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RHETT SHULL

INTERVIEW SAM ROBERTS

YouTube sensation Rhett Shull has one of the fastest-growing guitar
channels around, with more than 22 million views to date. Here, the
session maestro talks pedalboard disasters, avoiding noodling and more

The moment it all started... The best advice I’ve ever been given... My guilty pleasure...
“Christmas morning. I was 13 and got my “Set massive goals and, when working “Being the loudest person on stage.”
first electric guitar from my parents. It was towards them, don’t focus on the end and
a cheap $99 Squier starter pack that came how far away it seems but instead on each I’m in the band...
with an amp. I haven’t stopped playing since.” individual step towards that goal. Before “Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers would be
you know it, you’ll be there.” the gig to end all gigs for me. If I was able
I couldn’t live without my… to play in that band with Mike Campbell,
“I had to move heaven and earth to buy my My Spinal Tap moment... I don’t know where I could go from there.”
Novo Serus J about three years ago but it’s “One of the most embarrassing moments
the best purchase I’ve ever made.” that I’ve ever had on stage happened a few I wish I was there...
years ago when I was on tour with Muddy “Wes Montgomery playing with the Wynton
The one that got away... Magnolias. We had just kicked off our set Kelly Trio where they recorded the Smokin’

“I’ve always tried to be diligent when it and we were right in the middle of a song At The Half Note album in 1965. Wes is
comes to selling gear, only selling something when I started losing my guitar signal to a probably my favourite jazz guitarist and in
after I’ve made a big step forward onto that faulty cable somewhere on my pedalboard. ’65 he was at his peak. Getting to see him
next piece of equipment. But I once sold a I bent down to try and find the bad patch in a smoky club in the mid-1960s would
pair of 1176 compressors. I wish I still had cable but I couldn’t, and then I started to be one of the coolest experiences ever.”
them but you live and learn.” panic. I was ripping pedals and cables off
my pedalboard, desperately trying to find If I could just play one thing...
My signature model... the issue. This went on for two entire songs “I wish I could play jazz but I think I found

“You might see something soon...” and, being the only guitar in the band, they it too late in life to really internalise the
kept playing with just bass, drums and style, so instead I stay on the sidelines and
The first thing I play when I pick up a guitar… vocals. At one point, I looked up to see a watch. All of my friends who are great jazz
“It’s usually chords. Lately, I’ve been trying to packed club of people all staring directly players seem to share this bond that I don’t
avoid noodling and instead focus on playing at me, as well as the rest of the band. They have, plus they always look like they’re
complete musical ideas. I’ve been inspired were all like, ‘What the fuck are you doing?’ having so much fun.”
by Tom Bukovac’s YouTube videos and he’s It finally dawned on me that I could just
a master of this – everything he plays is a plug straight into my amp and finish the Rhett Shull’s new Tone Course is available now –
complete musical idea, he never noodles.” set. It was a nightmare.” visit flatfiv.co for more information

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