My Zen Guitar Moment

My Zen Guitar Moment

How Smit's handmade guitar pickups helped create Zen.

A few years after discovering "Zen Blues Harmonica" I was given the great opportunity to join a band by the provocative name of "Bald Kitty". Bald Kitty featured a smoking hot lead singer (Kat). The rest of the band were all experienced musicians that played in Orchid Pool on weekends. Bald Kitty was a weeknight band that was more laid back. It was formed to serve as a crucible for creativity, perfect for creating Zen moments.

My Zen harp epiphany had opened the door for me to join Bald Kitty. But like many other musicians, I also played other instruments. Not as well as harp, but well enough to contribute and learn. All in the band shared with me music, knowledge, and love.

Originally brought in to play keyboards, I found myself playing guitar. I had always dreamt the rock star dream, but I really knew that installing a set of handmade guitar pickups into my old Fernandez was foolish. There were many better players out there. Many who could justify installing a pair of handmade guitar pickups. I didn't think I could.

One of my favorite Zen sayings is that "Talking about Zen is like the hand pointing to the moon. The hand is not the moon." To find the moon, one must go beyond the words. Of course, some preparation is important. Can you find the moon on a bright sunny day? No. Zen moments require the proper setting and preparation.

Little did I know that handmade guitar pickups would contribute to this setting. Handmade pickups are different than commercial pickups. Not just in the intangible sense that they are handmade with care and craftsmanship. But handmade pickups are scatterwound. Ever drive down a road with very regular bumps and have to change speeds? I figure that's what a nice regular pattern can do to tone. Scatterwound pickups are more random. They respond to all frequencies for a more even, fatter tone.

So why doesn't everyone play scatterwound pickups? Because they are only available handmade. Making handmade pickups requires experience, patience, skill, and knowledge.

So, back to my story. Bald Kitty was more than the sum of its parts. There was no jealousy. We all knew Kat fronted the band and she was very good at it. Kat in turn made sure everyone got a little piece of the spotlight.

One night we were playing to a dead crowd. No applause. No enthusiasm. In the second set, Kat suggested I sing one of the two songs I sang with the band, For What It's Worth (Buffalo Springfield). We had played it many times, but tonight was different.

Dan, the drummer, laid down a groove as usual. Slow, steady, solid. I strummed my cowboy chords and sang. Wondering if I was a fool for imitating a guitar player with my seafoam green axe and handmade pickups. Then at the end of the first verse, Dan added to the groove while maintaining the tempo. We never had played it this way before. But in the moment, it was perfect. Zen.

Now let me try to separate left brain thought from "Zen brain" thought.

Left brain: I hope the audience likes the tone of these handmade pickups. ---- Zen brain: Cool drum licks

Left brain: I have to learn to play more notes per second. --- Zen brain: [smile]

Left brain: All I can play are cowboy chords. --- Zen brain: [strum]

Like the hand pointing at the moon, that's about the best I can do. Mike, on guitar started to lay down some solo fills. Nice long sustained notes with some wah. I played rhythm, with handmade pickup tone filling it out. Everything was sounding good. Drums. Handmade pickups. Micky on bass. Kat joining in on backup vocals.

Every verse built energy. By the last verse I was strumming double time, the leads were cranking, we had harmony going, the drums were rockin'. We'd brought the volume up. The verses ended and Mike took us out on lead guitar.

Then a lady stood up on her chair and yelled "That F_______ Rocked!" And it had. Zen.

I know I don't sing as well as Kat. I certainly don't have the vocal range. My guitar chops are as basic as they get. But it happened. Zen.

Naturally, I soon experienced the next lesson in Zen. That if you try to force it, you don't find it. Like grabbing the hand pointing at the moon and shaking it really really hard. It gets you no closer to the moon.

I feel fortunate to have experienced such a Zen moment in my life. I live for such moments.

Would I have had that moment without handmade pickups? Who knows. Would I have had that moment if Kevin Smith didn't happen to be one of my best friends? Who knows. Not only did he teach me how to play guitar, but he makes some of the best handmade pickups you can get.

How else would a harmonica player wind up with handmade pickups in his axe?

-Brian Kelly