they have corrosive sweat and acids in their [WM] So you guys we’re playing Collings
fingertips, you use them because you like the acoustic guitars for a long time, and now you’re
feel. How did you discover that? using Taylors. What caused the move and what
are you loving most about playing the Taylors?
[Daniel] For all of us guitar players, the first
time we ever played a coated string, I think it [Daniel] When I first started playing with
would have been Elixir, right? You know, a long Chris and the band, he always played Collings
time ago that was more about string cost. You acoustics and I just fell in love with the way they
would save a lot of money by having a string sounded. They’re from Austin and we lived in
that would last so long. Then I just kind of got Austin for a long time, so that always felt like
used to the feel of it, so when D’Addario had a cool thing for us because they were local.
that option I chose that. On the tour, it’s more They were aware of Chris and were kind to us,
about how it sounds than trying to save money. and I think people probably started calling in
It’s worth the investment to go ahead and interested in their guitars because of Chris. He
change the strings if I feel like the guitar comes was one of the guys playing their guitars when
alive again. You know, it’s a real job that we’re Collings was relatively unknown. I love that
doing out here and I don’t want the strings to company and love those guitars, we’ve got a
sound dead! If they start to sound dead then I handful of them and they’re fantastic.
like to change them out.
Taylor was something Chris and I had both
[WM] Do you like the sound of the string when played before we had ever played Collings.
it’s brand new, or do you like it to be broken-in And it was kind of one of those first love kind
a little bit so it’s not so bright? of things. I basically had the Taylor guitar
manual memorized when I was in High School.
[Daniel] Good question. With the electrics, I studied it more than I studied my textbooks.
I love them brand new and I change strings I was obsessed with it! I got a Taylor in High
pretty much every day out on the road on the School, fell in love with it and had that for a
guitars that I use. But on acoustics, a couple decade or more, maybe fifteen years.
days in best. Right when you put them on it
feels a little too bright, and if they’ve been on Chris had been dreaming up this plan, the idea
too long it’s a little dead. that someday it would be fun to be out on tour
and give away a guitar every night. That was
[WM] Do you use a different pick for acoustic just something he’d always wanted to do, but
than electric, and if so what picks are you using he was like, “Man, I can’t give away a Collings
and where? every night, they’re too expensive and they
probably wouldn’t want to give away 28 guitars
[Daniel] It’s funny you should say that. I use a for every tour stop.” Nothing against Collings,
Dunlop Max-Grip 1.0mm pick for electrics, and but most companies aren’t big enough to give
for acoustics, I use the .73mm Max-Grip pick away thirty guitars for a tour like this. We spoke
most of the time. I like it because the grip, if with Taylor and they were really kind. We were
it’s sweaty or cold or whatever, kind of helps out on the West Coast so we got to go and
me hold onto it. I think the trick I’ve learned,
especially for strumming, the lighter pick helps
the guitar not become to bass heavy in my mix.
The .73mm seems to play a little sweeter on
the guitar, and sometimes I’ll use the 1.0mm
on acoustic if I’m really trying to dig in and strumming and I’ve noticed that it gets a nice
get a certain picked line to speak out. For the clean feather strum without too much of a bulky
most part, the .73mm works really great for overtone.
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“God of This City” // Chris Tomlin
October 2018
WorshipMusician.com