Artist Spotlight :: Mike Imbasciani

Bio

Mike Imbasciani is a young blues/rock guitarist and band leader in SWFL. He has been playing for 20 years since he was five years old and had been playing professionally since he was 11.

His band, "Mike Imbasciani & his BluezRockerz" band is a power trio that performs from Orlando to Naples. Their repertoire consists heavily of early to modern blues from artists such as Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Chuck Berry, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, and Kaleo. Their edgy Bluez-Rock won them the coveted SWFL Blues Society Regional International Blues Challenge "People's Choice Award" in 2019. They also play folk artists Bob Dylan and Arlo Guthrie as well as rockabilly like the Stray Cats.

In 2022, Mike started his Eric Clapton Tribute show called "Simply Clapton," which takes a trip through the music history of Eric Clapton with tunes from his years with the BluesBreakers, Cream, and Derek & the Dominos. It also includes songs from the guitar god's successful solo career from 1973 to the present. They tour across Florida

Mike has played in Nashville (BB King's, Tootsie's), Memphis, Arizona, Atlanta, and across Florida.

What/Who inspired you to pick up your instrument?

Eric Clapton - his tone, style, and ease of playing has always been something I look up to and have strived to achieve.

SRV - his completely different style from Clapton is why I also try to incorporate his sound into mine.

Bob Dylan - from a young age, I always enjoyed his songwriting and storytelling.

Brian Setzer - bringing his rockabilly punk sound into songs from the 50s inspired me to enhance my arranging and incorporate a bunch of different styles and sounds.

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

Learn as much as you can from as many people as you can.

What keeps you excited about playing?

Always meeting new people. Making new stories and hearing about the old stories from older musicians. I've gotten to play some amazing gigs, and I always look forward to the next one.

Desert Island 3 pedal pedalboard (not including tuner)

1: Fulltone OCD - it was the first overdrive pedal I bought, and it has been a staple on every pedalboard I've had!

2. Walrus Audio Warhorn - it's an overdrive, but it's the best boost on top of the OCD.

3. Walrus Audio ARP-87 - if I can only have one effect, I'd choose delay. You can do so much with delay.

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

I go back and listen to early Cream stuff and jam out to blues.

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

Cory Wong & Vulfpeck is my favorite right now.

The Beatles were my favorite ten years ago.

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

Crossroad - cream

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

My 1969 twin reverb. It is the best amp I have ever had. Nothing beats a twin.

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

The Robbie Robertson Last Waltz Fender Custom Shop Signature model Strat.

Gear Breakdown

For my main gigs, I play two Fender Stratocasters. A custom silver sparkle Strat with an upgrading Warmoth 3A flame maple neck, Seymour Duncan pickups that includes a Pearly Gates Humbucker in the bridge. The other Strat is a 2021 Fender Cory Wong signature model. The routing I use for my pedalboard is as follows: Out of my guitar, I use a Shure wireless unit. Hank at Rattlesnake made me special connectors to the transmitter so the cable would be stronger than the original cable that came with the wireless unit. After the wireless unit, the guitar signal goes to a Peterson Tuner Pedal, then a Xotic Effects Wah, then to a Fulltone OCD, then a Walrus Audio Transit 5 that connects to a Walrus Audio Warhorn, a Walrus Audio Ages, a Mythos Pedals Mjolnir, a Walrus Audio ARP-87. After that, the signal comes out of the Transit 5 into a Transit 1 that connects to a Walrus Audio Monument. Then the signal comes out of the transit 1 and goes to a Walrus Audio DEFCON 4, then a Walrus Audio Lillian, then a walrus audio Luminary. Then, using a rattlesnake cable, the signal goes to my amp, which is a 1969 Fender Twin Reverb that is in a head unit. The cab is a 2x12 with two Eminence CV-75 speakers. I love the rattlesnake cables because I play so much, and they are the most durable cables I have!

Bands / Projects

Listen on Spotify

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