If you are looking for a high-output pickup for rock or metal, check out this comparsion demo where you can see 12 of our most popular models compared in side by side demos.

Distortion 0:06 – 1:02
Full Shred 1:03 – 1:59
Invader 1:59 – 2:55
JB 2:56 – 3:53
Alternative 8 3:54 – 4:49
59/Custom Hybrid 4:52 – 5:46
Custom 5:46 – 6:42
Dimebucker 6:42 – 7:39
EMTY Blackouts 7:40 – 8:36
Blackouts Metal 8:36 – 9:33
Blackout Standard 9:33 – 10:30
Gus G FIRE Blackouts 10:30 – 11:27
For more great demos, check out Keith Merrow’s YouTube channel.

In this week’s edition of Voices of Metal we turn to a guitarist who has spent years making brutal music with Shaded Enmity. We recently heard that Joe Nurre had joined up with Jeff Loomis to go on tour, we caught up with him to talk about his tone, the Seattle metal scene and his playing with Jeff.

How did you get started playing guitar?

“When I was 12 years old, my mom had an old classical guitar from the 1950’s that sat in our living room underneath the piano and I picked it up one day and started to mess around on it. My mom only knew a couple chords and so she got me a few lessons with this guy named Frank Bradford and I ended up playing the classical guitar until I got my first electric guitar at age 14.

You cranked out some pretty brutal songs with Shaded Enmity, how do you feel about now being able to play with Jeff Loomis. Can you describe how your playing styles go together?

“Shaded Enmity has been a very important band to me because I have put all of my money, time, and effort into the band. It is also the only project that I have written 100% of the music. Shaded Enmity has allowed me to vent my frustrations and everything else through the music which is why it is so “in your face” a lot of the time. When I was in high school, one of the biggest influences on my songwriting and playing was the band Nevermore. I probably spun the “Dead Heart in a Dead World” record over 400 times. If you would have told me I would be playing with Jeff Loomis 10 years later, I would have never believed you. Playing guitar with Jeff is probably one of the best things that has ever happened to me.

“Obviously playing music for a living is what I want to do and have wanted to do for years. I will admit that there has been quite a bit of frustration in not being able to push forward with my own band Shaded Enmity. After sending our cds to countless labels and being turned down many many times, you start to wonder if maybe things aren’t ever going to work out, or maybe you aren’t good enough, as the music industry is a tough scene. When Jeff asked if I would be interested in playing with him, it felt like a new door was finally being opened and that I could pursue an actual music career. It was extremely intimidating at first when I sat down with Jeff. My hands would sweat hardcore, and I was very nervous. Jeff is so laid back and easy going, that it didn’t take long for me to be comfortable around him. Everything came very natural.”

What kind of gear do you currently use?

“Currently I am using a 7 string guitar from the company Strictly 7 Guitars. They are a fairly new company based out of Ohio, and they sent me the signature model of an artist named Ola Englund, called the Solar 7 to use on a 24 date tour run that I did with Jeff. I love the guitar and I am continuing to work with them. The Solar 7 has Seymour Duncan Blackouts. I actually used a fractal axe fx on our tour run, going through an Orange Cab. I liked the axe fx, but I will probably be switching to the EVH head for our next tour. For Shaded Enmity I use an ESP LTD Dave Mustaine guitar called the DV8 back when he was endorsed by ESP. That guitar has Seymour Duncan passive pickups in it. I have used the Peavey XXX amp head for at least 10 years with that band and other projects. I run that through a Marshall 1960 A cab. I don’t use any fx pedals at the moment. When I practice at home, I use the Zoom G3 unit.”

What bands and players have personally inspired you?

“I grew up in the 90’s, so bands like The Smashing Pumpkins, Bush, The Offspring, Nirvana, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Metallica, and many more were huge influences on my playing. For the longest time Kurt Cobain was my biggest influence. Not necessarily on my playing, but in the way that he wrote his songs. When I got into high school, I started discovering bands like Nevermore, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Arch Enemy, Morbid Angel and many others. I would say the players who have had the most influence on me would be Jeff Loomis, Alexi Laiho, Joe Satriani, Billy Corgan, and Michael Amott.”

