Chris Traynor
Topanga, California
Bush
bushofficial.com
www.instagram.com/ct3guitar/
twitter.com/CT3GUITAR
How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place?
I feel like I’ve been a musician since birth. My parents took me to Suzuki method when I was a toddler, and although I don’t remember much from those days I feel like it really gave me an interest in communicating through music from a very young age. I have been a professional touring musician for over 25 years.
Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present?
When I was a teenager one of my cousins gave me every Led Zeppelin record on vinyl. I spent that entire summer indoors with my great grandfather’s Epiphone arch top trying to learn every Jimmy Page riff that I could get under my fingers. At that time I was also skateboarding into New York City, and being influenced by golden age era hip hop, and the NYC hardcore scene. Guitar has taken me around the world a few times since then, and I’ve gotten the chance to see some amazing musicians and bands, many who have influenced me as a guitarist and an artist. I’m presently inspired by so many varied and fantastic guitarists posting their skills on instagram. The sound quality isn’t always the greatest, but it’s an amazing platform for musicians to share their talents and get connected.
What drew you to using pedals initially? Have you been using them throughout your playing career? How have pedals helped to shape your sound, or influence the style that you’ve created?
I started using pedals because I never had an amp. I would show up to gigs and ask to borrow another players amp for a gig. It sounds like really bad form to do that, but in the hardcore/punkrock scene that was fairly common. Since I never knew what kind of amp I would be getting, I would bring a few different pedals to shape the e.q. of the amplifiers.
I learned a lot about using guitar effects when I was 19 years old making the first Orange 9mm LP with producer Dave Jerden. He let me use a bunch of different effects from Alice In Chains and Janes Addiction records he had made, and really took the time to explain how everything worked in the mix. Now, every time I go into the studio to make a record I always bring new pedals. I have always believed that “sound dictates the part”, and new guitar sounds can help create new guitar parts. A pedal can really be your best friend in a recording session because sometimes even just a cool sound can be a big hook.
What’s your current setup look like? Take us through your pedal rig (feel free to include amps and instruments as well if you’d like):
My live rig with Bush is a monster. My guitar runs through an MXR volume pedal, then a Ernie Ball Jerry Cantrell wah, into the front of a Fractal AXFX XL II+, it splits out of the FX loop into a Voodoo amps modded Marshall JMP-1with a gold Marshall EL34 100/100 and into a first revision Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. Both amp signals send to 2 separate Rivera silent sister iso cabinets loaded with Eminence EJ1250’s. Each speaker has 2 microphones, and modded Sure Sm 57, and a Sennheiser 421.
The front of house gets 6 outputs, 2 from the Fractal, 2 from the Marshall, and 2 from the Mesa. It can sound like a nightmare but most sound guys love it because they have all those options. It also helps to cover the sonic ground I need to cover for over two decades of Bush material.
Favorite type of pedal (drive, delay, fuzz, etc. – more than one answer is always acceptable!):
My favorite type of pedal is without a doubt Fuzz. I think you can tell a lot about when a person grew up by the kind of Fuzz they like. My favorite vintage Fuzz is a Sov Tek green civil war era big muff. I have two of them that I just treasure. Jeorge Tripps makes a new version of this pedal for Way Huge called a Russian Pickle, and that’s what I have been using lately.
My second favorite effect is an echoplex ep-2, but that is very temperamental machine. I love using the Diamond Memory Lane 2, it’s my favorite tap tempo delay of all time, and I usually have that on my board for studio sessions.
You’re stranded on a desert island – which three (3) of the following do you want to have?
I’m assuming the Island has electricity, so…
Instruments: I want to say my 63 SG junior with a P90 in the bridge, but I’m afraid that would be hard to fix if something happened to it, so I am going to bring a parts telecaster that I put together with a vintage gold foil in the neck. You can drag a tele off the back of a pickup truck and it will still be playable.
Amps: Again, I would love to bring my 53 high powered tweed twin, but it’s not the most reliable amp to travel with, especially to a desert Island. I guess I would bring my Headstrong Lil King reverb amp; it sounds great and it’s very reliable.
Pedals: I’m gonna sneak a soldering iron in so I can bring my vintage Big Muff, and some tools to maintain my Echoplex EP-2. How long am I gonna be there, should I bring some extra tape for it?
What’s up next for you/your band(s)?
Bush is about to head out on a summer tour called the “Revolution 3 Tour” with Stone Temple Pilots and The Cult. All 3 bands are going to take turns headlining and we are playing some pretty amazing outdoor venues like Red Rocks.
The Klon hype: Love it or Hate it?
I’d love to have one; an original one. I don’t care what color it is. The new ones don’t sound anything like the original ones, and I haven’t heard a clone that sounds right to my ears.
Any last comments, promos or anything you’d like to talk about?
I love learning and interacting with guitarists on instagram. I’m happy to answer anyones rig or riff questions via that format, and I really appreciate when people tag me in posts of cool gear or great players that thy think I’d be interested in. Tag @ct3guitar Thanks!
Thanks so much to Chris for taking the time to answer some questions! Make sure to go check out bushofficial.com, and check their tour page to see when they’re headed to a town near you! Cheers!
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