Yeah. I can understand that. I read that your son wasn't all that excited about playing on "Bamboo" but you were because you knew it would be on the CD. Now that your son has heard the album, has he gone "hey dad ... that's me!"?
I don't know. In the typical view of a kid, he probably thinks, "When did I do that?". It was just another day of just stepping into his dad's studio. It's nothing special; it's something he's grown up with. There's musical instruments around the house so everyone is always picking up something and playing. I don't think it sticks out for him as a very memorable day. You know, the day that he recorded that, because all he was doing was playing music with dad.
How old is he?
He just turned 12.
Fun age. Almost a teenager!
Yeah ... great. (laughs)
I was checking out the new gear that you've got. I saw that all of the new guitars, with the exception of one, which has a fixed bridge, have the Edge Pro tremolo system. Have you had the opportunity to check out the Zero Resistance tremolo?
Is that one of Floyd Rose? Who makes that?
It's Ibanez.
Oh, OK. You know, my original sort of love affair with the new vibrato bar system was with the original Floyd Rose. I thought that the composition of the metal and the, what would you call it, the length of it, or the depth of the bridge, really had a great effect on the tone. So when other companies went in and started licensing the technology and making them, Ibanez came up with, I thought, a really great improvement on that original design. Which was to put a steel sort of blade in the middle of it to increase the longevity of the unit and to make the knife edge have a stronger contact. I really like the way that the bar engages the bridge as well, a much smarter system than the one that screws in. But when they went to the low profile one, and all of the other newer ones, they stepped away from that original shape a little bit. So I've always asked that they put the original edge on all of my guitars that I play. Most of the time they're comfortable with using that on my models that they display in the catalog. Not always - I mean after all, it is a company. It's interesting because I know a lot of people that prefer the low pro and I don't understand why they do. I prefer the original edge and I think that Ibanez is now preparing to put the original egde vibrato bar system on all of my guitars; you know, the ones that they sell all around the world. I think that they're finally starting to realize what it is that I like about it and it's a good thing. It's something that I think people should be aware of.
That's cool and hey, who better to pick a winner than Joe Satriani himself? Right? (laughs) The show will be starting in a couple of hours, so what can I expect from this show?
We have a set list that we finished rehearsing last night that is definitely the most unusual set list that we've done. We're doing songs that we've never done before, like "Strange", and songs from the new album, the unusual ones like "Bamboo". We're doing songs that the last time we did them, it was like 1988 or so, songs like "Hordes of Locust", "Lords of Karma". The set list is pretty long and I'm sure that the show will run a little over two and a half hours. There's a lot of expressive music and we've arranged the set in different sections. Artistically it's very satisfying. Everybody gets to play a lot of different things. I think that the fans are really going to like it.
Any chance that we'll hear me and my husband's personal favorite, "Cool No. 9"?
Oh definitely!
Alright! Tonight is his last hurrah before shoulder surgery in five days. With a torn rotator cuff and a torn labrum, he can't play.
Oh boy ... that's tough.
Yeah ... you're a guitarist so you know what a bear you turn into when you can't play.
Oh yeah, it's terrible! I tore my labrum about two years ago playing baseball. It's so tough. (groans) Mine is a combination of bone marrow edema, tendonosis, bursitis and this torn labrum, so I'm not really a candidate for surgery. I've just been in the gym almost every day lifting light weights in strange positions to rehabilitate my shoulder. But yeah, when you can't play you're not really a very happy person to be around.
You're preaching to the choir! Bless his heart though, he's really been trying. But
it really does become a part of you doesn't it? A way to express yourself where words can't
go and a way to find a moment of peace in an otherwise chaotic world?
Oh absolutely. That was a great way to put it!
Whoo! That is just too deep to go right before an awesome show like the ones you put on! (laughs) I'm really looking forward to seeing you perform again and hearing the new songs live.
Thanks Kim.
