Darren Savard on SoundBetter

First Call Session Guitarist, 2014 CCMA Guitar Player of the Year. I've got 10+ years of studio experience and very a diverse approach. I've recorded guitar on countless radio hits, notably on country superstar Dallas Smith's #1 hit "Wastin' Gas", produced by Joey Moi, as well as countless other radio hits.

I'm all about providing exactly what the client is looking for. Guitar parts and tone that suits the song and approach desired by the artist or producer. I've got every mode of tracking guitar available, whether it be mic'ing up an amp with some boutique microphones, or plugging in direct and providing un-effected guitar tracks and everything in between. Whether electric or acoustic, I work until the client has found what they are looking for.
I've spent the last 5 years touring with country superstar Dallas Smith. Prior to the Dallas Smith gig, I toured extensively with one of Nashville's top, Grammy-nominated songwriters by the name of Deric Ruttan (Blake Shelton, Jason Aldean, Eric Church, Dierks Bentley and more) I've also toured with One More Girl (formerly signed to Interscope Records), Jason McCoy (the Roadhammers) and MANY more. The expertise and experience gained while touring with these artists was invaluable and as a result, has given me a great gauge on what is sought after as a session guitarist in this day and age.

Click the 'Contact' above to get in touch. Looking forward to hearing from you.

Credits

4 Reviews

Endorse Darren Savard

by Paul Kinman
Darren's a fantastic player! Great tone and always really tasteful parts, if you can hire him, do it!
by Scotty Chops
I've been using Darren for my productions for years. Artists include, Chase Rice, Aaron Pritchett, Cold Creek County, Petric, Kira Isabella, Petric and many more.
by Dan Swinimer
Darren is a producer's best friend. His playing is impeccable - always in tune & in time, but it's his ability to come up with relevant & creative parts / sounds / tones on the spot, in any style that make him irreplaceable on any session I'm working. He's also my first choice for band leader because he's super pro (albeit an obnoxious coffee snob)
by Tom McKillip
Darren is the most versatile guitarist around. I have used his talent on many albums, live TV broadcasts and concerts. He never fails me. I can count on him to be a total professional on every call.

Interview with Darren Savard

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: My studio consists of about 25 different guitars, a dozen guitar amps and a massive collection of pedals. I run Pro Tools, with a Universal Audio Apollo Twin Duo. Depending on the application, I'll use one or many of my amps, mic'ed up with a Royer 121 and Shure SM57, or running into my Two Notes Torpedo Professional Digital Loadbox. The latter is incredibly versatile and producers really love the sounds that come from that unit. I also have a huge collection of guitar plugins that I use if the application calls for it. As for acoustic, I typically use a large condenser (KEL audio Song Sparrow), or Chameleon Labs pencil condenser mic.
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: I'm a huge guitar nerd, so I'm a fan of guys like Ian Thornley (Big Wreck), Michael Landau (James Taylor), Oz Noy, John Scofield... and many others. I'm also very inspired by Nashville studio guys like Tom Bukovac, Adam Shoenfeld, Troy Lancaster, Ilya Toshinsky. I also love to pick apart and get inspired by certain producers' work, like Max Martin, Greg Wells, Jay Joyce.
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: I do guitar tracks from home, or from the numerous state of the art studios in Vancouver. I typically get hired to do all electric and acoustic guitars on recordings, layering tracks and making sure the song stays in the intended direction all the while adding my sound to the song.