How would you describe the Seattle metal scene?

“The Seattle Metal scene is congested with tons of thrash bands and black metal bands. All these bands could be a lot better if they put more time into their songwriting and stage performance. I have seen countless local bands out here all wondering why they can’t make it, or why their toaster oven recording isn’t having the same effect that a Burzum record has. If a lot of the bands would focus more on writing original material rather than copying, I think the scene would be a lot better and maybe people would actually want to go to shows. Going to a local metal show in Seattle for the most part is very boring. As a member of the audience, you want to be entertained and impressed. You paid to go to a show, so you want to get your money’s worth.”

Do you have any advice you could offer players who are just starting to play shows in converted bomb shelters and otherwise dilapidated buildings?

“The best thing that you can do as a band, is to spend your money on a good quality recording. Not many people drive around blasting local bands recordings in their car because they simply don’t sound good. Granted, you are going to pay more, but in the end, the product you receive is totally worth it. I have gone this direction with Shaded Enmity and I believe that is what has helped to set us apart. We are a local band that doesn’t sound like a local band if that makes any sense. Don’t spend all your time playing local shows either. If you are playing once a week in your city, that is too much. Especially if it is in front of the same 20 people every week. Expand your horizons and look outside of your city. It is fine to play local shows every once in a while, but if you are doing it weekly, most people will get bored with you very quick. Contact your local club owner and see what you have to do to get on national act shows.
For more information on Shaded Enmity & Joe Nurre visit:

https://www.facebook.com/shadedenmity

This is the song Insidious which is straight forward thrash death metal kind of song with a lot of frenetic rhythm guitar playing, the Nightrage way. I use a lot of triplets on the rhythms and the overall arrangement its simple and to the point. A nice thing is the change from 4/4 to 3/4 on the chorus where I use wide vibrato on my melodies and some nice hooks there to balance the brutality of the song and make it more interesting. Tomas Lindberg from At The Gates makes a guest vocal appearance and gives the song the extra push that we needed to make it a better song.
Also, the song closes down with a nice acoustic outro theme, that has that eerie and sad feeling that we’re always using on our songs, I have used some nice open chords to make the acoustic theme rich and also used some octaves playing the lonely melody beneath.
Tips: Try to use heavy strings to avoid tuning problems and make sure that your right hand plays the rhythm tight and try to work from slow speed and slowly increase the tempo until you find the balance you are looking for.

Carlos Santana has long been considered a pioneering guitarist with his solos and blues based melodic playing. His incredible performance at Woodstock catapulted him into the public eye and he has gone on to lead a successful career and has been cited as an influence by countless guitar players, including Prince and Kirk Hammett of Metallica. In 1981, we talked with Carlos about his tone.
What are your main guitars?
“My main guitar is a custom made Paul Reed. It’s got a very good tremolo system that really stays in tune. The sound is very good and strong. It’s got Seymour Duncan’s in it (Duncan Distortion’s). I use it probably 80% of the time. I also use my Yamaha’s and I’m expirementing with Duncan’s in them. Recently I’ve gotten into Strat’s. I’ve got one old one, a maple neck, that I use in the studio and a number of copies that I can take on the road. I’ve got Duncan Vintage Strat’s in them. There’s also the “gold leaf” Fender Strat that you’re building for me (That will have Duncan SSL-5’s in it).”
What is it that you like about Seymour’s Pickups?
“Most of the pickups I’ve tried have a sound like hamburgers cooking. Either that or they squeal like a microphone. The Duncan’s don’t buzz or have a microphonic squeal. They sound very good and when they feedback it’s to my advantage. They are very controllable. When you play, everything has got its’ part in helping you to express yourself. The pickup is like a car’s motor. Without the guitar, it’s not going to get you anywhere. But when the guitar is together, the motor gives it the power, makes it sing.”
“During a song, when the percussionists finish a solo and it’s my turn next, I can’t drop the ball. It’s O.K. to make a mistake, but if the tone’s not there, then everyone goes home with a headache and nothing more. The Duncan’s sound good when they’re up high and also when the band gets real quiet and the playing really comes from the heart. There’s no problems and that in itself helps me tremendously.”

