Artist Spotlight :: Jeff Rutter

Bio

I am a self-taught multi-instrumentalist and vocalist of over 40 years. I primarily play guitar, bass, and sing, with the keyboards and drums being secondary instruments when writing my own music. I've recently been learning studio and live sound engineering as well as some video editing by reading articles on the subjects and watching YouTube videos. I've finished recording and am currently mixing a 5-song EP demo of original songs, and by doing all this myself, I've discovered my hidden "producer" talents as well, lol.

I've always loved music, even before I knew I loved music.

I'm really not much of a "gear" guy, but when I find something that simplifies my rig setup, like your looms will do for me, I have no problems trying them out.

What/Who inspired you to pick up your instrument?

I don't remember the year, but in the mid 1970's, I had discovered the Electric Light Orchestra. I think they were my first band crush, lol. A couple of years later, during a showing of (I think it was) Don Kirshner's Rock Concerts on TV, ELO was the band playing live that night. If you're familiar with ELO, during the tour for their album "Out of the Blue," they used to have a big spaceship that would descend onto the stage, and then a ramp would lower, and the band would walk down the ramp onto the stage. Well, being an ELO fan AND a big space fan also (I think I was 10 or 11 at the time), seeing that was huge to me. While the band was walking down that ramp to the stage, I said it out loud: "That's what I want to do", meaning I wanted to be a musician. It's really only a coincidence that 40-plus years later I would be in an Electric Light Orchestra Tribute band, lol.

What piece of musical advice would you give yourself if you could go back in time to the beginning of your musical journey?

Don't waste time on the things that will distract you from achieving your goals. Prioritize! Find out what's important and what can wait within reason, of course. If I had made a solid plan at the beginning, I might already have been an occupational career musician all this time. But I have no regrets. It's never too late to try, and I'm not looking to be the next biggest and brightest. Just enough to do what I love to do and not have to punch a daily time clock anymore.

What keeps you excited about playing?

The music itself. I am the guitarist, vocalist, sound guy who owns/loads/hauls/unloads/sets up/runs it/tears it down/loads and unloads the PA system for The Low Budget Band (my bass player helps at the end of the night though). I've been doing that now for about 5 years, and though there are times I dread lugging all that stuff around, once it's set up and we're onstage playing, I get lost in what the music does. Suddenly it's all worth it.

Desert Island 3 pedal pedalboard (not including tuner)

I've been using multi-effects pedal units for about the last 30 years or so (Digitech RP-7 valve and now the Boss ME-80). But if I had to go with individual pedals, my 3 would be Distortion, Chorus, and Delay. Those 3 sounds are my base setup even on the multi-effects pedals. Distortion because I'm a big Prog Rock/Prog Metal guy. Chorus, because let's face it, clean sounds are just awesome with a little bit of Chorus. And not many people like a dry lead sound, so delay it is.

When you find yourself in a musical rut, what techniques do you use to break out of it?

I only have one technique: Time! I've found that not rushing anything (writing, practicing, learning, etc) is the key. Take the time to analyze and compartmentalize the situation and allow yourself to think about it for a few days. Some of the best answers come to me when I allow myself not to think so much about what I'm stuck on.

Who is your favorite artist/band today? And who was your favorite artist/band 10 years ago?

Today - Threshold (and still Dream Theater)

10 years ago - Dream Theater

I don't take many conventional approaches to writing original songs. I will write a guitar riff and record that on whatever is available at the time (today it's my phone, 30 years ago it was a tape recorder), but it's hard to tell if my idea works only hearing the one instrument. Shortly before I acquired all my recording software, I discovered the band Threshold. While listening to some of their songs, I heard similar motifs like things I've written in the past (not exact riffs or anything, but the idea of where to take the song the same way I've written stuff before). Hearing those concepts with other instruments showed me that my ideas could work. I like Dream Theater because their music is just so different from everything, lol.

When you find yourself in a music store, what is your go-to riff when test-driving gear?

Honestly, and this will be my shortest answer, whatever I'm thinking of at that moment.

What is your most prized/cherished piece of gear? And why?

A 1983 Peavey Mystic Guitar. It's special because it was my first real guitar and I won it as a door prize in 1985 ... 2 years after they stopped producing them. It's a very rare guitar, and even some people I've spoken with at Peavey are surprised, lol.

What is the next big musical purchase you're hoping to save for?

I've purchased just about everything I've needed as far as the big stuff goes, so for now I'm good.

Gear Breakdown

Generally, I use (3) 20' cables between my pedal (Boss ME-80) and my power amp. Two go from the pedal to the power amp, and one goes from the guitar input on the pedal to a wireless receiver on my speaker cabinet. I'll run those 3 cables either on my left or right, depending on the stage situation. I'm always velcro-tying the cables together on stage for obvious safety reasons as well as keeping the area clean. Your loom is not only going to make crossing the stage for others safer, but this will also help reduce my setup/teardown time as well. I just bought a 25-foot radar olive green 3-cable TRS loom. I'll be looking into getting a 2-cable XLR loom soon, too.

Bands / Projects

Social Links

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