That Pedal Show - Steven Wilson's Live Rig 2016. On Stage In Bristol, UK

In this episode, Daniel and Mick join progressive rock titan, Steven Wilson, on stage to check out his live rig.
This was filmed during the 2016 Hand. Cannot. Erase. Tour, with Steven kindly taking some time before the show to talk and play us through his pedalboard and rig.
Steven is a master of tone shaping and sculpting to add colour, texture and dynamics to his ambitious approach to composition and performance. We'd urge you to check out his solo records, particularly Grace For Drowning (2011), The Raven That Refused To Sing and Drive Home (2013), Hand. Cannot. Erase (2015) and also his latest 4 1/2 (2016).
And please please please go and see Steven and the band live - it's a sonic and sensory experience that you'll never forget.
Please also check out stevenwilsonhq....
Steven's main electric guitar is a PRS Singlecut Trem (Goldie).
His main amp is a Bad Cat Lynx 50 and 4x12 cabinet.
On this version of Steven's pedalboard, you will find…
Dunlop CGB95 Cry Baby Wah
Boss FV-500H Volume pedal
Dinosaural Opticompressor
Analogman Prince Of Tone
J Rockett 10 Ton Hammer
Moog MF Trem
Diamond Vibrato
Electro-Harmonix Micro POG
Option 5 Destination Rotation Single
Strymon TimeLine
Strymon BigSky
TC Electronic PolyTune
Source Audio Toolblox Programmable EQ
TC Electronic Ditto
Controlling all pedals and amp switching is TheGigRig G2
For more on TheGigRig G2, go here: • TheGigRig G2 with 2.0 ...
For more on Steven Wilson, go here: Please also check out stevenwilsonhq....
Want to buy a T-shirt? Please visit www.thatpedalsh...
Please visit our preferred retailers!
UK & Europe: Andertons Music bit.ly/2cRvIvt
Australia: Pedal Empire bit.ly/2mWmJQf
USA: That Pedal Shop www.thatpedals...

[@nicolasbascunan4013]

12:47 Steven destroying 97% of youtube guitar players

[@88omair]

SW is an extremely underrated and fantastic guitarist. A lot of character and diversity in his playing

[@rafsbio]

"What we have here is quite simple, really" [camera hovers over gigantic pedalboard]

[@ThatPedalShow]

I guess it's simple in comparison to previous rigs. But the operation and set up really is very simple

[@rafsbio]

+That Pedal Show I actually agree it's simple. And a great example of using a few pedals in creative ways. Steven Wilson is a true talent. I just thought there's some unintended comedy in that particular moment!

[@countstoneula]

It's definitely "simple" compared to what's available to him in the studio. And he does an astounding amount of sounds with it.

[@disillusioned165]

And his voice sounds pretty Nigel Tufnelish while he says it which makes it even better.

[@richardaaron4454]

He's right though about needing your own sound, I mean even in the extreme metal scene back in the day you knew one band from the other easily just from the guitar sound and now it all sounds the same to me.

[@salsabilahmedshrestho960]

3:24 : the lonely swede - vibrato + delay 4:13: Tremolo Clean - Moog MF Trem 5:03: Leslie clean - Option 5 7:39: Amp distortion - Bad Cat only 8:55: Distortion + low octave - POG 10:14: Swell - Timeline> Bigsky > Badcat 13:19: Shoegaze Distortion - delay>amp

[@DomSchu]

Awesome video, thanks for sharing. And I completely agree with his advice about focusing more on the sound than the technical abilities of playing.

[@ThatPedalShow]

It's great advice from a true artist :)

[@LEONARDPAUL]

+DomSchu But he's a good guitar player !

[@guilhermegarcia7490]

+That Pedal Show I almost cried because...... is STEVEN WILSON!!! Routine is amazing! I loved the interview. Tnx a lot. Congrats from Brazil!

[@Vukf1]

Interviewer seems such a nice guy...

[@stephenowen3383]

And this was the video that got me hooked on Steven.

[@Stratomacaster]

It's great to see artists you look up to using a handful of pedals you already own and had no idea they were using. It's almost like a sign .. "you're on the right path... keep tweaking and find you're own 'cool noise'!"

[@threemilesmile6011]

I love when that happens.