In 2005 some friends in New Zealand got together to start a band to combine the brutal sound of Slayer, Arkangel and Morbid Angel with a Christian message. Starting off playing in garages they moved up to headlining tours and playing festivals across the world. Their songs have been known to speak to issues such as betrayal, violence and abuse & addiction as well as messages such as friendship, hope & faith. We recently caught up with Seymour Duncan artist Vasely Sapunov, the guitarist for Saving Grace to talk about his band and his gear.
How did you come to be in Saving Grace?
“Saving Grace formed in 2005 in our hometown of Gisborne as a new project between myself and our vocalist Nick. We both grew up playing shows with each others bands when we were kids and quickly became best friends. When our previous bands disbanded, Saving Grace was born. Hundreds of shows, 3 studio albums and numerous international tours later, here we are.”
What are your thoughts on being both heavy metal and Christian, and how does that influence your writing/playing?
“Our faith permiates everything that we do, it is the core of this band and the reason we have been doing what we are doing for almost 8 years. Although musically, the majority of our influences are from secular hardcore and metal bands that we grew up listening to, we are stoked to break barriers and stereotypes and to be able to play bone-crushingly heavy music, that people would not normally associate with a Christian band.”
“I am glad that we can do what we love, and open up peoples eyes and minds to the fact that such violent and brutal music can be a form of worship. There should never be a barrier between our passions and gifts and the God who created us.”

What kind of gear do you use?
“I play Schecter Guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, SIT strings and In Tune Guitar Picks exclusively, Peavey amplification and BOSS effects. My current main touring rig is a Schecter Blackjack ATX Solo 6 with Seymour Duncan Blackouts through a 5150 mark 2 head and matching Peavey cabinet with BOSS TU-3, NS-2 and DD-3 pedals.”
Why did you choose Seymour Duncan?
“Ever since I first picked up a guitar as a kid, Seymour Duncan to me was a name synonymous with quality, integrity and enormous, unparalleled sound! Many of my childhood guitar heroes such as Dimebag were playing Seymour Duncan pickups and drawing some of the most immense tones I had ever heard.”
“The Duncan Blackout’s that I have been using on tour and in the studio are a perfect fit for the sound of Saving Grace and the insane output and clarity that they give is a testament to the quality of the product, helping to show exactly why it is that so many incredible artists stand behind the brand and never look back.”
Any advice you liked to offer to musicians who are just starting out in a garage?
“Be Genuine. Be 100% into what you are doing and know why you are doing it. Creating music, like any other art form needs to be done with passion and with a reason. Anything ‘manufactured’, fake or shallow is transparent and people will see straight through it. Write songs because you believe in your music and you love what you do. Expect nothing, be grateful for everything, tour relentlessly, sleep on floors and treat people with kindness.”

Fore more information on Saving Grace, please visit:
http://www.savingxgrace.com/

For more than 15 years Tony has been a music industry professional and session guitarist. His vast playing background and knowledge of musical products has given him the opportunity to work and perform with some great bands from Lynyrd Skynard, Nickelback, Duran Duran, Joe Satriani, Warrant and Poison.
Tony writes for the RockHouse Method, the #1 leading guitar lesson DVD series where he hosts their gear page known as the “Gear411.” Tony is also a clinician/product specialist for Blackstar and Korg USA.
What advice can you give to someone who wants to do clinics?
“Be prepared musically, but don’t overplay. Know how to sell the products without bad mouthing other products. It’s also very important to always make eye contact with members of the audience.”
How do you prepare for a clinic?
“Knowing what to say and what to play is the easy part; the part you have to work on is your people skills. You’re going to be dealing with lots of different personalities in many different parts of the world so knowing how to get along with the rep you’re traveling with, the dealer you’re doing the clinic for (along with their employees) is sometimes the most challenging part of the clinic.”
“The clinic attendees are easy because they are there to see the product and get all of their questions answered. Dealing with the customers is always my favorite part because they are all very complimentary even if they don’t like the product you’re selling.”

