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From the Guitar Techniques archive, we ask a famous guitarist all those little questions you really do want the answers to… This time, Squeeze mainman Chris Difford.

Do you have a type of pick that you can't live without?

A plastic one. It's grey and it's bendy and I have hundreds of them in my desk at home.

If you had to give up all your pedals but three, what would they be?

The only pedal I use is the one on my bike, and that's not very often. Other than that Jon Dickenson has made me a lovely power valve pedal.

Do you play another instrument well enough to do it in a band?

No not really, I keep it simple with the one guitar…

What kind of action do you typically have on your electric guitars?

Low.

If a music chart were put in front of you, could you read it?

No, but I would try to and look clever and nod my head to one side.

Do guitar cables really make a difference? What make are yours?

Only if you plug them in, but what make I don't know…

Is there anyone's playing (past or present) that you're slightly jealous of?

Glenn (Tilbrook, also from Squeeze); he is amazing on guitar...

Your house/studio is burning down: which guitar do you salvage?

My James Olson acoustic - then I would run back in for the rest!

What's your favourite amp and how do you set it?

It's a Jon Dickenson Crome amp - I turn it on and it sounds amazing…

What strings do you use?

John Pearce.

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