Q&A - Vinnie Zummo

STEINBERGER WORLD Q & A

. . .with Vinnie Zummo

Steinberger World recently had a chance to chat with long-time Steinberger player and endorser Vinnie Zummo. Vinnie is most recognized for his ground-breaking work with Joe Jackson both in the studio and on stage. Since then he continues to keep busy with studio work, TV and film scoring, recording several solo albums, and recently creating and producing the popular NY Cutz sample and loop kits.

Vinnie spoke with us in-depth about his history with Steinberger, as well as his exclusive testing of the new Synapse TranScale guitar.

Q: You’ve been a longtime Steinberger user and endorser. What originally drew you to the Steinberger design?

A: Well, like a lot of people, I was one of those guitarists who was always searching for the perfect axe. One that let me express myself with a unique voice. I’d stay with a guitar for a while but never felt like I’d found my voice.

One day Stan Jay and Hap Kuffner, the original Mandolin Brothers, told me about the new Steinberger guitar. It sounded like an interesting instrument so I went down to their store to try one out. Hap took the guitar out and I was immediately taken by the look. He then tuned the instrument with a tuner and smacked the neck on the floor really hard several times. Laughing at the horrified look on my face, he then handed the guitar to me and said “Check it with the tuner.” I did and was shocked that it was completely in tune despite the severe blows to the neck. I played a few chords and solo lines then turned to them and said ”I want it”. I fell in love with the instrument immediately.

It was a real “lightbulb over the head” moment. The neck shape fit my hands perfectly and the great sustain was the sound I had always been looking for. I also loved that it was a unique looking guitar that allowed me to stand out from the army of Strat players out there. I was set to begin my first world tour with Joe Jackson and wanted a dependable versatile instrument as well as to establish a visual image for myself. So the timing was perfect. It was a bit of a risk as I was one of the first players to take one out on the road. In three world tours, I have to say there was never even a hint of a problem with any of my Steinbergers. There still are no problems.

Q: Obviously many famous players used them when they were “popular” but have since moved on to other instruments. What’s kept you playing them all throughout these years?

A: It’s kind of like asking me why I am still in love with my wife!!! Seriously, to be a bit more left brained about it, the same qualities that made me play Steinbergers in the first place still draw me:

1.    The neck suits me to a tee. Perfect shape for my hand.

2.    I love always having a stable instrument. I practice a good three to four hours a day and knowing that the instrument is always the same in terms of action, string tension, etc…really helps me know what I need to work on. You can’t blame it on the axe!!   Plus it’s pleasure to play a guitar that stays in tune and rarely needs a trip to the shop. I’ve seen the guitar go through all kinds of potentially fatal falls and things on the road and always retain its tuning!!

3.     Steinbergers respond instantly whereas wood tends to have more of a “blooming” effect on a note. This is a big thing for me. I am obsessed with timing and have spent years learning to place the time where I want it on certain lines. These instruments make that possible. Puts one less variable into the mix.

4.    EQ wise, they are quite versatile. You can add EQ on the top or bottom and really change the sound around.

5.    There is also that X factor. Who knows why someone likes one axe while someone else likes another? The Steinberger just feels right to me. I can really sound like myself on the instrument and I’m severely schizophrenic musically so it suits me well. I still like to use my SG, L7, or Emperor for certain colors but my main axes continue to be my Steinbergers.

Q:     What modifications have you made to your main Steinberger(s) or do you use them stock?

A:    I have a few stock but my main Steinberger is all tricked out. I had it painted an odd shade of pink. I was one of the first to put in a Hum-Single-Hum combination of DiMarzios, as well as a GK2A pickup. I can get pretty much any sound on that axe. I can rock out on it or switch to a really authentic Strat sound, Jazz vibe, or chicken picking Tele. My first Steinberger, with the stop tail piece and original EMG's, is my Jazz axe. It has a great voice to it. Sweet with gobs of sustain.

Q:     What gear (either old and new) do you find works best with your ‘bergers?

A:     Well, I have a current favorite combination. I love to use my Steinbergers with Labella Strings (as I always have ‘cause they are the best) a Demeter Compulator (simply the best stomp box compressor), the Roger Linn AdrenaLinn (which is a quite amazing box that the TranScale in particular loves) and my secret weapon - George L Cables. You can really appreciate the full spectrum of sound a Steinberger puts out with these wires. I like the combination of the Compulator, AdrenaLinn, and George L's. Here is a sound tip I discovered about Steinbergers years ago - they like 10 inch speakers. Something about 10’s really tightens the bottom end of a Berger and makes the sound bigger all around. I played on and co-produced a track by Art Garfunkel a few years ago called “Why Worry Now”. I used my main Steinberger through a 4/10 amp with the neck humbucker, split. You could swear it’s an old vintage Strat.

Q:     You’re the first player to extensively test the new Synapse TranScale. How long have you been using it? What types of work have you used it for?

A:     I have been using it for about six months and I have used it on hundreds of commercials, my two new sample CD projects, and a new album I am producing by Lew Doty (a singer song writer). In fact I just started my own album and plan to use the TranScale quite a bit. It really has become indispensable to me.

Q:     Overall what are your impressions of the new guitar?

A:     You have an hour to spare? The TranScale is a veritable Swiss Army Knife of a guitar. I really can’t imagine any serious rock and roll studio player who could be without one once they try it. It’s a fantastic tool for an alternative player because the unique new piezo that Ned has designed, combined with the built in capo. That allows for an endless variety of jangly, strummy sounds. Same for country players. This guitar has a fantastic twang to it if you want.