What is the average length of a clinic?
“It varies but always have an intro, a middle, and an ending. This will make a longer clinic go by faster for the customers attending. If you look lost and are searching for words, they will definitely get bored quickly.”
Why did you change out your stock pickups?
“Growing up all I could afford were entry level guitars and the only inexpensive way to make a cheap guitar sound good was to change the pickups so I upgraded all my guitars with Duncan’s. Wow, it made my pawn shop guitars sound like custom shop gems, so now when I get a new guitar no matter the price, it just doesn’t seem complete unless it has Duncan pickups in it.”
Which pickups do you use and for which guitars?
“I have Seth Lovers in my Les Paul, 59’s in my SG, a little 59’ and Antiquity single-coils in my sunburst Strat, a Pearly Gates Jr. in my custom Tele Esquire, a Custom Custom in my Yamaha Wes Borland hollow body, and I just installed the new prewired pick-guard with a JB Jr., a Duckbucker, and a little ‘59 in my custom reliced Strat – I love lower output pickups because they let the guitar’s personality come through and Seymour has got the formula down for winding vintage style pickups; they are as authentic as the originals and I have had the privilege to play some true originals.”
“For me the guess work is done. Seymour has done his homework so I have confidence knowing that I can go into any music store buy a Duncan pickup and I’m getting the same sounding pickup that comes in a $70,000 vintage guitar that I’ll never get a chance to own or gig with. Seymour Duncan pickups can make a bad guitar sound good, a good guitar great and a great guitar sound like the Pearly Gates have opened.”
How has it changed your playing?
“I respond to the sound I’m getting from my guitar. If my guitar is nailing the tones I grew up hearing, then it helps me with my phrasing, attack, and technique, because at the end of the day we all try to emulate our heroes.”
How would you describe your playing?
“I’d say my playing is like a gumbo, I use a lot of different ingredients to make up one dish. I like melody and simple progressions that take you somewhere. Technique is important, but too many depend on it and forget to be creative and just make some noise. ”
How would you describe your music?
“Alternative, if that’s even a category anymore. My goal is to write music instrumental (or not) that puts you in a sonic space that makes you feel something. For example, Dark Side of the Moon takes you somewhere, Tool’s 10,000 Days takes you somewhere, and that’s what I’m hoping to accomplish with my music.”
What kind of gear do you currently use?
“A lot of stuff, but guitars I keep it pretty straight forward: Les Paul, SG, Strat, Tele, hollow body – The foundation of what most classic rock albums were made with. I use Blackstar amps- the Series One 200 watt head, HT-5, Club 40 and the 1 watt. For pedals I used the new F-Bomb fuzz by Tim Jauernig, the Analog Alien Fuzzbubble 45 is all over the CD as well as the whole line of pedals from the Juliet Collective; if you haven’t heard these yet you are missing out on some seriously good tones! I also am currently addicted to these Dava Jazz picks, Love-em!”
Whose career would you most want to pattern yours after?
“Jeff Beck.”
What bands or artists influenced you and your career?
“Jimi Hendrix, Soundgarden, Nirvana, Satriani, Stevie Ray Vaughn.”
Tony will be releasing his instrumental EP Noise – available for download May 12th. Here are some quotes from some of Tony’s friends:
Joe Satriani states, “Cool vibe and crazy guitar tones”
Gary Hoey says, “Noise is a collection of guitar tunes with shred, style, melody and taste, but most importantly the compositions take you somewhere, “Circadia Collective”, “Kingdom By The Sea” and “Thunder” are worth the admission, can’t wait to hear what’s next!
To visit with Tony, please go to:
http://www.tonypasko.com
http://www.paskoconsulting.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/artist/control_room/508687%23!/tonyjpasko
http://www.myspace.com/546494390
http://www.facebook.com/%23!/tony.pasko
https://twitter.com/%23!/tpasko
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=FLsLreeeRpH7aj5U47tVCMUw&feature=mh_lolz