[@jaydenwiggins]

Awesome! Can't wait to see what else That Pedal Show has in store this year! Thanks a lot Dan and Mick.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks Jay :)

[@waveoflight]

Steve Hackett took sound making to an extreme. Love all the sounds he made.

[@Bhatakti_Hawas]

Sonic aspect is more important than technical aspect...Well said 👍👍👍

[@RetroGeet]

5:21 Good old "Lifeson Chord", always sounds lovely :)

[@sakules]

Definitely my favorite

[@kierenmoore3236]

An F# Major, is it?!

[@seantaylor532]

Steven with the cheeky Alex Lifeson F# chord.

[@coldlife1926]

I 'm not interested in being a guitar player.I 'm interested in the way the guitar can become part a fabric of the music... My God In Human Form...! S.W ladies and gentlemen...!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Yep, his success is no accident. A true musical genius

[@downtownbillyandthenewjivefive]

@@ThatPedalShow Hmm...perhaps. I've been called that, as well kzbin.info/www/bejne/fmnWYZZrgdmlipY

[@adam872]

Great video. Every time I hear Steven Wilson speak about his approach to music and production I come away a little smarter. He's a really sharp guy who makes some great music (H.C.E was the album of 2015 for me). Thanks a bunch for doing it.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Our pleasure. We're big SW fans :)

[@Gravy_Master]

Man that is some delicious clean tone right there.

[@rockpebble100]

That Pedal Show is back! Fridays have become better again. Plus its only Steve frickin Wilson. Awesome, thank you Daniel and Mick!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Entirely our pleasure :)

[@pepebvelez]

I love that vibrato I need one know dang....

[@jakecal6802]

I love how the presenter is a big fan. You can tell he is and it makes it way more cool to watch cause he’s asking questions I imagine we would ask if we were there. Awesome video, guys. 💙💜

[@Cosmo_D]

I've always followed his way of using an instrument for sound design rather than "playing an instrument." I never knew about the gain staging in the GigRig, that is an awesome idea and super useful. Makes me want one even more.

[@ThatPedalShow]

+DonaldDemon cheers DD ;)

[@fredojams7537]

Love the sound of delay/reverb in front of a dirty amp as well. Only touch goes really far and creates such a unique wash, great seeing Steven's set up !

[@ThatPedalShow]

Me too :)

[@matthewhonnor]

It's always great when these videos are not only interesting but give you ideas for your own rig. I'm off to twiddle with my G2!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Twiddle away Matt :)

[@museandmuse]

so happy you got to interview SW. hands down one of thee most underrated musician around. intelligent, crafty, passionate and honest. good stuff man!

[@ThatPedalShow]

He's the best, been a fan for 10 years :)

[@williamrustrum]

Indeed indeed. Steven is absolutely right about guitar players not doing more sound design. In fact, I've been having a blast tweeking my Lexicon PCM 81 getting all sorts of crazy sounds. Not just pedals, but some of those rack units create insane sounds. Get your hands dirty people.

[@ThatPedalShow]

100%

[@Fab_D_Vamp_oficial]

he´s a genius setting tones its all i have to say, simply impresive!

[@huffpappy]

Now the bare feet make total sense. Love your music, Steven. You are a master!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Ha! Yep, he's truly amazing

[@ngawangsonam6850]

I never get enough of this video thank you tgat pedal show

[@stephanweidt-guitar]

Love this video! It contains so much of the philosophy of Steven Wilson's music and the approach of Progressive Rock as he understands it!

[@luckylicks3497]

11:27 Explore the possibilities of sound design. Whole interview in a nutshell.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Such great advice

[@phatman1478]

A true definition of an Artist! Great interview Dan and Mick!!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cheers Joe :)

[@Bryan8329]

1:30 "Shoe Gazer" for the man who wears no shoes.

[@chetanashish]

Bryan8329 iirc that refers to a certain sound he uses in a lot of his songs, for example the last part of Pariah, Abandoner etc

[@stevehammond9885]

Thanks for this, Daniel. I'm not a musician but am a big fan of Steven's music and found it fascinating. It was good to have a brief chat with you on Tuesday evening...what a great concert!

[@Elliebellebama]

Oh My God, I love him more each day, I can't be the only one?!!!

