[ Dann ] Yeah. Subconsciously, absolutely. Because, once you’ re a guitar player, you’ re always a guitar player. I actually feel like myself again. I’ m discovering this thing means more to me than I could have ever asked. And that it means something to other people, that’ s icing on the cake. But I’ ve already received much more than I expected.
[ WM ] How did everything fall into place on this project?
[ Dann ] Somebody asked me if I had bits and pieces of these songs sitting around? And I said, no. It was just a matter of putting a groove on and then shutting my eyes and playing and retrieving the bits that I liked.
[ WM ] Through your music career you’ ve predominantly played one guitar for bands, session work, and producing … tell us about it?
[ Dannn ] Jim Tyler( James Tyler, the late famous guitar builder based in L. A.) was young in his career when I moved out to Los Angeles.
I realized I needed a proper Stratocaster. So, I got one( a 1964 Fender Strat) and Jim was the guy doing guitar modifications. And I told him,“ Make her turbo drive.” So, he removed and changed out everything that made the guitar a collector’ s item. And added in Seymour Duncan pickups and a Floyd Rose Whammy that totally disfigured the front of the guitar. I had no idea what he was doing to it. It was just on faith. And it had so much more diversity than I knew when he set it up. It became this singular guitar of my whole session career.
[ WM ] How did your signature model James Tyler guitar come together?
[ Dann ] Rich Renken( GM of James Tyler Guitars) told me that they wanted to make a replica of my original guitar. They took my guitar apart and did all the specs and recreated it. I don’ t think they just recreated it; they made it better. This new guitar that they made is amazing. When I pulled it out of the case it felt like a vintage model instrument.
[ WM ] Are you using your original guitar for sessions now or the new James Tyler Signature guitar?
[ Dannn ] Both, its weird people have been asking me to play on sessions lately.( laughing) I haven’ t taken on sessions in 25 years, so I had to put together a little pedalboard. The latest recording session I took both the guitars, and I didn’ t favor either one. That is a compliment to what they did at Tyler Guitars.
[ WM ] With your extensive musical career any advice for up-and-coming musicians, songwriters, producers?
[ Dann ] There’ s one piece of advice I can stand on. And I feel like it’ s timeless. Make yourself invaluable to one person at a time, and you’ ll build a career. Don’ t make it about finances. If you’ re a sideman, make it about their art and play for free. Do whatever you have to do to end up at the place where they make music, they need to call you based on their need to have someone who understands their music.
left to right: Brian Oaks, Gordon Kennedy, Rich Renken, Dann Huff
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