As you may have seen on our forums recently, Musicians Institute and Seymour Duncan Pickups and Pedals are offering three innovative scholarships to support bass players, guitarists and luthiers at the legendary music school.
Each $2,000 scholarship (tuition credit) will be awarded in Fall 2012 to a newly enrolling intermediate or advanced student (US or non-US citizens) in the Associate of Arts in Performance (Bass) program, the Guitar Craft Academy (GCA) Certificate program and the Associate of Arts in Performance (Guitar) program.
The deadline for the scholarship application is August 24th, 2012. For more information, follow these links!
The Seymour Duncan Bass Scholarship
The Seymour Duncan Guitar Scholarship
The Seymour Duncan Guitar Craft Scholarship 
And for even more info:
http://www.mi.edu/news    
http://www.mi.edu/admissions/scholarships
http://musiciansfoundation.wordpress.com/
https://www.facebook.com/TheMusiciansFoundation
https://www.facebook.com/MusiciansInstituteAlumni

Joel Hoekstra is quite possibly the busiest guitar player you’ve never heard of….yet. Joel has been touring the world alongside Brad Gillis, Jack Blades and Kelly Keagy in Night Ranger for the last 4 years. When at home, he is in the hit Broadway show Rock of Ages 8 shows a week and as if that isn’t enough, he has set it all aside (replacing Alex Skolnick) for the arena-filling Trans-Siberian Orchestra winter tour. Recent projects? Did we mention filling in for Foreigner’s Mick Jones, playing on Jeff Scott Soto’s and Jack Blades’ solo albums, appearing in Dee Snider’s new video or making a cameo in the Warner Bros. movie Rock of Ages?
What part did you play in the movie, “Rock of Ages”?
I am in the protest scene. Basically they took Sebastian Bach, Nuno Bettencourt, Kevin Cronin, Debbie Gibson and me and put us around Russell Brand, singing a song across the street at Catherine Zeta Jones.
Did you learn anything from that experience?
Yeah, Baz (Sebastian Bach) is a madman!  In a great way. I love that dude! We had a blast on the set.
What would you like to share about it?
A cool moment was putting on a concert for the actors in catering on no rehearsal, soundcheck etc. We played everyone’s hits. It was really crazy to be playing and look out and see Russell Brand, Tom Cruise, Catherine Zeta Jones all watching us.
How did you get your gigs with so many well know bands?
I got Night Ranger through playing in the house band for Jim Peterik’s World Stage shows. Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger drummer) was one of many artists to come out to sing their hits each year and eventually that led to my “audition”, which was basically a gig on no rehearsal..haha! Rock of Ages I got through knowing the music supervisor. We met while I was subbing on the show Tarzan and he was the keyboard player. With Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I had a couple friends put in a good word for me, but I had to audition just like everyone else.

When taking over guitar duties in a well-known band, do you do your own solos, play them note-for note, or something in-between?
I’m a big believer in making the OTHER people in the band feel comfortable. It’s not about you. The gigs are always bigger than you are, so I try to play things initially as note-for-note as possible. As time goes by, I gradually put my own spin on things.

