C Carlson – Guitar/Vocals

Musical history of me:

Started nagging on my father after Jimi died, the radio played a lot in memory of…. That means in the fall of 1970. For a few months of constant repeating: “electric guitar, got to have an electric guitar” the man finally gave in, he bought me my first electric.

I didn’t have any amp, so our beautiful old tube radio did get a new mission, after a few electrical chocks and some burns from the soldering iron I was hooked up?  ROCK & ROLL!

I got addicted to playing almost instantly, and there I was, playing day and night. I did quit all the sports: soccer, hockey, athletics, there just wasn’t any time for it no more. After some time I got up early to play, about two hours before leaving for school. When the school was over for the day, I would hurry home to play until bedtime (goodbye homework) this was my life for about five years, playing up to eight hours a day and I have kept on getting up early to play the guitar trough the years.

In the early days me and my friends where listening to lots of bands, some of the bands where really crappy, so I said to myself: I will not embarrass myself and play in public before I know that I can play” And so it took over six years until I did my first public gig!

Influenced by musicians like: Hendrix, SRV, Howlin’ Wolf, Robin Trower, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Johnny Cash, Black Sabbath, Pacific Gas & Electric, Grand Funk Railroad, Mountain, Deep Purple, Uriah Heep, Uli Roth, Albert Collins, the four Kings (Albert, BB Freddie and Elvis) and lots, lots more

These is the bands/artists I been listening to. I really like modern heavy rock to specially the three Swedish bands: Clawfinger, Lok & Twin Earth.

These are some of the bands that I’ve played and sung with throughout the years, some constellations and people are forgotten on purpose some are not (sorry!):

Inte bara kaviar (not only caviar) (S) (1977)
Bass-Mikael Höglund
Drums-Bo Koo

Gurkornas undergång (the dawn of the cucumbers) (S) (1978)
Bass-Mikael Höglund
Drums-?

Wild (S) (1982-1990)
Bass-H Göstas
Drums-Ph Karlsson (brother)

Hurra! 1. 2. 3 osv. (the first gig we where: Hurray! 1, the second: Hurray! 2 and so on…)(1988)
Guitar & Vocal-Mats Attaque
Bass-M Höglund
Drums-Thomas Broman

Cryin’ blue rain (S) (1991-1995)
Vocals- Anse Andersson
Bass-Stefan Vestberg
Drums-Treo to Much/Ph Karlsson/Thom P Bridgeman.

Mesqualeene (Col) (1996)
Vocals-Zoë Zaxx
Bass-Joe Vasquez
Drums- Paco Luis

T Coma band: (1996-1997)
Vocals-Thor Coma
Rhythm guitar-Stefan Blomkvist
Bass-T Sundelin
Drums-P Fyrby

El Donaldoz: (Kalle Anka orkestern) (1997-1998)
Bass-M Höglund
Drums-Thomas Broman

Flower Hogs: (1995-????) FH was/is a concept, me and my cousin the drummer Thomas Broman are the band. Uses different bass players almost every gig, cats like: Mr Dynamite (Skyhigh), H Göstas (Love Scuds) Micke Höglund (Thunder), are the names of some of the bass players we have used.

CC Knights power blues band: (1999-present)
Bass-Gus
Keyboard-Mike Lizzardo
Drums-Mr Weed

"Well some one had to pick up the guitar when Jimi dropped it, it’s because of him I started playing guitar in the first place"

GEAR

Guitars:
I’ve played Strat’s since? God knows… must have been like -73! I had one short break with Gibson for a year or two. Although, I started the career with a second hand semi acoustic electric in 1970/71, swapped a year later for an Ibanez SG with Bigsby tremolo (wonderful guitar, wish I kept it!)  Then the Strat race was on, I’ve had about 25-30 throughout the years… I’ve kept the good ones. I own one of the first Squier Stratocasters, bought it in -83 a -57 clone, the nicest guitars I have ever played! I only use it in studio, done its job (retired).

The main guitar at this stage is an Olympic white, pretty worn Stratocaster with “Texas Special” pickups and a rosewood neck. All of the Stratocasters are and tuned down a half step and equipped with Fender nickel strings 011-049/012-052 which I find to be the best sounding strings on the market. The toggle switch is soldered to get this configuration: (from down and up) middle, middle+ bridge, bridge, bridge+neck, neck, for a twangier sound with the bridge and neck together. 

Second on stage is a custom built one, nature finish, 22 jumbo frets real fat rosewood neck with Fender Tex-Mex pickups, Schaller hardware, Wilkinson tremolo, the fattest sounding Strat I’ve come across.

Third on stage is a wonderful Les Paul that I use more and more, almost self playing! Strings 10-46. Nice when the fingers get worn

The rest of the guitars are mainly used at home and in the studio, and they look good on the wall too, at least that’s my opinion…. (Girlfriend does not agree)

Amps:
Crate Vintage classic 50w 3x10” slightly modified (installed bias adjust and different tube config.) great for classic tweed tone.

Marshall 4140 2x12” I bought one of these in -78, didn’t keep it for long. Recently found this one in an immaculate condition, bought it on the spot!
Stevie Ray occasionally used it for clean sounds.

Fender Custom Vibrolux 2x10”
Nice blues sound and a real good rock amp, head amp on stage. Nothing more to say, absolutely standard no extras -just play!

FX:
Ibanez Tube screamer TS808 I bought it in the late -70’s. I have used it ever since.

Tube screamer 909

Tube works overdrive pedal.

Coloursound wha-wha used with love since late -70’s, but it’s falling apart piece by piece.

An old Cry baby wha-wha slightly modified.

Nadine’s stereo flanger, fantastic for Trower type of sound, had it for decades… wish I had one more, it’s dying... (If you have one, contact me)

Boss CE 20 Chorus/flanger

Korg A2 Multieffect rack unit, for extra boost and delay

And lots more odd pedals and rack effects that I rarely use.

CC