For a metal band it’s the ultimate chugging kill machine because of the low D tuning that is available with the push of the capo. I had to submit a Metal style demo for a new video game and the TranScale was amazing. It allowed me to build up a multi-track chugging power assault of many voicings in minutes. Track after track, I just kept moving the capo around and it stayed perfectly in tune

I have to be honest about something here. When Ned Steinberger first explained the capo system to me, I did not quite grasp why a built-in capo would be a big appeal to a player. This attitude changed about 5 minutes after the guitar arrived. What I found was that having a capo that is reliable and so easy to engage makes you experiment with layering more. A traditional capo is a huge pain. It slips, you have to retune and then retune when you take the capo off of the guitar, etc.   I am a real equipment freak. I test a lot of equipment for companies like Demeter and Aphek. The large variety of work I do really allows me to put a piece of gear into different situations. Not many people will use a guitar to make hip hop sample CDs, go to a session for a heavy metal commercial, record a jazz album, produce radically diverse artists and then sit and write a huge variety of TV music into the early hours on tight dead lines. My unique work situation reveals equipment’s weak points very quickly.

When asked to evaluate a new piece of gear, I like to leave it out near my recording rig and see how much I use it and how easy it is to use when I am on a tight deadline. In most situations, I found it so much easier to just use the TranScale rather than go though my guitar collection. The combination of sounds available with the piezo/magnetic pickup combo is quite useful and unique. In fact, I recently had a Mercedes commercial on the air where I play the melody to "Beautiful Dreamer", in a rock & roll style. I really think the unique glassy sound I was able to dial in on my Synapse won me the spot. I layered a bunch of tracks with various capo positions and got a totally unique sound. The TranScale quickly became part of my equipment arsenal.

Q:     Everyone’s curious about Ned’s new piezo system. How does it sound?

A:     UNREAL!!!!! It’s not just a “why don’t we fake an acoustic guitar” kind of tip. This is a whole new animal. I used the piezo on an alternative track instead of an acoustic guitar and got a sound that did what an acoustic would do in a track but sounded totally unique. When you distort the piezo, things really get interesting. It gets a kind of “overheating pushed to the limit “ tube sound. Really wicked and again, totally unique. It also creates really intriguing and meaty slide sounds. This piezo is going to blow everyone away.

Q:     Having been a longtime GL player, you’re intimately familiar with the play and tone of the all-composite guitars. How does this new hybrid Synapse compare?

A:     The instrument has a great sound. Similar to a traditional Steinberger but new. It can really twang, chug hard, be warm, do an ultimate jangle, evoke screaming demons. Any sound you dial up has an ear pleasing quality to it. It sits in a track really well and has a bit more of a wood quality to the sound than traditional Steinbergers.

Q:     How does the TranScale compare to the TransTrem in terms of play and tone?

A:     Two different animals. The TranScale is a whole new world. They are definitely related but different. Nothing will ever replace my TransTrem for me. It‘s my own personal sound but the TranScale has become like my paint kit for layering a track with many colors. With these two guitars, I can pretty much cut a whole album. The possibilities are endless and the two guitars blend really well on a track.

Q:     The Synapse has a new strap holder design. Can you tell us a bit about it?

A:     The strap holder is a real groove!! There are times when I am standing with the guitar and forget that it's around my neck! That's how ergonomic this design is. I can't say enough about it.

Q: Where/To whom do you think the Synapse will be most appealing?

A:

1.    It’s the ultimate touring beast for any alternative band. The jangly quality the piezo provides combined with a capo that actually works would make life a lot easier for an alternative player. How many times have we seen a concert stall while someone is putting on a capo and adjusting the tuning?

2.     For a Country player it’s a no-brainer. The low D possibilities and capo make it a natural match up. This guitar has what I call MTF - Maximum Twang Factor - as well. You can dial in a great twang tone but you are not stuck with it all the time.

3.    Metal bands and punk groups could take advantage of the low D capabilities. Also, the piezo really allows some really uniquely rude sounds when overdriven. It would be great to play one song with a low D, another with a low Eb and then go to a standard E if you want.

4.    It’s a great work horse for the weekend club player who needs an all-in-one axe. They would not have to bring an acoustic to the gig and the endless tonal variations lend themselves to live use.

5.    The experimental avant-garde player who is a vampire for unique sound combinations. This guitar really fits that bill really well. You can stretch with it. Push the envelope.

Q:      What’s next for you?

A:     Thankfully I am really busy. I am producing a new album by Spiritual New Thought Artist Lew Doty, a children’s CD for folk artist Shirley Gifford, two new sample CD projects for Zero G, writing a bunch of TV music, and also a new Vinnie Zummo album that will be quite unique. We have some special guests lined up and I am really excited about it. Something else I am working on is designing a guitar based around a Steinberger neck. I have a really unique guitar design in mind so when we iron out the kinks, I’ll have one made up and bring it to Ned and see if the company would be interested in putting it out. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do. Now it’s just a matter of finding the right luthier to work with me on it and nail it down.

Q:     Any final thoughts you like to share with other Steinberger players?

A:    The Synapse TranScale is a unique new instrument that proudly earns the Steinberger name. The TranScale will play nice with your other Bergers’ as well. I promise!!! I can’t imagine working on a project without the TranScale. It’s really become a key part of my overall sound. Ned has done it again.

Vinnie also graciously shared with us a small demo he did for Ned with his prototype Synapse TranScale.
Click on the icon below to download & play the clip:

Synapse Demo.mp3

Big thanks to Vinnie for sharing his time & thoughts, and his longtime appreciation & support of Steinberger. If you want to learn more about him and his work, check out his website at http://www.vinniezummo.com. Vinnie's latest CD "Retro Cool Bossa" is available at: