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Shred Talk !
(12 Aug 02)
Gear, Gear, Gear !
EV: Well, youīre a endorser for Dean-guitars, and you play several of their guitars, most of them very much customized for you. What is important for you about a good guitar ?
TK: Itīs a long process. It takes a few years, but eventually you just figure out what youīre looking for in a guitar, what you need or donīt need.
Iīm at a point where I definitely know how to get my sound, what kind of guitar and amp I need etc. Iīm talking bout a few simple features that a guitar should have for me to like it. One of the basic ideas these days for me is: Less is more. See, I still do have 4 ESP-custom guitars, cause I worked with ESP before I went with Dean. And those four guitar all have pretty much the same features... two pickups, a three way-toggle switch, and a volume knob. No tone knob, no fancy stuff. And the first of those guitars was the only one with a Floyd Rose on it, the latter ones all simply had a fixed bridge. And those and the Dean guitars I am using these days are just great, simple stage-guitars. I donīt have to worry about something breaking or whatever. I just use the three way toggle to switch pickups.
Another important thing: The guitar does have to have a great acoustic sound by itself.
Dean MLs
EV: Today, you brought a Les Paul-copy by Dean. Are you able to play all the stuff you play on the MLs on that guitar, also ? With those pickups in it etc. ?
TK: Yes. And about the pickups: If I would not like the ones in this guitar, I would replace them. I spent a lot of time experimenting with pickups, trying different ones. They donīt have to be higain-pickups for me. Most amps these days have plenty of gain anyway. I always look for guitars that have a lot of presence. I like those in a guitar sound, lots of trebles. In one of my Deans, I am using the Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates, and those really have a good amount of treble, with lots of harmonics, and that I really like...
EV: Oh yeah, I used to use these pickups too before I went with DiMarzio. Those Pearly Gates have a pretty low output too...
TK: Exactly. Low output, but lots of presence. Actually, I do like Strat-sounds a whole lot. I really like that typical strat-sound, I just donīt play a lot of strat-shaped guitars, which is due to my way of playing. Back to your question whether I could play all the same stuff that I can play on a Flying V on this Les Paul. I could, but live I would prefer the V, just because I feel more comfortable with its shape. You know, you can put that Flying V between your legs ( the way Michael Schenker does it), and that gives me a bit more control, which I like a lot. You just have total control on the neck, since it does not move at all once you hold the V that way. I canīt really do that with a strat-shaped guitar, it just kinda dangles around in front of my hip. A strat-style guitar may look cooler, but I really have more control with a V or a Dean ML. I started out on an Explorer, then I used the Vīs, and today, for the shred-stuff, I use the ML, which is kind of a mixture of an Explorer and a V.
EV: What if youīre in a situation where you have to use someone elseīs gear, say someone just hands you a Tele and a small combo... can you deal with that, can you feel comfortable if you have to play with that...
TK: I know what you mean. See, I always try to work with the gear that I have.
Sure, with a Tele and a Bassman, it would be tough for me to play something
like "Frenzy" ( a legendary, very fast instrumental / solo by Racer X / Paul Gilbert- EV). For that you need a certain kind of guitar and sound. Even Paul knows that and couldnīt play it easily on that kinda gear.
So I adjust to the gear I have. It always sounds stupid if you try to do something which you just canīt with the gear you have. Actually, we played a lot of stuff on the new Demon Drive album with a Tele. We really didnīt need that ultra gain-style sound, which is another reason why I am using those kinda Les Paul-copies with Demon Drive. That Tele-sound fits really well to our music, that kinda crunch as opposed to mega-higain-sounds.
EV: We have talked about rack-stuff before. You still do have a bunch of rack gear, but you told me that you hardly ever use that kinda stuff. I am pretty sure that live with DD, youīre not gonna use it either.
Is that because you like the simpler way, or prefer another sound, or is it because you experimented with it a lot and figured out that itīs not really for you ?
TK: Well, first of all, itīs often too complicated to use a rack. In many live situations, you just have it set up your stuff and have your sound set up quickly. Itīs important to be able to sound good with just your guitar and an amp. Simply guitar-cable-amp. Itīs as simple as that, and I am convinced that the majority of todayīs worldclass-players generate their sound that way.
Even guys like Steve Vai or Steve Lukather, who are well-known for their huge racks and trucks full of gear would be able to get their sound with one guitar straight into the amp. Theyīd still sound like Vai or Lukather.
So, for me it was a long process to figure out that I donīt really need that rack-stuff. You slowly figure out what you need and what you donīt need. Of course you have to spend a bunch of money on buying stuff to try.
So, I collected all that 19"-stuff which I still do have, but I donīt really use it anymore. Maybe in the studio, I do. The ADA MP-1 for example. I might sometimes use that in the studio, cuz it still is a great preamp.
But I wouldnīt use that MP-1 live, simply because of the dynamics. I mean, youīre up on stage and you have to play with a huge drum-kit and a loud bass-player, and all that rack-stuff just takes away from that. You just need some punch.
EV: Ok, imagine Vossi calls you up tonight and tells you you do have to play a show with Demon Drive tomorrow. What gear do you take with you for a show?
TK: I always take two guitars, just in case. If I i.e. break a string on one of them, or a pickup stops working, I simply grab the other one. That is the reason why I usually have two of every guitar... two MLs, two Les Paul-copies etc. SO one is always a backup.
My amp is the Marshall JCM 2000 Dual Super Lead, works great. For solos, I use a Boss Overdrive / Distortion ( OS 2 ). Works fine.
EV: K, letīs get to the licks...
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