WillieBudda

6/1/2004 - Will Ellis Interview: The Dynamic Williebudda!
He's one of the most colorful characters on the SSS forum and comes up with some of the most outrageously funny posts. Will Ellis, aka WillieBudda, is 33 and hails from Georgia. SSS allows Will to shed some light on his unusual yet highly creative sense of humor - and he even gets a little serious too.


SSS: Okay, Will, introduce yourself. Who's the man behind WillieBudda?

Will: Hi I'm WilLFreDo ZamOra Quadallas the XVI. I like rats and roaches and things that crawl by nite, but I'm feeling much better and should be outta the nervous hospital around 3055. Oh, I'm your average joe-schmoe working stiff by day, guitar God by nighe. I would think most of us are in a similar floatational craft.

SSS: Describe a day in the life of WillieBudda...

Will: My day is usually either very chaotic or dull--I can't seem to find a nice "in-between" area. My job varies from day to day, when you work with the public, that's par for the course. I'm actually a night owl, so I frequently take about an hour nap when I get home from work, I don't answer the door or phone, I just let my mind relax. That way I can stay up late working on other projects, finances, etc, or goof off. It's a good way to get my second wind. I've kinda gotten where I hate to "miss anything". Things have changed a bit as I've finally purchased my first house, so I'm sort of the "lawnmowerman" at the moment

SSS: Can you give us an insight into what goes on inside the mind of the great WillieBudda?

Will: Whew--ALOT!! Hehehehe...I try to approach almost everything from many different angles at once, which is why I come up with some of the goofy shit I spout about. I honestly DO NOT share my humor with the vast majority of folks I meet---I kind of reserve it for friends and those who appreciate it. Strangely enough, I think many people view me as a "brooding" or "deep in thought" kind of person when they meet me in person, actually, that's not always true, I just don't have anything to say sometimes.

SSS: We won't ask you what's your favorite color. We do, however, want to know your favorite food and drink.

Will: As I've gotten older, my appetite has increased dramatically, much to the chagrin of my pants!! Favorite non-alcoholic drink would be either sweet ice tea or vanillla coke, alcoholic drink(s) are Corona Beer and Black label Jim Beam w/coke. Food--seafood, pretty much anything--lobster, shrimp, grouper, shark--yep, "Jaws" fears my arse I'm a shark-eating man...

SSS: You work as a City Marshall in Statesboro, GA. Quite an unusual career choice given the nature of your posts on SSS. How did you land that job?

Will: I didn't find this job, it found me. I had a close friend turn me on to it and I honestly think he was going to have me drawn and quartered if I didn't apply for it! It was a chance for me to get back home, so I went for it. They hired me over a lot of applicants. It's not a stressful position to me per-se, but I think it would be for most folks. Working with the public is not the easiest thing you can do, but it seems to be good training for dealing with the craziness of life.

SSS: Is posting on SSS a way to show the less serious side of yourself because you have to be serious in your job all the time? Or are you as screwy a City Marshall as you are a forumite?

Will: No, I'm pretty serious on my job. I have to adapt very quickly to all sorts of folks with a variety of temperaments and educational backgrounds. Most folks that come to me either have a problem or I have a problem with them, so I have to try to keep my mind on my biz. So SSS is a good place for me to be a goofball.

SSS: You live in Statesboro - Allman Brothers country, which is rich and fertile musical soil with influences from lots of different styles. How, if at all, is that affecting your style and sound? Is being a southerner advantageous to your development as a musician?

Will: I don't think it's as advantageous as it might have been 15, 20, or 30 years ago. MTV has taken everyone hostage and you don't get as much "roots" type music unless you really go out and seek that kind of thing. Very unfortunate that music has basically become a Britney Spears lap dancing video or something "outta da hood". I think being from this area has infected my playing in many ways with the whole blues/southern rock/deep south thing and I feel like it's pretty apparent in most the stuff I play--I wouldn't have it any other way--it's part of what I am. A friend once said I sound like Joe Satriani and Dickie Betts had a kid...weird.

SSS: Are there any things you don't like about the south, musical or otherwise?

Will: I really don't like most of the misconception of the rest of the world that we are all drunken rednecks named Bubba that sleep with our sisters and work for the KKK. It's not like that at all. I quit the KKK 2 weeks ago and sleeping with my 3rd cousin really doesn't count...I KEED I KEED...Honestly, the HEAT is getting pretty bad down here. Summers can be brutal, I really don't know why we don't have more heat related deaths down this way. S'boro is about 60 miles from the ocean so we have NO breeze--some days it's unbearable.

SSS: You are a gigging musician and certainly not a bedroom guitarist. In what bands are you currently playing and what style of music?

Will: I play lead guitar for "The Statesboro Blues Band"--I've known those guys forever and they were having some trouble keeping a steady guitar player. The lead singer/rhythm player is one of my best friends, so it all seemed to come together. We play mostly 60's/70's rock and some blues, RB--fun stuff. I'd actually like to get a really good hard rock band together--I don't know if there's a demand for it, but I think I'd be fun nonetheless...

SSS: Any funny stories from the road?

