Walter Becker Guitar Playing That Roger Has Made,” of Famous Guitarists Who Have Fea- Back to Bass-Ics Becker Said
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WITH ZAC CHILDS In the ’08 VG Price Guide listing for the ’65 Firebird III, I notice a $3,000 price difference between the reverse models compared to the non- reverse models. Why? – Al Ziegler It’s an issue of one model being more appealing to players/collectors due to aesthetics, rarity, and due to more popular guitarists using the reverse model. Gibson changed the shape after receiving a letter from Fender concerning infringement upon their offset-waist design. Gibson changed both the appearance of the instrument and the fundamental way it was constructed. Gone was the novel neck-through-body design, replaced by a simpler set-neck method, the banjo-style tuners giving way to standard six-in-line/upward-facing which provides assistance to musi- machine heads. The Firebird was thus cians in need. stripped of many of its unique features. “I wanted to do something to The greater value of the reverse is acknowledge the contribution to my also greatly influenced by the number Walter Becker guitar playing that Roger has made,” of famous guitarists who have fea- Back to Bass-ics Becker said. “We talked about it and tured the guitar in their performances came up with the idea.” through the years. Eric Clapton, Brian His amp collection includes several Jones, Johnny Winter, and Allen Col- LTHOUGH HE PLAYEd time of Katy Lied, he had added Mesas, including a Maverick and a lins have all used reverse Firebirds in bass sparingly on the last guitar to the music, playing brilliant Lone Star Special. He has also used their illustrious careers. One of the couple Steely dan records, solos on cuts like “Black Friday” and several Top Hat amps and points to very few champions of the non-re- Walter Becker hits the “Bad Sneakers.” His guitar playing, different Bogners as being “a staple of verse Firebird is Gatemouth Brown. Afour-string head-on on his second he says, always comes down to the my road setup for a long time.” solo record Circus Money. blues, and while he has added things, With both Becker and donald Why is it that some Fender “I do it when I can,” he said. “On blues are still the basis. That back- Fagen doing solo work, how do they Telecasters play so effortlessly, this particular record, I wanted to ground comes from being an avid decide what songs go where? “When while others are a real chore to because if you’re trying to influence reader of Downbeat magazine when we work on a Steely dan album, pretty play, even when they share the the shape of the rhythmic content of he was a kid. “Overachieving little much any idea I have, I throw into the same frets, string gauge, amount of the tunes, that’s sort of the best place jazz nerd that I was, I’d read about pot. And donald does the same, as far relief, action, etc? – Ed Gonzalez to do it from, for me anyway. blues and stuff from Pete Welding’s as I know. We just go from there.” With One factor that can have quite an “I knew in the end it was going to column. So I started listening to the band touring frequently, how do effect on Tele string tension is the be me or Larry Klein (co-producer, that stuff and realized it was pretty they choose which songs to do from height of the saddles. As one raises songwriter, and bassist), and in the good.” It also helped that the late their extensive catalog? “We tend to the saddles, not only is the action end, Larry weaseled out of it.” Randy California of Spirit fame do those that seem most consistent raised, but greater string tension is Becker’s first record since 1994’s11 became a neighbor of his. “When with the configuration of the band we created. As greater tension is pro- Tracks of Whack is a bit of a departure I met him, I had just gotten my have. Those are the later tunes. The duced, it becomes harder to bend for those accustomed to dense chord first electric guitar and I couldn’t folky-rock type things are simpler, and strings. In the case of a guitar with changes and sophisticated harmonies. figure out what the hell to do with sometimes we rearrange them. But as a separate bridge and tailpiece, like “I’d been listening to a lot of Jamaican the thing, you know? I learned how a rule they don’t lend themselves to a Les Paul, the stop tailpiece can be music and wanted to do something to play the blues from Randy and the four-horn section.” raised or lowered, which will raise with that.” records, but Randy was the first guy As for the future, Becker says he or lower the string tension without He eventually wrote the groove- I was ever in the room with that I would consider production work. He changing string height. Unfortunately, oriented tunes with Klein, many of could watch play the licks.” has produced numerous times before, on the Tele, they go hand in hand. which contain nods to his recent Becker was a Strat player until including records for Michael Franks There is a degree to which you are listening habits while focusing on the early ’90s, and points out he was and Rickie Lee Jones. “I’d also like to at the mercy of your guitar, and how the groove. photographed during his Steely dan write songs for people. In a way, for me low you can get away with setting “Larry has a unique set of talents days with what he calls “guitars of anyway, the writing part of the process the height of your saddles. One op- which are different from mine, and opportunity,” including a Fender is the most fun.” How about a solo tion might be a top-loader bridge. he added quite a bit to the writing and duo-Sonic, an Epiphone archtop, Walter Becker tour? “Yeah, I would producing. It’s also more fun to have and another old Epiphone that made do it. I have no plans at this point, Zac Childs is a professional guitar tech someone to goof around with when the cover of Katy Lied. Now, he uses but then I’m not a big planner.” Going based in Nashville. If you have a question you’re doing it!” a signature guitar he designed with hand-in-hand with that remark is his about guitars, anything from nuts and bolts Becker was Steely dan’s original Roger Sadowsky. Proceeds from its take on any new Steely dan material. to historical or celebrity-related inquiries, bassist, playing the instrument on sales are being donated by Becker and “Hard to tell. Usually we’re the last to drop a line to him at [email protected]. many of its early records. By the Sadowsky to The Jazz Foundation, know.” – John Heidt Photo: Danny Clinch. 20 VINTAGE GUITAR NOVEMBER 2008 VintageGuitar.com.