McCoy Tyler on SoundBetter

I am a professional touring and session guitarist with over 15 years of experience, currently performing with Jesse Daniel, Vincent Neil Emerson, and Jaime Wyatt.

I am known primarily for tele chops in the chicken pickin' style, though I have recorded in a variety of genres--bluegrass, alt. country, rock, folk/songwriter, and more. I am also an accomplished songwriter with two full-length records, a fanatical gear head, and sincere student of guitar and songwriting craft.

Specializing in ripping tele leads with clean attack, intentional rhythmic patterns, and a focus on melody-driven solos, I can bring breathe life into country and songwriter tracks.

www.mccoytylermusic.com

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Credits

2 Reviews

Endorse McCoy Tyler

by Henry Chadwick
Great player who possesses massive shred-ability paired with immense self-discipline & always serves the song. Very professional. If there was a 6th star I would have clicked on it.
by Sam Tippett
McCoy's licks are top notch and original. He's got both clarity and flavor. The guitar parts he provided on my project were essential. Very talented musician and thoughtful collaborator.

Interview with McCoy Tyler

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: Laid down spaghetti-style guitar tracks for a new Painted Horses record, working with legendary producer Ken Caillat at Prairie Sun in Sonoma County.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: Demos for an upcoming Jesse Daniel record.
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: Ian Sutton is a tremendous pedal steel player with a wealth of knowledge about country music and steel techniques.
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: Digital--ease of use, portable, difference in sound quality is getting more negligible by the day.
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: Your song will sound better when I am done with it.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: I get to play guitar and set my own hours and be my own boss.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: How much do you charge? Answer: Depends.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: Every 20-something with a tele overplays.
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: What is your time frame. What is the bit rate.
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: I bring something unique to every project I take on. I'm not interested in playing the fastest, most blazing shred solo and am more concerned with playing to melodies and serving the song.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: 50's D-28. Nice open-back banjo. Record player. A couple Bill Frisell records.
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: Picked up a guitar at 13 and never put it down.
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: Modern country-politan blues-ey chicken pickin'.
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Jason Isbell is the greatest modern songwriter, hands down. He also rips on guitar, so it would be a joy to watch him work.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: As a guitarist, hi-pass is your friend.
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: Country/Americana, songwriter, folk, bluegrass.
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: In addition to being a guitarist I am also a songwriter, and thus always look for passages and note phrasing that will best serve the song.
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: Clean rhythm that never steps on vocals, melodic solos that often veer between major and minor pentatonic note choice, with emphasis on blues patterns only when needed.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: Coffee first, always. Listen to the material, carefully. Track, reset, track again, and so forth. Use comps if needed, but prefer getting entire take in a single pass. I provide one close-mic and/or direct signal (for re-amping if needed), and separate "room" mic track for ambience.
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: Fender Parts Telecaster > Boss TU-2, Whirlwind Phaser, Empress Compressor, Klon(e), Nobels ODR-1, TC Electronic Alter Ego x4, Strymon Flint, Xotic EP Boost > '66 Fender Super Reverb, '71 Fender Pro Reverb, 70's Sovtek Mig 50, Milkman "The Amp" > Universal Audio Apollo 8 > Logic Pro X
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Redd Volkaert, Tony Rice, Mark Knopfler, Bill Frisell, Ry Cooder, Guthrie Trapp, Marty Stuart, Michael Daves, Chris Eldridge, Dave Cobb, Daniel Donato.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I provide remote and in-studio session guitar work.