In today’s churches, the guitar is coming to dominate the landscape in the same way that the piano and organ once did. It’s important that as church musicians we give great care and thought to our guitar playing - everything from chord voicings to tones - so that the instrument is a servant of the congregation, not the star and not the distraction. Each week on Sojournmusic.com, Pastor Mike Cosper will post a guitarist’s feature, which will range from articles to links, online lessons and interviews.  Here, Mike talks with Kevin Twit of Indelible Grace:

Kevin Twit is the founder of Indelible Grace Music. You have probably sung one of the many arrangements of hymns written by IG songwriters - including Twit, Sandra McCracken, Derek Webb, Matthew Smith, and many more. What you may not know is that Twit is a monster guitarist, who loves the instrument and loves great players. I asked Kevin to answer a few questions about guitars, guitar players, and their unique place in the church for us.

Give us your 2-3 sentence guitar-playing autobiography:

I began playing guitar in the ninth grade. I learned to play from lessons and from the first four Aerosmith albums that I bought for 10 cents each at a church rummage sale. I went to Berklee College of Music in Boston from 1982-86. I played guitar for Warner Bros recording artist David Mullen and One Blood (we even won the Dove award for new artist one year.) Then seminary. More recently I have played on (and produced) the five Indelible Grace CDs.

How much playing do you do on the IG records?

I play something on virtually every song. I do the bulk of the guitar work overall, but I try to let others play some too. Andy Osenga has probably played the second most guitar on the Indelible Grace CDs, and recently I’ve used Kenny Hutson a good bit too.

What does your setup look like when you play with the Indelible Grace band? Guitars, pedals, amps (geek stuff)

My main guitar is a ‘82 Gibson ES-345 (tobacco sunburst) that I got new as my high school graduation gift. I have a couple amps depending on the size of the room. I have a cool little 60s Univox tube amp (built by Ampeg) that was modded by my friend Tim Creek (The Pedal Doctor.) I also have a 57 Fender Twin Tweed reissue. And then I recently picked up a Tweed Blues Jr. that I dig.

As far as pedals go, I have a bunch. I use a Keely Compressor - it’s on most all of the time just a touch, and also a Boost pedal that was made by my friend Tim Creek (The Pedal Doctor) that I leave on most all of the time too. I use the Line 6 delay pedal and sometimes use a little Tube Screamer pedal too. I also have a cool vintage ‘69 Cry Baby wah pedal. Other pedals I use occasionally include a Mesa Boogie Bottle Rocket, a Boss EQ (7 band), a volume pedal, a Fulltone chorus/flanger pedal, and an MXR Super Comp.

My main acoustic is a ‘65 Gibson J50 that has that baggs pickup that goes in the sound hole and I run it through the para-di.

What are your favorite guitars in your collection? Are there any you kick yourself for letting go of?

My 345 is my favorite. I also have a great Japanese Squier Strat with Seymour Duncan pickups. I also have a cool old Danolectro that I use with heavy flat-wound strings to simulate a baritone guitar. That guitar has a great vibey sound.

My first electric guitar is the only one I have ever sold and I really kick myself over it. It was a ‘66 Cherry Gibson SG with the fastest neck I’ve ever played. I sold it for $325 in 1981 and bought a Peavey amp. I also had in my possession a ‘48 Fender Broadcaster. My youth group leader in High School had it, and eventually sold it to a pawn shop in Baltimore for $250 - he didn’t offer it to me because he didn’t think I would want it!

I also have had a cool acoustic that Wes King gave me, the white J200 that he is pictured with on his first album (made in the custom shop for him.) He gave it to me years ago and it was my main acoustic for years. But I am giving it back to him so he can give it to his boys someday. I haven’t been using it since I got the J50 anyway.

I have about 14 guitars all total, including a cool little Tacoma Papoose that I’ve used tons on on the Indelible Grace CDs (I bought that one from Wes King too.)

Oh, and I did have a cool silver face Fender Twin reverb amp in the late 80s that I fished out of the dumpster when they were closing Waylon Jennings’ studio. I had to get it fixed up and then sold it to a buddy when I went to seminary and he got rid of it years ago. I wish I still had that one.

For the first Indelible Grace record I used a Real Tube preamp, a Jackson poweramp and a couple Pacific cabinets with ev speakers. And I used my Korg A3 with that. With Mullen I used 2 Seymour Duncan 100w convertible amps - Sonny Landreth rented them from me and used them on John Hiatt’s Slow Turning CD - one of my favorite records!

I am fortunate to borrow lots of cool gear from friends here in Nashville when I make the Indelible Grace CDs too. Tim Creek lets me use his cool old Marshall Bluesbreaker amp and some of his great pedals. Steve Mason from Jars Of Clay lets me use his vintage Fender electric 12-string and Andy Osenga has loaned me his Les Paul a bunch too.

We do this regular series because guitar - in many contexts - is replacing the piano and organ as the primary instrument for accompaniment in the church. What do you see as the good and bad of this shift?

Well, one positive in my context is that guitars are more portable and thus we can have music with accompaniment wherever our RUF group (Reformed University Fellowship) has to meet. I also like the rhythmic nature of guitar and the connection with the blues and folk music.

But there are limits as well. Typically the guitar is more limited in dynamic range than a piano, and also limited in the harmonic colors you can bring out, and you don’t get the low end that you can get from piano. But I would rather try to use each instrument for what it can do well, rather than comparing apples and oranges. I think you need to work hard to bring a sense of dynamics to guitar-driven worship, and you have to be creative with your other instruments and work on arrangements.

And you can do some interesting things harmonically too if you learn your chords well, or even explore open tunings. Ideally, I like to have piano along with guitar, percussion and bass. And maybe some other instrument like mandolin or violin or something like that for what we do in RUF.

Part of the fun for me in doing the Indelible Grace CDs is trying to involve as many people as I can in the project and trying to find how different people’s voices and instruments will complement the whole sound. I love having such a rich community to draw from and think of my role as a producer as a kind of orchestrator.

What common mistakes or poor decisions do you see guitarists making in church contexts? What remedies would you recommend?

continued next Thursday on sojournmusic.com

Check out these past “Guitar In The Church” articles:

Guitar In The Church 7: Guitar Scale Length

Guitar In The Church 6: Tuning And Intonation 102

Guitar In The Church 5: Tuning And Intonation 101

Guitar In The Church 4: Less Is More (Playing With Distortion)

Guitar In The Church 3: Adding Color To Guitar Parts

Guitar In The Church 2: Pursuing Excellence With Acoustic Guitar

Guitar In The Church 1: Jim Campilongo On The Lost Art Of Melodic Guitar Playing

• description: The founder of Indelible Grace talks with Sojourn\'s Mike Cosper about his many guitars and gear, benefits and problems with using guitar in worship settings, and more.
• title: Kevin Twit Of Indelible Grace On Sojourn Pastor Mike Cosper\'s \"Guitar In The Church\" pt. 8

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