sat·is·fice – verb – accept an available option as satisfactory
With that low bar in mind, I proudly present a bunch of electric guitar playing of acceptable quality. Intrigued?
Reviews
Read what some fictitious people are saying!
“Ruscio plays with all the heart and soul you’d expect of an academic psychologist who specializes in statistical methods.”
“I wish this music was available on cassette tape. I mean, exclusively on cassette. Because nobody has a cassette player any more, right?”
“Magnificently consistent performance! No jarring highs or lows. Once you manage to tune it out, nothing brings you back.”
Ready to Take the Plunge?
Here’s how you can deploy the plunger!
Videos on the artist’s YouTube channel let you hear the sounds and see what those sounds look like.
Exclusive Interview
Read what the artist has to say to his own questions!
Q: How do you respond to critics who say it sounds like you record your guitar parts using the AmpKit iPhone app?
A: I don’t know how this false rumor got started. I use an iPad, and discerning listeners should hear the tonal nuances of its larger display size.
Q: How do you respond to critics who say it looks like you recorded your videos using an iPhone on a tripod?
A: That is incredibly accurate. I was inspired to experiment with this technique after I imagined it’s how Peter Jackson filmed most scenes in the Lord of the Rings trilogy.
Q: Why does your head never appear on screen?
A: To protect the identity of my head. Who is John Ruscio? Who is John Galt?
Q: How are the videos named and organized?
A: I’d like to respond to the first part first. I sometimes use the titles from the original backing tracks, with occasional minor edits. For example, I thought “Sweden is a Burning Hell” was a bit harsh, so that became “Sweden is Burning”. (Tip for aspiring artists: It’s thoughtful touches like this that help you develop a huge fan base in Sweden.) Other times I do something else.
Now I’d like to respond to the second part second. I love that you assume the tracks are organized! Video uploads simply appear in reverse-chronological order. (Fun fact: This is how time is arranged when you put your calendar upside-down or, for older readers, when you wear your watch inside-out.)
Q: You’ve built some of your own guitars. What can you tell us about that?
A: After owning the same Fender stratocaster for 17 years, I decided to build a strat-style guitar. That went so well that I built a few more. I modify them all the time. The current guitar family is shown below.
Q: What would you say to the good people who made these guitar parts if they heard your music?
A: I’m truly sorry. This isn’t your fault.
Q: Do you also own any professionally manufactured guitars? Are they pointy?
A: Yes, and somewhat. Is an Ibanez above the “pointy” threshold?
Q: So what do these guitars look like? What do they sound like?
A: If you check out the videos, you’ll find that they contain data of strikingly direct evidentiary relevance to your questions. In fact, these data will be right in your face, especially the eye and ear parts of your face. Astute readers will also notice a photo below. Alas, this is a silent photo–just like Charlie Chaplin would have taken with his silent camera back in the silent half of the 20th century–but it does contain a well-ordered array of visual data.
