Podcast 46: Seymour Duncan

"My days are very busy," pickup maker Seymour Duncan says with a
laugh. It's no understatement. In addition to running one of the
largest pickup companies in the musical instrument industry,
Duncan is also serious about photography, the prehistoric art of
flint knapping (he's on the board of the Stone Age Institute)
and, of course, playing guitar. In addition, he still winds
pickups for celebrities and average joes alike.


Duncan has just released his first album on iTunes, simply
called Seymour. It's an homage to some of his favorite
guitarists and musicians over the years. "Whipped Cream" is his
take on the tones of Eric Clapton; "Rincon Point" is a surf
track; "Ice Pickin'" is for Albert Collins; "Mood for Jeff" is
dedicated to Jeff Beck... and so forth.


The album came about after Duncan purchased and began
experimenting with a Pro Tools rig. When friends in the industry
started to hear about his recordings, they sent Duncan additional
gear and software. Eventually, with producer Doug Scott, he
recorded around 30 tracks. Half of those made it on the 14-track
album. "It just turned out really incredible," he says. "It's a
very eclectic CD." 


In this week's podcast, we hear more from Duncan about the album,
his favorite artists over the years, those early days he spent at
the Fender Sound House in London working alongside rock stars and
more. It's a 45 minute talk with one of the guitar industry's
living legends.