Q&A with Andy Martin
Malcolm X Abram
Every YouTube-watching pedal lover knows Andy Martin. His relaxed, friendly demeanor, casually tousled hair, and warm voice make his videos feel like you're watching a buddy rip on guitar. Currently, Andy produces his popular Tone Report videos for Reverb.com and his YouTube channel AndyDemos, where his versatile playing skills and ability to explain and show viewers the absolute best of whichever pedal he's peddling has made him one of the most regularly watched demo people on the platform. For more vintage Andy demos, there’s also the Pro Guitar Shop Demos archive that includes more than a decade of pedal, guitar, and amp demos and even a few guitar lessons from Andy.
Across 14 years and a few employers, Andy has demoed thousands of pedals from garden variety fuzzes to crazy modulation pedals, delays, reverbs, and everything in between. And, whether you ultimately think the pedal is right for you or not, by the end of one of Andy's demos, you're probably thinking, 'that was pretty cool.'
Andy took time out from his busy day in his home studio to kindly answer a few questions for EarthQuaker Devices. So dig it as he details his method, his creative process for creating the entertaining music in his videos, and his personal needs for his pedalboard.
EarthQuaker Devices: You are a very versatile player. I've seen the video of you and your dad (cool!) When did you first pick up the guitar, and who were among your early influences?
Andy Martin: Thank you, I try to hit a wide audience with my playing style, and that's made possible from both my dad's musical tastes and growing up in the 90s when guitar music was sort of revisiting much of the same 60-70s sound in a heavier way. The earliest influence for me at 12, when I started playing, was Led Zeppelin. I borrowed my dad's Physical Graffiti cassette and just soaked it up; then one summer, they played (Led Zeppelin’s 1976 concert film) The Song Remains the Same on TV, and that left a big impression on me, to say the least.
EQD: Please tell us how you first got into the video demo arena. Was there an epiphany ("Hey! I should make demo videos!!"), or were you enlisted by your employer?
AM: I got into video demos when they were fairly new, about 2007. Pro Guitar Shop had all these pedals that nobody could try out at their local music stores like Zvex, Barber, Fulltone, etc. The owner, Aaron Miller, had the forethought to start using this fairly new YouTube video platform to show what these effects sounded like. I had a film background and noticed that most of the early demos around were just shot on a camcorder, which was all before HD was an option. So, from the beginning, we set out to be a resource with professionally recorded audio/video to help inform people. It was never about being an influencer or big online celebrity. I actually preferred not showing my face in those early days.
Vintage Andy demos the vintage Ghost Echo v1, circa 2010
EQD: Have you ever received a pedal that you just couldn't figure out how to demo properly? Have you ever refused to demo a pedal for any reason?
AM: Well, I thankfully haven't been stumped by any pedal, but there have been some pedals I was thankful I didn't have to demo! When the (Korg) Miku Stomp came in the shop, we only had like a dozen available, and they sold out before I even got a chance to film it. But when I tried it, the latency was just too long for my brain to work with. I think it's an epic pedal, and I'd love a V2 but as-is, I'd leave it for re-amping or something where timing isn't key!
EQD: You use your thumb instead of a pick, but you often use it like a pick. How did you develop that unique playing style, and what do you have against picks?
AM: I hate picks. Actually, I don't have anything against them. I just feel like they get in the way of what my hands want to do. I pretty much started playing this way. I took only a few guitar lessons in my life, and I clearly remember struggling because the instructor wanted me to use a pick. When I was at home fingerpicking, I could play those songs easily. It's evolved over the years, and I've learned to get a harder pick-like attack with my thumbnail, which I only throw to spice things up where needed. I think my musical taste, which was heavy on Page, Hendrix, Iommi, and Johnny Winter, allowed me to use this particular style. If I were into shred stuff, I probably would have tried to get along with picks.
EQD: You have a knack for creating music that perfectly shows what a pedal can do. How much time do you spend writing and multi-tracking the original tunes you create? Also, what recording gear do you use to make those demo songs?
AM: I can't play every style, but I feel it's important to give at least one example that fits the ethos of the pedal or at least pick up on what tones inspired the designer. I spend about two days total on a video, and every example is chosen carefully, whether that's actual covers or original material. I'd often draw upon songs I grew up with or quickly find someone on YouTube playing and try and figure it out if time allowed. I've always played by ear, which somehow helped me to learn stuff quickly. For gear, I've used Cubase forever, mainly because it taught me about VSTs, which helped transform those old MIDI songs that have been lingering online since the 90s into real backing tracks. But over the last 75 vids or so, I've been lucky to work with a drummer in Germany, Stefan Pötzsch, who was just a fan of the videos and said, "here are some drum tracks I've recorded, feel free to use them in your demos."
