Hey Steve,
I will soon be ordering my first Scott Walker guitar. I’ll be going with his Santa Cruz model most likely in an HSS configuration. It’s hard to describe my excitement lol Would you give your thoughts on Scott as an artist, luthier and designer? Also, your thoughts on your own Walker guitars? How many you have, what models you chose, tonewood choices, pickup combinations and electronics, his new proprietary hardware, the buffer/booster circuit, etc… I’ve seen you pictured with a number of his guitars but never was able to pin down exactly how many you own personally. Also, I know at least the electronics on Scott’s “Electro” model are inspired by your white Strat; have you ever played that model? If so, how does it stack up to your strat? Any insight will be greatly appreciated!
Lastly, I just need to say how much your music has meant over the years. I’ve been a fan for about ten years now and I’m Grateful for everything you do. Cheers!
P.S. Please come back to Fall River, Massachusetts and play at The Narrows Center for the Arts again:)
SK
27 Nov 2022 2:49am
27 Nov 2022 2:49am
Thanks for the kind words. I hold Scott in the highest regard as a luthier, musician, and friend.
He’s brilliant. .
I like his aesthetic visually, “waves” is how i see it. Surf.
I have two Walker Hawaiian guitars, one electric, one acoustic.
Two Walker fretless solid body guitars, one Katana and one 24″ scale Santa Cruz, both excellent. Two solid body fretted electrics, one Attrezo and one named “Heavy” because it was built deliberately to explore that quality.
Both of the fretted Walkers are ridiculously good guitars, the neck-thru Attrezo is as good as anything I’ve played.
I’ve been backing off from the onboard electronics recently, but I’m a huge fan of the versatility and functionality of Scott’s stuff in particular when the situation demands.
My teak Cripe is the only guitar I have set up for the active/OBEL Jerry style stuff, with the same early Waldo buffer I had in it back in the day.
The whole “tone wood” thing is a little tricky, at least from the perspective of a customer or client scrolling down a menu and imagining what this or that combination of materials brings to the sound.
Sometimes I think I know, but mostly I’m just guessing and conflating other factors in evaluating the finished instrument.
I have “ideas” and sometimes they’re good ones but I think you have to defer to the luthier holding the raw materials in his hands as to which woods best serve the purpose.
That being said I’m reasonably familiar with the quality of Scott’s stash and it’d be hard to go wrong but I try not to second guess cats at his level.
He knows what he’s got better than I do for sure. Generally happier with the one-piece neck and body routine myself, like an old Tele or single-cut slab LP type thing, that’s what the rosewood neck Katana fretless is, and it’s unbelievable..
But the Attrezo neck-thru is all kind of hippie sandwich laminated neck and body, and it absolutely kills, so it’s not like one construction method or one species of wood is superior.
In neither case did I specify this or that wood or build style. We talked about it obviously, bounced ideas around, but I think that was more for my education and expectations than Scott’s. Obvious collaboration on some levels but ultimately he’s gotta put it together and make it work so I try not get in the way. .
Regarding the White Strat inspired Electro model, nobody can “make” a 1960 Fender Stratocaster, so it’s no use comparing an old anything with a new anything else. It’s case by case, each guitar is an individual more or less unique instrument and all the qualities you might compare are sliding past each other in a circular, non-linear series of trade-offs. Anyway, yeah one of my best friends has an Electro and it pretty much crushes my white Strat at everything except BEING my white Strat, which makes perfect sense to me.
Congratulations on your new Walker guitar!
I have two Walker Hawaiian guitars, one electric, one acoustic.
Two Walker fretless solid body guitars, one Katana and one 24″ scale Santa Cruz, both excellent. Two solid body fretted electrics, one Attrezo and one named “Heavy” because it was built deliberately to explore that quality.
Both of the fretted Walkers are ridiculously good guitars, the neck-thru Attrezo is as good as anything I’ve played.
I’ve been backing off from the onboard electronics recently, but I’m a huge fan of the versatility and functionality of Scott’s stuff in particular when the situation demands.
My teak Cripe is the only guitar I have set up for the active/OBEL Jerry style stuff, with the same early Waldo buffer I had in it back in the day.
The whole “tone wood” thing is a little tricky, at least from the perspective of a customer or client scrolling down a menu and imagining what this or that combination of materials brings to the sound.
Sometimes I think I know, but mostly I’m just guessing and conflating other factors in evaluating the finished instrument.
I have “ideas” and sometimes they’re good ones but I think you have to defer to the luthier holding the raw materials in his hands as to which woods best serve the purpose.
That being said I’m reasonably familiar with the quality of Scott’s stash and it’d be hard to go wrong but I try not to second guess cats at his level.
He knows what he’s got better than I do for sure. Generally happier with the one-piece neck and body routine myself, like an old Tele or single-cut slab LP type thing, that’s what the rosewood neck Katana fretless is, and it’s unbelievable..
But the Attrezo neck-thru is all kind of hippie sandwich laminated neck and body, and it absolutely kills, so it’s not like one construction method or one species of wood is superior.
In neither case did I specify this or that wood or build style. We talked about it obviously, bounced ideas around, but I think that was more for my education and expectations than Scott’s. Obvious collaboration on some levels but ultimately he’s gotta put it together and make it work so I try not get in the way. .
Regarding the White Strat inspired Electro model, nobody can “make” a 1960 Fender Stratocaster, so it’s no use comparing an old anything with a new anything else. It’s case by case, each guitar is an individual more or less unique instrument and all the qualities you might compare are sliding past each other in a circular, non-linear series of trade-offs. Anyway, yeah one of my best friends has an Electro and it pretty much crushes my white Strat at everything except BEING my white Strat, which makes perfect sense to me.
Congratulations on your new Walker guitar!
30 Nov 2022 6:04am
Thanks so much for taking the time Steve! It means a lot. Scott is my favorite luthier. It’ll be a privilege to own one of his instruments. Take care