Andy Timmons

He’s one of the most powerful guitarists working today, with a soaring, soulfully expressive style that many believe places him among the greatest players ever. We talk to a modest master about technique and tone…

- David Mead & Jamie Dickson

Andy Timmons is one of those guitarists who leaves other great players just shaking their heads. A hero of the late-80s shred revolution, Timmons’ playing has matured like a fine wine into a poised but formidable blend of virtuosity and pure, headlong self expression. He can ‘do’ flights of technical virtuosity but generally prefers to keep his powder dry until the perfect moment to let fly, tapping into gutsy emotion and free flowing ideas in a deeply instinctive way that at times recalls Jeff Beck’s approach but remains wholly his own voice. So what’s the secret? On the phone to his home in Texas, we caught Andy in the middle of his practice routine, which was an ideal time to talk about how he continues to hone his remarkable technique and the tonally nuanced gear he uses live and in the studio.

“I’m still recovering from a couple of weeks in south-east Asia,” Andy admits. “We released a new record [Theme From A Perfect World ] a couple of months ago and so we did about a three-week run in the States, had a week off and then went to south-east Asia and so we did Taiwan, Korea, China, Hong Kong and four nights in Tokyo – just long enough to get totally screwed up time-wise! So I’m just getting a practice routine going, y’know?”