artists » Gannin Arnold

“This is Gannin Arnold – loving the AC15CC1. Sounds amazing. Great distortion, great clean sound. Blends well with my AC30. I love the amp – can’t say enough good things about it.” Gannin Arnold definitely adores his VOX amplifiers, but it’s not just the amps that have enabled him to play guitar on tour with Joe Walsh, Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders, and The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex…it’s also his amazing skills and personality.

Ever since he was a child, Gannin knew that he wanted to play the guitar. “I’ve always been interested in music…guitar was the thing to do,” he says. Starting out by taking lessons with Adam St. James, Gannin was exposed to such famous guitarists as Larry Carlton, Allan Holdsworth, and Jeff Beck. He notes, “Adam showed me Jeff Beck, and that’s really what got me goin’ on the guitar. Jeff Beck was my biggest influence for sure.”

Gannin is an extremely accomplished guitarist, not only in rock, but in jazz and jazz-fusion as well. He passes down this knowledge by giving guitar lessons. His ability, coupled with his friendly demeanor, makes him a great mentor to any student. Learning from his own teachers, Adam St. James and later, Scott Henderson, Gannin is patient and makes learning fun for his students. “When I teach students, I similarly try to make them excited about guitar.”

Another educational endeavor Gannin is associated with is a program called Camp Rock at Saddleback School Of Music and Arts. This allows kids to get together and play their instruments in band scenarios. “Camp Rock is really great, because it brings kids together that normally wouldn’t get the chance to jam as a group. It gets them all in one room … kids who have played guitar for a while can go into these band situations and jam on ‘Smoke on the Water’ for a while …I think that’s really valuable, because they don’t really get a chance to play in groups outside of the camp. They just learn how to play in their bedroom, and they don’t see the value in how to use it outside of that. Camp Rock is a great idea.”

Gannin Arnold is a member of a trio of bands and has also contributed to Jeff Berlin’s latest CD, Aneurythms. Gannin’s involvement in The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex began when Gannin’s friend, Billy Mohler, was jamming with Jimmy Chamberlin, the drummer for the Smashing Pumpkins. He says, “I did a rehearsal with them, and it sounded great. We did it as a trio…and it just clicked. We really play well together.” The Jimmy Chamberlin Complex has one release entitled, Life Begins Again on Sanctuary Records.

Gannin also lends his talents to Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders. Introduced to the Foo Fighters drummer through a friend, Gannin and Taylor hit it off in the recording studio. “He invited me over to his house to kind of jam, and we got along and everything was cool. And one day we were doing an improvisation recording, nothing serious, but we really liked the way it sounded. Then, the first planned recording we did was a song called ‘Louise,’ which is the first song on the CD. We were really happy with the way it came out. Things kind of went from there. That whole album was done with small amps. We didn’t use any big amps. The main amp I used on there was the VOX Pathfinder. That’s on the whole record…I love the Pathfinder. That thing records so amazingly. It’s kind of like a little secret within the guitar community of all the guys that are using that thing.” Be sure to pick up a copy of Taylor Hawkins & The Coattail Riders self-titled debut to hear the VOX Pathfinder scream!

When he’s not rocking his AC15 and AC30 Custom Classic amps, or Pathfinder in the studio, Gannin’s VOX amps are being put to good use on tour with legendary Joe Walsh of The Eagles. Gannin says, “Joe and I started talking and writing a tune together. Then we did a gig together at a place called Belly Up and it went really well. I guess Joe liked the band so much, he wanted to take it on tour. So I got lucky and now I’m doing the whole run. It’s really awesome to be playing with Joe Walsh, he’s definitely one of my favorite guitarists. This is one of my favorite gigs, for sure.”

Whether it’s on the road or in the studio, Gannin always has his VOX gear with him. “For most gigs, I like to keep it simple. With Jimmy Chamberlin, I use the VOX AC30CC2X. With Taylor and the Coattail Riders, I use the AC30 and Pathfinder. With Joe Walsh, I use the AC15CC1X.”

Gannin is also putting out an instrumental CD set to drop this December with guests such as Jimmy Chamberlin, Taylor Hawkins, and many others! For more information about the CD and Gannin Arnold’s guitar chops, head on over to his myspace page at www.myspace.com/ganfu

By Matt Giella and Evan O’Brien