Spectrum DI

November rolled in with lots of live shows and Fishman artists coming through the area. The month started with the always entertaining, super-talented Willy Porter who is always so gracious and appreciative of his long relationship with Fishman. The feeling is mutual, Willy!

Even though I’ve been listening to her for while, I had never seen Neko Case perform live until she came to town on November 10. Earlier in the day, I drove down to Boston and picked up pedal steel player Jon Rauhouse and bassist Tom Ray and we took a tour of Fishman’s factory and studio. Jon took back an AFX Reverb pedal and Tom got himself a new Full Circle for his upright bass. We grabbed a quick bite at Boston’s oldest restaurant (The Jacob Wirth House) and then caught opener Calexico play a cool half hour set. Neko’s set featured a lot of new songs from her latest release “Middle Cyclone.” Her voice is simply amazing.

Jon Rauhouse and Tom Ray visit Fishman

Just in time for the holidays, Bob Dylan played Boston (but didn’t perform anything off his holiday release “Christmas In The Heart”).  As many times as I’ve seen Mr. Dylan, it’s always such a thrill to see and hear Fishman Loudbox amps and pickups on stage with such a legendary, iconic performer and songwriter. For the record, Mr. Dylan uses Matrix and Rare Earth pickups along with Loudbox Performer and Loudbox Pro amps. Bassist Tony Garnier uses our Full Circle Upright Bass pickup and both Stu Kimball and Charlie Sexton also use Fishman pickups and amplifiers.

Vermont-based band Grace Potter and The Nocturnals played locally on November 19^th. This band is a powerful force in music with the perfect, vintage-fused alchemy of blues, funk, soul and rock. You should definitely check them out: www.gracepotter.com

Grace Potter and The Nocturnals

Sugar Ray before a show in Boston

We spent some time with Dream Theater guitar god John Petrucci and his tech to discuss an acoustic amplification solution for a double-neck guitar (12-string acoustic and 6-string electric). John Petrucci uses Fishman Powerbridges in his Ernie Ball guitars and runs through an Aura Imaging Pedal for a little more “effect.”

   
(L) John Petrucci's Ernie Ball double neck; (R) John's secret weapon: the Aura Imaging Pedal

The guys from Hall & Oates are always so gracious and classy. I had promised John Oates one of the new Aura Spectrum DI units to use in conjunction with his Taylor and Gibson acoustics for H&O shows and his solo acoustic gigs. We spent part of the band’s soundcheck trying out different Aura Images and experimenting with the blend control, compressor, and tuner. The band’s front of house engineer was so impressed with the difference in acoustic tone that the new unit was immediately placed in the signal chain and used for the show that night at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

Back last fall, Fishman did some custom Aura Images for Ray LaMontagne and Eric Heywood, who often accompanies Ray on tour. Eric played on The Pretenders new CD and tour, which passed through Boston in August. He’s not only an accomplished guitarist but also a super-talented pedal steel player. Eric really added a lot to The Pretenders trademark sound.

Chrissie Hynde and her Martin D-35 with Rare Earth pickup

The big country tour of the summer was without question Kenny Chesney, whose “Sun City Carnival Tour 2009” packed Gillette Stadium in Foxboro, MA.  Guitarist and fiddle player Nick Hoffman – who was the first to use the Concert Series Violin pickup in ‘08 – invited us down the day before the show for soundcheck, which proved to be a great opportunity to meet up with the techs and players in the other bands – Lady Antebellum, Miranda Lambert, Montgomery Gentry and Sugarland. The following day was a perfect Saturday of non-stop, energetic country music performances.

   (L) Sugarland's Kristian Bush; (R) Kenny Chesney flies over the audience

 

Speaking of violin pickups, Enter The Haggis’ Brian Buchanan needed a Concert Series pickup for his new fiddle. Not a particularly tall order except that he needed it on the day of the show (and on a Friday).  Thanks to the folks at Johnson String Instruments in Newton, MA, Brian was up and running with his fiddle before the band rocked Boston Harbor later that night. The Canadian quintet band played a blistering set of raucous Celtic rock to a packed audience.

Enter The Haggis' Brian Buchanan

August ended with an amazing show by The Black Crowes with special guest Levon Helm and his band opening the how. Both bands played a lot of new material from their respective new releases, “Before the Frost…Until The Freeze” and Helm’s Americana masterpiece, “Electric Dirt.”

  
Jim Weider with the Levon Helm Band
              
  
(L) Chris Robinson jams with Larry Campbell & Jim Weider; (R) Jim Weider at Red Rocks

WHAT THE PROS PLAY...

Here are just a few of the artists who picked up Fishman gear this summer:

Grace Potter & The Nocturnals

Matrix Infinity

Jimmy Mattingly (Reba McEntire band)

Nashville Series mandolin pickup

Stuart Duncan (out on tour w/ Elvis Costello)

Loudbox Performer and Pro-EQ Platinum Preamp/EQ/DI

Jim Weider

Ellipse Aura, Loudbox Performer, AFX Reverb

David Crosby

Matrix Infinity

Bob Weir

SA220 Solo Performance System 

Train

Ukulele pickups

LeAnn Rimes

Pro-EQ Platinum

Steve Earle

Ellipse Aura, Nashville Series mandolin pickups

Willy Porter

Matrix Infinity

Daughtry

Tune-O-Matic Powerbridge

Danick DuPelle (Emerson Drive)

Matrix Infinity

Sugar Ray

Matrix Infinity, Pro-EQ Platinum Preamp/EQ/DI

Steve Howe (Yes and Asia)

Matrix Infinity, Aura Spectrum DI

John Petrucci (Dream Theater)

Matrix undersaddle pickups

John Oates

Aura Spectrum DI

Jimmy Buffett

Matrix Infinity

Gomez

Powerbridges

Randy Kohrs

AFX Reverb, Pro-EQ Platinum Preamp/EQ/DI

Craig Fuller (Pure Prairie League)

Rare Earth Humbucking

Travis Tritt

AFX Reverb and AFX Chorus

Jim Hurst

SA220

Jason Krause (guitarist for Kid Rock)

Loudbox 100, Aura Imaging Pedal (Jumbo)

Tommy Hannum (Clay Walker band)

Aura Spectrum DI, Nashville Reso pickup

All-American Rejects

Ellipse Matrix Blend, Tune-O-Matic Powerbridge

Larry Campbell (Levon Helm Band)

Loudbox Performer, Jerry Douglas Aura Imaging Pedal, AFX Chorus Pedal

John Jeansonne (Rascal Flatts)

Aura Spectrum DI 

Jon Pousette-Dart
SA220 Solo Performance System

Check back for Spring 2010 highlights!!