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!
Artist News: Spring 2009
After a busy winter of touring, this spring was bustling with a lot of summer tours in the making. Artists and their techs were looking for the best sounding and most reliable live gear for upcoming performances so they called us here at Fishman.
After loaning some gear to Bob Weir for an annual (and traditional) New Year’s Eve gig in San Francisco, his tech raved about how much Mr. Weir loved the SoloAmp. He took one with him on The Dead tour which rolled through Boston this spring. In such a high headroom situation, the SoloAmp cut right through and made for a perfect backline monitor while feeding the house P.A. from the unit’s XLR outputs.
The live shows started to really heat up again in May. First off was Gavin Rossdale (and his amazing guitarist Chris Traynor), who played The Paradise in Boston. We did some custom Aura Images and installed Ellipse Auras in both Gavin and Chris’ guitars late last year. The band ripped through Bush classics and lots of solo material including some off Gavin’s last CD Wanderlust.
Sarah Barielles passed through New England one last time before taking a break to write and record her sophomore release. Our good friend Mark Messner (Ryan Adams, The Offspring) was out doing a few dates with Sarah, who was very unhappy with her live ukulele sound. A quick and easy install of an AG-Series passive undersaddle pickup made everything right. Thanks Mark!
We heard from George Strait’s fiddle player, Gene Elders, who was happy to get his hands on the new V-300 Concert Series pickup and a Pro-EQ Platinum Preamp/EQ/D.I. The country music legend’s tour made a stop in the Boston area in late May.
When our phones ring, it could be just about anyone in the world of music. But the one call that can totally make your day is when the tech from Spinal Tap dials you up to discuss gear. Our good friend Thom Lowry (who’s main gig is with Fishman artist John Hiatt) was working with Christopher Guest, Michael McKean, and Harry Shearer during rehearsals for their “Unwigged and Unplugged Tour.” This was the first time the actors/comedians/musicians toured to perform songs from both “Spinal Tap” and “A Mighty Wind” acoustically. We were happy to provide a Full Circle bass pickup, Pro-EQ Platinum Bass Preamp/EQ/D.I. and a pair of Matrix pickups.
We caught the show in Boston in May and it was absolutely brilliant. Afterwards, Michael and Harry thanked us for their great (and improved) live sound.
Another stellar show in May was Ben Harper and Relentless 7. It was great to see such a raw, emotional and high energy show in an intimate club setting. The band ripped through the new CD “White Lies for Dark Times” and threw in a few covers like Zeppelin’s “Good Times Bad Times” and the Queen/David Bowie classic “Under Pressure.”
Ben Harper and Chris D.
Afterwards, we spent some time with Ben and Relentless 7 guitarist Jason Mozersky and talked about the Fishman-equipped Martin Signature Series M-size model introduced last year and the possibility of doing some custom Aura Images back at Fishman’s studio.
Grascals’s banjo player Kristen Benson called us to order a pickup and preamp for the band’s summer dates. We got a chance to catch The Grascals at MerleFest in April and they were simply fantastic!
Our friends at Fernandes Guitars requested a Fishman Powerbridge and Powerchip for a guitar they were building for U2 guitarist The Edge.
Veteran guitar and keyboard tech Tim Myer checked in during a break from touring with the great Jeff Beck. Tim was helping with rehearsals and pre-production for the upcoming Michael Jackson shows (Tim’s worked with MJ since ’87) and needed to get a better sound for guitarist Tommy Organ. Not sure which guitar Tommy would end up playing in the show, we sent out a couple sets of Aura Imaging Pedals for dreadnought and orchestra sized guitars. Tim, who’s worked with George Harrison, Eric Clapton, The Concert for George, and Roger Waters, is die hard Aura fan. He’s turned so many artists on to the technology that we may need to put him on the Fishman payroll.
The month of May ended with a blitz of four shows in four nights. First up was JD Souther, who played a solo acoustic show at the Tupelo Music Hall in New Hampshire. JD has been very happy with the Ellipse Aura systems in his three custom Gibson acoustics. For any aspiring songwriters reading this – this show was a perfect showcase of finely honed music and lyrics. You’ve gotta see JD Souther live.
The following night, we met up with Steve Earle for the kick-off of his solo acoustic tour in New Hampshire. Steve played a lot of tracks off his new CD, “Townes,” a tribute to his friend and mentor, the late singer-songwriter Townes Van Zandt.
