Blood Ruby started in 2001 as a long-distance collaboration between Tom Wall and singer/lyricist Cynthia Conrad. A year later Wall moved to Connecticut and they began working in the studio. In 2002 Margaret Browning filled out the line up and the band remains a trio.

The band's first CD, Little Creatures will be released very soon and they have already begun work on release number two.

"We are first and foremost a studio band. There are often 16 tracks on any given song, with Margaret and myself handling most of the instrumental duties," says Wall. "We both play guitar, bass, and keyboards. Cynthia does most of the vocals with Margaret doing lead vox on a few songs and backing vox on many others."

Wall also told Gearwire that he has over 30 guitars. We thought that was as good a place as any to start the interview.

Why 30 guitars? Is this obsessive compulsiveness or is the a reason you can define?

Well, perhaps a little bit of OCD but mainly I am a collector. Also, there are more than 30 guitars between the three of us (Margaret has three basses, three electrics, and one acoustic.

Cynthia has two electrics, three acoustics, and a bass. Some of these I bought for them as birthday or Xmas presents.)

As for myself, I started playing guitar about 30 years ago and always kept one or two guitars around. Then I went through a phase where I had none (God forbid) and only keyboards. I started to get back into guitar about 1999 and I went out a bought a new Godin Radiator, which I still use. Since then I seem to have acquired a few more guitars every year. I like collecting re-issues of funky 60s guitars (although surprisingly I don't own any Eastwood guitars). Most of them were bought New or New Old Stock at cheap prices on Ebay. Many are Korean made. While some are fairly "rare" I do not have any super valuable collector guitars like vintage Strats.

I like having them around to use on different songs and I keep many of them hanging on the wall in our studio so I see them as works of art in their own way as well. Just in the last year I've stopped buying, but I will continue to add to the collection. I'm also kind of a techie so I enjoy setting them up, re-stringing them, and keeping them looking new.

If you had to get rid of all but one which one would you pick?

That's a hard question since I have no "main" guitar or any that have a sentimental value. If I HAD to pick one guitar, I suppose it would be my Reverend Slingshot since it is very versatile and easy to play. For basses however, you would have to kill me to part with my Iceni Zootbass Performer, which is a custom made British instrument, a really beautifully made bass that plays like a dream.

Is there another guitar you have your eye on?

When I have some serious funds available, I may buy a Vigier Excalibur Indus. I've played some of their guitars in shops and I really love the playability and workmanship. And the Indus model is extra cool because of it's industrial textured finish. Also, last summer I bought Margaret a guitar from Fury Guitars in Canada. Her's is the Bandit model and is similar to a Telecaster. Fury has been around for about 30 years but are almost completely unknown in the states. The build quality, tone, looks, and stability of this guitar is as good as ANYTHING I have ever played. But alas, Margaret is a lefty and I am a righty so I cannot "borrow" it! So I may be buying a guitar for myself from Fury as well.