THE BRAG magazine (June, 2007)

MIXDOWN magazine (July 2007)

Unedited interview:

* Have you been to Australia before? And if not, what are you expecting? Y'know, we have the most poisonous creatures in the world here. So, y'know, come armed.

This is my first time in Australia, and I'm expecting all good things, despite being in the vicinity of the world's most poisonous creatures. Call me an optimist. Seriously, everyone I know who's come to Australia says it was the best - beautiful scenery, great people. I won't be disappointed.

* How did you discover fretless guitar? And did it change the way you approach regular guitar as well?

Vigier ( www.vigierguitars.com) has been making a fretless for 25 years, but none of their artists really jumped on it. I figured I'd give it a shot, and see what comes of it. Definitely a different approach - no bending strings, vibrato more like a cello - takes a minute to adjust, but after that it feels natural.

* How is the search for a new Bumblefoot guitar design going? Any good contenders yet?

Still collecting submissions. A few good ones, but nothing that made me and Vigier say "This is the *one*..." We'll see...

* How did you formulate your approach to two-handed tapping?

I don't think I'm doing anything physically different from other players, maybe just the choice of notes and phrasing. Maybe the only difference is the metal cap (thimble) on one of the fingertips so I can tap above the fretboard and still get sustained notes off the string. You can hear that in the song "Guitars SUCK", the real high notes, that's all tapping with the thimble.

* Do you have a new album in the works?

There are a few ideas brewing in the back of my head, but nothing laid down yet. Always intend to write while touring, but it never happens. It'll happen when it's meant to...

* Do you have any advice for other guitarists who wish to inject more personality and uniqueness into their playing?

Just be yourself, don't be concerned with popularity or trends or what other people think. Express yourself the way that feels right to you. Live life to the fullest so you have a lot of experiences to draw from, when you play. Enjoy yourself.

And here are a few G'n'R questions:

* How did you come to join Guns N' Roses?

It was through a recommendation - we started chatting in 2004, and it all came together by 2006. It's been a good year...

* What gear are you using with Guns N' Roses?

I keep it as simple as I can - Gibson Flying V for most of the show, a Parkwood acoustic ( www.parkwoodguitars.com ) and Vigier fretless guitar. Plug into a Line6 Vetta2 head and 4x12 cabs, and that's it. Plug 'n play, real simple.

* How did you feel playing on stage with G n' R for the first time?

A little hungry.

* What are your favourite G n' R songs to play at the moment?

Every fucking one of them. Can never pick a favorite - each song has something about it, a cool riff, melody, groove, the energy and attitude, they all have something special about them, ya know? The new songs get pretty deep, really dig 'em. So yeah, all of them.

Hey man, thanks for gettin' in touch - hope to see ya soon!

BFOOT
08 JUN 2007