We're talking about releasing these for people to download in the future, and I'd love to expand them into full-length tunes one day. The guitar amp is usually my Deluxe Reverb Reissue or a higher headroom Hamstead Artist 60 1x12. It made sense, early on, to choose a clean pedal platform, regardless of my own taste, which leans towards vintage Marshalls. I've always had the Royer R-121 ribbon mic from the start because it's true to what your ear hears in the room, in my opinion. That goes into a Universal Audio Apollo 8 interface. I was lucky to keep the closet-sized sound booth from PGS when I moved my studio to my home, and that allows me to still turn up these tube amps to the edge of breakup, which is a sweet spot for more overdrives and the like. I also use the OX Amp Top Box to slightly attenuate but mainly as a second virtual 4x12 cab to add depth and realism.
EQD: Do you pay any attention to any of the other popular Demo makers?
AM: Oh sure, I've seen them grow from Gearmanndude to Pete Thorn to Livingroom Gear Demos and That Pedal Show. It's always good to see what others are doing creatively. I don't ever see it as competition though, we all have the same goal, which is to inform the world about the possibilities of this wonderful gear that's coming out.
EQD: What's the best part of your job?
AM: Obviously, playing guitar and getting inspired to make music is the best part! Also, hearing from viewers who have learned something from my demos, whether that's a guitar lick or what pedal they should get next.
EQD: What's the least best part of your job?
AM: Editing all this stuff together is the most time-consuming and laborious. My time in film school was actually spent doing sound design, which is pretty fun and creative. But video editing is a whole different thing. It takes a special kind of patience, but at least computers don't take an hour to render video anymore.
EQD: You've demoed a wide variety of pedals over the years. When it comes to your own rig, what do you look for in a pedal? What makes one delay or fuzz better for your board than any of the other hundreds you've tried?
AM: I've always had an old-school approach which is that "the rig" is the guitar and amp, and the pedals are used to spice it up. So, if they don't agree with that combination, I look for something that will. I'm drawn to tube amps that do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to overdrive, so I'd look at what kind of clipping the pedal has and perhaps one with active EQ to help match the amp better. Every pedal you add is going to affect the headroom and compression of your signal. This is why I see stacking dirt pedals as a slippery slope. You have to find the balance between epic sustain and just noisy, compressed, uninspiring tone. If it's a fuzz, I ask 'will it give me the dynamics that match my fingerpicking and will it clean up,' because I'm a huge guitar volume knob fan. I was fortunate to have an Echoplex early on and learned that a lo-fi delay is sometimes the best thing when you want to have a clear distinction between your wet/dry signals. So, I've always gravitated toward delays that roll off a little low end. If I were more of a clean, ambient player, I'd definitely want an amp with less gain, wet effects with higher fidelity and longer decay and an FX loop would be preferred. In short, I really think there aren't any bad pedals out there, just ones that might not match your musical taste.
EQD: Which pedals are staples on your personal pedalboard?
AM: The Jimi pedals seem to be a staple, always a fuzz, some kind of swirly phaser/vibe, a very vocal wah with lots of treble, and a tape-style delay (which is a Jimmy pedal). Like I said, I want to be happy with the guitar and amp first; then there's a better chance that a Rat or Big Muff will sound good to me, no matter the brand.
EQD: Has joining Reverb.com altered or augmented your job or process in any significant way, or is it the same process just with a different logo?
AM: The demo process is exactly the same. I'm just at home now recording/editing as opposed to in a warehouse. So, there's no store inventory at arm's reach, but the goal has always been to focus on just the product at hand and showcase what it does without having to rely on a bunch of other gear. The Reverb gig has actually allowed me to branch out more, including going to NAMM, filming in their awesome Chicago studio, and simultaneously offering videos on my AndyDemos channel, which I started after PGS closed in 2017.
EQD: The number of folks demo-ing pedals has grown exponentially since you began. Any advice for young aspiring YouTubers hoping to carve out their own space in the Gear Demo-sphere?
AM: It's strange because this wasn't really a job I applied for or aspired to do. It just was a perfect marriage of my skills. So, I'd say focus on your own skills and talents rather than adopting a format we've seen again and again. Being on YouTube, we're surrounded by other categories filled with people who want to be famous, but I don't really think that's what our gear industry is about. I'd say, don't push too hard to sell something, whether that's the product or your own brand. Just be a musician first and foremost, and hopefully, like-minded individuals will follow.
Malcolm X Abram is a recovering reporter and music writer and a proud 40 year guitar noodler. He lives, works and plays in the bucolic dreamland of Akron, Ohio in an old house with two dogs who don’t really like each other and way too many spiders.
