Jon Ness
Lead Guitar,
Vocals
CODA Member
Since:  June 2002
Instruments Played:
Guitars, Squirrels, Possums, and pretty much any furry little critters of nature.

Hometown:
Cromwell, Indiana, USA (BFE)

Years Playing:
As long as there has been light in the sky, Animal Husbandry, and fruit on the Earth......or
since 1978, whichever comes first...

Why did you start playing?
My first concert was KISS /Judas Priest in 1978. The thing I remember most is
the awesome smell of pyro in the Coliseum.
I was instantly hooked on loud live music from that moment on,
I wanted to play guitar. I immediately started banging around on my Mother's old acoustic.  
Then I learned how to tune and play chords.  Pure Rock and Roll is the reason why.

Equipment:
Two Brainbanana Custom Voodoo style Warmoth Strats with DiMarzio Multibucker full size
humbuckers in each. I built these myself, and installed custom engraved pickguards and neckplates
which I created myself as well.  Need a killer guitar built, or some killer custom work done?
Ask me... anyhow, my amplifier rig is constantly changing, so I'm sure I will be using
something different in a week, but here goes:
My Snakeskin covered Pedalboard Case is a Brainbanana Custom, which I built myself.
The signal goes from my guitar into a Brainbanana Custom A/B box,
signal A goes to my Boss TU-2 stage tuner,
Signal B goes to my Jim Dunlop DB-01 Dimebag signature Wah pedal,
to a Visual Sound Jekyll & Hyde Dual Channel Distortion/Overdrive Pedal,
to an ISP Technologies Decimator Noise Reduction Pedal,
to a Yamaha DG Stomp Multi-Effects Unit for Flange, Chorus, Delay, and Reverb.
My Pedalboard is powered by a Dunlop DC Brick.
Then, the signal goes back to my stack, and into a NADY GEQ131  31 Band Mono Graphic Equalizer,
and into an A.R.T. SLA1 260 watt stereo rackmount power amplifier.
My rack is powered by an Alesis Powertrip rackmount power conditioner with line voltage meter,
I house the rack stuff in a Brainbanana Custom rack style head which I built myself,and covered in
Snakeskin.  I play through two Laney 4X12 cabinets which I stripped completely of hardware and finish,
and recovered with snakeskin tolex, and replaced all the hardware.
I loaded them with Celestion G12M-70 and Celestion Vintage 30 speakers.
Each cabinet is being fed 130 watts @4ohms. I use Monster Gold cables, Dunlop Tortex 1.0mm (blue)
picks, Ernie Ball 213 Pyrex slide, and Fender Super 250 strings gauged .010, .013, .017, .030, .042, .052.
One case at a time...

Major Influences:
Randy Rhoads, Jimi Hendrix, Michael Bruce, Glen Buxton, Jimmy Page, Paul Stanley,
Ace Frehley, Gene Simmons, Eddie Van Halen, Ritchie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, Rick Neilsen, Dan
Dickerson, Frank Hawks, Dimebag, Ted Nugent, Neil Young, Pete Townshend, Malcom & Angus Young,
Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, Dave Murray, Adrian Smith, Yngwie Malmsteen,
Steve Vai, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson,
My Mother......the list goes on...

Favorite Bands:
KISS, Alice Cooper, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Blizzard of Ozz, Iron Maiden,
Deep Purple, Neil Young, Cheap Trick, Aerosmith, Beatles, Black Crowes, Tool,
System of a Down, Pantera, Static-X, GWAR, A Perfect Circle, Magic Company, Billy Goat Gruff,
Two Many People, Powerseed, and CODA (of course).

Musical Career Highlights:
Getting paid to play my guitar.

Previous Bands:
Zonk, Reason, Bedside Manor, The Lost, Tankhead, Powerseed, Billy Goat Gruff,
The Elvis and Hammer Band, Two Many People, One Less Person...

Most Embarrassing Show Moment:
In the mid 1990's at PJ's in Nappanee with Billy Goat Gruff.
At the beginning of 'Killing in the name of...' I had planned on doing a big leap into the center of
the dance floor from the stage. There was a packed house, but the dance floor was empty. I
was ready, wireless and all. The drummer counted it off. I jumped with perfect timing so as to land
at the opening crash of the song. A wonderful, soaring, flying leap it was. What I had failed to
realize was that there had been a few dancers with their drinks out on the dance floor, and it
was quite slippery. When I landed, with much force, in the middle of the dance floor, my feet
instantly shot out from under me. Time froze for a second. I landed hard, flat on my back, and
slid for a few feet. While I lay there motionless, except for the waves of pain and laughter
coarsing through my body, Dan Dickerson (being wireless, also) saw fit to take advantage
of the situation, proceeded to run out to where I was at, and jump directly on top of me. This,
of course, would make the audience believe that we had planned the whole thing. YEAH RIGHT!
Luckily, not being seriously injured, I remained conscious and finished the song from the floor.
Then I limped back to the stage to lick my wounds and finish the night, tail between my legs.  
Quite embarrassing, indeed.

Favorite Quote:
"The Electric Yellow's got me by the Brain Banana!"
One of Chief Wiggum's officer's in the Simpson's episode where Homer discovers his middle
name (Jay) and Hippie roots. He was referring to Homer's 'special' drink, which he was
obviously enjoying, made out of vegetables and Mushrooms from the Hippie commune.  
A true and timeless classic.

Thanks To:
"I want to thank God for blessing me with such a charmed life, and for the gift of
music. I must thank my wife Charms, and my kids, David, Grace & Joshua, for putting up
with my addiction to playing the guitar.  You guys are the shizzle!  Thanks to my Mother for
allowing me to buy that first guitar with the money I had saved up to go on that Spanish Club
trip to Mexico. I didn't want to go, anyway... Thanks to Whitey and the Truck Boss for
letting me hang around for so long!  Swweeet!  Thanks to Rick Hoffer and Steve Walker
for being such fun guys to work with!  Thanks to Pam for working so hard on the website.  You rock!  
Thanks to The Cap'n, Scotty, Fink, Dickman, Joey, Danny, and all my Brothers...Peace!"
300 MPH Fuel Injected Rock N' Roll