artists » Pete Anderson

“I used to have a vintage AC30 with top boost which was an absolutely terrific and toneful amp. With the new AC30CC, it’s as if VOX asked every AC30 player what features they’d like to have in their AC30 and built it in. It’s an amazing tool for guitar players. It has all of the modern conveniences that every guitar player needs, while still having that distinct AC30 sound. It sounds incredible!” This quote comes from none other than guitarist, producer, songwriter and tone connoisseur, Pete Anderson. Pete has played with, produced or written for an impressive array of artists ranging from Dwight Yoakam and Michelle Shocked to Jackson Browne and Roy Orbison. Pete knows tone

The Detroit born and bred guitarist grew up in a household where country and western music could often be heard. When Pete discovered Elvis, he was inspired to get his first guitar. While Pete loved the instrument, he really became engrossed in playing guitar when he was introduced to the music of Bob Dylan. Pete spent as much time as he could playing guitar, and often worked days and played nights. Then Pete fell in love with the blues and began to meld together all of his musical influences into his own distinct playing style. Pete’s guitar playing proficiency and desire to have a career in music drove him to move to Los Angeles. Pete and his music were ready to progress.

Upon his arrival in L.A., Pete quickly established himself. He became a major figure on the local blues, roots rock and country scenes. His musical skills were now in demand by some of the top artists in the industry. As luck would have it, Pete was introduced to a fellow musician who was looking for a guitarist. His name was Dwight Yoakam. This began a twenty year partnership between the two. Pete was not only responsible for playing guitar with Dwight, but also for producing and shaping his sound. The relationship yielded several hits and accolades.

Pete’s success afforded him the luxury of becoming the captain of his own ship. Pete established Little Dog Records in 1993. This allowed him to sign, produce and promote American roots rock artists and focus on his own solo material as well. Pete explains, “At Little Dog, I’m either producing or executive producing everything, as well as touring to support the artists I’m working with and my own solo efforts. Most recently, I’ve been working in the studio with Curt Kirkwood of the Meat Puppets.” Pete is a busy man.

One thing that has remained constant throughout Pete’s career is his love of the legendary AC30 sound. As he reveals, “I believe that guitars live in the mid range of the frequency spectrum. So does the AC30 Custom Classic. It delivers the sound that every guitar player loves when they plug into this amp. My favorite feature of the new AC30 Custom Classic is the reverb. I like having the extra drive available on the reverb. It sounds very cool and the tone is unmatched. I also really like having the ability to link both the Normal and the Top Boost channels which really thickens the sound up.”

Pete is currently out on the road playing with Little Dog Records recording artist, Moot Davis. “I’m very proud of the Moot Davis record,” he says excitedly. “I’m touring everywhere with him! We’re playing venues where I can meet with players who want to talk about music.” For an insight into his playing techniques, check out Pete’s instructional DVD, Pete Anderson’s Roots Rock Workshop. Pete has also recently released an all instrumental solo album entitled, Daredevil. Keep up with Pete by visiting his website, www.peteanderson.com or www.littledogrecords.com.

By Hugh Gilmartin
Photo by Darren Young