Joe Satriani Interviews Geoff Tyson:

1) How do you go about building a Stimulator song in the studio? All Your songs are beautifully layered and textured, so, which instrument do you use as your first "building block"?

There is no one system that Susan and I use to write with. In fact, we try to mix it up as much as possible. Sometimes we start with a groove, sometimes with some chords on the guitar; sometimes it just comes from an unusual experience. There is always a catalyst of some sort. Anything from a crazy day in Los Angeles to a relationship gone bad turns into a song at some point. Suitors of Susan BEWARE: a song with your name on it is inevitable. If you’re MAN enough, it probably won’t destroy you… completely…

When arranging instrumentation around a concept, I think of things more like a classical arranger might. I love the potential power of syncopating instruments. Two completely different parts playing together can create an overall rhythmic value that is very different than if only one instrument was playing every nuance. Textural and tonal differences can make the two parts seem as if they are dancing with each other. And when the two parts play in unison, their tonal combinations make textures that no one instrument can achieve. I try to create a body of seemingly different parts and feels to create on larger picture. I also like to fistfight so maybe you shouldn’t listen to me.

2) As far as guitars go, do you use vintage stuff, modern designs or a mixture of both?

I go through a lot of guitar types much in the same way that I go through a lot of different types of musical styles. I tend to want to go against the grain as much as possible. I'm just difficult like that.

These days, I am really fond of the fender telecasters. With a fixed bridge and strings through the body, it is beefy and substantial for rhythm playing, great for slide guitar because of the high action and rounded neck, and because the pickups are low output, I can drive my amps harder to get some cool power tube distortion as well. They are super dynamic and reactive to even the slightest nuances and, since you can buy a new one for almost nothing I don’t feel bad about abusing them. I recommend tossing them on concrete.

For acoustic guitars, I found a gorgeous old Gibson hummingbird at a little hick music store in Oolitic Indiana where a lovely old woman let me have it for almost nothing. It is an amazing blend of richness, and funky old-ness that I love.

I also have a Yamaha acoustic that I keep tuned up an octave. Like the tandem strings on a 12 string, this guitar sounds more like a harp and so I use it when I want delicate acoustic nuances.

For basses, I always tune down a 4th so that the strings are B, E, A, D. I love the low intensity of an electric bass below E. for aggressive parts, I use a 1950’s Kay semi acoustic bass. For more delicate parts, I use a Gibson Blackbird (the nikki styxx model)

My sitar is a relic. I found it at a pawnshop and paid $100 for it. The bridge is ivory and I don’t think that they make them like that any more. It is hand made and is a masterful work of art. Unfortunately, it was mangled in one of my studio fires and so it is handicapped.

3) ...and what amps do you favor these days?

I use a variety of amps depending on the application.

Recently, I found an old, 1960’s Ampeg Reverberocket combo amp. I have had it for years but, because it electrocuted me 10 years ago, I thought that it was broken. I plugged it in the other day because I felt like getting a good jolt and WOW! It is the single coolest amp I have ever owned. Just turn it all the way up and you can have anything from pure Hendrix or Zeppelin crunch to Chris Isaac clean all depending on how hard you play. It is incredibly responsive to subtle dynamic shifts in my playing and it even has a great sounding spring reverb and vibrato.

For crunchy, meat-head type of playing, I use the Fender Prosonus. It is a 60-watt tube head with 2 switchable channels and a great tone. I think that they discontinued it, though. I don’t see them around much. Most of our CD is recorded with this amp.

4) Are you putting microphones up to speakers or using speaker simulators like the Palmer?

Since I live in an apartment in Hollywood, I have grown to rely entirely on the Palmer cabinet simulator for all of my guitar tones. The thing that I like the most about it is that I can drive my amps at full volume and take advantage of the great power-tube distortion, and yet keep it tame enough to record without having a mob of people with pitchforks screaming outside my door. (I hate it when that happens) The net effect is like recording through a speaker in a totally anechoic room.

Ideally, I would like to be able to do a combination of palmer and a live speaker mic. There is nothing quite like an ambient room mic on certain types of guitar tones. But since the entire Stimulator CD was recorded and mixed in my living room, I guess it is fine the way it is. Denial is a wonderful thing.

5) ProTools? Tape? How do you feel about the technology at your disposal today? Has it changed the way you play your guitar at all? Has it changed the way you adjust your tone?

I record to protools. Although the sonic quality is not as good as technology is capable of, I adore protools for a variety of reasons:

-it is easy. Give me 3 minutes, and I'll have drums, bass and keys going for a new song idea. I work so fast that I would break the tape on an analog machine.

-it is so deep that it should really be considered an instrument in of itself. There is literally nothing that I cannot accomplish sonically with that program. I could turn a fart into a symphony. As a composer/producer, there is no boundary between a concept and it’s completion. That makes the sonic deficiencies irrelevant to me.

-In my old studio, I had a 4000 square foot facility with 4 live rooms, 40 microphones, 24 tracks, 20 channels of vintage compression and EQ, and a staff of talented people to make it work. Now, I have a computer in my living room that does 3 times more, 100 times faster. I am the only employee. The only down side is that I have to clean the toilets!

So I kept a few, choice vintage mic preamps, compressors and mics from my old studio and now everything goes through them to Protools. Woo hoo. I rule.