Steve Earle solo acoustic in New Hampshire
Throughout the show, Steve played a couple Martin OM-21 Steve Earle Signature models, both equipped with the Ellipse Aura preamp system. For his bouzouki and mandolin, Steve relied on his original off-board Aura unit that he’s had since it was first introduced in 2004. Afterwards, we had a chance to talk about some new Aura stuff that Steve was excited about trying. Thanks to Steve Earle for being an Aura artist from Day 1!
Chris D. with Steve Earle at Umanov Guitars, NYC
We met up with Steve again the following night at the Berklee Performance Center in Boston. At his suggestion (or insistence), we provided an Aura Imaging Pedal to Joe Pug, who was Steve’s opener. After demoing the Aura (with Steve looking on and adding his comments and praise!), Joe was blown away with the instant improvement of his guitar sound and immediately added the pedal to his very lean live set up.
Joe Pug is a truly talented singer/songwriter and guitarist. His music is ripe with sublime, heartfelt and flowing lyrical vignettes reminiscent of Dylan, Guthrie and Steve Earle, as well. He plans to release his debut full length record in 2009. We’re looking forward to seeing Joe again this summer at the Newport Folk Festival.
To cap off the week, Fenway Park hosted two Dave Matthews Band concerts with opener (and also a Fishman artist) Willie Nelson. There’s nothing quite like standing on a stage in center field (with the infamous Green Monster behind you) and looking out into Major League Baseball’s oldest ballpark on a Saturday afternoon!
Fenway Park from the stage in center field!
Dave Matthews at Fenway Park
I got to spend the afternoon with Dave and Tim Reynold’s guitar tech, Craig Baker, and talk about… well, just about everything I guess – guitars, amps, touring, the new CD, and obviously Fishman (Dave and Tim both use the new Matrix Infinity). We also provided a couple Aura pedals and an AFX Chorus pedal (for Dave’s 12-string).
Dave Matthews' acoustic arsenal
Dave Matthews Band at Fenway (taken from stage right)
After seeing Dave Matthews Band many times over the years, the best part is hearing the band rip through new material for the first time – “Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King” hadn’t hit shelves yet, so it was a real treat to hear these great new songs for the first time.
Boyd Tinsley's Loudbox and Tim Reynold's rack system
A Fishman artist from his earliest days, Dave Matthews has always been particular about his live guitar sound and about having a pickup system that held up to his unique playing style. Fishman is proud and honored to have been associated with the Dave Matthews Band for so long.
Willie Nelson's (in)famous guitar "Trigger"
Here are a few other artists who picked up some new Fishman gear this spring:
Derick Sebastian (Ukulele whiz)
SoloAmp
John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
Aura Imaging Pedal (Concert model)
Craig Fuller (Pure Prairie League)
Loudbox Performer
Martin Simpson
Banjo Pickup
Alison Brown
Banjo Pickup
Korel Tunador (Katy Perry band)
Matrix Infinity, Aura Imaging Pedal (Dreadnought model)
Adam Traum (Homespun Music Instruction)
Loudbox Performer
Kristin Scott Benson (The Grascals)
Banjo Pickup
Alan Bartram (Del McCoury band)
Full Circle Bass Pickups, Pro-EQ Plat. Bass Preamp/EQ/D.I.
Jim Weider (Levon Helm band)
Matrix Infinity, Loudbox Performer
Jake Clayton (Jimmy Wayne band)
Nashville Series Violin Pickup, Cello Pickup
John Oates
Matrix Infinity, Aura Custom Shop Imaging
Check back for Summer 2009 highlights coming soon!
Artist News: Winter 2008 -2009
No surprise that this past winter was one of our busiest. When Fishman launched the SoloAmp in September, we started getting a lot of interest not only from dealers but from a few artists who thought it would be perfect for the types of shows and venues that they play.
In fact, Jerry Douglas used one during his four “Artist In Residence” performances at the Country Music Hall of Fame.
Soon after, Smithereen’s frontman Pat DiNizio ordered one for his “Living Room Concert Tour, which is exactly what it sounds like. According to Pat, “I do solo acoustic concerts that last nearly three hours and they are "request only" sets. The audience calls out the songs and I do my best to entertain them... I am honored and grateful to have become close friends with most of the good people who have sponsored these concerts, and these warm friendships have brought great joy into my life.”
Pat also released a fantastic new CD, “Buddy Holly” in January, featuring covers of the late rock & roll pioneer's work. The new release came just in time to mark the 50th anniversary of Buddy Holly’s death. For more on Pat DiNizio, check out his website http://www.patdinizio.com. He’s got great blogs, great music and lots of cool stuff on there!
