Rudy Van Gelder

All of the technique doesn’t matter… only if the feeling is right.

What we hear is the quality of our listening.

External instruments are only extensions of the biological instrument.

I’ve seen myself on those lists of the 100 best guitarists, and if they think that I’m that good, thank them. Thank God for them. But I don’t think so.

I did go through a trial-and-error period where I tried out lots of different guitars, but within a couple of years I was right back to the Les Paul. From that point it’s stayed with me ever since. I have other guitars—and I love a lot of them—but I’m most at home on a Les Paul. It’s interesting: most of the time I would even rather make a Les Paul do the things those other guitars do. From the get-go, the Les Paul spoke to me.

I’m always looking to create new avenues or new visions of music.

Some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.

Sometimes I sound like gravel and sometimes I sound like coffee and cream.

I’m always making a comeback but nobody ever tells me where I’ve been.

I wrote “Pilot of My Destiny” because of my love of flying. The fact that my brother is a pilot inspired me to write it. I call him pilot. He calls me copilot.

We all played bad before we played good.

You gotta mean it and you gotta treat it gentle.

If you play a tune and a person don’t tap their feet, don’t play the tune.

As far as music school goes, I walked through Berkelee one time.

Composing makes me feel like I’ve finally gotten all the way up the ladder as a musician.