Andy Timmons: How Steve Vai’s compliment made him paranoid about his tuning

As Andy Timmons released his album Recovery in March 2025, he sat down for a discussion with Guitar Player contributor Jonathan Graham to discuss the album, the influence of Jeff Beck, and how an innocent compliment from Steve Vai convinced him his guitar was out of tune. Visit GuitarPlayer.com for more. 00:00 - "Why Must It Be So?” Performance 00:40 - Andy Timmons Interview Start 00:58 - The Emotional Rollercoaster of 'Recovery' 02:57 - Expressing Emotionally with the Guitar 05:15 - Getting "Out of Your Own Head" While Playing Guitar 08:06 - Reconnecting with the Instrument 09:23 - Rhythm and Phrasing: The Importance of Time Feel 13:12 - How Andy Timmons Crafts Memorable Guitar Melodies 16:42 - Intuition vs. Music Theory While Soloing 18:02 - Pitch Control and Note Colouring 19:47 - Steve Vai's Compliment to Andy Timmons 20:57 - "The Prayer / The Answer" 22:15 - Overcoming Live Technical Issues 24:36 - Playing 'Recovery' Tracks Live 28:01 - Gear Used on 'Recovery' 32:01 - Andy's Signature Ibanez AT100 35:31 - Jeff Beck Tribute and His Influence 39:35 - Andy Timmons Meeting Jeff Beck 43:19 - Would Andy Timmons Approach Learning Guitar Differently Today? 45:34 - Andy Timmons on Fretboard Visualisation 47:49 - PRS 40th Anniversary Event 49:45 - Upcoming Live Shows