Why did you change out your stock pickups?
Mostly, I made the change simply because I prefer Seymour Duncan. I always request Seymour Duncan pickups if a guitar is being built for me.
Which pickups do you use and for which guitars?
My Atomic Rock in America guitar has a Seymour Duncan Custom SH-5 in the bridge and a Seymour Duncan L’il 59′ in the neck (alongside a Fernandes Sustainer). My Schecter Hellraiser has a JB in the bridge and a ’59 in the neck. On my Gibson Les Paul Axcess, I have a Little 59 in the neck position (also alongside a Fernandes Sustainer.)
How would you describe the sound of those pickups?
The SH-5 is a high gain monster with a good, solid fat punch! The JB is very punchy, but delivers a nice midrange that cuts beautifully on lead work, etc.  The ‘59 and the L’il ‘59 both deliver a beautiful, warm, round tone for me in the neck position. Both are warm, not woofy and deliver clarity and sustain. Whatever sound I’ve been in need of, Seymour Duncan has always delivered.
How has it changed your playing? (if it did)
Having the right sound and obviously pickups are a huge part of that, helps you to play the way you WANT to play. If your sound isn’t right, you can end up fighting with your instrument and that in turn, compromises your performance.
How would you describe your playing?
Lately through Night Ranger, Rock of Ages and Trans-Siberian Orchestra, I am known mainly for playing hard rock.  I have also released 2 albums of my own that could be described as rock/fusion and another album that is all acoustic. Over the years, I have played all types of gigs from blues, country, jazz, etc…
What was your favorite gig and why?
There are two. My first gig with Night Ranger was with no rehearsal and a limited soundcheck. It was like jumping out of a plane without knowing if you had a parachute and when the chute opened it felt damn good. I had a very similar experience filling in for Mick Jones of Foreigner. I only had 24 hours notice to get their set together and it was a blast having everyone from the tour watching in the wings.
How would you describe your music?
Undefined has elements of rock, funk, blues, country and jazz. The Moon is Falling is more in a prog-rock direction. Virgil Donati (Steve Vai, Planet X) and Ric Fierbracci (Andy Summers, Frank Gambale) play absolutely amazing stuff on both of them. 13 acoustic songs is a collection of chord melody songs I wrote. It’s more about nice songwriting and arranging than blowing chops.
My music is my escape from the commercial world, so I just view it as EXACTLY what I feel like playing at that time. When it comes to playing other gigs, I do my best to deliver what they are looking for and try my hardest play it at the very highest level possible.  You can check it out my music and some of the albums I have played on here:
http://www.myspace.com/joelhoekstra/music/songs?filter=POPULAR
I’m at Rock of Ages 8 shows a week in NYC when I’m not on tour with Night Ranger or Trans-Siberian Orchestra, so it’s very easy to catch me live these days.  You can check dates here anytime:
http://www.joelhoekstra.com/live.html
To visit with Joel please go to:
http://www.joelhoekstra.com
http://www.facebook.com/JoelHoekstra13
https://twitter.com/#!/JoelHoekstra13
Keep an eye out for Joel in the Warner Bros. movie Rock of Ages premiering June 15, in theaters everywhere as well as Dee Snider’s new video Mack the Knife.

Many players prefer their pickups running at full tilt all the time, partly because they don’t like the sound when they back off the guitar’s volume. Constantly running on ten is fine if your music calls for it (and sometimes a simple kill switch in place of a volume control can be the perfect tool for the job), but there’s something to be said for the sonic territory that one can explore when they use the volume control to influence the interaction between guitar and amplifier. Still, what can you do if you want to vary your gain from the guitar’s volume knob but you wish to maintain the treble response?
A treble bleed modification is the answer! This is a very simple trick which maintains the high end when you roll back the volume control, and it’s especially noticeable if you play a guitar with a H-S-H layout with coil splitting in the 2 and 4 positions. It works great with Strat® pickups, and it unlocks a wider range of bright cleans from humbuckers, which are especially prone to the treble reduction effect. It allows you to maintain a similar basic tone throughout the volume knob’s travel, while lowering the gain generated by the amplifier.
And it’s easy to perform! Simply solder a .002 capacitor and a 100k resister in parallel between the input and output terminals of the volume pot. Depending on how neatly the pot is soldered, you may not even need to remove and re-solder any wires. There’s a diagram here which shows you where to solder the capacitor and resistor. Once you’ve performed the mod, explore the new sounds at your fingertips. Many players who have given in to the joys of the treble bleed mod like to dial in their maximum required gain amount with the guitar on 10, then use the volume pot to reel it back for a cleaner rhythm tone. And if it doesn’t quite do it for you, the mod is easily reversible.

