New Jersey’s Via Ripa shares with us their favourite musical toys, from tuners to telecasters and what not to do
Via Ripa are the quintessential Jersey-Shore indie-rockers, drawing inspiration from Paul Simon and Foo Fighters to our very own King Gizzard and the Lizard Wizard.
Effortlessly cool and refreshingly nostalgic, there’s a certain zest in Via Ripa that can’t be replicated.
Through experimentation and genre-bending, Via Ripa has emerged as a rising band in the indie-rock scene, with a DIY approach that sees them layering raw lyrics on an alt-rock, pseudo-surf sound.
Celebrating the release of their latest album Homemade Frame, Via Ripa sat down with Happy to discuss each of their favourite bits of gear that help make their music come to life.
Sean – PEDAL TUNER
Gear is expensive, and there’s a lot to choose from. As a musician, I think the hardest part of choosing gear is separating what you need from what you want, and then trying not to spend all your money.
That’s why my favourite and most essential piece of gear is my pedal tuner – it’s always there for me, and never fails to keep my bass sounding great. Sure, my Big Muff gives me great dirty tones, and the Markbass mini is always there to shake some stomachs, but my tuner keeps me honest and humble.
It guides me throughout each gig, as my compass on the journey towards the golden sound, which is what I call when the band manages to stay in tune the whole night. I actually think it’s the most important piece of gear any musician can have, so if you’re reading this as someone just starting out, stop looking at the hollowbody 12 string and BUY A TUNER.
Matt – WALRUS SLO
Like any guitar player out there, I’ve lied to myself over and over again when I say “Okay, my pedal board is done”. Who am I kidding, I’m sure I’ll find some new overdrive clone or tri-chorus-flanger-tremolo hybrid monster, but I cannot do a gig or rehearsal without the Walrus Slo.
Long ambient modulating tails with screaming guitar leads just scratches that itch. Pairing it with a wah pedal creates interesting and unique textures that keep us excited about the music we write. The sustain function on it helps to lay a foundation for some extended jams.
I keep mine in the Dream setting with lots of Decay and Depth so that single notes pack a punch that leave a mark. Best feeling during writing or rehearsing has to be seeing everyone perk up because of the actual waves of sound that flood the room and wash over everyone thanks to this stompbox. Shoutouts Walrus Audio, y’all are sick.
Nick – MEINL BYZANCE BIG APPLE JAZZ RIDE
When I first got my hands on the Big Apple Jazz Ride from Meinl, I was only about 16 years old and had been playing the drums for around 8 years.
I had a VERY heavy hand, only having played on thicker B8s prior, so when I opened the package to my first Meinl cymbal, placed it on its stand and played it for the first time, I was shocked to find that the way this cymbal washed out made it impossible for me to make it sound like all those Mycymbal.com videos I had seen on YouTube.
That’s when it occurred to me: I needed to get good with my time, my touch, and my ability to identify the sweet spot of the cymbal to make it sound the way I swore it could.
I worked it into my practice routine for years, playing different swing patterns to a metronome until I could make out that beautiful, warm tone with all of the stick definition I knew I could get out of it.
It took time, but ever since then this cymbal has been a consistent part of my setup, and something I will never compromise on, as it is to this day one of the most versatile and best feeling cymbals I have ever played, and is intrinsically linked to my own personal sound.
Moral of the story is, it’s not the gear that makes the player but the player who makes the gear. Also, Meinl should sponsor me.
Mike – FENDER TELECASTER
I don’t really have any piece of gear that I love. As a matter of fact I hate most of it because nothing works properly and I have a constant buzzing that comes from my pedal board. I think it’s trying to talk to me in binary code, but I don’t speak that.
Maybe if I spent hours in the library learning the native tongue of my pedal board, I could figure out what’s wrong with it, but alas. The only thing that doesn’t drive me insane is my guitar. There’s really nothing special about it, but it makes me feel special.
It’s just a Mexican Fender Telecaster, but she certainly gets the job done. I definitely feel the most comfortable with a tele and I can’t really see myself playing anything else, mainly because I don’t look in a mirror when I play.
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