Interview with Ian Anderson of IA Guitars (2011)
Hi Ian. This is Baris and welcome to the
Guitarism Section of Sound Magazine, TR. It really is a cliche but i think i
should ask this. Can you please give us a brief information about yourself?
Hi Baris, Thank you! It is a pleasure to do this interview.
I have made some wonderful friends in Turkey and it’s an honor to be presented
to that audience. First and formost, I am a music fan. I grew up in the
'70s and '80s listening to classic rock and roll like Zeppelin, Hendrix, Cream,
AC/DC, and some of the current stuff like Van Halen, Malmsteen, Randy
Rhoads, et al. That led me back to the blues. The catalyst was
when a friend took me to see Stevie Ray Vaughan. Thats would have been in
1984. I wormed my way up to the front row and my life was changed forever.
From there it was, John Mayall and the Bluesbreakers, and Robert Johnson.
Then it expended into alternative, jazz, classic metal, and just about
anything else with good guitar.
Can you tell us the story behind being a
guitar builder?
I have been working on guitars almost as long as I have
been playing them. I was 14 and had saved up some money, and bought
my first guitar. A Kramer inspired by Van Halen. I got it home
and admired it for a few minutes. It looked like a pretty smple
machine, and I though it would be alot easier to build one than to play
one. So I took it apart to see how it worked! When I put it back together
properly I proceded to learn how to play. After a few years of building
parts guitars, modding, and doing repairs for friends, I met Scott Lentz
when looking for someone to paint a guitar body I had built. A lefty
strat made from mahogany with a lacewood top and a Floyd Rose. This was
in the early '90s. He painted that guitar and when I asked him to make a
neck for my next project he told me to make my own! So that was really a
turning point. Over the next 6 or 8 years I built a bunch of strat
and les paul inspired stuff. He was a big help and inspiration. In
those days, he would paint all my stuff. Until one day when he finally
told me to "Paint your own guitars"
Ian himself, in his own workshop
A major turning point came in 1990 when I quit my day job
and enrolled in a trade school to learn machining. I built a
guitar in that class using their CNC software and machinery which won an
award. When I got my cetificates, I got a job working at Taylor
Guitar. Meanwhile, I was working in my shop building guitars, and
with Lentz part time. Around '05 I formally started "IanAnderson Guitars" and introduced my "Standard"
model.
What has Scott Lentz gain to you as a
builder or restorator or luthieria? How deep impact, impression does he has on
you? How kind of person or builder would you be if you havent met him?
Scott has been a huge influence on me as a builder. The most important thing I learned from him is to have
paitence! Also, I have always thought you need to know what a great
guitar is, to make a great guitar. I am blessed to have been around all
the great vintage instruments hat come through the shop for restoration,
refinishing, and repairs. Where else are you going to get to take apart a
'50s Les Paul or thouroughly inspect a black guard tele or '50s strat? Scott has been around the So Cal. guitar building scene for decades and knew
many of the old timers that were at Fender, Rickenbacker in the '50s to
current times. He has shared many wonderful stories, anectdotes, tips and
techniques from the old days. He is also knew John Dopera and
Grover Jackson, so his roots run deep. It is a real privelage to be witness to
that and to carry on the traditions of southern California guitar making.
Two words; “Taylor Guitars” and same
question. What do you say?
Taylor is an amazing place full of incredibly talented
people. It's a state of the art facility that is among
the best in the world. I learned an incredible amount about
guitar building, production, tooling, machinery, fixtures and many of
the periphial aspects of the guitar business. I learned an incredible
amount from many great poeple.
Ian Anderson "Standard" with A'la Turka Finish on
How did you design your standard model form?
Do repair and restoration jobs have role or effect on creation?
“The Standard” was inspired by '50s Les Pauls.
The Design came from working on the old guitars and having the
appreciation for their classic lines. I wanted to take myself out of the
guitar and create somthing that is timeless and classic. I drew from
a deep well to come up with the Standard. I wanted to build the
guitar in the spirit of the originals as closely as
possible.
