“I just barre my 1st finger across the 2nd fret, leaving the A and [low] E strings open,” explains the X guitarist. “My 4th finger holds down the B and high-E strings on the 5th fret, and then I just wiggle my 2nd finger around on the low-E string at the 3rd fret. The line was initially inspired by John Doe’s bass part, and I just tried different things until it developed.”
Of course, emulating the irreverent E minor riff—which is a fraternal twin of the feisty phrase below—and recreating its aggro pulse isn’t just about technique. Nor is it only about nailing the lick’s signature Zoom-ism, the hammered G on the low string (last note of bar 1). It’s also about getting a bit messy.
“I like big chords with open strings ringing, fat sustain, and a bit of feedback,” says Zoom. “When I play that song live with X, I use a custom amp that I built in 1984. I crank the preamp until it starts to break up, and then I turn up the master for the saturation. You can get close to that sound if you plug into a blackface Fender—such as a Pro or Super—and put the Volume on 10, Treble on 10, Middle on 10, and Bass at 2. Then, cover your ears!”
Zoom’s ’55 Gretsch Silver Jet is also a big part of the sonic equation, as its resonant body is essential to the riff’s sustain.
“Gretsch is releasing a Billy Zoom Tribute at Winter NAMM 2008—which is an exact replica of my guitar,” says Zoom. “I don’t think Gretsch believed me when I told them my Silver Jet was mostly hollow until they X-rayed it. Apparently, Chet Atkins was always after the company to make the guitars more solid, because they suited his sound. But I like things to sound a little looser. You definitely need a hollowbody or semi-hollowbody to nail the ‘Wolf’ tone.”
The final piece of the timbral recipe is the Silver Jet’s bridge-position DeArmond single-coil.
“I don’t like humbuckers,” says Zoom. “They diminish hum you don’t really care about—like hum from the sun or fluorescent lights—and they’re too dark sounding. I want a huge, open tone that sounds as live and reckless as possible.”