His Guitars
"My favourite instruments are a walnut guitar with seven strings, composed of six strings on which is added a seventh one, a bass E string, in order to play the bass lines, because as I former bass player this is essential to me. And I also like my 'little' guitar, tuned in C, a very inspiring open tuning which allows me to play Malgasy music.
These instruments have been built two luthiers called A. and D. Hamel. I met them in Montreal for I used to go there very often. One day, I found a Semi-acoustic guitar. They make improved travel guitar or Silent guitar, a little bit like the gibsons. They are adapted to my way of playing. Thanks to these guitars I was able to get back the sound of Malagasy instruments like for example a short lute.
And I play another guitar called 'bigbee', which I made myself, tuned with one half in C, and another half in G and which sounds nicely with my open tuning.
I also use the footoy which is a kind of drums played with the feet. I invented it in order to get a good stability.
When I came back to Paris, I called on my friend Christophe, a guitarsit, and I turned them into Electric acoustic guitar because at first they already had a nice sound. These instruments really shows my soul.
But I have had common guitars like Stratocasters or Gibsons."³
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Famous quotes containing the word guitars:
“Even now she does the snake-hips with a hiss,
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—For the State of Kansas, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)