RUBY FIELDS
HAILS FROM SYDNEY, NSW PLAYS SOLO (WITH A BAND) SOUNDS LIKE ENERGISED INDIE-PUNK TAILORED FOR SUMMER LATEST DROP BEEN DOIN’ IT FOR A BIT (LP OUT NOW INDEPENDENTLY)
What’s your current go-to guitar?
My current go-to guitar is my most recent build. It’s a Tele with Strat body cuts for comfort, made from white poplar. I needed something a bit lighter from the previous parts-caster I played and worked on, because that thing was like ten kilos. We routed it for a humbucker in the bridge, and a P90 (we call them B90s as our mate Brierley makes them custom) in a humbucker case in the neck. It’s got Graftech ratio tuners, and a single-coil switch on the bridge humbucker for a thinner sound with the series/forward posturing on the four-way switch, making the two way switch sound beefier. It’s my favourite guitar ever, I’m really proud of it.
How did you initially fall in love with the instrument?
I think just making it myself really gave me a deep appreciation for it. My first guitar was this sparkly black acoustic that I got for Christmas when I was 11. I’d been begging for one for years, but my dad and sister wanted to learn first and never did, so Mum finally buckled. My first electric is a tricky one, as Fred sort of just lets me keep them, but at the end of the day they’re his guitars – save the recent build, that’s my girl. I’ve been lucky enough to get some beaut gifts from Fender and DI Music, too.
What inspires you as a player?
To be honest I’ve never really had any influences – I don’t even know my scales, I just have a lot of time and admiration for the process of building guitars. I only really play rhythm, so I guess I’d say a huge inspiration for me is my luthier Freddy Spence. The first time I probably had a ‘wow’ moment was watching a clip of Prince, Tom Petty, Steve Winwood, Jeff Lynne and a few others playing “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. Freddy showed me that one – apparently Prince hadn’t even learned the song before improvising the solo.
Are you much of a gear nerd?
I’d say I’m a bit of a gear nerd, but I’ve got nothing on my bandmates – they’re all geniuses. Tas and Adam (bassist and guitarist) are so dedicated to their craft and always buying new gear. I’ve run a pretty standard pedal setup for years, so I’d probably say I love amps, and my favourite is a Fender Blues Junior; Freddy loves to mod them and turn them into monsters. That’s what I’ve got in my studio right now – though it’s not modded yet, Fred and I are separated because of COVID.
Do you have any ‘white whales’?
I’m not too sure. I’d love to experiment more with pedals over the next year. I’m kind of kicking myself that I didn’t do that with the time off touring, but I’m slowly building my home studio, so hopefully I can make up for it a bit.
What would your signature model look like?
I’m very lucky and grateful that I’ve been able to build the things I have with Freddy, so I guess a dream signature thing would be similar to the recent build – a Tele, nothing too complicated, just a nice-looking, exposed-wood guitar that a beginner or a really great player might like. There’d definitely be some variations, but not something headache-worthy. The previous white Tele parts-caster I had from Fred had like 15 variations, and I always felt like a bit of a twat playing it and never being able to use it to its full potential.
If you could jam with any guitarist, dead or alive...
I never met my grandpa on my dad’s side, he lived in New Zealand on his own, but he was a musician too and would play at pubs and stuff. My nan’s given me photos of him. I don’t have a romanticised vision of it or anything – I don’t know how much of a great guy he was, anyway – but at the very least I would’ve been curious to watch him play.