John Kopecky
A Guitarist for all Seasons
Equipment
John owns a number of instruments, amplifiers, and accessories
to ensure a professional sound for any event. These are what he normally uses:
Solo Guitar - John uses a Takamine EC-132c for solo performances.
This classic classical dates back to the 1970s , complete with "ancient" electronics
. Funny how sometimes the old technology sounds better
than the new.
Jazz Guitar - For jazz dates, John normally relies on his Ibanez GB-10 George Benson Model.
This guitar was designed with input from the great guitarist
to get the full bodied sound of a traditional big box without
the feedback issues inherent in jazz guitar design. For more
intimate venues, John might break out a more traditional jazz
box.
Blues/Rock Guitar - When the going gets wet and wild and
excitement runs high, John pulls out either his Mary Kaye style Stratocaster or his PRS Artist
(pictured to the right). The
Strat faithfully recreate the classic blues sounds like Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Buddy Guy, and others, whereas the PRS has the fatter sound associated with
the dual coil humbuckers and is great for most classic rock.
Amplifiers - For solo performances, John uses a Roland AC-33,
which is a compact amplifier specifically designed for acoustic
guitar. Not only does the AC-33 have a rich full sound, it can be operated using batteries,
especially handy for remote outdoor events like a wedding
ceremony at the top of Mt. Whitney. For electric
performances, John uses a Roland Cube 60 which has built in amplifier modeling. This
feature enables the amplifier to sound like various classic amps
like Fender, Marshall, Mesa Boogie, and others. Plus it has a great clean sound and plenty of power for most venues.
Sound Reinforcement - When more sound is needed for larger venues, John brings along his Carvin 450 watt 12" powered speaker with
a built-in horn which provides great
undistorted sound coverage over a large area.
Effects - John usually uses a looper for a few songs during solo
performances. The looper instaneously records and plays back a guitar part, enabling John to play another part on top of what's
just been recorded live. As far as
other accessories, John doesn't believe in the use of a lot of effects, preferring to achieve a particular sound through the guitar/amp combination and
technique. He does however have a couple of effects boxes, including a guitar synthesizer which can be used to replicate
the sound of almost any instrument.
@2015 - John Kopecky