Cloud Guitar is a technique I employ wherein the notes hang in the air like clouds. They have no discernable beginning or end, and they drift with the current of the music. Usually I prefer these clouds to waft in the context of other more rhythmically grounded material, thus making their presence even more cloud-like, though sometimes I've been known to just exist in that space...

How On Earth (or anywhere else) do you do that?

It's a series of manipulations, mostly involving echoes, that allow the notes to hang like that. I often make use of volume pedal swells to alter the attack. The specifics of the processors can be found on this page.

What's with the whammy bar thing?

Yeah, I tend to abuse it a bit. It started back in the 70s when I was totally into prog rock. I loved Happy The Man's keyboardist Kit Watkins, and really liked the way he used his mod wheels on the mini moog. I really wanted to be a keyboardist, but guitar was my calling! Then, Steve Hackett began ripping it up on a strat (Check out his first couple post-genesis recordings for examples...) and I thought, aha! Later, I began to do the Holdsworth thing, where I'd push the bar up, with it facing the back. But finally, David Torn suggested that I lock it in the normal position and pull up. From there, it just kinda took off. And, yeah, thanks to Torn, I'm was using a Trans Trem on the Klein, so that I can take chords and pull 'em up in tune! Now I'm back to the PRS, so the chordal thing doesn't happen.

Where'd you get that weird approach to guitar playing?

Jeff Beck. David Torn. Terje Rypdal. Steve Hackett. Steve Tibetts. Robert Fripp. Wayne Krantz. Randy Roos. Steve Hillage.

Guitars: PRS Experience 2010 Custom 24, PRS Ltd Edition Custom 22 Semi-hollow, PRS Custom 22. A PRS SE Custom fitted with a MIDI pickup was used on the demos for Dance of the Shadow Planets. Takamine 12-String also made an appearance on Boonyi.

Amplifiers: Mesa Boogie Mark V. Lab Series L-5.

Effects: Lexicon JamMan (2), MPX-1, How they're employed is my secret!

On the Floor: Moogerfooger Ring Mod, Carl Martin Compressor, Mesa Boogie V-twin, Boss DD-7. Ernie Ball Volume Pedal, and various controllers for the rack stuff...

Picks: Brasilian agate picks from Picks and Stones.