Weekly Interview 3/11/19: Brandon “Taz” Niederauer

Brandon “Taz” Niederauer
tazguitar.com
@brandonniederauer
@NiederauerMusic

How long have you been a musician? How did you get into it in the first place?

I have been playing guitar since I was eight years old. I became fascinated with my father’s album and video collection and was listening to The Allman Brothers and other guitar and jazz music. When I went to my first concert at eight, I knew I wanted to play.

Who have been some of your major musical influences, past or present?

There are so many. All of the past blues players like Muddy Waters, Howling Wolf, BB King etc were big influences. Also, Hendrix, SRV, Santana, Miles Davis and Duane Allman. More recent and current players such as Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Jimmy Herring, John McLaughlin, Frank Zappa and John Mayer have all influenced me. But the late Colonel Bruce Hampton is the one I learned the most from. I miss him very much.

What drew you to using pedals initially? Have you been using them throughout your playing career? H have pedals helped to shape your sound, or influence the style that you’ve created?

I always liked the way the pedal affects the sound. I have always used them when needed. I think the first one I bought was a Boss Blues Driver. I like the way pedals can combine to create beautiful sounds. However it can be an endless search so I have to be disciplined. It is all about tone. But tone is eighty percent or more in your hands and fingers. The pedals help you cut through the rest of the instrumentation and effect pedals change the mood. I have learned to back off of the very heavy distortion because I found that it destroys my tone and blocks my expression. Some music needs that heavy distortion and that’s fine, but I now play cleaner now with more sustain.

What’s your current setup look like? Take us through your pedal rig (feel free to include amps and instruments as well if you’d like):

I have a very simple set up. I use a Peterson Strobe Tuner > Dunlop Cry Baby Wah > Analog Man Compressor > Analog Man King of Tone > Vintage early 80’s Ibanez 808 Tube Screamer > Vintage early 70’s MXR Phase 90 > Analog Man ADRX20 Dual Delay > Ernie Ball Volume Pedal. I use Dunlop Gator 1.5mm guitar pics and DR Pure Blues strings mostly 10 gauge. I sometimes use a vintage Ross Phaser and an Eventide H9 multi effect pedal. I play thru a Homestead Amplifier or a Vintage Fender Vibrolux amplifier. I am now primarily playing my D’Angelico Atlantic Delux signiture guitar available in stores and online in April.

Favorite type of pedal (drive, delay, fuzz, etc. – more than one answer is always acceptable!):

I love the sound of my King of Tone into the 808 tube screamer!

You’re stranded on a desert island – which three (3) of the following do you want to have?

Instruments: My own signature D’Angelico Deluxe Atlantic
Amps: Fender Vibrolux mid 60’s Black Face
Pedals: Analog Man King of Tone

What’s up next for you/your band(s)?

We are constantly touring and playing festivals. My set is now all original music with a few covers. We are in the studio recording as well. I have a great Booking Agency and Management Team

The Klon hype: Love it or Hate it?

How can you hate a Klon…except for the price of the original ones.

Any last comments, promos or anything you’d like to talk about?

I really appreciate all of the musicians that have helped me learn and get me to this point. Now my writing and musical vision is carving out my direction. I am fifteen years old but I have had a great start thanks to hard work, open ears and strong mentoring. I also would like to thank my fans and live music lovers. I hope I can bring happiness and joy to people who come and listen to my music and attend my shows.

Thanks so much to Taz for taking the time to answer some questions! Make sure to go check out tazguitar.com, and check his tour page to see when he’s headed to a town near you! Cheers!