[@Defector09]

Thank you so much for doing this - great interview. I was lucky enough to be sat 12 inches in front of Steve's pedal board at this gig - he really is outstanding.

[@ThatPedalShow]

He's a truly gifted artist, been a fan for 10 years, love what he does :)

[@jorgetenamusic]

Such a talented musician. I had the pleasure of attending his concerts in Mexico City... Amazing!! And the gigrig rocks Dan!!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cheers mate :)

[@michael_caz_nyc]

Love that Steven Wilson Song: Permanating off the Album, To The Bone. Really Great Track.

[@BoyAditya]

love the opening logo!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cheers Rangga :)

[@jackalfox332]

I love watching and listening to Steven Wilson's way of creating music. I find myself constantly going back to these kind of videos he's featured in. Definitely one of the most influential artists of not just of our time, but of all time. If you can, catch up with a band called Cult of Luna. They're touring in the UK in April and I'm sure you'll love their sound and way of creating music. There's three guitarists and bassist in the band so there's a lot of pedals and a lot of vintage Sunn Model Ts and Orange amps on stage, I'm sure they could do with a few of your GigRig boards. :)

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cheers Jackal, I'll check them out :)

[@jackalfox332]

That Pedal Show Awesome. Their style of music, Post-Metal/Harsh Vocals etc., aren't to everyone's taste but they're really nice guys and they love their gear. :)

[@samatkinsphotography]

This is fantastic - thoroughly enjoy watching and listening to musicians talk about their 'sound' and you guys clearly get the best out of getting that information!

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks Sam, to be fair, there are few people who know as much about sound as a vehicle for artistic expression as Steven Wilson. So honoured to have done his rig

[@patrickfitzgerald2861]

Really well done Daniel. So many helpful "sonic" insights from Steven.

[@taylorelliotj]

Incredible video, thank you for doing this!

[@ianmaney2270]

@10:15 I have always loved that sound from a guitar, but never knew how to achieve it. Thanks for the explanation!! You guys rock.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cheers Ian :)

[@mk1st]

I've seen him interviewed a couple of times and been very awkward/shy when asked some dopey questions by the interviewers but in this vid you can tell he's totally into it and really lights up talking about this stuff.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Yeah, the guy is a genius, and if you ask a genius dopey questions you're not going to get the best out of said genius. Steven is a sonic master, and very happy to share his knowledge, which I for one am so grateful :)

[@ihazthots]

Don't believe him. Wilson is a good guitar player.

[@acledfloyd]

I love That Pedal Show. Keep it up guys. More of everything.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks Erik

[@highartalert6927]

Awesome video and such down to earth musician as well as the interviewer.

[@adrianstimpson-oldaccount6667]

I love the clean sound, you know, with some EQ, leslie, compression, high end boost, vibrato... you know, clean sound ;) Seriously though, love love love Steven's sound.

[@rlevanony1]

One of the best clean sounds IMO.

[@Medddler]

11:12, Pure gold! Thanks for this.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Our pleasure :)

[@_jonnyp]

Great video, I love these! Sound advice at the end, it's funny how Dan mentioned NAMM and being surrounded by "that" sound. Every time I watched a video from NAMM all you could hear in the background were the same licks played with the same tone.. Made me really think about what, and how, I'm playing!

[@ThatPedalShow]

It's an important point. I believe that our tone often leads us to the way we play. It's certainly true for me, so experimenting sonically doesn't just change the way you sound but it can actually draw different things out of you

[@hihopeseveryday]

Nice gear, love the Bad Cat awesome response. Steves work almost reminds me of early days of Kansas, particularly Leftoverture just a similarity in composition and those guys didn't have the gear we have today to play with! The previous pedal setup was ideal to as I have now a TC system to add to the ever growing signal chain and it can do an incredible amount. Enjoyed the video many thanks!

[@joeshmoe018]

Fantastic interview! Steven Wilson is astonishing. Goog Job Dan.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cheers Joe :)

[@NoyzyBoyZ3]

Thanks a lot Daniel,this was a great video man! I once owned a BadCat Lynx 50 and it had to be one of the best sounding amps that I ever owned! I so wish I still had it,but that's another story in itself.Beautiful pedalboard too! Don.

