"Tips & Tricks for guitarists" - A conversation with Scott Martin (Part 2)

In Part 1 of my conversation with Scott Martin, a guitarist based in Brooklyn (NYC), we talked about the role that guitar has in his life. One of the things I suddenly noticed about him is his strong and very recognizable style on stage, based on dress style, personality and moves, melted with a professional knowledge of the instrument. I also noticed that his Instagram profile is full of little stuff about guitars so, out of curiousity, I asked him if he could share with us tips&tricks for fellow guitarists. It sounds like he has A LOT to say about this topic, so I managed to make a separate blog post! I had a great time reading his answers even tho I can't play guitar, and I'm sure guitarists will find precious little tricks here!! 

Scott, which are 5 "must-to-have" for a guitarist (could be instruments or personal skills)?

"I think that you could stand to have a few things as a solid part of your arsenal of gear, sure. I mean, as a pro, I have A LOT of things that I think I need (but I probably don’t) - but let’s see if I can pare it down to the essentials.

1. You need an AMP. A decent one. You don’t need one of these hundred watt, full stack behemoths that we used to lug around from town to town, stage to stage in a trailer - no, those days are kind of over due to the advent of really good PA systems. You just don’t need that much sound, or to move that much air anymore. Do I miss my Mesas and Marshalls? Sure, a little - but I could do most gigs with a Fender Princeton, probably. You mic that guy up and you’re good. But honestly, this is not about size. It’s about tone and feel. Get an amp that works for you and your perception of what guitar should sound like. Know what that is. If you play metal, do not go out and buy a Roland JC120, for example. If you play Jazz, don’t look at a 5150. If you sound good, you’ll play better. Your ear has a funny way of hearing sounds that aren’t what you want and then sort of cringing at it, which will affect your hands and your choices. If I have a tone that isn’t working for me, then it’s difficult to be inspired to play at all - and during a live performance, for example, this can be the difference between a great show and a merely “OK” one. Play with gear you like. Your hands will thank you and you’ll feel amazing up there.
2. PEDALS. We love pedals. Overdrive pedals, delay pedals, reverb pedals, modulation pedals. SO MANY SOUNDS. So many variants of sounds. Find the sounds you need, and that you like, and then do your research and pick up a few pedals that will allow you to create it. Generally speaking, you get what you pay for, but like all things there is a point of diminishing returns, and it’ll be up to you to know the point where that kicks in for yourself. For example, do I like the Klon? Yes, of course - it’s the best overdrive pedal ever made. Will I pay $2k for one? Absolutely not. I can find a damn fine klone for $200 or less, and that’s good enough for me for most days. Now, if I miraculously sell a million records sometime soon, that’s not to say I wouldn’t splurge (I love gear) - but the point is, try to know when to apply the law of diminishing returns - especially if you are a working guitarist. Now, you could also go with a Kemper or Line 6 Helix and make all of the above moot - those things have everything but the kitchen sink and sound damn good, too. It depends on your own personal vibe. I tend to use pedals, but absolutely love Helix and Kemper. Bottom line - whatever gets you the sound you want. Once again, you WILL play better when you sound like, well, YOU.
3. Correct STRING GAUGE. Know what size string you like. Do you play better on 10s? 9s, maybe? For me, I know I play best on 10s, tuned a half step down. The size of the string feels right, the tension feels right. 9s feel a bit too small under my fingers, which is a bummer because I like their slinkyness. But I sort of feel like I just can’t “find” the string a lot. Also, the tension is a bit too low for my liking and makes hybrid picking with my right hand feel a bit funny. Now, unfortunately, I have to play in standard tuning a lot, which means my 10s are a bit tighter, but there are little tricks and things you can do to change that up a little...but I’m really getting into some unnecessary minutiae here. If you are down tuning, to say, D standard or C standard, you might want to go up some gauges from where you normally play. I tend to use 11s and 12s for those. But like I said, in general, 10s for me. Nothing crazy either, no cryo-treated strings or alloys. D’Addario Nickel wrapped steel XLs, or DRs. Plain old strings that I can pretty much find anywhere on earth if I need them. Keeps things easy.
4. A TELECASTER. Ok, I’m biased - I LOVE teles. They are undoubtedly, in my opinion, the coolest, most rock n roll, badass instrument ever created. It’s basically a cutting board with a neck, some strings, and some guts. They’re simple, utilitarian, and they can DO ANYTHING. I think the shape balances perfectly and looks great. That bridge pickup position and angle is superb (and so is the way it interacts with the bridge plate magnetically - it totally affects tone, you can definitely hear it with vs. without one). But OK. Teles. Two controls, two pickups, and a three way switch. If it’s done right it can sound like a Les Paul. It can get just as funky as a strat, without sounding as tiny and impotent as a stratocaster does, in my opinion (A strat has a huge chunk carved out the back and the strings go through a tremolo mechanism that changes a lot in the way of sound) They’re a great modding platform - so you can add whatever you might need, heck, like a middle strat pickup and a five-way switch so you can get that “quack” if you really want it (I’ve done it to a few). They fight back, they’re a challenge to play, and they make you play differently. Think of a car. A Toyota, a Ford, and a BMW will all drive and feel differently. Guitars are like this, too. The OTHER, very important thing for me - a tele has no moving parts. I’m on stage sometimes for six hours - any moving parts, like a trem system, are a liability. With a telecaster, if I break a string, it doesn’t send the tuning of the entire guitar out of whack. I can finish the song (or set) with five strings and sort it out VERY quickly the moment I get a chance. I could go on about them forever, but I digress. I have way too many guitars, love them all, love my Gibsons, Gretsches, and strats, even - but have about ten telecasters. That pretty much says it all.
5. PERSONALITY. I think this is actually really the most important. Music is a social thing, I mean - humans have been making music together since the dawn of tribal societies, many, many ages ago. Which means you are going to, at some point, be playing/working with other people. TOGETHER. The most important rule we always go by when choosing band members, folks to play with, whatever (ESPECIALLY if it’s a tour or long-lasting gig) is “Are they a good hang?” No one wants to hang with an egomaniac or a diva. We don’t care how good you are, we can (and will) find someone who’s actually cool to chill with and not deal with the BS of someone of that persuasion. So just be cool, guys. It opens so many more doors than being a virtuoso. Trust me, I know - I’m not terribly good in comparison to the majority of guitarists of the world, not by a long shot. I think I probably get by on personality more than by talent. I can play a lot of stuff, I can sing, and I can write - but there are probably a few thousand other players just in NYC alone who are miles better than I am. But I show up, I play the music, and I try and make it a good time for everyone - because, honestly, if we’re not having fun doing this, why are we even doing it? And when doubt or hating the gig creeps into your mind (it happens to us all), just take a quick detour and go back to your bedroom when you were young and struggling to bang out an “E” chord. It changes your perspective really fast. But yeah, music is social, one hundred percent. It’s about people and bringing people together. So just be chill, be cool with the folks you work and play with, and enjoy the heck out of the journey"

