artists » Carl Verheyen “Trading Axes”

Updated: July 22, 2009

Check out Carl’s new Alfred instructional DVD, “Carl Verheyen: Forward Motion - Advancing on the Electric Guitar”.

As one of the most in-demand session players, Carl Verheyen’s playing is heard daily by millions. Carl has also shared his playing style in various books and instructional DVDs. 

With a near universal respect from other musicians, Carl rose to public prominence as a member of SUPERTRAMP and now continues to keep busy with session work, and still finds time for the Carl Verheyen Band, whose most recent release, Take One Step, was released last year. Carl has long been a fan of VOX amplifiers, and has recently been using

his VOX Virage guitar. According to Carl, the Virage was used on numerous segments of the upcoming STAR TREK XI movie. Carl recently made time in his busy schedule to take a few questions from us.

VOX:  When did you begin your life journey as a musician?

CV: I started playing guitar in April of 1965 and never looked back. I made my first commercial recording under my own name in 1988, and I’m working on #10 right now. I guess you could say I’ve done everything you can do in the music business with the guitar!

VOX:  You’ve performed in several bands, including the legendary Supertramp and your own Carl Verheyen Band. Have those experiences with different acts helped to develop you as a player?

CV: With Supertramp, the catalog of songs is so wonderful you just have to step on stage and the music has a built in reaction that people experience. I just have to play the first 2 chords of “Give a Little Bit” and they’re on their feet. In my own band the music is much less familiar. We go into a new town and have to win them over by our musicianship, attitude and on stage vibe. My goal is to make that happen by the end of the first song.

VOX:  What can we expect from you next?

CV: I’m making a new CD right now called Trading 8s where I’ve got a number of my favorite guitarists literally trading eight and sixteen bar phrases, as well as entire solos with me.  I also have a new instructional DVD coming out in January [2009] called Forward Motion.  It takes up where Intervallic Rock Guitar leaves off.

VOX:  Do any recent gigs stand out for you?

CV: I played with my band in the Canary Islands last June. We’ve never played there, so the expectations were not very high, but we played in the very same theater where Elvis Costello had played the week before and sold it out. It’s off the coast of Africa out in the middle of the Atlantic, but a part of Spain, so the culture is a curious blend of Moroccan and Spanish.

VOX:  You’ve been playing with a VOX Virage lately, please describe that. Any favorite features?

CV: I’ve been getting some very different tones out of the pickup combinations. The neck is nice, too. Overall I feel it’s a high quality instrument that fits nicely into my arsenal of sounds.

VOX: What do you feel separates the Virage the most from other guitars?

CV: The neck joint is simply beautiful. It allows fluid and easy access to the 17th fret and since many of my lines are extremely “range-y” I experience no inhibition sailing up to the high registers. The frets are very high quality, too. It’s comfortable!  I like a guitar that sits out on your body when you’re practicing sitting down, and yet maintains that comfort level when you stand up.

VOX:  Are you using any other VOX products?

CV: I feel like VOX has been a big part of my sound since around 1985 when I got my first AC30. I remember trying out a 1964 Top Boost in a music store, deciding I had to own it, running off to the bank to get the money and coming back only to find Tom Petty trying to buy it!  But the store owner told Tom that they’d promised it to this Verheyen kid and right then I showed up with the money. Before long I had a second one of the same vintage. Then I bought two more in Europe for my tours over there. I guess you could call me a card carrying member!

VOX:  You mentioned you are working on some new projects. When should we start looking for them?

CV: The new CD will be out by March of ‘09… and the DVD comes out in January. I used the Virage and both of my AC30s on the CD. I also used one AC30 on the DVD.

Thanks, Carl!

Be sure to check out his newest release, Trading 8s, and find out more on Carl at www.carlverheyen.com!

By Evan O’Brien and Malcolm Doak