What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?
This is the Abasi Concepts Larada 7 string guitar.
How did you come across this particular item?
I was fortunate enough to attend the NAMM show in January. There were a ridiculous amount of new products to see from so many great companies, but what seemed to catch my eye was the Abasi guitars at their booth. They looked stunning, so naturally I was keen to get my hands on one. Long story short, I was invited to try out a couple of their guitars, they liked what they heard, and they were generous enough to let me take one home. Life is wild sometimes!
What is it that you like about it so much?
The first thing that really stood out was just how light they are! It was also one of the widest multiscale guitars I had played up until that point. I can honestly say from a playing standpoint that I actually prefer the fanned frets, especially for all the wide intervalic stretches I like to do at the higher frets. It looks and feels incredibly good and the Fishman Fluence pickups are some of the best pickups I’ve ever heard. It really just ticks every box for me.
How do you use it and how has it shaped the way you write music?
The guitar is just so dynamically rich sonically, so it’s really inspired me to experiment with different sounds that I wasn’t able to produce with any of my current guitars. It also feels incredible and effortless to play, so I’ve been able to come up with even more insane ideas as I’ve spent more time with it.
Tell us a little about what you have coming up?
I have a solo EP called Permanence coming out on March 22nd which I wrote and recorded. I was fortunate enough to get Simon Grove from Plini and my band The Helix Nebula to produce, mix, master and play bass on the entire record, with his equally talented brother Tim Grove handling the amazing artwork and design. I’m really excited for everyone to hear it. Speaking of The Helix Nebula, we’re hoping to get out our first full-length album sometime late this year as well. Fingers-crossed that we do!
Permanence is out Friday March 22.
