Miles Kurosky’s Silver Lining: Epiphone Guitars

Portland, Ore.-based Miles Kurosky is what old-time journalists used to call a “great quote.” He’s one of the few interview subjects you’ll find in the music biz these days who’s totally unafraid to step on a few toes to get his point across. And he’s got the musical chops to back up his shoot-from-the-hip posture. Kurosky’s previous band, Beulah, was a true California original, good enough to catch the ear of pop genius Robert Schneider of Apples In Stereo, who released the first Beulah album under the banner of the Elephant 6 collective. As is the case with other creative one-man shows (Grandaddy’s Jason Lytle, for example) the transition from band to solo career is as simple as painting a new name on the office’s glass door. The Desert Of Shallow Effects (Majordomo) is every bit as exhilarating as anything Kurosky has ever cut. Kurosky will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our brand new Q&A with him and more about Beulah.

Kurosky: A few years ago, I was having dinner with an aspiring musician who also happened to work at BMI. The subject of guitars came up. She told me that she had just purchased a very fancy and expensive vintage pre-CBS Fender guitar from a famous music store in L.A. She swore that it had not only changed the way she played the instrument but had actually helped her write better songs. I said, “Well, that must be one magical guitar.” It was clear that she was a little peeved that I wasn’t more impressed. I told her, “Air Jordans will not help you dunk a basketball, and no guitar on Earth will make you a better guitarist.” To use another sports analogy, you’re either a natural or you’re Pete Rose. That is to say, you’re either blessed or you really need to practice your ass off. I fall in the latter category, and I earned my stripes on some of the crappiest guitars known to man. The sad part is that I’m still a pretty mediocre guitarist. Blessed I am not.

It goes without saying, then, that I don’t give two shits about a guitar’s lineage or provenance. It just doesn’t interest me. I merely want my guitar to be dependable, stay in tune and look pretty. More importantly, I want a guitar that is reasonably priced. So for years I played Epiphone Dots ($300 new), but eventually I made the switch to Casinos because they’re a lot lighter. They’re solid workhorses and, in my mind, play just as well as the pricier and very similar Gibson ES-330 ($2K-$3K). I don’t know anything about the neck, bridge, pickups or wood, but I do know that John Lennon played one. However, as I mentioned earlier, no guitar will magically help you write songs as good as Dr. Winston O’Boogie. I am living proof of that.

Video after the jump.