Where Oh Where Did The Icon Go
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Where Oh Where Did The Icon Go
This magnificent Icon Classic, in the shimmering shade of Lake Placid Blue, appeared in Guitar Tales for July 24, 2017.
But that is just the beginning of this guitar’s tale and rise to fame as it landed at Mass Street Music in Lawrence, Kansas for the summer of ’17.
Like most Andersons, it was quickly snatched up by an elated guitar player.
Simultaneously, Jernej Bervar (first name pronounced Yer-na) was already in New York City making inroads into the New York City Music scene and far beyond.
Jernej is a highly respected guitarist that has played with Victor Wooten, Ali Caldwell, Divinity Roxx, Gabrielle Goodman, Cory Henry, Sharay Reed…and others. The list goes on and on.
Originally from Slovenia, Jernej came to the United States after studying jazz in Austria. He attended Berklee College of Music in Boston, Massachusetts, where he earned a degree but missed the graduation ceremony to tour with the group SunBeatzz, throughout China. He was already in demand.
Returning to Boston after the tour he awoke one morning knowing he needed to move to New York City. With no place to go, he packed his bags and his gear and set off. He lived with a friend for a time while he acclimated to the city.
Almost immediately upon arrival, he checked the internet for available gigs in New York City. The BB King Club needed a house guitar player. They replied 2 minutes after he sent the email and 2 hours later he was at the audition with about 30 others. He waited and waited and listened and learned the songs in his head while he sat there.
Jernej’s time finally came to take the stage. His style is derived from a Blues/Rock background but with the addition of a Jazz and Fusion infusion, so he was able to bring a tasteful addition to the straight-ahead genre and a new guitar player was hired.
He met a lot of people in the industry during is tenure at the club and went on to play with all the impressive names listed above.
One notable being Divinity Roxx.
Editor’s note: One of her claims to fame is being Beyoncé’s bass player. But she does rippin’ solo stuff as well. So fun!
So Jernej showed up to that audition not only knowing all her studio work but fully versed in the live versions as well. Needless to say he got the gig and it even cut down on rehearsal time because he was already almost up to speed with the material. Smart guy. Ha.
Jernej lives on and loves his Anderson, Icon Classic. We were curious just how he got it and how he plays it. During the Covid-19 “recess” we had time to digitally sit down with him at his apartment in New York City.
Anderson Guitarworks: So Jernej…?
Jernej: I have always wanted a Tom Anderson Guitar. When I was a kid a friend of mine had one and it was so amazing. Ever since then I knew I had to have an Anderson.
Jernej: I saw an ad on Craig’s list for this Anderson, Icon. The guy was close so I called him and went over to try it out. I plugged it in and played one note and was immediately blown away. I bought it on the spot and walked home with it.
Jernej: What I wanted was a basic 3 single coil, S-style guitar and this Icon just totally blew me away from the moment I touched it. The pickups are amazing. I don’t know how you guys do it. It doesn’t make any noise. I have tried noise cancelling pickups before but these are better than any other hum-cancelling pickups—by far. They even sound better than any vintage single coil pickup. And the build quality of the entire guitar is so excellent.
Jernej: Mostly I just use the 5 settings of the 5-Way but sometimes I will run the Neck + Bridge pickups together and it will give me that nice country or pop sound.
Anderson Guitarworks: So if you got it pre-owned then did you get everything you wanted on it? Is it the color you wanted and did you want an all-Maple neck?
Jernej: At the time I got it the color is not one I would have chosen. I think I would have preferred a more basic vintage color but the guitar sounded so good that I could not resist it. The more that I play it and take pictures and videos with it…well now I love the color…love the Lake Placid Blue. Now I would order this color again. It stands out. People remember you by your guitar, “you know, the guy with the blue Tom Anderson.”
Jernej: And I like the shiny, gloss finish. For me personally, I do not understand the In-Distress paint thing. I think you need to scratch the guitar yourself by playing it on the road. Some of the scratches on the new finish, I know where they came from. It becomes part of the history of the guitar. I want to make my own history with the guitar. I really take good care of it though.
Anderson Guitarworks: Well some people want their “jeans” pre-washed and broken in and worn and some like them new and want to do it themselves.
Also, see Jernej as our latest Featured Artist
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