“Joe had a semi-truck full of amps and swapped them out every two or three shows. He'd say, ‘What do you think?’ I'd be like, ‘It sounds just like you every time’”: Greg Suran on his time with Joe Walsh – and the Eagle’s passion for tonal tinkering

The name Greg Suran may not immediately ring a bell, but his incredible CV speaks to his skill and versatility as a guitarist.

Suran has lent his chops to legends of punk (Sunny Day Real Estate), pop (The B-52’s), and R&B (Lionel Richie). Oh, and he’s also had the imposing task of sharing six-string duties with no less than Joe Walsh.

As you might imagine, Suran learned plenty from Walsh, and was also – he recently told Guitar World – privy to his boss’s endless tonal tinkering.

“Joe had a semi-truck full of amps and swapped them out every two or three shows,” Suran recounted. “He’d be like, ‘Yeah, what do you think?’ I’d be like, ‘Sounds great! It sounds just like you every time.’

“But he loved it. Joe loved tinkering with ham radios, pedals, and amps; he just loves exploring. I feel like all of his tone comes from his hands. I know that’s a cliché, but in Joe’s case, it couldn’t be truer.”

Life’s Been Good – Joe Walsh – Live – 8/11/2012 – YouTube

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Though the ‘don’t focus on showing off’ lesson has been repeated ad nauseam by countless players, it can still be difficult to resist, especially if you are – as Suran was – trading solos with a player of Walsh’s caliber.

As he explained to GW, the importance of resisting that temptation was also imparted to him by the Eagles legend.

“I came in hot, wanting to really impress him,” Suran recalled of his first jams with Walsh. “Most guitar players would want to impress a hero like that.

“We’d trade solos sometimes, like on [Walsh’s] Turn to Stone, and he’d give me a solo on [Walsh’s] Life of Illusion. It was always interactive. I’d try to bust out my best hot and fastest licks, and he’d always be so helpful.

“He’d say, ‘Man, all those licks are cool. They’re great. But just slow it down, man. Tell a story.’ That classic, old-school building of the arc of a solo thing, I really took that to heart. When someone like Joe tells you that, and you’re playing alongside him, you want to do it.”

Keep an eye out for Guitar World‘s full interview with Greg Suran in the coming weeks.