Rig Rundown - Henry Kaiser's Five Times Surprise
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Published 2018-09-25
Premier Guitar’s Ted Drozdowski dropped into Nashville’s POGO studios to eavesdrop on the sessions for the new improv/art-rock group Five Times Surprise—and, of course, to do a Rig Rundown with the three string-playing virtuosos at its epicenter: famed free-ranging guitarist Henry Kaiser, guitarist Anthony Pirog of the Messthetics, and the Dixie Dregs’ legendary bassist Andy West. Actually, there are four, since the group also includes eclectic electric violinist Tracy Silverman. But hey, this ain’t Premier Fiddle, so…
For the Five Times Surprise sessions, Henry Kaiser’s big dog was a prototype built by Michael Spalt of Austria’s Spalt Instruments. It has a 27" scale rosewood neck, but its superpower is a Don Ramsay Linear Tremolo, which rolls on a linear bearing and stays in tune like Pavarotti. The 6-string has Seymour Duncan pickups.
When you see Anthony Pirog with Five Times Surprise—who have yet to play a live gig—or the Messthetics, which is anchored by Fugazi’s rhythm section, he’ll likely have this 1962 Fender Jazzmaster in his hands. He scored the guitar, his favorite, on eBay in 2007 and put in Joe Barden pickups with coil-splitting, as well as a Mastery bridge, although the vibrato system is original.
Continue reading: bit.ly/FiveTimesSurpriseRR
All Comments (21)
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Article & photos: bit.ly/FiveTimesSurpriseRR
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I got to hang out with Henry a few years ago. Very nice guy and very knowledgeable. I once walked into a room where he was warming up before a clinic and he was running scales like a Jazz guy. I can understand how some people don't like what he chooses to play and that it's not their thing. But make no mistake, he has terrific technique and what he plays is a deliberate choice and not because he doesn't have the chops to play it straight. There's a reason a lot of great players have played and recorded with him.
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One of the odd things about Kaiser is when he is in full atonal freak out mode, his playing vocabulary is extremely blues-based but uses the pedals to get those more out-there sounds and harmonies. But he’s not everyone’s cuppa, though.
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This was great. You should guys should do more of these types. Don't let the dad blues crew dissuade you. Variety is good regardless of whether or not you're into this stuff.
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I am committed to telling the WORLD he doesn’t play!!!! He is just touch the notes completely randomly!!!!
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“Mom says clean your room”
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Henry has made a career out of sounding like old dial up internet through an amplifier. He should be composing for horror movies. A man with a butcher knife jumps out as Henrys solo begins.... now that will give you nightmares.
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I'm with tubenshaft below: MORE of this kinda thing, PLEASE. Guitars are capable of so much more than we currently use them for. If Hendrix were alive I'm pretty sure he'd be using gear like this. Playing pentatonics or shredding at 3000mph is all fine, but hardly gonna change the musical landscape. Explore, or be damned... And being mean about other musicians, no matter your opinion on their output, is the worst kind of karma. What's more, Kaiser played with Richard Thomspon and Fred Frith. I'm sure THOSE virtuosos don't just play with any old hack...
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41:32 THANK YOU Henry for playing Timeless!!!
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29:19 Henry Kaiser being concerned about being in tune. You can't make this stuff up, folks.
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Fabulous! Thanks!
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Still not sure whether this guy is a genius or just complete crazy.
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I enjoyed this. Crazy experimental stuff is fun too.
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Came for the comments and they didn't disappoint! 🤣
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This entire video sounds like a Saturday at Guitar Center
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Finally an interesting one of these.
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Really fascinating overview. Henry Kaiser's rig rundown starts at 28:20
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Wow, now I don't feel so bad about the number of pedals I have. I enjoyed this rig rundown even though I do find Henry Kaiser's music too noisy, but it's cool to see all that stuff.
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Abstract expressionism from the 40s and 50s still offends people. I think people feel like the artist is trying to dupe them. That is not really the case. Artist and musicians express themselves in different ways. This is almost like modern folk music. It is not a put on. No money in it, people do it for the pure joy of expressing themselves. How can someone find fault in that?