A special thanks to our friends at S.I.R. in New York for supplying Loudbox amplifiers to both The Who (for their Madison Square Garden shows) and the The Black Crowes who were also in town doing a one-off acoustic show at the legendary Town Hall. Guitarist Luther Dickinson and tech Randy Stinson were amazed at how well the show sounded with the amps on stage.
There were some other outstanding shows that came through the Boston area. One of them was legendary singer-songwriter JD Souther, who performed a solo acoustic show and featured a lot of great new material from his latest CD, “If The World Was You.” JD also treated the crowd to a few Eagles tunes he co-wrote like “New Kid In Town” and “Best Of My Love.” JD was playing a pair of custom Gibson 00 guitars with Ellipse Aura in each. Last summer, he had the guitars sent to Fishman right from the Gibson factory so we could create custom Aura Images for each and install the Ellipse Aura system.
We also got to catch The All-American Rejects just before the release of their hit CD “When The World Comes Down.” Guitarist Nick Wheeler relied heavily that night on his Gibson acoustics, which are all equipped with Ellipse Matrix Blend systems.
AAR's Mike Kennerty and Nick Wheeler, Esq.
Other concert highlights were Tina Turner, John Legend, and British singer-songwriter James Morrison, all of whom had an array of Fishman gear on stage, including Loudbox amps, Aura Imaging pedals and Rare Earth soundhole pickups.
James Morrison and Chris DeMaria
Before the end of 2008, our good friend Mike Scott, guitarist for Justin Timberlake and Prince, phoned us up for some Loudbox amplifiers he needed for Diddy and Mark Burnett’s new MTV talent search snow, "StarMaker." Mike spent the early part of this year in a mansion, the setting for the band and the contestants, who are all vying for a shot to be signed to Diddy’s Bad Boy Records. From rock to country, pop to R&B, this show will have it all – and the super-talented and versatile Mike Scott will be playing it all!
February and March highlights included an evening with Ryan Adams & The Cardinals, where we got to spend some time with guitarist Neal Casal and the rest of the band. Neal is releasing a new solo album in May titled “Roots and Wings.” We’ve been playing it a lot around the office and it gets a big thumbs up!
One of the toughest challenges we have is when two Fishman artists are in town on the same night. This occurred in March when Hall & Oates appeared at Boston’s Orpheum Theater and Fleetwood Mac rocked the TD Banknorth Garden. With a little creativity, a cab and some good timing, we made it to both shows and got some time beforehand with both bands.
 
with John Oates Fleetwood Mac in Boston
Lindsey Buckingham’s tech needed a “house call” for a couple new Prefix Premium Blend systems for some old Taylor guitars he plays in the show. We got there just in time for soundcheck and then hopped over to the Hall & Oates show to hook up with John Oates and T-Bone Wolk and drop off a Rare Earth Humbucking pickup.
John and I talked about Aura Imaging technology and our amplifier line, as well as working with producer/engineer/Fishman friend Bil VornDick on his last solo CD “1,000 Miles of Life,” which he recorded with Bil in Nashville.
The band sounded amazing as they ripped through a combination of their hits and some early gems from as far back as 35 years ago. It was also cool to hear a lot of those songs played acoustic for the first time!
And, by the way, after the H&O show I took a cab back to the Garden to catch most of the Fleetwood Mac set. It was a long night but who could resist going to two outstanding concerts within 2 miles of one another?
We capped off the winter concert season with a performance by GRAMMY and Tony-award winning singer-songwriter Duncan Sheik, who played to an intimate crowd at the Berklee Performance Center. Duncan has been a Rare Earth artist since the early days of his career. It was a real treat to hear Duncan and a stellar band play songs from his musical, “Spring Awakening.”
According to Duncan, "I’ve struggled with the sonic difficulties of reproducing the natural sound of an acoustic guitar through a P.A. system for as long as I've been playing shows. Of all the systems I have tried (and there are many!), the Rare Earth Blend soundhole pickup has managed to strike a fantastic balance between authenticity and power. It is a truly versatile solution that makes all my guitars sing in even the toughest of performance situations.” We couldn't have said it better.
As if all these shows didn’t keep us busy enough, Fishman moved to its new headquarters in Andover, MA just before the new year. The new facility is a huge step forward for the company and takes our efficiency and processes to a whole new level.
WHAT THE PROS PLAY...