Which tips & tricks to maintain the guitar in good condition would you give to a fellow guitarist?

"I mean, to keep my guitars in good shape - I do a few simple things with them, and have a few things that I’ll mod in order to make them more playable, sure. First, it’s not really about how they look, for me. If they’re dirty, or the chrome is dulled, or whatever, that’s not much of a concern. I’ll wipe em down from time to time, yeah - but what’s most important is that we maintain playability.
For one, this means changing your strings somewhat often. This will depend on how long you play, how hard you play, and also, the sweat and oil content of your hands (I’ve found that my hands corrode certain brands of strings faster than others, for example). I wipe my strings down with a cloth napkin (you know, from like a catering hall or whatever) after every show - I don’t want any build up, and I want to get as much sweat, grime and oil off of them as I can, in order to preserve the life of the string. A string is a vibrating thing, and it wants to vibrate freely - so keep them somewhat clean and they will stay fresh a little longer.
I also like to keep my fingerboards pretty clean. I’ll wipe them down with a rag and some lemon oil, a made-for-fretboards cleaning solution, whatever - for me, a build up of grime on the fingerboard will create drag and slow my fingers down, which is less than ideal. This is a matter of taste - Mike Campbell from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers has a ‘51 Broadcaster which he has NEVER cleaned the fretboard on. EVER. And he’s a helluva better player than I am. So, whatever works for you!
I like using locking tuners when I get a chance to change them out. There’s a little post in the tuning key that will clamp the string, and it makes string changes a piece of cake. I do this because when you’re playing live on stage and break a string - you don’t want to spend three minutes changing one out when you can do it in under a minute with these. They’re great.
With acoustics, check the humidity - a dry acoustic can develop cracks in the top (soundboard) if the air is too dry. In winter this is a more prevalent problem, as we start to turn up the heat, which dries out the air in our homes. So, you know, just keep an eye on it and learn how to humidify your acoustics.
From time to time, check your truss rods / neck relief/bow. On an electric, the only thing that really moves for the most part is the neck - because the neck is made of wood and wood reacts to temperature and the elements. So, you may find yourself in a situation where one day your guitar played great, and a week later, the strings are high, or buzzing or whatever it is. Chances are very good that your bridge saddles didn’t move, and neither did the nut. What probably did move? The wood in the neck. If it gets cold/hot, wood being a natural material, will adjust. Which means you hafta look at your neck and adjust that truss rod accordingly (to change the bow of the neck). Most techs will do this for a fee, but you can also learn how it works yourself with a little help from the internet and youtube.
I also will check my electronics from time to time - we sweat when we play, and it has a way of getting into the guts of our guitars...we also throw those switches and spin those knobs pretty intently, and over time, this wear and tear adds up. So, if a pot is scratchy, or a switch gets noisy, I’ll change it out. This requires soldering, which is a little tricky - I burned myself quite a few times before getting it down. But I learned way back when I was broke and on tour in a van that paying a tech sixty bucks to look at my electronics was cost-prohibitive...so I had to learn myself. Bonus - I also was then able to afford to change out pickups at will and whim for different sounds, and not spend crazy money on it.
Just a bunch of little stuff, but hopefully these collective tips will help you guys some!"

