Talking Tone with Cameron Allen
In the last few years, Cameron Allen has been steadily making a name for himself in the guitar community. In 2012, he won the Next BendNote Talent Competition for guitarists held in Paris, France. He followed that up in 2013 with a European tour with The Sixxis in support of the supergroup, The Winery Dogs. In 2014, he placed runner-up in the Guitar Idol 4 competition held in London, England. In our first episode of Talking Tone for 2015, we sit down with Cameron to find out about the gear he uses, upcoming projects he is working on, and to learn more about the man behind the axe.
Vigier Excalibur Ultra Blues
A versatile guitar, it features an alder body with a beautiful flame maple top. The Excalibur has a rosewood fretboard with 24 frets. The neck is their signature 10/90 system, meaning it is 10% carbon fiber and 90% wood. It has a carbon fiber strip that runs through the middle of the neck eliminating the need for a truss rod. This keeps the neck perfectly stable, thus being unaffected by various temperature and humidity factors like a traditional guitar would be. The neck also features a ‘zero fret’ next to the nut. This keeps the action consistent across the entire neck, ensuring ultimate play-ability. The Excalibur is equipped with Dimarzio pickups in an H/S/S setup.
This is Cameron’s go-to guitar and is featured on his upcoming album ‘Ex Nihilo’.
Fractal Audio: Axe-FX II
The Axe-FX II is an amp modeler / effects processor. Cameron discovered the Axe-Fx II after blowing out 3 different amps! He had the opportunity to play through one at NAMM and never looked back. The AFII has the capability of recording a dry signal direct, allowing Cameron to change the amp model and effects used in post production. This is ideal, because he can record a take with the amp / effects he wants, but if the engineer wants a different sound, he can change the tone without having to re-record the take.
Cameron uses the AFII for live and studio use. He uses the AFII with the MFC-101 midi foot controller (to engage effects / change amp sounds).
To find out more about Cameron check out his Official Website.
Article by: Andrew Hardel