Here are just a few of the artists who picked up Fishman gear this winter:
Gavin Rossdale and Chris Traynor
AFX Delay, AFX Chorus & AFX Reverb, Aura Imaging Pedals, Ellipse Aura and Pro-EQ Platinum Preamp/EQ/D.I.
Dave Keunig from The Killers
Aura Imaging Pedals
James Morrison
Rare Earth Humbucking soundhole pickup
Nick Hoffman (guitarist/fiddle player with Kenny Chesney)
Aura Imaging Pedals, Onboard Aura, Concert Series violin pickup and Matrix Infinity
Jeff Pevar
SoloAmp Performance System
Justin D’Errico (guitarist for Pink)
Powerbridge Tune-O-Matic
Bob Dylan
Loudbox Performers and Rare Earth Humbucking pickups
Tony Garnier (bassist for Bob Dylan)
Full Circle upright bass pickup
James Stewart (Brooks & Dunn)
Concert Series violin pickup and Nashville Series resophonic pickup
Jason Mowery (John Fogerty and Jessica Harp)
Nashville Series mandolin pickup, Concert Series violin pickup, Nashville Series resophonic pickup and Jerry Douglas Aura Pedal Imaging Pedal
John B. Williams
Full Circle upright bass pickup
Counting Crows
AFX Reverb pedal, Nashville Series mandolin pickup, Rare Earth Blend, Nashville Series resophonic pickup, Jerry Douglas Aura Imaging Pedal and Pro-EQ Platinum Preamp/EQ/D.I.
Joe Walsh
Matrix Infinity
Bela Fleck
Classic Series banjo pickups
Alison Brown
Pro-EQ Platinum Preamp/EQ/D.I.
Yusuf Islam (aka Cat Stevens)
Ellipse Matrix Blend and Pro-EQ Platinum Preamp/EQ/D.I.
Guns ‘n Roses guitarist Richard Fortus
Aura Imaging Pedal, Powerbridge and Powerchip
The Pogues
Classic Series banjo pickup and Nashville Series mandolin pickup
Luther Dickinson (The Black Crowes and North Mississippi Allstars)
Nashville Series mandolin pickup
Def Leppard
Rare Earth Blend, Ellipse Matrix Blend, Powerbridge and Powerchip
Steve Mougin (Sam Bush Band)
AFX Reverb, AFX Chorus, Matrix Infinity, Nashville Series mandolin pickup
Winter NAMM 2009: Photo Gallery
Stonehoney performs in the Fishman booth
 
John B. Williams & Larry Fishman Larry Fishman & Monte Pittman
 
Randy Kohrs raises the bar for dobro players Ukulele virtuoso Derick Sebastian
 
Hettory L.A. session musician Paul Pesco
Buzz Feiten performing with Aleksandra Sever in the Fishman booth
UK shredder Mario Parga performs a blazing acoustic set
with legendary vocalist Graham Bonnet
Artist News: Fall 2008
Fishman Artist Relations had a busy autumn season with an amazing number of calls and emails from guitar techs and artists who are getting ready for their fall and winter tours.
Since the summer, the phone has been ringing from the 615 area code almost constantly. That’s because every dobro slinger in the music scene wants to know about the new Jerry Douglas Aura Imaging Pedal and the Nashville Series spider-style dobro pickup. To say it’s a hot combination would be an understatement. Fishman is very proud to have introduced a product combination that re-defines the live dobro sound. Working with top artists like Jerry Douglas ain’t so bad either. He is truly a master of the instrument and one heck of nice guy.
So what else happened since the summer?
Well, Bob Dylan got two Rare Earth Humbucking Soundhole pickups, Jimmy Buffett and his guitarist Peter Mayer each received the Matrix Infinity Pickup & Preamp system, and a Full Circle upright bass pickup and Banjo pickup were sent to Lincoln Schliefer (who plays with Levon Helm, Richard Shindell, Boz Scaggs, Phoebe Snow, and Michael McDonald.) Tune-O-Matic Powerbridges and Powerchips will be outfitted in Chris Cornell’s electric guitars for the upcoming tour.
At the suggestion of friends from the Radiohead camp, the UK band Keane ordered a couple Rare Earth Blends. Keane now has the distinction of being the first artist to receive the newly redesigned Rare Earth Blend with improved mic arm and warmer acoustic tone!
Madonna guitarist Monte Pittman is using Fishman on tour in his Gibson Chet Atkins guitar.