[@fiveeyes2802]

This was fantastic!

[@DrDavis77]

Ohhhhhhhhh yeeeeeeeaaaaaaaahhhhh! I've been waiting for this since the albert hall gig! Thanks fellas

[@ThatPedalShow]

Our pleasure Matt :)

[@Millennial_Mike]

Steven Wilson is a tone genius

[@AYURBHATTA]

The Maestro!

[@felisalina]

Amazing Steven :')

[@guilhermegarcia7490]

SW, YOU'RE A GENIUS!!!

[@CarstenGoeke]

Incredible!

[@manuelguerrero5905]

Adorable video!

[@brianpatrick6102]

What a contrast between Stephen and Daves amps. Both sound incredible in their own right. The Badcat seems very focused, as the Brunetti has that wonderful mix of vintage and somewhat modern flavor, very fat and squishy and ballsy. Again, I can only imagine what it sounds like in person, and moreover how incredible these rigs must sound while played together. Tonal bliss. And, I can fully appreciate Stephens dedication to personal sound design. I have four very large notebooks filled with tones Ive created over the years, and just started a fifth. My girlfriend thinks I am insane, and she is right, I am a complete tonal nutcase. :) Thanks for posting these. Sidebar: I kinda panicked a bit last Friday when there was no Pedal Show and then I remembered...oooh its NAMM... oh ok, Ill let them slide.. this time. ;)

[@ThatPedalShow]

Thanks Brian. To hear these guys play something in unison is truly remarkable. Sounds absolutely massive!!!!!!

[@guitar91esp]

respect! what an amazing guy

[@ThatPedalShow]

Yep, the guy is a genius :)

[@jeremiahmountain2460]

Such a great video! I totally agree with Steven about delay n reverb in front getting a little dirty, sounds great

[@ThatPedalShow]

+Jeremiah Mountain really does

[@Steveisnothereanymore]

great interview, very interestig questions!

[@ThatPedalShow]

+Ste Ro cheers Ste :)

[@Jazzcrime1]

great! thx you for the interview

[@ThatPedalShow]

+Ar (Jazzcrime123) you're very welcome :)

[@madmadmads3103]

I always see that red china bowl filled with Steven's plectrum on stage, is there a personal ritual or what?

[@breakdown2218]

Holy shit he's not even really playing anything but those chords just light up my soul.

[@martynkentfrancis]

thank you so much for introducing me to this wondrous wizard! Now to the back catalog, to delve its secrets!!! :-D

[@ThatPedalShow]

Our pleasure :)

[@subhankardas7688]

I really want to see a rundown of his keyboard setup as well.

[@pcs56]

Genius.

[@fuzzylogiceire]

I'd rather listen to Steven than a lot of other "technically" better guitarists. His gift for composing translates to his guitar playing.

[@ThatPedalShow]

The guy is a genius

[@Ratadeldesierto666]

I miss the TC G System!!.. Excelent Video. Thanks

[@emanuelvalente137]

He is the Porcupine tree singer??

[@ThatPedalShow]

+Emanuel Valente yep ;)

[@jkmcf]

He is Porcupine Tree :)

[@peaelare]

+Kevin McFadden Gavin Harrison might have some input on that thought. Lol.

[@salsabilahmedshrestho960]

@@jkmcf yeah??? No. Gavin has a huge part in PT sound. Then there is richard barbieri. he makes soundscapes like no other person I've heard. The colin guy has groove. And last but not least Wesley, what a backing vocal and guitarist. They all had a part in there. Even if you negate colin, richard and wesley. Gavin's uniqueness and contributions are unavoidable.

[@wheresallthezombies]

i hope steven never gets rid of that gold top prs

[@danjack-son4871]

a great one... thanks.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Our pleasure ;)

[@jorgegomez1116]

Awesome, love the show guys, great work. I was in that concert last Tuesday and it was mind blowing! I would love to know SW's approach to composing. He must sure know tons about music theory and better yet, he knows how to apply it.

[@ThatPedalShow]

He just loves music, he's open to everything. One of the most important progressive artists working today, and ABBA is one of his favourite bands. Just love his work :)

[@jorgegomez1116]

Would be awesome to be inside the mans' head when he composes and see all the sparkles... literally ;)

[@Megamando93]

Delay into the preamp is amazing, look up Nothing As It Seems by Pearl Jam live. sounds huge.

