Now Playing: Carol Rifkin and Shaun Williams

Shaun Williams (pictured) and Carol Rifkin are our featured panelists on What It Is recently, with conversations about what is the best gear for acoustic and electric musicians, the legacy of Leo Fender, and how to make it as a full time or part time musician. Stay tuned for podcasts of these shows as well as a conversation with the Jayhawks' Gary Louris soon.

Our conversation on Music Gear (episode #183) got some noteworthy feedback from other What It Is panelists:

Guys--

Good discussion this morning. I spent last weekend at the Seafood, Blues and Jazz Festival in Carolina Beach. The headliners were Jimmie Vaughan and Anson Funderburg, but truth be told, the under-card acts were for the most part much better. I noticed at the festival that the serious blues players to a man played Gibson and Fenders, with the majority of them older versions from the 60s and 70s. There were a lot of Stratocasters, Telecasters, and Gibson ES-335s. It's weird how certain genres gravitate toward certain companies and models. Most of the bluegrass and country guitarists I know are searching for that classic old Martin, while rockers are looking for an old strat or Gibson SG. Jazz players that I know are less particular about the brand and more particular about how it suits their style.

Jeff Eason

Starz,

You know, that is funny how people & genres lean towards a brand or style.  When I tell people I play a Schecter they always think I'm a metal shredder instead of some kind of post rocker (where it seems Fenders rule the land!).  Before that I played a Washburn & people thought I did country music.  Equally interesting to me is the same thing going with pedals (even more so pedals versus racks versus heads (I like pedals)) & even more so with amps (especially that tube versus solid state versus digital emulator (Roland 1980s solid state!)).  Also interesting is how some folks stay with one thing once they find what's right for them & others are constantly changing things around & how though I think of myself as dedicated to an individual guitar & an individual amp, I some how have a dozen guitars & a half dozen amps I haven't gotten rid of from when I was younger....

hrt
Brian John Mitchell

And here's the bass that Jay Sanders couldn't resist turning us onto after hearing the show:

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