Will: Yes. Too many to list, but I was playing for a rock band in college with some friends, we were called "Fade to Black"--no we were not a Metallica cover band. Anywho, we got the house band gig at a local club and we'd also run sound there. I'd go help out to make a few extra bucks on weeknights. There was a private fraternity party and Joe (bass player/singer) called me up to help dj and run sound. We wound up playing for about an hour or so for the party since our gear was already set up. The weather was HORRIBLE, really hard rain and everyone was tracking mud all over the place. Toward our last song, I noticed a small crowd gathering in the corner of the bar. These guys would set up metal chairs and this BIG dude, who was dressed down in his "whitey-tideys" would be the HUMAN BOWLING BALL and run WIDE OPEN at the chairs. By the time we finished playing, he was covered in mud, blood, and God knows what else that was on that floor!!

SSS: Who are your influences on guitar? Where are you coming from musically?

Will: I'm from the "Guitar God" school or rock--mostly the 70's guys. Consciously, Edward Van Halen got the ball rolling for me. My older brother use to threaten my life for listening to his Van Halen 1 album, but I'd sneak off and do it anyway. That record still facinates me to this day. Image-wise, I know Ace Frehley and Ritchie Blackmore had to be big in getting me playing guitar as well. Other influences--wow--almost too many to list, here's some of the biggies: Eric Johnson, Robin Trower, Michael Schenker, Jake E. Lee, Andy Summers, JIMI, Michael Lee Firkins, Warren Haynes, Dickie Betts, and Robben Ford.

SSS: What guitars, amps and effects are you currently using?

Will: I have alot of boutique amps (Budda, Kendrick, Matchless, etc) mostly and too many effects to list. I like to use stuff that's appropriate to the music I'm playing and I rarely use the same set up twice--I do have the "old faithful" setup that I use if I'm not feeling that my playing is up to par or I've been sick, etc. I grew up on Gibsons and still have the Les Paul Std. that my dad got me when I was 15 (we paid $350.00!!! for it). Mostly, I play Hamers, I have three and wish I had about 10 more! They are similar to Gibsons in feel, but a bit smaller in size. I also have a killer Zion powerglide and a Yamaha Pacifica Custom Shop I got from guitar wiz Michael Lee Firkins. I've been on an "Amp kick" for about 2 years, now I'm getting on a guitar kick--Lord knows what I'll come up with....

SSS: What's your 'desert-island' guitar, amp and stopbox?

Will: Hmmmm...I'd have to go with my favorite Hamer Sunburst guitar (I've named it "Garfield"--vintage orange in color , amp would be my Budda Twinmaster head with a Marshall 4x10 and ONLY ONE STOMPBOX????---agggghhhhhhh---I can't do it!!!!!!

SSS: Describe the ultimate WillieBudda tone...Are you there yet?

Will: I'm pretty dang close!! Closer than I've ever been. I say this very seriously. The hardest thing for me to develop in my playing was my ear and tone, so I've worked hard on it. Ideally, I like to have a few different tones at my feet, but life is a compromise. I like a warm singing/violin-ish lead tone, a fairly rauchy fuzz tone, and more of a strait ahead "Marshall" Distortion sound as well--must be the DS-1 coming out to play.....

SSS: You seem to be the forum's biggest advocate for fuzz. What is it with you and fuzz?

Will: I LIKE DE FUZZ AND DE FUZZ LIKE ME!! I blame Joe Gagan I got his Dino Fuzz a while back and the lights kinda came on. I just thought "WOW--I've been missing the boat--this is VERY cool" So I kinda went nuts with the whole fuzz thing. Joe and Dave Fox make some great stuff. Our own South Feenix Dave is putting out some groovalicious stuff as well---I loves my Soiled Dove!! I wish I had access to some of the goodies I have now when I was playing more in college!

SSS: And what is it with you and the Netherlands?

Will: I must be a transplant from another dimension. Maybe I was Don Quixote in another life....I don't know. All the cats I meet from that corner of the world just jive with me and I jive with them. We generally have similar tastes in music, gear, tones, and I suspect, women Why do you guys have to have the Netherlands so far from Georgia......???? Oh well, at least I can supply you guys with great Fuzz Faces

SSS: You have referred to yourself as the 'forum clown'. Your sense of humor is certainly unique! Is there a philosophy, a motivation behind this you'd like to share with us?

Will: Eat mo gravy...

SSS: Your humor is highly creative and you have a creative outlet in your guitar playing. Any other areas in life where you display similar levels of creativity?

Will: I actually do have a very uncanny knack with children. It's strange, I can walk in a room and every kid will drop what they are doing and come over and start talking to me. I enjoy being around kids--they can really crack you up, but I'm not sure if I'm ready for the responsibility of raising one---yikes, that's a tall order.

SSS: SSS is an informational resource for the conscious guitarist which allows guitarists to discuss their spirituality in addition to their gear. Here's your chance to convey your spiritual consciousness to the reader...

Will: Elvis is King...Clapton really isn't God....Madonna isn't really Madonna....James Brown is the Godfather, even if he is out of his mind and American Idol is a great show...FOR ME TO POOP ON!!!!

SSS: After being asked so many questions maybe you'd like to end off with a question or statement of your own?

Will: Have you hugged your Turtlehead today? No really, I have enjoyed getting to know all you guys, you certainly make the planet more fun and bearable. I think it would be cool if we could all get together for a large jam--it would be a hilarious highlight of my life!!