Axe master: Joe Bonamassa plans to go on guitar safari while in town for FICA concert

One of the funniest scenes in the classic rock “mockumentary” “This Is Spinal Tap” features fictional guitarist Nigel Tufnel showcasing his guitar collection to the fictional director of the film, Marty DiBergi. Tufnel is touchy about his prized axe.

“Look … still has the old tag on,” Tufnel said. “Never even played it.”

“You’ve never played …,” DiBergi said while pointing at the guitar.

“Don’t touch it,” Tufnel said.

“I wasn’t going to touch it. I was just pointing at it.”

“Well, don’t point at it. It can’t be played.”

During the hilarious scene, Tufnel, portrayed by Christopher Guest, tells DiBergi, played by Rob Reiner, to not even look at the guitar.

It’s a stretch, but not by much, since many venerable guitarists treat their prized instruments like museum pieces.

“It’s so true,” Joe Bonamassa said while calling from Atlanta. “A lot of guys won’t take their finest guitars on the road. They keep them at home, and I don’t get it.”

That’s not so with Bonamassa, who will showcase his favorite guitars, as well as his material, when he performs Thursday at the First Interstate Center for the Arts.

“You’ll definitely experience some pretty amazing guitars when I come back to Spokane. I think it’s so cool for people who come out to see me experience what a ’59 Les Paul sounds like. How often do you get to see a guy play something like that?”

The revered blues guitarist is stoked to showcase his songs, but he also is excited about walking the streets of Spokane. “I love that city because when I go, I’m always on a guitar safari,” Bonamassa said.

A guitar safari sounds like a Ted Nugent production, but it’s how Bonamassa describes his experience each time he returns to Spokane.

“Every time I go back there, I’m looking for guitars,” Bonamassa said. “I go out on a guitar safari. I’ve found some cool guitars like a Firebird I picked up there. I don’t remember where I picked up the guitar, but I’ll be on the lookout for some more guitars when I come to town.

“I’m always looking for some cool or vintage guitars that I might be able to take on the road that could possibly enhance what I do onstage.”

Bonamassa, 42, who has an extensive collection of guitars and amplifiers, is finishing a new album, which will be released in September. The album, which was recorded at the iconic Abbey Roads studio, has yet to be titled.

“I can’t tell you the name of it until August,” Bonamassa said. “But I can tell you that it was an amazing experience recording where Pink Floyd recorded ‘Dark Side of the Moon.’ ”

The slick guitar hero will preview at least one new song, “Conversation With Alice.” “That might be all that I’m ready to play now,” Bonamassa said. “I’m excited about this album. It’s biographical. It’s drawn from the last two years of my life.”

The Grammy nominee is a dynamic blues guitarist who has released 13 solo albums, including 2018’s “Redemption.”

“Redemption,” like most of Bonamassa’s albums, has been released by his own label, J&R Records. The album is steeped in Chicago blues and once again features the work of longtime producer Kevin Shirley.

But Bonamassa experiments with new blues sounds. A few of the songs feature Southern soul with horns. He delivers muscular blues cuts, which pull from the power and mysticism of Led Zeppelin. The common denominator throughout the album is regret.

However, Bonamassa doesn’t look back and see missed opportunities. “I’ve been very fortunate,” he said. “I’ve been at this a long time.”

Bonamassa has made history as a blues player. Much like his guitar-slinging peers, Derek Trucks and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Bonamassa was performing in clubs as a pre-pubescent and mentored by an esteemed blues guitarist. The late Danny Gatton schooled Bonamassa.

“I was fortunate to be encouraged at such a young age,” Bonamassa said. “Danny taught me how to play the Telecaster, and I was able to go on the road during the weekends, and I just fell in love with playing the guitar and writing songs. It was apparent from an early age what I wanted to do.”

Since Bonamassa emerged on the scene as a kid, he’s always been known as a young guitarist. However, with the passing of a number of blues icons, such as B.B. King and rare sightings of legendary players like Eric Clapton, Bonamassa has almost reached elder statesman status.

“Kenny Wayne Shepherd and I were recently talking about this subject,” Bonamassa said. “I asked him this question, ‘When did we become the spokesman for blues guitar players?’ But the guys we hung out with when we were in our teens like B.B. King are gone.

“Guys like Kenny and Derek Trucks and I are all in our 40s. We’re keeping it all going, and there will be some blues guitarists after us. If I’m wrong, we’ll still be alright.”

Bonamassa will play on with all of his vintage gear.

“Guitars are what I’m into,” Bonamassa said. “They give me great joy. The reason to own all of these guitars is because I like the sound and feel of the guitars. I love the Les Pauls. They make a great guitar. I love Fenders. They also manufacture a great guitar.

“There’s something about an old guitar, but the reality is that they don’t sound any better than a new guitar. They just feel different. I love the old guitars because I’m preserving history.”

And perhaps Bonamassa will uncover a gem in Spokane. “You know I’ll be looking,” Bonamassa said.