Your model “Standard” reminds Tele in
appearance but technically it is much more of a Les Paul type guitar with its
wood choice, scale, construction… What are the best aspects, the most significant
advantages of your design?
The idea for the Standard model was to have a Les Paul
inspired guitar with better ergonomics and fret access. I took the proportions
of a tele which moves the waist back and the upper bout out which gives
you more access to the upper frets and sits the guitar on your knee like a
tele. It's incredibly
comfortable to play.
How do you choose woods for certain custom
guitar projects? What specifications do you look for a great guitar? And how is
your drying/seasoning period of your woods?
My woods are sourced from all over the world. Maple
is not maple, and mahogany is not mahogany! Geographical location, along
with the species plays a key role in the woods I use. After that is is
all about color, grain, weight, and the fundamental tone of the
wood. My customers often want a specific look, color or grain
pattern, which I try to provide if I can. I build guitars the way I
know how with tone being the most important factor.
How long does it take to make a typical
“Standard” Ian Anderson guitar? Can you tell us with stages of production?
The typical Standard takes many months to build. Using
hide glue I often have to wait a week or more for it to dry and
acclimate. The nitrocellulose lacquer process takes up to 3 months
depending on the weather. The finish needs to cure for a month before
buffing. I like to let the guitar hag out around the shop a bit after
it's been strung up to acclimate to being a guitar and settle in. Using
modern urethanes and glues I could cut the whole process down to 2 weeks if I
wanted to. This guitar is not intended for the mass market. Nor is
it for the faint of heart!
What kind of pickup choices do you get to
your customers? Do you wind the pickups by hand yourself or evaluate the best
configuration for each guitar, decide which one sounds cool and buy?
For pickups that is up to the customer. I will often use
their supplied pickups. I also work with Wolfetone who has always made me
great pickups! I also make my own pickups these days. As a builder
I am always searching for more control, and I guess that is why I started
building in the first place.
Who are your favourite luthiers, guitar
builders?
My favorite modern builders are Scott Lentz, Max, Michael
Stevens, Saul Koll, Tom Ribbecke. My favorites from the old days are
Gibson, Fender, and National.
It is mostly known that nitrocellulose
allows woods keep dring over the years and very suitable for resonating with
the wood itself, less vibration absorbing. But some people have clear opposing
ideas and according to them those parameters are nothing but a myth. What are
your opinions about nitrocellulose laquers and their most beloved dring and
resonating properties?
I don't use lacquer for the tone, that is really an
afterthought. I think an equally thin modern finish will sound
as good, in fact I have made some guitars finished in urethane that sound
outstanding. I like lacquer because of it's
organic qualities. I can melt the coats together so the colors will
bleed into one another. It has a different look, and over the years will
aquire the patina of age. Time has proven instruments made with timeless
classic natural materials are the ones that stand the test of time and have
value. In 50 years I want my Standard to look like a vintage Les Paul
looks today. My guitar is about feel and vibe, and I think a
lacquer finish is a big part of that. Also it is what my customers want and
expect. I just like it all around despite the time it takes to do right.
What kind of machine heads do you prefer
for strat/tele type projects and why? Heavy, sealed or locking ones like
Sperzel, Grover etc. or much lighter vintage ones like Kluson, Gotoh etc.?
I prefer the classic vintage kluson style tuners because of
the light weight and vintage vibe. They sound good and reduce the chance of
breaking the headstock should a mishap happen. However the modern
tuners like the hipshot or sperzels have a much improved mechanical feel and
action to them that I really like. They can also accentuate a more modern
look which can be really cool.
What kind of fixed bridge and metal
material type do you like most? Fender type, Gibson LP type tune-o-matic, PRS
type wraparound etc.?
Scott Lentz has done alot of experimenting with bridges and
materials which has helped me out. He was good friends with Steve at
Pigtail Music who had made his bridges and saddles with various materials.