 

You play tons of gigs each month and you show a pretty cool "stage presence". Which tips&tricks for live performances can you share with us?

"Ah yes, live performance. My favorite. Like, this is where it all comes out. You get to be an animal. Your own animal. Once that beat drops, it's absolutely primal. There are no rules on stage, you don’t have to be anything other than exactly who you are in that moment, and THAT is magical. Even if you’re doing something choreographed, you do it as YOU and add your personality into it. But very, very importantly with any of this - don’t try too hard. It’ll look forced, unnatural, and you’ll never get to really experience the full moment. But hell yeah, wear that funky outfit, those weird pants and that dope coat. Drop to your knees while you solo. Stand back to back with your singer. Jump off that drum kit (but don’t risk pissing off your drummer, he has sticks). Or stand perfectly still and just feel every single note that comes through you.
However you do it, just make sure that it’s you. And have fun. Because on stage, you are removed, for however long you are up there, from any and every other attachment and worry
that you have in life. Your rent. Your job. Your relationship. Your parking tickets. You are entirely yourself - and if you’re lucky - you get to be that person with some amazing other souls on that stage who are feeling the exact same way. And there you are, hopefully having what is either a blast, a quasi-religious experience, or both or whatever, and at the same time, you’re giving all the folks in the room the gift of music and happiness. Remember this. There’s absolutely nothing better.
First time I sang in public though, I had horrible stage fright. I felt judged, I felt vulnerable, and it was nervewracking - honestly, some gigs are still crazy nervewracking. But that first gig, I was too afraid to even have my eyes open - until someone told me “just look at the back wall of the room, no one can tell”. And sure enough, it worked. I still sweated through my tshirt in a span of just two songs, but I was able to make it through that short set (high school talent show!) with my eyes open.
Later, an older singer shared with me that “people like when you connect with them - so look at them, but it doesn’t need to be long...they’ll connect, react, and it’ll spark something in both of you...and so on and so forth, all night...” I was terrified of this. It felt weird. It felt scary. But then all of a sudden, that whole old thing about this being a social interaction between humans who’ve been doing this for thousands of years hit me - we WANT that connection between performer and audience, and it makes the experience even better. I started being able to interact with the people in the room, by just my eyes and gestures, but also with my voice. And man, it made it all the more enjoyable. We’re all just people. And we all, pretty much, want the same thing out of a rock n roll show. So, hey, you know, it’s scary at first, and then, hell, it’s FUN.
Speaking of which - this all sounds like fun and games, perhaps - but you gotta understand that in order to let go and have the best possible time (and therefore, performance) is to KNOW YOUR MATERIAL. If you’re thinking on stage, you aren’t gonna feel it. And if you can’t feel it, your performance, though it may be technically perfect, will be lackluster. So do your homework. Do not skimp on it. Practice. If you wanna be able to play that lick while moving around, or playing it behind your head, maybe practice it a few times. Know your stuff for the gig, know it cold, then get on the stage, relax, and have a ball!"

Thank you Scott for your very interesting answers to my questions about guitars, and for joining me in this super cool Conversations project!! 

Guys, be sure to check him out because he literally ROCKS.

Instagram: @scottccmartin

Website: scottcharlesmartin.com

Linktree: Scott Martin