What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?
1973 Gibson SG Custom.
How did you come across this particular item?
I bought it off a crazy scientist who lived in the Perth hills and worked between here and Texas. He let me pay it off in instalments. He trusted me as we both had affection for Cowboy Boots.
What is that you like so much about it?
You need to fight it to make it work. I like how unstable SG’s feel, you can bend the neck and shake notes out of them. The original Gibson Bigsby is fun and helps me when I’m lost.
How do you use it, and how has it shaped the way you write music?
It forces me to play less. It’s not a smooth playing guitar,so I need to choose my notes wisely. I think the sound is in your hands, no matter what instrument you pick up. You just have to find the one that makes you sound like you.
Any other interesting points/stories about it?
It has a Firebird pickup in the neck and some weird cheap toaster grill looking pickup in the middle. The pickup is too big for the surround and kept popping out so I had to gaffer tape it in halfway through a gig and it’s stayed that way for years.
Tell us a little bit about what you have coming up?
The Floors are just about to release a second studio album through BEAST Records on March 10 and we’ll be touring France in May. Also, a bunch of records I played on should be released soon including releases from Lucy Peach, Davey Craddock, Dom Mariani and the Majestic Kelp and Timothy Nelson. You can hear this chunk of wood on all of them.
