Joe Bonamassa explained that most instruments from his vast collection come from places available to everyone, and said that his picking angle doesn’t vary regardless of what he may be playing.
The archetypal (or, rather, stereotypical) image of a rockstar has long been indelible from that of lavish excess, which those from the sidelines often regard with mixed feelings of envy and contempt. Some musicians’ penchant for collecting vintage instruments seems to provoke the same response, especially when it comes to Joe Bonamassa, given that the blues prodigy has also acquired a reputation as the ultimate vintage gear fiend (although many tend to neglect the fact that those instruments would probably receive better care at JoBo’s Nerdville than they would in a museum).
And while his collection is truly impressive, accusations that he’s selfishly hoarding those prized instruments at other people’s expense don’t hold water. Joe tells Total Guitar in a new interview that the meat of his collection comes from places that are by and large available to others:
“That’s the way I look at it. There’s a contingent of people who somehow think I’m depriving the world and other players of gear. I always use the logic, ‘Do I get advantages that other collectors don’t because people want to sell sh*t to me? Absolutely!’ But I also just bought a 1959 Les Paul from a f*ckin’ music store in Boston. Anybody could have walked in and bought it.”
“There are thousands and thousands of guitars out there. Anything in my collection, with the exception of maybe 20 pieces, you could source from somewhere else. You want a Blackguard? There’s plenty of them. You want a sunburst Les Paul? There’s plenty of them. You want a 335 in a blonde finish. There’s not so many of those, but if you want them in sunburst, there’s a lot out there.”
The secret to JoBo’s picking
In the same interview, Bonamassa reflected on his preferred way to hold the pick, which allows for those lightning-fast pentatonic licks. According to the blues rock icon, the way he holds his pick is always the same, regardless of what he’s playing:
“My picking angle doesn’t vary, whether I’m playing fast or slow. I just have a very specific place I hold it, kind of deep in there. I don’t hold it right at the tip of my thumb, and my thumb is usually straight and relaxed. I find if you hold a small pick [like a Jazz III] at the very tip, you’re creating a pivot point and a break angle.”
“I hold the pick where it’s comfortable, almost as if I was sitting and having a beer with you. I could hold a pick all day. I’m not trying to angle anything. As I’m not a legato player, I have to pick every note. I’m from the Al Di Meola school rather than, say, Allan Holdsworth. That’s just always been my style, you know?”
Joe Bonamassa and the Black Country Communion have a new album titled “V”, out now.
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