60 SECONDS WITH...
A minute’s all it takes to discover what makes a great guitarist tick. Before he jumped into his limo for the airport, we grabbed a quick chat with Tom Shemer of Montreal guitar rockers, The Damn Truth.
Tom Shemer of Montreal’s The Damn Truth.
“It is an amazing feeling to play a set and see some of your favourite musicians listening to you - and then to have a beer with them backstage”
GT : Do you have a type of pick that you cannot live without?
TS: I cannot live without the Dunlop Jazz 3. When I first started playing, this pick was on the guitar my dad gave me. I learned how to play with this pick and I never bothered to try another. I guess I just got lucky.
GT: If you had to give up all your pedals but three, what would they be?
TS: My Foxrox Octron is a beast, and a huge part of The Damn Truth’s sound. Mad Professor’s Little Green Wonder is the best tube screamer ever made (I have the hand-wired version). PHG Mark 1.5 (my signature fuzz), It is just badass. I was chasing a tone in my head for a long time and never got it. When Pavlo from PHG Guitars gave my vague description of tone a shot, he captured the perfect fuzz sound. It cleans up super well with the volume knob and it screams when you dig in. I love it!
GT: Do you play another instrument well enough to do so in a band and, if so, have you ever done it?
TS: I have a little recording studio called Grandma’s House, where I often produce all kinds of artists. In the past I have played piano, violin, bass, mandolin, percussion, and synthesisers on people’s tracks.
GT: If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it?
TS: I could decipher it (LOL!). I cannot sight read, though.
GT: Do guitar cables really make a difference? What make are yours?
TS: Yes, they do! I use Lynx Cables. They are made here in my hometown of Montreal. They are super high quality and they let all the high end through - great cables indeed.
GT: Is there anyone’s playing (past or present) that you’re slightly jealous of?
TS: I really love Eric Johnson’s playing. To me, it almost sounds like he is speaking some far-out elvish language through his guitar.
GT: Your house/studio is burning down: which guitar do you salvage?
TS: A couple of years ago while on a cross Canada tour, our van caught on fire (while driving!) in Northern Ontario in November. As I watched the flames burn through everything I had, a hockey coach stopped his car and offered to help us save our gear. He quickly detached the trailer from the van and we somehow managed to lift the trailer, which was full of all our guitars, amps, drums, and stage show, and move it away from the fire to safety. So, to answer your question, the first thing I would do is grab all my guitars.
GT: What is your favourite amp and how do you set it?
TS: While on tour with ZZ Top, I met Chuck Dean of Retro King Amps. He built Billy Gibbons a bunch of custom amps. One night after the show, he told me he would like to build an amp for me. I was thrilled as I already was a fan of his. He built me the RS 45 which is his version of the famous Bluesbreaker amp. I set all the knobs to about 9 o’clock for that perfect sweet tone. It is the best amp ever!
GT: What kind of action height do you have on your guitars?
TS: On my Bunting Melody Queen (which was custom built for me by the amazing guys at Bunting Guitars), I use a slightly higher action. I find that the guitar rings better and has more sustain that way. As for my Demers V (built by the master Canadian Luthier, Jef Demers), if my Bunting is a Hot Rod vintage car, then the V is my Ferrari. I use a slightly lower action for speed and accuracy.
GT: What strings do you use?
TS: D’Addario, 10-46.
GT: Who was your first influence to pick up the guitar?
TS: Jimmy Page. A lot of punk and heavy metal was played in my house growing up from my older brother’s bedroom. And as a young boy I loved that stuff (still do). My parents played a lot of Beatles and pop music, but it was life changing when I heard Led Zeppelin for the first time when I was about nine years old. Something clicked in my head and I just knew that I was in love. Jimmy’s tone and phrasing is so emotional to me, I could not get close enough to that sound. I had to play it. I had to feel those vibrations on my skin. Jimmy Page made me want to play guitar.
GT: What was the first guitar that you really lusted after?
TS: I went into the guitar store one day and they had just received a beautiful G&L legacy special. At that point, I had never even heard about G&L, but the guitar store guy said try it. I fell in love immediately. It played so well, and it sounded fantastic! I got a summer job as a teenager and my parents helped, but I eventually got my dream guitar which I still play every day.
GT: What would you say was the best gig you ever played?
TS: I would have to say the Rock Legends Cruise. We were invited to play on this magical cruise a few years back. It was fantastic! It was
such a thrill to play a gig in the middle of the ocean but the best part about it was just hanging out and getting to know all the rock stars on the boat: Sammy Hagar, Bad Company, Uriah Heep, Quiet Riot and many more. It is an amazing feeling to play a set and see some of your favourite musicians listening to you play and then you also get to have a beer with them backstage. Best gig ever!
GT: And can you tll us about your worst playing nightmare?
TS: First show on the ZZ Top tour, I wiped out on the floor after jumping from the bass drum. I was in pain for the whole set but at least it looked cool. Ha!
GT: Do you still practise?
TS: Every day - I just love playing guitar and I love learning new stuff, so I do my best to practise every single day.
GT: Do you have a pre-gig warm-up routine?
TS: Jack Daniels usually.
GT: If you could put together a fantasy band with you in it, who would the other players be?
TS: I am already in my fantasy band. I put it together. What thrills me the most is the chemistry you develop over the years with the people you play music with. No one gets me, including my body language, like Lee-la, Dave and PY. I am just where I am supposed to be.
GT: Present company excepted, who is the greatest guitarist that’s ever lived?
TS: It’s tough, but I would have to say Jimmy Page and I know he is not the most technical player, but the songs he wrote and the guitar parts he played over those songs changed my life and my soul forever.
GT: Is there a solo by another guitarist, that you really wish you had played?
TS: Every single solo by David Gilmour.
GT: What is the solo or song of your own of which you’re most proud?
TS: While recording the song This Is Who We Are Now, with Bob Rock, he helped me set up the guitar tone for the solo and then he had to step out for about an hour or so. I recorded the solo with Adam (his assistant). When Bob came back to the studio, he wanted to hear what we did. So, he sat down on the console, put his head down and turned the track up super loud. He listened to the guitar solo turned around and said, “You guys are my favourite band,” so I guess that solo must be pretty dope.
GT: What would you most like to be remembered for?
TS: Honestly, if all I’m remembered for is being a guy who’s done right by his family and friends then I’m happy. I just want to have a good time while I’m here and live in the moment.
GT: And what are you up to at the moment? (Gigs, tours gear, etc)
TS: Doing a lot of producing lately which I enjoy. But to be completely honest, I cannot wait to be back on the road again. We are close now. I can feel it! The Damn Truth’s new album Now Or Nowhere is out now on Spectra Musique/ Sony Music. Info: www.thedamntruth.com