Gibson SGX Through Laney Toni Iommi Amps With Frank Santamaria Of Hazel Witch
Committed to his Gibson SGX (and his other two SG's at home) and Laney amplification, it's not a far stretch to say that Nelson Santamaria of Hazel Witch might rock out to Sabbath. In this video, Nelson talks to Patrick Ogle about why he uses the gear he does and what mods have been made to his SGX to get it to sound like it does.
Stay tuned to Gearwire for more On The Road with Patrick Ogle.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Nelson Santamaria. I'm the guitarist in the band, Hazel Witch.
PATRICK OGLE: And I noticed you play an SG.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah.
PATRICK OGLE: You know, what year is your SG?
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Well, that particular one is an SGX made in '97.
PATRICK OGLE: Why do you play the SG?
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Well, that particular one because of the fast neck and just the overall sustain on the guitar, and the look.
PATRICK OGLE: Is that a single pickup?
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah.
PATRICK OGLE: Single coil? Humbucker?
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah, because the humbuckers I have on there are modified, so I use the volume knob for swells like in a volume.
PATRICK OGLE: Okay.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: So yeah. That's what I'm using.
PATRICK OGLE: And I saw that you brought in your amp.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah. That's actually --
PATRICK OGLE: So, you got a Fender cabinet and a Laney head?
NELSON SANTAMARIA: No, no. Actually, I had a Marshall amp [OVERLAPPING]
PATRICK OGLE: I'm sorry, a Marshall cabinet and a Laney head. I'm sorry.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah. I borrowed it from a friend. What is the?
HAZEL WITCH BAND MEMBER: Dirty DNA.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah, Dirty DNA. Thanks, whatever your --
PATRICK OGLE: So, that was their?
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah. That's his Marshall cabinet and a Laney Tony Iommi Series.
PATRICK OGLE: Is that your Laney head though?
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah. That's my Laney. Yeah.
PATRICK OGLE: [OVERLAPPING]
NELSON SANTAMARIA: I use all Laney. That's all I need.
PATRICK OGLE: All Laney? But you still use the Marshall cabinets or do you use the Laney cabinets.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yes. I have the matching cabinets...
PATRICK OGLE: Okay.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: ...for it. [OVERLAPPING]
PATRICK OGLE: So, why did you pick that amp? I mean it's a really -- it's a raw.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Oh because of just the heaviness of it and it's just versatile for me and it lasted me so many years. It's been on the road.
PATRICK OGLE: You find that it gets a clean sound in like a rock setting though?
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah, well yeah you can. I mean that's more of the pickups more than the amp though. The way that you have your guitar set up and the way I have it set up, it does a beautiful job, really good job.
PATRICK OGLE: I take that you have more than one guitar obviously.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Actually, I have three SGs. This one now inside is just the modified one. The other two are just more for studio like, you know, before I use them in the studio I take them out once.
PATRICK OGLE: You don't want to take them out and get them banged up?
NELSON SANTAMARIA: No. It's more for studio work so I have that one and that's what I use now. And as far as equipment, pedals, I have a Boss Chorus C-5, a JH-1 Jimi Hendrix Wah, DL4 Line 6 Delay.
PATRICK OGLE: The Line 6 stuff seems to be what a lot of people use for a lot of in-studio.
NELSON SANTAMARIA: Yeah. Actually it has -- It's very versatile and it's very quick to dial your sound, so that's what I use.
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