A Conversation with Glenn Tilbrook (continued)

PM: Most people, and even many of your fans, don't realize like I do now what a great, great guitar player you are. I know, because I saw. Let's cover what your axes du jour are, and any accoutrements. Both of the guitars you used are Taylors, right? [a six string and a twelve string]

GT: Yes, I've had them both for around ten years now.

PM: Yeah, mine is old. I think the old ones are a lot better.

GT: Oh, yeah. [laughs]

PM: I mean, that's when they were still using Brazilian rosewood and really taking their time.

GT: Yeah.

PM: But I thought that your twelve-string must play awfully well, because you were doing really, really difficult stuff on it, both right hand and left hand, and so that's probably got a great action, doesn't it?

GT: It has a lovely action. I mean, honestly, the twelve-string is a better guitar than the six.

PM: Really?

GT: Technically, it is. And I'm used to it.

PM: You know, it's so rare to see someone get on stage and play pop music solo.

GT: Yeah.

PM: Because it's damn hard to do. And to sound pop, it generally requires more, or requires one person working very hard.

GT: Yes. Well, it worked out quite luckily for me, then. It doesn't feel hard to me.

PM: I didn't see any [effects] boxes whatsoever. I didn't even see a tuner on stage.

GT: No, no.

PM: Even for a twelve-string.

GT: No. I don't like to use those. I mean, I use them if I'm in a studio or something, but I prefer to use my ears otherwise.

PM: And no kind of reverbs, tremolos, no boxes at all?

GT: No. I've been very tempted to go down that route. And I think what would happen with me is, if I ever do that, I'll get a bunch of samplers, of both vocally and the guitar, and work with those. I did have a sampler with my guitar for a while, one of those foot control ones from somewhere in Texas. I can't remember what it's called. And I had it with me for about three months. Then I just thought, well, actually, I don't really need that. I like the discipline of it being very simple.

PM: Right.

GT: And I have a feeling that if I do get one box, I'll get twelve. [laughs]

PM: Yeah, one gets you a dozen. I know that's true. continue

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