[@simonl1785]

The man is a genius

[@Ligtez]

Thank you so much for this vídeo!! :-)

[@ThatPedalShow]

Absolutely our pleasure :)

[@brettlac]

Anyone else think of Nigel Tufnel from Spinal Tap when Steven talks?

[@disillusioned165]

Same here, especially when he said it was "quite simple"

[@davyolist2803]

Hi Mick and Dan, so much enjoy your shows. I have a recent association with Steven Wilson and I am following him. Please can you tell me how to connect two amplifiers via send and returns from the pedals for stereo performance and is there a super direct injection box I can use for the mixer desk? Best, Davy

[@countstoneula]

Love the use of vibrato and/or leslie on his "clean tone". I'm gonna mess around with my Moog MF Chorus and my JHS Unicorn and see if I can get in that diamond vibrato territory. Great interview with a master of sounds and great questions too! Are the pedals in the description in his pedal chain order? What's the midi display box above the pedalboard? Can't wait to see what's next. Did you interview Guthrie?

[@AnchovyRun]

+countstoneula Hey man, I'm really considering the MF Chorus. Can it get Steven's vibrato tone?

[@countstoneula]

+Anchovy Run It can definitely get you in the ballpark. It is a great chorus and vibrato. And also an awesome modulated slap-back delay. If you want to completely nail Steven's vibrato sound probably get the diamond like he is using. But I'm very happy with the MF Chorus even over my old Boss CE-2. The only downside is the mix knob isn't a knob at all, it's a 3 position switch, but that doesn't effect the vibrato, and the switch positions are great preset settings anyways.

[@AnchovyRun]

countstoneula Thanks man! I think i'm going to go for it. I'm a big fan of moog's other mf pedals and the diamond is too big for my board so this seems like the best option for me

[@intrsoul]

Delay into the front of the amp reminds me of East Bay Ray (Dead Kennedys) - great sound.

[@ThatPedalShow]

+intrsoul I love that sound :)

[@intrsoul]

Just when I thought you couldn't get any cooler (Daniel, yes?) I'm hooked on TPS, keep up the great work!

[@brettdiaz]

I like the Option 5 Leslie pedal. You should do a Leslie pedal shootout.

[@ThatPedalShow]

It's on the way Brett :)

[@user-pi2xl4jw3e]

Does Steven make anyone else question their own heterosexuality? No? K, i'll just be on my way then.

[@electronicsandroboticsclub750]

Trust me i question myself too

[@Placebosmed]

+Jerry That is called "sapiosexuality". I like girls (I'm a girl) but Steven.... God! xD

[@sonic7184]

I already know I like men and women. I'm all over Steven still.................... Don't judge :D

[@CornyTelecaster49]

I think he is a very good looking guy, but not in a gay way, more like the "i would like to look like that" way. Same goes for John Frusciante, Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison

[@MusicGunn]

For myself I can't say that, but I can understand it for others. I would say I have a man-crush, but not in a sexual way. I would just love to be his buddy.

[@BoyAditya]

i never seeing youtube video that demo/review badcat product .. hope Mick willing to demo it either in this channel or somewhere else :-D

[@Comassim1]

i like that interviewer. unlike others, he's trying to think WITH the artist he's interviewing...

[@xamillustration]

That's what I'm been trying to do... I've started a band and hunting effect pedals that would f**** up the sound I would try to achieve. But add colour to the sound-scape, and add some happy accidents along the way. I have found the certain dark but at the breaking point sound, I, by accident, made from a small amp. It was an happy accident that I realised I used a Valve Charger (Rocktron) and Super-Overdrive(Boss) pedals with my guitar's tone knob turned down. From there I can work with the effects I am collecting and start writing based on the sound I have... Steven Wilson has made a good point to be creative and tweak/experiment around, even find happy accidents to open up more possibilities.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Great to hear you're experimenting. That's how the magic happens :)

[@jakubkramar3086]

9:00 That Ancastral

[@AnchovyRun]

Hey Dan and Mick, thanks for doing this one; I've been waiting for Steven's rig rundown for a long time! Just wondering if you remember what Steven's picks were like? I'd imagine that he uses thinner ones rather than something like a Jazz 3 but I could be wrong!