I fgot to try out aluminum and zinc on my standard and they both offer
different tones. The ABR1 which is also an option has an influence on the
tone. Callaham offers a steel ABR1 which I hear is outstanding and will
be trying out in the future. My personal favorits is the intonatable
stoptail offered by Pigtail. Tone Pros makes a real nice one as well,
however it has to have steel studs and anchors.
What kind of oil or material do you
recommend for oiling/cleaning rosewood and ebony fretboards? What do you say
about using mineral oils, petroleum oils or baby oils (liquid vaseline) or
using natural plant oils like lemon?
For cleaning and conditioning fretboards and other
unfinished hardwoods, I would recommend what we used at Taylor which
is bore oil. Bore oil is made to coindition the bores of woodwind
instruments. Some oils have polyurethane as an ingredient. Some get
rancid and will make your guitar stink like dead fish. Others can gum up
and plug the wood. Roche Thomas is my preferred
brand.
What is your thoughts and experiences with basswood,
especially Tilia Americana? Many companies use it on their low budget guitars,
so it is known by some as bad tonewood. Actually, for me it may be good choice
for some certain needs?
I like basswood and have used in in the past. Since
it is so soft It needs a hard finish like polyester resin to add a hard outer
shell. I would not use it on a traditional style guitar though.
It's worthy of more experimentation.
What are your opinions about active
pickups? You know, many people, including me, don’t prefer them because of
lacking overtones, compressed sounds etc.
I like my pickups and electronics to be as simple as
possible. The less junk the signal has to go through the better. Active pickups are not my style although they may be for others. I wind
vintage style pickups that are as true to what they did back in the day as I
can get, and the materials they used as closely as possible.
I’m asking this quesiton to you because
everyone may have spesific answers for that question and i like to learn yours;
What is a good electric guitar for you? What do you expect from a good electric
guitar?
A good electric guitar has to have a good tone first. Then a good feel and vibe. It also has to have a classic timeless
look. And, be well constructed. Everything has to harmoniously exist from
the wood to the colors to the tone and feel.
What do you think about todays far eastern
electric guitars? Korea, China and Indonesia have extremely huge production
numbers. Over 4000 guitars are made just in Korea per day (with two huge
factories (Cort and Samick) and several small business builders). Can you
please give us a general evaluation about
standards of those guitars in fret-wise, sound and playability-wise, finish
job-wise, quality-wise?
I don't pay too much attention to those types of
guitars. I really don't know whats going on in that regard. All I
do know is they seem to be alot better than they were 20 years ago. I
suppose they are good for supplying new and casual players with instruments.
What do you foresee the future of electric
guitar? You know, the technology brings many improvements like auto tuning
gears, carbon fiber bodies… On the other hand, there is still undeniable group
of people desires vintage gears with vintage specs…
The future will always bring new technologies and
innovations to the instrument. Which can be interesting and alot of
fun! Anything that engages players is a good thing. However some of
us will still slog away on the vintage styled instruments. Classic and
timeless instruments made from traditional materials will always be around and
desired as time has proven.
What are your opinions about reliced, aged
instruments which are very popular these days? Why are people crazy about them?
Aged instruments provide people with a replica of the
real thing which is in short supply and expensive. Everybody wants to
capture some of the magic. Generally, I am ambivalent towards it.
It can be fun, but on my personal guitars I take pride in the honest wear I
have put on them from playing!
There are certain periods on electric
guitars. 80’s were the years of crazy colors, floyd rose, thin necks. If you
have dings on your guitar or if your guitar is sunburst, then you werent cool. 90’s
were transition from “80’s crazy” to “back to the roots” years. 2000’s were
kindo wierd stuff but vintage type gears gained huge popularity year by year.
Today, as former question above, people adore reliced guitars, Fender Custom
Shop constantly making relic guitars, released Mexican “Road Worn” models with
low budget, so does Gibson and there some small business reliced guitar
producers around the world. Thats ok! But what about the next step? What guitar
trend will be popular in the next few years?
