What is Exploratory Guitar?

Exploratory guitar is a form of musical meditation. A commitment to exploring curiosity, touch, moments, and allowing oneself to remain in an unfixed, and uncertain state of mind for as long as situation and circumstance allows.

Zac first picked up the guitar at age 12, and other than his familial relationships, the electric guitar has been the longest companion in his life. Seeing him through all of the various colours of existence.

Exploratory guitar is a recurring methodology. A means to feel musically active during times of creative block. To find ways to reconnect to what you loved about learning to play music in the first place.

The process is simple: Randomly pick up the guitar, record the session, and play for as long or as short as you feel. Surrender to simply being with the instrument, and connecting with it. There are no ideas or preconceptions. Only the capturing of that place in time.

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If you have been a follower of this series of albums, then you will spot the new terrain mined within 'The Source'. The longest session Zac has played and recorded thus far, and the most live-sounding in its atmosphere.

Performed through two amplifiers, one being a 1970s Fender Super Twin - a rickety and cumbersome dinosaur of an amp which packs a wallop.

Statement from Zac:

"This entry in the series is dedicated to my father Andrew, who passed away Friday 11th August 2023.

Andrew being "the source" of which the title refers to. A sensitive artist, singer, lyricist, and musician in his own right. After pursuing his own musical career during the 1960s, he encouraged his four sons to pursue music, in whatever form that may take on. And we all did.

The family household growing up was a hotbed of musical activity with LPs, CDs, cassettes, and concert videos readily available. Going to live gigs was a regular occurrence. Each of us took inspiration from these same sources, and they led to us pursuing our own individual areas of musical interest.

As I recently entered my 40s I spend more time around my peers, who have children that are now taking early steps into creative activities. It's made me keep firmly in mind just how fragile the creative spark can be. Especially when starting out, with tentative steps. Observing the difficulties kids can face, and how easy it is for adults to shut down a child's joy for what they're doing, from seemingly innocuous remarks, or so called constructive criticism, or sarcasm.

I reflect heavily, and with so much gratitude, for my own experiences at those young ages. The fact that all four of us boys were left alone to our own devices to explore, develop in our own ways, and on our own times. Never were we told to be quiet, give up, or stop what we were doing during those early years of our fumbling juvenile musicianship.

Dad especially loved seeing, and listening to us playing guitar, both on stage and off. And you could sense him getting a kick out of it when we'd pick up one of his own instruments to play. I recall fondly during my time living in Melbourne he could often be seen in the audience at the majority of gigs I performed.

For me, one of his most memorable and amusing traits were the rant filled phone calls the four of us would receive at random times, where we would be chastised for not playing "enough" music. This always stood out to me, especially when most of my creative friends would receive the exact opposite of these demands from their relatives.

After receiving the news of his passing, it has been a shock. And a sense of feeling completely adrift. But luckily I had a guitar resting close by. And after communicating with my brothers, it turns out that we have all taken to our respective guitars in the days since.

This album is dedicated to Dad. "I'll see you again some time. Thank you for all of your gifts and support throughout our lives."

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Materials
Karina Les Paul Copy
Red Witch Titan Triple Delay
Mooer Black Secret
Mooer Reecho
DigiTech JamMan Express XT Looper
Mooer SkyVerb
Behringer FX600 Digital Multi-Fx
Fender Super Twin Amplifier
Strauss SRT-15 Amplifier
Rode NT3 Microphone