Melissa Etheridge: From Rhythm to Lead Guitarist – A Journey of Musical Revelation
Attending a Melissa Etheridge concert today, fans are treated to her electrifying solos and intricate leads, showcasing her role as the lead guitarist in her band. However, this wasn’t always her forte; it’s a role she has fully embraced only in the last 15 years.
“I’ve always had incredible lead guitarists by my side,” Etheridge, a three-time Grammy winner and recent Rock and Roll Hall of Fame nominee, shares during a Zoom call from her home near Los Angeles. She is set to release her 17th studio album, Rise, on March 27.
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“I had John Shanks, Waddy Wachtel, and Pete Thorn playing on my albums. All these phenomenal musicians,” she continues. “When my wife and I got together about 20 years ago, she asked, ‘Why don’t you play lead?’ I had always been known as a top acoustic guitarist, but I never ventured into that territory.”
“About 15 years ago, I decided to dive into it, and I haven’t looked back since.”
Etheridge, who picked up the guitar at age eight, has always been open to the electric guitar. As a teenager, she owned a modified Fender that a bandmate had painted purple. However, during her junior year of high school, she sought something more substantial. She and her father traveled to Kansas City, where they purchased a 1978 Gibson Les Paul Custom.
“It was the heaviest guitar imaginable,” she laughs. This guitar accompanied her to Berklee College of Music and later to California, but she primarily played solo gigs, noting, “There’s not much you can do with an electric guitar in a lounge setting.”
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“When I played acoustic, I was heavily influenced by Richie Havens and José Feliciano,” she reflects. “Their powerful acoustic guitar styles inspired me. Then there was Keith Richards; hearing the Rolling Stones made me think, ‘I can do that!’ Those three shaped my understanding of guitar.”
After signing with Island Records in the mid-’80s, Etheridge met Bonnie Raitt, who significantly influenced her electric guitar journey.
“Bonnie Raitt took me under her wing. She said, ‘That Les Paul’s too heavy for you, honey. You won’t be able to handle it.’”
– Melissa Etheridge
“She guided me,” Etheridge recalls. “She insisted I trade my Les Paul for a Stratocaster. I wish I still had that Les Paul; it would be worth a fortune now.”
“If I could find it, I would. I even asked Norm, but he doesn’t keep records from that long ago. Recently,someone gifted me a 1979 Les Paul,which somewhat makes up for it.”
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Waddy Wachtel, who contributed to three of Etheridge’s first four albums, recalls her as a phenomenal rhythm player. “Her first song, ‘Gimme Some Water,’ was fantastic. She was a strong writer and performer,” he notes. “When ‘Come to My Window’ came up, I told her, ‘This is a smash, Melissa. This tune is gonna do it.’ And it did.”
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While Etheridge has featured electric guitars on her debut album and her third album, Never Enough, her recent commitment to mastering the instrument led her to seek guidance from Pete thorn, a seasoned guitarist who played with her in the early 2010s.
“He’s an amazing teacher,” Etheridge states. “When I expressed my desire to play more, he suggested I get a Gibson Les Paul Custom, which I did. Then he introduced me to various pedals and gear I felt embarrassed not to know about at my age.”
“I went to a local store with a massive wall of pedals and spent the day with a guy who had no idea who I was. To him, I was just a middle-aged woman.”
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“I asked him to explain guitar pedals to me,and I spent the entire day there,leaving with about five pedals. I was able to ask all the questions I had been too shy to ask before, like the difference between gain and distortion.”
“I started practicing scales and gradually began incorporating short solos into my live performances. Over the years, I’ve taken on the role of lead guitarist in my band, eliminating the need for a dedicated lead player.”
“Now,I handle all the solos myself,which has made my performances much more enjoyable.”
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today, Etheridge’s guitar collection primarily consists of Gibsons, including Les Paul Customs, a Black Beauty, a 135, and a 335, along with a 1978 Fender Jaguar for her song “Must Be Crazy for Me.” She also utilizes a customized Bigsby vibrato unit, originally found on a Gretsch Country Gentleman, now adapted for her Rancher model, and a Jerry Jones 12-string acoustic made for her in 1993.
She continues to use Suhr amplifiers introduced to her by Thorn, recently incorporating heads with digital inputs, including a King of Tone overdrive and a Strymon Mobius modulation pedal.
“I went into a local store with a massive wall of pedals. I sat down with a guy who didn’t know who I was. To him, I was just a middle-aged woman.”
– Melissa Etheridge
“I can use analog pedals thru my amps, enjoying the digital convenience while still having the freedom to choose my sound,” Etheridge explains.”I don’t believe in presets. I see it as painting; here’s my guitar, and I’m creating on a fresh canvas with new audiences.”
“Whether it’s a small venue or a large arena, I can tailor my sound to fit the space.”
“The best part is that I used to hear all the guys discussing gear, and now I understand everything they’re saying. I used to poke fun at those who knew the terminology, and now I’m a total gearhead. I can’t stop buying guitars!”
This newfound confidence has significantly impacted Etheridge’s playing style, especially her solos.
“I’m not going to play like Eddie Van Halen; my fingers are too small for that. But I’ve developed a melodic style. It’s like I get another chance to express myself; I can sing through my guitar, which brings me immense joy.”
Etheridge will kick off her tour for Rise on March 26 in Detroit, with performances scheduled through mid-July.