I think in the future, the guitar will keep splintering off
like it has been. From the relics, to vintage guitar mash ups, to smaller
builders pushing the boundaries in design and craftsmanship. I think more
and more new woods will continue to be used. Some of the vintage type
stuff will keep getting better and better. If people keep playing
them, they will keep evolving. Also, it is great to see the electric
guitar expanding throughout the world. If you told me 20 years ago there
would be intrest in the type of guitars I am building I would be pleasantly
suprised!
IA Standard that Demir owns
You have built a marvellous guitar for a
Turkish customer, Demir Uyar a few years ago. Can you summerize the whole
process, please. How did he reach you, how did you decide&choose the woods,
hardware etc. how was the building period etc.?
Demir is a great friend! It was a pleasure and
honor to build a guitar for him. He approached me and to build him a
guitar. He is very knowledgable about guitars, tone and what he wanted,
and how to get it. I was really impressed! He is friends with
another friend of mine, Can Moray. I am not sure of exactly how he heard
about me. You might want to let him embellish the story. Anyway, we
atarted the build. He selected the woods he wanted. He sent
me an absolutly stunning piece of Turkish Walnut. It was really cool to
use a piece of wood from his country in his guitar. Especially such a
beautiful piece. Demir sent me a pictoral book featuring some of Turkeys
historical landmarks. Some of the outstanding photos were of bookmatched
stone in the blue mosque which was inspiring consideing the bookmatched maple
top we used. Demirs created my A'La Turka model in which I use
this wood on the pickguard, headstock, and truss rod cover. Overall
it was a great experience and I made a great friend in the
process.
I know you are familiar to Turkiye and
made guitars for some people which are incredibly wonderful. Have you ever been here before? Do you know
anything about Turkish guitar scene, players?
I have never been to Turkey. Demir sent me a
great book and some CDs of turkish music, which I really love. I love to
travel and am a big fan of architecture and art. I hope to see it
sometime!
Workshop of Ian Anderson
Les Paul - How High the Moon. les and Mary ford tearing it up
on their Les Pauls.
Stratocaster - 1954 California, the orange groves, country music.
A bunch of locals creating a leged in a better time gone by.
Soccer - Hooligans
Lutieria - Guitar building and repairing
Mahogany - Visual recollections of sights and memories of great
wood I have worked with.
CNC - digital -vs- analogue
Warren Haynes - Thinking back to the times I have seen him play
with Govt. Mula and the Allmans. Hard working great
player.
Poplar - Bought some to make a strat with and used it
to make a work bench.
Lynrd Skynrd - "Play some Skynrd man" often
heard shouted at cover band gigs because of a classic rock comp album that was
advertised on television in the '80s.
Exotic Woods - Makes exotic guitars
CITIES - Govt. Bureauocracy
Chambering - Can cut out entire chunks of the frequency range
NAMM - Lots of fun meet and greet with friends and see all
the new gear.
Steve Morse - Dreggs
Endorsement - Big companies paying well known players to play their
gear. Part of big business.
A'La Turca burst. My good friend Demir and a killer guitar!
Scott Lentz - The master!
Mineral Stains - Character
Humbucker - Patent applied for tone.
Yngwie - Unleash the fookin fury! Riding my bike in a
slushy snow storm 5 miles to get the record the week it came out when I was
about 13 or 14 and being totally blown away.
Hide Glue -vs- Titebond - They both have their place.
Amps - My vintage JMI AC30 and '67 plexi marshall
are what I test the guitars with.
Barack Obama - dont get me started... :)
Blues - The start of it all.
Family - The love and support to make it all happen.
Crossroads - Robert Johnson standing at the crossroads. I want
to travel there to see it one day.
Eric Johnson - Supreme taste and tone. Amazing player.
I’m done Ian. I’ve come to my end of
questions. Hope you like it, too. Thank you a lot. I request you to give a
ending message to all of Sound Magazine readers & Take care ;)
I would like to express my gratitude to Sound Magazine
readers for reading this interview. It is a thrill to have been exposed
to Turkish culture and to see the mash up and spread of our music. For
that I am grateful. Keep rocking and rolling!
Published on March 2011 Issue of Sound Magazine, TR.
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