6 - Ethan Spaarbaek
Ethan is a 28 year old Guitarist and songwriter from Auckland, New Zealand. He started playing at age 7, convinced into it by a friend.
He started by playing the Blues, which led to Rock music and Folk music. He currently has a Youtube channel called "The Shnake Pit" (Notice the extra "h" in there) and is currently producing his first album along with his close friend Christopher. Ethan also plays in a Prog Rock/Fusion band called "Humble Hammer", which is in their early days now, so keep an eye out for them!
Ethan's guitars:
Fender Squire Bass VI. It's a six-string base with a close-string action, making it a dream for an ordinary guitar player who wants to lay down complex basslines.
D'Angelico Deluxe SS. It's basically a New York’s attempt at a Gibson 335, and in Ethan's opinion, the better guitar. Ethan says that this is the best-sounding double coil guitar he's ever played, assuming it's through the right AMP.
Tanglewood Winterleaf TW9E. It's a cheap guitar that Ethan uses when visiting friends or jamming or writing. It plays exceptionally well for its' price, but it's not a great studio guitar.
Tanglewood Barreta. Ethan's been wanting one of these inexpensive strat copies for a while. Being a Strat player historically, Ethan enjoys the Barreta with all its' quirks and flaws. It has a very narrow voice and punches through the mix pretty well.
Custom "Coast Caster" Ethan is a Carpenter by trade, and he built this guitar himself from scratch. The design, hardware, and paint job are all custom and handmade. It sports a Seymore Duncan Quad Hotrail, so it's actually quite a powerful guitar, considering its' short 22-inch scale length. Ethan's friend Michael, a fine arts painter, painted a Coastal landscape on it, complete with a Hibiscus flower, the icon of the town where Ethan grew up. This guitar has no price tag.
Ethan’s amp and pedal:
VOX 50-100WATT single tube driver with a 100WATT VOX Cabinet.
a Boss multi-effects pedal board.
What was your first guitar, and do you still have it?
My first guitar was a brandless classical nylon guitar, which had a hard life. She's no longer with us. That was some 20 years ago!
What's your favorite guitar right now, and why?
My favourite guitar will always be a Ritchie Blackmore Signature Stratocaster. Two pickups instead of 3. Slightly Scalloped neck. I'd give anything for one of those.
What's your newest purchase/build?
The Tanglewood Barreta. I had to soup it up with some better hardware and set it up, but she's nicely working now. Ready for band practice!
How often do you play?
Every day!
What's the music you're creating, and what's the mission behind it?
Well, I'm making music on two fronts at the moment. One is my personal solo album, titled "Ethan Spaabaek". It's about halfway done and should be on all streaming platforms in the not too distant future. It's Poppy Folk music, written from the heart, at least I like to think. Conversely, I'm in a Prog/Fusion band, and we're trying to compose an album something similar to King Crimson/Return to Forever/Soft Machine etc. It's hard work, but band practise is every week!
