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Back in November I posted about the new Joe Trohman Washburn Idol, well I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to ask Joe Trohman a few questions about his new signature model after Fall Out Boy finished their recent tour.

Let’s start at the beginning, when did you start playing and what was your first guitar?
I started playing at 10. I was playing trombone, hated it, always wanted to play guitar and finally my parents caved in. My dad bought me a Barclay (I believe a Bobkat 2) and a Barclay amp for $100. Really really shitty, but I loved it.

Funny I had a similar situation with a clarinet… only it was my parents that made me cave in and play guitar instead of drums! So what were your main influences growing up?
For guitar, lots of Metallica, Black Flag, Iron Maiden, Sabbath and NOFX. In reality, I listened to everything from MC Hammer to Queen to Tribe Called Quest.

Do you have any favourite guitar players?
I love Brian May and Tony Iommi a lot. Scott Ian is a sick rythym player, just super tight and riff heavy. I marvel more at tight rythym players than I do at guys who can solo their asses off (though I love those guys too). I always thought Billy Joe Armstrong had a really intense picking hand and a great sense of rythym. I can’t forget EVH either.

Ok lets talk about your association with Washburn, when you did you first play a Washburn and which model was it?
I first played an Idol 2 years ago when I was about to sign on with Washburn. Once I played it, I fell in love with the feel and the tone. I’ve been playing them ever since.

So it seemed like a logical choice to partner with Washburn for your signature model?
I think what attracted me before I signed, or even played a Washburn was their actual interest in me as a player. They cared a lot about me then and still do now. Once I fell in love with an Idol, that made me want to make my own. But even just getting the chance to make your own signature guitar can be once in a lifetime for some people.

Yeah I’m still waiting for them to ask me about mine…
So your signature model looks like it is stripped back to essentials for rock, do you think it might limit you in terms of not having a neck position pickup?
It is quite stripped. It actually does have a neck pick-up, it originally was not going to have one, because at the time I never used it. But since then I decided it was worth keeping it because it keeps that classic look alive and I may started using it once in a while. Plus, for those who might want one of their own, they might want to play around with the neck pick-up a little. I always have had what I needed through the bridge pick-up though.

Did you make any other changes to the guitar?
I selected the hardware as well as the pick-ups to match my sound and to keep me from having to replace bad parts. I hate tuning systems so I put simple Grovers on them. I also made sure the body was thinner and lighter without compromising tone. I also added the VCC^* controls, which are awesome for achieving the sounds I want when I A/B my different amps. As far as visually, I wanted the black version to have a cream binding, and the white to have a black binding to give it a classic look that would look even cooler as the guitar ages and the paint cracks and discolors. I also added keyhole inlays, which are symbols that represent myself and the band.

^*Voice Contour Control is a unique coil splitting system that allows players to incrementally blend humbucking and single-coil pickup sounds without the hum normally associated with single-coils.

Will you use your signature guitar in the studio?
If it helps us with a tone we need then yes. This guitar may prove to be perfect only for live use. It’s very hard to predict what guitars and amps we will use for a new record until we start pre-production. I did use an Idol on our last record though.

And what about on tour did you use the signature models much?
I only play my models. The neck is perfect, and the body is light enough for me to run around without back problems getting in the way. The sound is awesome as well.

So they stood up to touring? How many gigs was that?
I’ve done a 2 month US tour along with strings of radio shows and international spots with my guitar. They are the best and most reliable guitars I’ve ever taken on tour, bar none.

Are there any changes you would make now to the guitar apart from the addition of the neck pickup now that you have road tested it?
Nope. The guitar went through tons of changes along the way, and I played prototypes live until the right one stuck. We went through it having one pick-up and one set of volume and tone knobs with a heaving body and a baseball bat neck to what we have now. I was also considering make it baby blue at one point in time.

Were you given much guidance during development or did you have complete freedom with the specification?
I had all the freedom I wanted. That’s what makes working with Washburn amazing. I can make what I want to make. I had a little guidance from David Karin over there, but mostly as a creative consultant. We’re great friends and I asked for his opinion often.

Did you try different wood combinations for the body and neck?
The older prototypes were mahogany. I ended up going with basswood for the body. I stuck with a trusty maple neck, one piece.

Did you try out different pickups? Which did you decide on?
I originally had Duncan Distortion pickups, but switched out to the WB630, so I can get a rock tone and a really thick and heavy, almost metallic, tone.

Are you a techy guitar player? Do you like guitar fx gadgets?
I love playing around with different pedals and amps at home. I have lost of cool combos and custom pedals. But live I like to stick with my Idol, and A/B switch an Orange Rock-O-Verb 30 combo with a Bogner Uberschall. I don’t use any pedals or effects. Between the two amps and the VCC tone control, I can get the tones I need to make FOB sound big live and still match what happens on the recordings. We also liked to keep everything stripped down live. No frills.

I’d like to thank Joe Trohman for taking the time to talk to Guitar Noize and to Washburn for helping me get in touch with Joe.

Check out the official signature model site to see more Joe Trohman model details or order one for yourself!

For more Fall Out Boy info check out the Official Fall Out Boy site.