In a recent Interview with Music Radar, Megadeth’s Dave Mustaine talked about playing wah pedal live in concert for the first time on the ongoing Experience Hendrix tour.
“I’m not too sure! [Laughs] I think it came out okay. This is going to sound funny, but I don’t know if I’m more comfortable using my left foot or right foot!
“I’ve gotten really close to Zakk Wylde, I love that guy… he’s such an imposing figure but once you get to know him, he’s such a nice guy.
“We were joking around about using wah-wahs; some other people don’t use them properly or overuse it, so I wanted to make sure I hit the right spots and subtly.
“I asked him which foot he preferred and he said *thick New Jersey accent*, ‘Ah, Father Dave, it doesn’t f*c*in’ matter!’ I tried to remember that during the show and apply that sense of ease to how I used the wah.
“At first, my adrenaline was going at a zillion miles an hour and I was hoping my ankle would stay smooth, otherwise I might sound real Kirky je*ky!”
Which wah pedal did you end up using?
“I don’t actually know; some of the other guys helped take care of that. I haven’t ever told anyone this story yet – Dweezil Zappa said he’d like to help with my tone.
“I knew he was an amazing guitarist and we had some connection because I had befriended his sister back when we were on Rock & Roll Jeopardy!
“Dweezil started helping with my tone because, let’s face it, it’s light years away from what Hendrix sounded like. One day I had to stay at home and tend to some appointments, I couldn’t make soundcheck, so he ended up working on my rig and I was really grateful.
“Then I found out Eric Johnson had been playing my guitar and helping with my tone, too. He came up to me one night, taking out his phone and showed me a picture of him playing my guitar.
“I went, ‘Oh my God!’ I was really looking forward to meeting him and, honestly, this has been one of the greatest experiences for me ever – not only having this legend wanting to play my guitar but also helping it respond better live.
“They’re both gearheads and watched me play enough to know how I wanted to interpret these songs, in a more metal style.”