Ernie Ball: The Used at Warped Tour 2018

Vans Warped Tour 2018 is progressing through its final full cross-country tour, and we caught up with Joey Bradford of The Used at the Nashville stop for an exclusive Q&A on their last day.

Q&A: JOEY BRADFORD OF THE USED

EB: What’s your favorite part of being a musician?

Joey: “I’d say my favorite part of being a musician is getting to stay on the road and play on stage. It’s like drugs, man, like an addiction you really can’t explain. You play 30 minutes sets. Drive 9 hours and hang out in a parking lot for 12 hours just to play those 30 minutes and it’s like no other drug on Earth.

EB: Do you remember your first Slinkys?

Joey: “I remember getting my first setup of Ernie Ball strings when I was in the seventh grade. I had just bought an Epiphone Les Paul, and my Dad said I could get a whole box of strings, so I got a ten pack. I’ve been playing Ernie Ball 10-52 Slinkys ever since!

EB: What was your introduction to music?

Joey: “My brother introduced me to Punk and Rock ‘n Roll when I was in sixth grade, I remember. He got a guitar and I wasn’t allowed to play it. So, I waited until he went to bed and I would go take it out of the closet and learn some riffs. I was hooked, man. He got me into the Beatles, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, and Led Zeppelin, all of the classics. From there, I got myself into Pop Punk and got myself onto the Warped Tour when I was 18. And here we are!”

EB: Why Ernie Ball?

Joey: “Ernie Ball strings have always been super consistent for me throughout my career. Even when I was playing bass, I was all about it. They’re smooth and natural feeling. It’s what I learned on and it’s what guitar strings are supposed to be like.”

EB: What was your first riff?

Joey: “My first riff wasn’t a band’s riff. It was definitely holding two notes that were the same pitch on that fifth fret when you learn how to tune. I remember throwing a bendy in there, kinda like Tenacious D. I remember doing that and thinking, ‘that sounds super cool and it’s very easy.’ It’s ironically very close to the intro riff to “Listening” which we are playing on this tour so… The first riff could have been The Used “Listening.”

The Used play Skinny Top Heavy Bottom, Custom 11-50 and Super Slinky guitar strings.

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