[ WM ] What is your main stage and songwriting guitar and / or keyboard that you use?
[ Alexander Pappas ] I have been playing a Martin OMJM( John Mayer Signature model) for nearly a decade. I haven’ t found a better plug and play guitar for live use. In my opinion, this guitar was built flawlessly to be played live. Serves the purposes of worship music providing a bright percussive sound that you need strumming for rhythm but has just the right amount of warmth to minister with fingerstyle playing.
I typically find myself writing on piano however and I picked up a Yamaha Studio Upright P22 from the late 80’ s on Facebook marketplace when I moved back to the states, and it’ s felt pedal( muffler rail) is exactly the sound I want … A, in an apartment( sorry neighbors) and B, for worship sounds.
Shure ULXD2 with a KSM9 Capsule that I don’ t know if I’ ll feel as comfortable on anything as long as I live. I’ ve had great experiences with other mics, but there’ s a feeling there that’ s tough to beat. In a pinch though, the Shure Beta 58A might just be a time machine to youth group circa 2005.
[ WM ] What pick-up system is on your guitar?
[ Alexander ] As I stated before, I think the Martin OMJM comes as is, ready to plug and play in just about any room. This guitar is equipped with Fishman Gold Plus Natural I, which is an under-saddle passive piezo pickup. No tone or volume control, but I’ ve found that this guitar flat on the EQ is generally ideal to what worship music requires. I do however enjoy running a Line 6 HX STOMP for additional control of reverb, gain boost for fingerstyle and the occasional chorus fx. will hate. When leading worship, you need to be able to tune the guitar without a capo and have it stay in tune if you need to change keys and change capo placement. Of course, in a perfect world, you could tune each time you change placement, but we know that song 3 waits for no man. I have personally used Kyser Capos since I started playing guitar and for most guitars I have played, it’ s just the right tension to keep the guitar in tune provided the guitar is in fact properly intonated.
[ WM ] What guitar strings do you prefer?
[ Alexander ] I typically keep my guitar tuned down to D standard, aka a whole step down, but often play in open C or open D. This requires a heavier gauge. So I like Elixir Nanoweb 13-56.
[ WM ] Are you using a clip-on tuner? A floor pedal tuner?
[ WM ] What brand / model vocal microphone do you use on stage? In your home studio.
[ Alexander ] I have done so many years with
[ WM ] What brand capo do you use?
[ Alexander ] This is actually a really great question that electric guitar players have and
[ Alexander ] I always have a floor pedal tuner setup with my Stomp, and I will hold tightly to my Boss TU-2 for as long as I find ones that still work. But additionally I’ ve found quite often
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