Name: James Christian Shaffer
Nickname: Munky
DOB: June 06, 1970
Marritial Status: Divorced
Children: Carmella Starr
Ex-wife: Stephanie Roush
Instrument: Guitar
James Christian Shaffer was born in Rosedale, California, on June 6th, 1970. Munky began his musical career after an accident with his three-wheeler which severed the top of his left index finger. One night while sneaking out to a party James was pushing his bike when the chain slipped off. He slapped his hand on it so it wouldn't make a noise, but his finger got caught and cut the top off. "The doctor's like..you got to rehabilitate your finger somehow, liketake up a musical instrument. And I said..how about guitar..he goes, that's perfect."
Before joining Korn, Munky was in a band called L.A.P.D with Head, David and Fieldy. "Brian said..oh I know this guy from my High School, so they called me up, and they're like, do you want to come and try out for our band, it wasn't that I could play, it was that I had long hair" says Munky. "I sat down, Brian showed me the songs, and then that's how we all just started playing together." Munky doesn't like to even play live with out Head. And no wonder, two-thirds of Head and Munkys lives were spent together.
The first song Munky learned how to play was "Mary Had A Little Lamb", and later took acoustic guitar lessons from a man named Mr. Haas. Until Brian taught him more on the guitar, Munky had no idea what distortion was. Head sold Munky his first electric guitar, a Peavey Mystic, for three hundred dollars...a total rip-off.
"Brian pretty much inspired me to start playing. I used to go over to his house and eat his mom and dads food so I could save my lunch money and then by an amp", say Munky, though Munky started to play a 7 string guitar before Head did. Munky's favorite band is Bootsy Collin, and Mr. Bungle. When it comes to inspiration and writing music, Faith No More is Munkys main influence. On stage Munky is more than often seen wearing a pair of old overalls. "I wanted to wear something on stage that was like kinda trashy, dirty, you know, because when I'm up there I feel like...sick" says Munky. "Really what it is, it's like that person I don't like in me, all the things I hate about myself, that's who I am up there". When watching their video Falling Away From Me Munky almost cried because he was so moved. Munky says that making their own music is like "directing a horror film."
Munky's Equipment:
Guitars: White 7-string Ibanez Universe UV7PW (all duct taped up, VERY damaged! now w/green humbucker in the bridge, and black pickguard) Black Universe UV7 Black Universe UV7BK (all black, 1997 model, his current guitar used on the Lollapalooza '97
tour) Black Saber S5407 (used in the "Blind" video) '56 Fender Telecaster (for recording "KORN") Black Universe PRE-97 UV7BK (green pickups) Black Universe UV7BK (w/white pickguard, Munky switched the pickguards with this guitar with his white UV7PW) (Old) Fender Stratocaster (for recording the sitar part of "A.D.I.D.A.S.") (Old) Silvertone guitar (the one with the amp built right into the guitar case, they put the mic right up against the guitar - used on "Blind" intro part)
Amps: Marshall JCM 900 (in the studio) Vintage (1964 ) 4x12 Marshall Cabs (100w) Gibson Amp (for "A.D.I.D.A.S.") Mesa/Boogie
Triple Rectifiers (on tour and in the studio - on tour, one is set clean, and one is set for distortion; he uses a channel switcher)
FXs: (Vintage ) Leslie Cabinet ("Lies", "Kill You", "Shoots and Ladders") Sears Silvertone ("Blind") Electro-Harmonix Small Stone Phaser ("Blind") Electro-Harmonix Electric Mistress (flange -- "No Place to Hide") Mu-tron Bi phaser Ibanez Bi-Chorus ("Good God") Dunlop Uni-Vibe ("Swallow") Dunlop Crybaby wah pedal ("Blind") A Big Muff pedal (modified by Richard Kaplan - "Blind", "Shoots and Ladders") Roland Jet Phaser ProCo Ratt Distortion Memphis Envelope Follower (small blue box pedal, end of "Kill You", and "k**t" verse part, but Munky either broke it or lost it, and doesn't use it anymore)
