Common Questions Asked By Fans:

01 What guitars do you play?

For live performances, I usually play a Cordoba FCWE ran through a Yamaha AG Stomp. This is a great live guitar because it is very comfortable and it has a nice plugged in sound.

In the studio, I record with a Ramirez 2CWE and a Taylor 810CE. Occasionally, I will use an Ovation 12 string. These guitars are mic'd using AKG or Rode mics.

02 How long have you been playing the guitar?

20 plus years!

03 Are you self taught or did you have professional training?

Both. From the ages of 8 to 10, I taught myself. From the ages of 11 to 14, I took  private lessons from two different individuals. Most of my teaching was with Rich Sumner, a very accomplished player, who opened my eyes to many different styles of music and guitar playing techniques. After 3 years of formal lessons, I continued to learn on my own. I'm still learning today.

04 Do you use a pick or your fingers?

Both. On classical songs I use my fingers. On all of my rhythm tracks on my CDs, I use my fingers. For the majority of my lead playing, I use a pick.

05 Who are some of your guitar influences or favorite players?

Paco De Lucia, Jimi Hendrix, Allan Holdsworth, Al Dimeola, Michael Hedges, Pat Metheny, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, Eric Clapton, John McLaughlin, Django Reinhardt & Robby Longley

06 Where are you from?

I've lived in Southern California my whole life.

07 What is that box that your percussionists play?

It is called the "Cajon"...which means box in Spanish. It was first used in Peru by the working slaves that didn't have instruments or drums, so they created hollowed out boxes with a hole added. Other countries started to appreciate this drum, including Cuba and Spain. In Spain, they added strings or snare wires to give it a snap or snare like sound. It is now a very popular drum for Flamenco music. It's basically a drumset in a box. Hitting the center gets a bassy sound and hitting the top or sides gets a brighter/tight snare like sound. It blends very well with acoustic guitars.