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BY ROBERT DYE for American Songwriter Magazine | December 9, 2020 Don Pedigo (featured here)
Acoustic Guitar: My trusty Guild GAD-40ATB gives my sound a little bit of uniqueness when it’s recorded. It’s the guitar that’s begging you to play it. People ask many times, “what is that acoustic?” It came to me in Phoenix after my favorite old Alvarez was run over by the airline I came in on. So from the beginning this Guild came with a story and continues to pull me to it for more. You’ve gotta have the guitar that calls you to pick it up. Capo: If you’re like me and your voice many times wants to land in what I call the piano keys of Bb, Eb and F, the capo is essential. I use a Kyser on my Guild as well as my Gretsch Electromatic. The guitar sounds best to me in the open chord keys. Moving the capo up or down so I can still play in the G, A, C, D and E key positions is wonderful. I also use the capo to change chord structures but not the key I’m in. I sometimes do this to find new ideas with a melody I’m stuck on or a bridge I can’t find my way across (ha ha). We are so fortunate to live in a time where now capturing music is literally in the palm of our hands. In my opinion, smart phones are one of the greatest pieces of gear for a songwriter. I used to live at the library and would sometimes even carry books into my songwriting sessions. We are less restrained these days in our search for information and for making a decent recording. https://americansongwriter.com/indie-artists-offer-their-essential-gear-for-songwriters/