[@hankgalt]

These rig rundowns are fantastic, always something to learn. I am, however, soooooo sick of guys saying they only play guitar just well enough to 'serve the song', as if playing it even better would wreck the song. There's a false humility in admitting one isn't the best guitar player, and then saying he only helps 'the fabric' of the song with 'interesting' sounds. Translated: 'I could play better, but I don't because more skilled guitar playing sounds like shit and doesn't help the song'. Spare me. I've seen Steve vai play some of the most complex and difficult stuff to play there is, and there's no way anyone could claim it didn't make the song more beautiful or interesting. (Insert countless other examples to taste here) This guy is a fantastic and successful musician. He and others like him should just enjoy whatever they play and be secure in it without feeling some bizarre need to claim their style 'serves songs' and other guys' do not.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Well I disagree with your translation. Steve is a killer guitar player, but being a killer guitar player is not his main focus. His passion is song writing, sound and production. That's where he puts his energy. He had Guthrie Govan on the last album, Dave Kilminster at the moment. He loves killer guitar playing, check out the solo on 'Drive Home' from Raven, just astonishing. His own preference is to focus on writing amazing music and then getting some of the best musicians out there to perform it.

[@hankgalt]

+That Pedal Show I hear ya. I admittedly am not familiar with his work, so some context was lost in his statement. I suppose I'm just sensitive to the way he went about saying it as 'skilled guitar playing doesn't serve the song' is such a common, and ridiculous, stance among guys in bands that aren't as guitar driven. Keep up the good work, love your shows and the gig rig g2, close to pulling the trigger on one.

[@ThatPedalShow]

Cheers mate, seriously, grab a copy of The Raven That Refused To Sing. In my top 10 albums of all time. Astonishing :)

[@TheStavrin]

+hankgalt Well , i would assume that Steven thought more specifically about guys who make complex stuff just for the sake of it ( or showing off ) and not for the sake of creating great music.

[@manco828]

+hankgalt Wilson seriously underrates his own abilities on guitar. It's just that he's a bandleader so he can't focus as much on that as he used to in Porcupine Tree.

[@bzx8244]

I used to cop shit off people all the time for running my delay and reverb straight into the amp years ago but their attitude changed really quickly when they heard it in the context of the music I was playing. Just because it's not the ideal way to use something doesn't mean it won't sound good.

[@WormSermonizer]

Wilson looks like a guy in his late 20

[@ThatPedalShow]

I know, convinced he's a vampire :)

[@MrApprobatur]

Great vid! Notice how everyone seems to switch over to the G2? Really cool with the post- and pre-gain on the same channel :) I wonder though; Dan, could you tell me what the Dittolooper was used for?

[@ThatPedalShow]

Steven has the ditto set up on the clean channel of the amp so that he can set up a loop if the mood strikes

[@MrApprobatur]

+That Pedal Show Allright, thanks! :)

[@danpeabody5687]

Dan I have a question. This is the order I am thinking of running my pedals. (gig rig is on my list just not in the budget yet) from guitar to amp. vox king wah, boss tu-2 , pigtronix rototron, big muff, TX electronic alter ego, solid gold electroman, malekho trem, hardwire supernatural reverb? amp what do you think of the flow?

[@ddrmkm]

Does anyone knows which keyboard uses Steven?

[@abdnafees]

@0:30 Which song is this? I can't seem to remember the name... Please help me out here.

[@Ullish1989]

I'd love to know where he's using the EQ and Comps in his signal chain, I'm assuming if he's running the reverb etc into the front of the amp he's not using them in a loop but I'd love to know if it's before or after the drive pedals

[@ThatPedalShow]

+Ullish1989 reverb is after the drive pedals, tight at the end. Comps first, drives, then eq

[@Ullish1989]

thanks heaps!

[@LandonBalk]

Of course he's an accomplished musician or he wouldn't have the type of musicians around him that he does. He's just saying his strength and focus lies in sculpting sounds. He approaches the guitar as a tool as apposed to treating it as the main attraction like many "guitarists" have the tendency to do.