Madonna and Monte Pittman using Fishman on tour
Madonna in Boston
We checked in with Ryan Adams & The Cardinals guitar tech Mark Messner at the recent show in Boston, MA. Ryan and the band played a lot of material from their new release “Cardinology,” which is one of the best releases this year. Check it out…
Arlo Guthrie was looking to have a Matrix Infinity Pickup & Preamp System installed in his new Composite Acoustic guitar and his daughter Cathy sent us her ukulele for an AG-Series pickup.
The Indigo Girls, Steve Sheehan (who plays with Trisha Yearwood, Andrea Zonn, and David Mallett), and Buzz Feiten were all recently outfitted with the Matrix Infinity Pickup & Preamp System. Buzz is very excited to be working with the new up and coming artist Aleksandra Sever. Check out her site: http://www.aleksandrasever.com/
John Kurgan, longtime guitar tech for Sting, was at Fishman working with Joe B. to create new Aura Images for some Martin guitars.
John Kurgan & Joe B
Eric Heywood, guitarist and pedal steel player currently with Ray LaMontagne and appearing on the new Pretender’s album “Break Up The Concrete,” was at Fishman to record custom Aura Images for his and Ray’s Martin guitars.
Eric Heywood & Joe B
When the The Who was in Boston in October, they sent over two of Gibson J-200’s for Ellipse Matrix Blend installations. We made a house call over at the TD Banknorth Garden and brought back the Gibsons just in time for soundcheck. The show was amazing (c’mon, it’s The Who!) and, of course they sounded great. (Check out some more great pics from the show at the Fishman MySpace site!)
Pete Townshend's J-200 with an Ellipse Blend
Pete Townshend live in Boston
J’Anna Jacoby, violin and mandolin player for Rod Stewart and longtime Fishman friend, was in town for a show. We got a chance to introduce her to Fishman’s new Concert Series pickups for her violins. We also want to congratulate J’Anna on her marriage this past summer!
J'Anna Jacoby & Chris D
Jim Hurst and Claire Lynch visited Fishman for some custom Aura Imaging and installation of an Ellipse Aura in Claire’s Gallagher guitar.
Robbie Flynt, reso and pedal steel player for Alan Jackson, got the new Jerry Douglas Signature Aura Imaging Pedal and Nashville Series Resophonic Pickup for the fall tour.
We caught up with Kimberly Dahme, accomplished Nashville singer/songwriter and bass player in the band Boston at a recent stop in Mansfield, MA. Kimberly has some solo gigs this Fall and needed a Loudbox Performer for her live rig.
Kimberly Dahme with Boston in Boston!
We got the chance to see an amazing show with John Hiatt and Lyle Lovett in Boston. It was an intimate performance and truly remarkable to see these artists together on stage playing and talking about their music.
John Hiatt at the Opera House
Jerry Douglas recently performed at the Country Music Hall of Fame show with a pair of SoloAmps! Jerry used one and the other was used by guitarist Guthrie Trapp. Jerry was also on hand with a SoloAmp at the Beard Guitars booth at the recent IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association) show showing his Beard Signature Series Reso guitar and the new Jerry Douglas Signature Aura Imaging Pedal.
Gypsy Jazz virtuoso John Jorgenson spent an afternoon at Fishman discussing the development of a new pickup and Aura Images for his signature model Gitane guitar.
John Jorgenson at Fishman
Nashville Dobro superstar Smith Curry recently got a Jerry Douglas Signature Aura Imaging Pedal and the Nashville Series Resophonic Pickup. Smith’s studio and stage credits include Phil Vassar, Kid Rock, Allison Moorer, LeAnn Rimes, Randy Travis, Martina McBride, Keith Urban, Lorrie Morgan, Clint Black, David Grisman, Big & Rich, and Bill Monroe. We got the opportunity to meet Smith Curry back in June when he was on tour with Halfway To Hazard and Tim McGraw.
Taylor Swift's guitar tech Bobby “Bucky” Huck is looking into outfitting the bands acoustics with the Matrix Infinity Pickup & Preamp System. Bucky also bought a full set of AFX and Aura Imaging Pedals, along with the new Nashville Series spider-style pickup and Jerry Douglas Pedal. Thanks Bucky!!
Fishman was well represented at the Farm Aid concert in Mansfield, MA by Dave Matthews, Tim Reynolds Steve Earle, Will Daily, Willie Nelson, and John Mellancamp.
Willy Porter is crisscrossing the country with his Fishman-equipped Signature Series Guild guitar. We caught with Willy at the legendary Club Passim in Cambridge, MA where he treated the packed crowd to old favorites and great new music from his last CD, "Available Light."
Longtime Fishman Friend Willy Porter and Chris D
|