6) When you use to take lessons from me I was convinced you had the best pair of hands a guitarist could ask for, so where is the "I Am a Shredding Monster" solo record? Where are the lesson bootlegs???

Ha ha! Thanks for the compliment. I get this question a lot. My hand are truly a blessing. Who else do you know whose hands can span an entire octave on one string? I guess that I never did a shredder CD because everyone else DID do a shredder CD. I never wanted to reinvent the wheel; I wanted to invent the paisley HOVERCRAFT with a laser cannon that spews beer out of the exhaust pipe. After such amazing recordings as “Not Of This Earth” and “the Extremist”, (not to mention all of the Steve Vai, Jeff beck, Alan Holdsworrth, al Dimiola and Pat Metheney records) I wanted to be judged in a different category. I felt like I could have come out and been a pretty decent Satriani clone and gotten a lot of notoriety as such, but instead, I set my sights on what seemed different, unattainable and unrealistic. I remember your telling me long ago about how Prince and ZZ Top were involved in every aspect of the music creation. If they wanted a tuba solo, someone would learn to play the tuba. In order to be complete musically, they took complete responsibility for every aspect of the instrumentation, production, engineering, songwriting, and arranging. I really took this lesson to heart. I never felt that I could even express myself properly unless I understood everything and was in complete charge of every aspect of the music from creation to final mix and beyond. I take this to be the ultimate test of my musicality.

So, in effect, Stimulator IS a shredder CD. My art is no longer just the guitar. You can hear me play guitar, bass, drums, keys, sitar, mandolin, cello and engineer, produce, co-write and co-arrange everything too. What better way to shred?

By the way, there is no possible way that anyone could possibly bootleg the experience of having learned music from you. That would be tantamount to learning to debate by watching Donahue. Some experiences are best left to the moment.

7) PC or Mac? Bush or Kerry? Vanilla or Chocolate? Lydian or Phrygian Dominant? ...If you answer these correctly the resulting words properly Shuffled reveal a new and interesting international flavor sensation. Could you write a song about that?

Actually, I did write a song about it. It tastes like chicken.

I think that all politicians are pure concentrated evil and should be boiled down and made into glue.

I use a Mac because I prefer for my computer to function.

I like Lydian dominant a lot these days because it makes babies cry.

I like chocolate because I can throw it at people and pretend that I am a monkey.

8) You've got a big tour coming up this summer, how will the Stimulator Material change when you present it live?

It’s LOUDER! Yes, we will be joining the Warped tour in July for about 10 dates. We are very excited. The material is very similar live except that I is a lot more guitar and vocal driven. Susan Hyatt’s power as a singer and a performer keeps all of Stimulator’s musicians on their toes. Oh, and there are a lot more guitar solos and improvisations.

9) What kind of a live rig will you assemble?

I believe in simplicity as a rule. My telecaster plugged into the Fender amp and a Marshall 4x12. That is it. Sometimes I use a delay pedal. All of the coolness comes from playing well. Oh, and the booze.

10) I'm leaving for Moscow in two days and although I don't need it, I'm bringing my Fultone Ultimate Octave pedal. I just feel better going to Russia knowing I've got one stashed in my suitcase. Have you ever toured somewhere far off and brought some unnecessary equipment along just because it's cool?

Yea! The fulltone rules! How could you say that it is unnecessary? You never know when you might end up in a soviet prison with only your fulltone octave pedal to defend yourself with. Don’t forget to bring a few 9-volt batteries. I hear that they are scarce in Russia.

I always bring a small, voice activated tape recorder with me. I keep it by my bed at night in case I dream about a song and I need to remember it. I just sing it out into the room and it records everything to cassette. I remember one time some strange girl found her way into my hotel room and spent the whole night screaming at me because I wouldn’t wake up to service her. The whole incident was recorded in pristine quality. Eventually, I put a beat to it. Imagine 45 minutes of some strange drunken girl screaming. Now imagine a funky beat. Fun times for all…

11) Speaking of pedals, do you have any strange and off beat stomp boxes you bring to the studio now and then?

I have an old maestro phaser that I got at the Berkeley flea market. Do you know that guy who sells musical stuff out of his van? I think that I traded a beat up banjo for it. I also have n Electro Harmonix Polyphase. I'm big on phasers. I love the Dunlop Rotovibe too. That’s about it.

12) I once recorded a solo for a record sitting on the floor as my son slept on my lap; it was a beautiful and unique experience. Have you got any unusual tales about recording in unorthodox ways?

Which song is that?

To me, music is all about being in the moment. There is nothing contrived or preplanned that will add to the realism of the now. To me, music performance is about letting go and being in the song. I can’t imagine how powerful that must have been to have had your son so actively contributing to the now while you were playing…

I hear about guys who like to get blowjobs while they do takes in the studio. In my experience, guys take too long doing takes. It seems like the girls jaw would get too tired after take 40. You’d have to get a bunch of fluffers to record a whole CD. Now I know why recording is so expensive…

My primary inspiration these days is my songwriting partner, Susan Hyatt. She is a beautiful, intelligent, driven and almost insanely focused person. Her intention puts my own comfort level in perspective. She is always pushing harder and better and reaching for that intangible goal. She is my muse. Without her, I would be another weird, musical nerd with more talent than sense. No, wait. I'm still that…