Welcome to yet another "Ax Facts & Stat's". This month I welcome back an old friend of cc6string's Guitar Resource page (the site that grew to be the internationally acclaimed www.extremeguitars.com) Rik Emmett. Rik was one of the first interviews I have ever conducted with CC's GRP, and because I started this entity November 1999, I wanted to bring back Rik on EG.com's 3 year anniversary. Thanks again Rik for taking part, as well as helping build extremeguitars.com up to where were are today!

-Dave Roberts
Copyright 2002 Dave Roberts/Extremeguitars.com, All Rights Reserved.

My name is: Rik Emmett

My current job is: musician/teacher/writer.

My hometown is: Mississauga Ontario Canada.

My current album or project is: Handiwork (released) - Good Faith (work-in-progress).

Former band(s): Triumph.

My guitar influences growing up were: Hendrix, Clapton, Blackmore, Howe, Joe Pass, Segovia, Bream.

The guitars I use are: Yamaha - many different models.

The strings and tunings I use are: D'addario - lt top hvy bottom .010 to .052 - standard tuning, occasionally drop D.

My current rig setup consists of: varied amplification - sometimes Yamaha DG-80, sometimes Marshall, sometimes Line 6 for many acoustic gigs. I now use an AG Stomp.

The greatest invention for guitars is: hot preamp tubes.

My normal songwriting process: is to collect odds and ends and then begin to assimilate them into cohesive organic structures. I use notebooks and cheap cassette recorders to start.

My Favorite Emmett solo is: maybe "Souvenirs" from Invitations - or "Too Little Too Late" on Raw Quartet.

My Favorite Emmett song is: the next one I intend to write.

My Career highlight thus far is: unknown, because my career isn't over yet.

My most embarrassing moment on stage: when I split my fly open at the Philadelphia Spectrum.

The one piece of my gear that I cannot live without is: my new Yamaha GCX-31C classical guitar.

The first song I mastered on guitar was: the melody from an Alka Seltzer commercial.

My first guitar was: a plywood catalogue steel string acoustic with palm trees and a hula dancer stenciled on the front.

The one thing most fans don't know about me is: that I'm not psychic, therefore I have no idea what fans don't know.

The best advise I could give beginning guitarists is: "advice" is spelled with a "c". (EDITORS NOTE: DAMN those generic spellcheckers!!)

The CD(s) I'm listening to right now is: Jim Hall & Pat Metheny.

My 3 all-time favorite albums are:
1. Still Life (Talking)
2. Aja, Julian
3. Bream plays Granados and Albeniz (Music of Spain vol. 5)
My next 3 are Machine Head, Fragile, and Blow by Blow

I'm a sucker for: blonde archtops and chord progressions that imply beautiful melodies.

If I could meet any ONE person living or dead, he/she would be: Jean Luc Picard.

My favorite junk food is: cookies & tea.

My biggest pet peeve is: ignorance mixed with stupidity and boorish anti-social behaviour.

The word or catch phrase I say way too much is: "[way too much]" is ...he said sarcastically.

The hardest part of my job is: time management.

The first thing I do when I come home from touring is: kiss my wife, scratch the dog, bellow at the kids, and hit the can.

I knew I hit the "big time" when: I traveled to big U.S. cities and heard my songs on the radio stations there.

My Favorite Website is: rikemmett.com. It's my only website, actually.

The worst job I ever had was: vacuuming out the left front & rear car floors at a car wash.

Right after this interview I'm going to: have a cup of tea.

If I could create the dream band with any musicians dead or alive, I would choose: Pat Metheny.

I couldn't imagine being on the road without: my wallet, a good book, and a notebook.

If I wasn't doing the musician thing, I could really see myself working as: a cartoonist. A teacher. A baseball coach.

My favorite movie ever: Bull Durham. Or maybe The Big Chill.

If I could go back and change only one thing in my career, it would be: getting out of Triumph sooner.

My mission in life: is to make the most out of every day, because it's a gift that should never be taken for granted.

My greatest obsession: sports.

My first band was: "Something Unusual" - 13 years old.

My next major step is: paying the car insurance for my twin 17 year olds.

The greatest contribution guitars have brought into my life is: bringing me closer to the meanings of life and to an understanding of my own spiritual soul.

The coolest toy I had growing up was: a black first baseman's mitt.

Check out my Website at: rikemmett.com

The one musician I would love to work with that I have not yet had the chance would be: Pat Metheny.

If I could have three wishes, they would be: understanding the infinite universe: being able to travel faster than the speed of light: and immortality. I'll settle for eliminating shrink wrap from CD packaging, not allowing baseball hitters to ask for time and step out of the box, and for my son to be able to combine the Emmett men's gene pool with a woman as gorgeous as the actress who plays Six of Nine from that Star Trek show. Oh - and someday, I want to play a guitar solo as unsurpassingly beautiful as "Where Were You" by Jeff beck on the Guitar Shop album.

When it's all said and done, I want the world to remember me for: making the most of my time on this earth: not being cheated.

Points of Interest:

Stolen.. I mean Courtesy of Rik's Bio page on RikEmmett.com:

Born in 1953 in Toronto, Canada, RIK EMMETT started taking guitar lessons when he was twelve years old. As a beginning student, he was taught to hold the guitar the right-handed way, despite the fact that he was left-handed. Rik is a self-taught guitarist.

As a founding member of TRIUMPH, his blazing guitar solos and trademark vocals helped push the Toronto-based trio into multiple gold and platinum sales worldwide in the ‘70’s and 80’s, and earned him a spot in the Canadian Rock Hall of Fame.

Rik also branched out as a magazine columnist and a cartoonist. Rik’s partnership in TRIUMPH lasted until September 1988 when he left the trio to embark on a solo career.

Rik's post-TRIUMPH days include a repertoire of 10 solo releases that feature compositions of several diverse flavors. RIK EMMETT is one of Canada’s most respected musicians - an award-winning virtuoso guitarist, multi-talented singer, songwriter, and a producer with his own independent recording label.

EMMETT is one of Canada’s most respected musicians - an award-winning virtuoso guitarist, multi-talented singer, songwriter, and a producer with his own independent recording label.

Happily married since ‘76, Rik is a father of four (his eldest daughter has played some keyboard on two of the CDs) who has coached in his neighbourhood baseball and soccer youth leagues.

He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Songwriters Association of Canada and in September will begin teaching a Music Career Development course at Humber College. Rik has also been a columnist and cartoonist. He was a regular contributor to GUITAR PLAYER MAGAZINE for over 12 years, and his "Rocktoons" were a popular feature in HIT PARADER MAGAZINE from 1981 to 1983. The history and evidence of both of these endeavours are on display in Rik’s four volume guitar instruction series, "For The Love of Guitar". Rik has a large personal collection of guitars, including some rare and beautiful YAMAHA custom handmade instruments that have come his way through a 15 year relationship with the company. He also frequently does clinics and personal appearances for YAMAHA.

Check out Rik's website at www.rikemmett.com for more interesting info!

EG.com: Thank you so much Rik for Taking part in extremeguitars.com's "Ax Facts and Stats". I want to invite our visitors to check out Rik's Website at www.rikemmett.com. Also be sure to check back for the next installment of ExtremeGuitars.com's "AX Facts & Stats" coming soon!

-Dave Roberts

www.extremeguitars.com is the web home of articles and interviews written by Dave Roberts. All Dave Roberts interviews & articles are available for use or reprint ONLY by Permission. Permission can be obtained by contacting dave@extremeguitars.com. All materials are Copyright Dave Roberts and Oceanbreeze Ent., All Rights Reserved.