What piece of equipment do you have to show us today?
This is my candy apple Squier Stratocaster, circa early 2000s.
How did you come across this particular item?
I guess my folks realised that they would never hear the end of it otherwise, so they bought me the fabled ‘Strat Pack’ for my 13th birthday. It came replete with all kinds of gadgets and gizmos, including a much-cherished buzzy 15-watt amp that I’ve somehow lost over the years. Still got the gig bag though!
What is that you like so much about it?
In terms of bang-for-buck, it’s probably/definitely the best guitar going around. Yeah it’s a cheap knock-off of a classic, but it has all the right bits in all the right places. The action is great, it’s lightweight so you can throw it around a bit, and it has the classic strat shape that makes it incredibly comfortable and feel a bit like an accessory rather than a musical instrument. Plus it’s (kinda) the same guitar that Dean Ween uses, which is really just great.
How do you use it, and how has it shaped the way you write music?
Well it was my stalwart guitar for a long time, but doesn’t come out too often nowadays. It was the guitar I cut my teeth on as a young’un, so I guess it’s a bit special and sentimental. It’s super twangy and is most likely the reason that I love trebly surf/garage stuff. Also the neck is quite thin so you can really shimmy around on there, which is nice if you’re trying to knock out your own riffs.
Any other interesting points/stories about it?
For some reason it has the price sticker from a Kiss Alive record I bought in my teens on the pickguard. I suppose that I figured then that linking my two favourite things in the world couldn’t be such a bad idea. And probably to remind me to listen to Kiss more often.
Tell us a little bit about what you have coming up?
Bad Vision’s sophomore LP Turn Out Your Sockets will be available May 6th through Adagio830 records, and we’ll be launching it at the Old Bar on the 3rd of June with bestest buds Camp Cope, Cable Ties and The Tropes.
Stay up-to-date with the latest on Bad Visions at facebook.com/badvisionbeats.