When Black Sabbath announced plans for a reunion album and tour last year, the metal world went into a frenzy. The legends were back! But then Tony Iommi announced his diagnosis with cancer, and the band scaled back its planned appearances to small number of dates. To fill the void left in the wake of some of the already-announced Sabbath shows, Ozzy Osbourne called up a few friends to do something really special: Ozzy & Friends. This European tour features Ozzy’s current band – guitarist Gus G, bass player Blasko and drummer Tommy Clufetos – with some very special guests: Slash, former Ozzy and current Black Label Society shredder Zakk Wylde, and none other than Black Sabbath bass legend Geezer Butler. Gus recently sent us a pic from rehearsals and we needed to know more, so we called him up late last week to give us an update on all things Gus: Ozzy, the forthcoming Firewind album, and his signature Gus G Fire Blackout pickups.
How are the rehearsals going for the tour?
“It’s okay! It’s been going really good! We did a few days in a row with just the band, then Ozzy came down, Geezer Butler came down for a couple of days, Zakk Wylde came down for a couple of days. Then today Slash was there. So we’ve been going through the songs that each guy is going to come up and do separately. And tomorrow is a day when we all get down there for rehearsal, so it’ll be one big meeting.”
I don’t think you should give away which songs you’ll be doing, but you got to play with Geezer?
“Yeah I did! That was amazing, man. He’s the best, heaviest bass players out there. No doubt. And it was great to hear those songs with the original bass lines.”
And Zakk Wylde – he’s been very supportive of you in the press.
“Yeah! He’s been really supporting me. That’s very nice of him. I’m a fan of the guy, and I really like the guy. We got to hang out a couple of times, and he’s really fun to be around. He’s got a lot of cool stories and he’s just a funny guy. He was down there for a couple of days. And Slash is great.”
So what guitar rig are you using on this tour? 
“It’s the same thing, really. I have by Blackstar Series 200 heads and cabs, a bunch of my ESPs – both the Eclipse and the Random Stars. The only thing that’s actually changed lately is my pickups. Before I had standard Blackouts on all my guitars, and now I’ve switched. I still have some of the standard Blackouts, but my Random Stars all have my own signature pickups. They have such an organic sound. It definitely doesn’t take over. You can hear the wood and the harmonics of the guitar. You can hear the actual guitar, and at the same time it’s loud as ****!”
So why all the different guitars? Are some in different tunings? 
“I use the Eclipse guitars for the Sabbath stuff and I use my Random Stars for the Ozzy material, and that’s it.”
I listened to Scream again last week for the first time in about a year and a half, and it really holds up well. 
“That’s very nice to hear! You know what? I actually did the same just a few weeks ago. I put it on my iPod and I was like, ‘Hey! Two years later this album doesn’t sound bad at all!’ There’s some really good music on there.”
Yeah. Songs like ‘Life Won’t Wait’ sit up there with the best of the Ozzy stuff. 
“That is a really good song, yeah. ‘Time’ is also another really cool ballad. We put a lot of hard work into that album. I’m glad to hear that a couple of years down the road people have not forgotten about it!”
Have you been writing for a future Ozzy release?
“I’ve written a bunch of stuff already. I have lots of ideas. The thing is, it’s not really up for discussion right now, because Ozzy was concentrating on the Sabbath thing, and the next Ozzy album might take a bit longer than expected, but as far as material goes I definitely have a lot of riffs. I wrote some stuff with Ozzy on the road as well that sounds pretty good. It’s just a matter of when we’re going to get together to do that.”
And Firewind are releasing a new album, Few Against Many, just before the Ozzy & Friends tour.
“Two days before the tour. It’s a very heavy album compared to the previous Firewind records. And that’s because we cut down a lot of the keyboards and there’s more guitar in it. So there’s a lot more riffing, and it’s a lot more groovy as well. It’s still like Firewind but I think that the power metal element is a bit more eliminated, so to speak. It’s a bit more of a straight heavy metal album. And I think it’s the kind of record where it could please fans from both sides of the Atlantic. It’s cool. You’ve got to check it out. We just released a single the other day, ‘Wall of Sound.’ It has a different sound as well, because we mixed it somewhere else. We mixed it with the guys from Audiohammer studio in Florida, Jason Suecof – he’s done Trivium and all those sorts of bands, and he really gave us a fresh sound. It’s much bigger. I tried out different tones in the studio. I’m very happy with the outcome and I can’t wait for people to hear it. And we start touring right after the Ozzy tour is done. We start doing festivals in Europe in July, and then in August we go to China for the first time, and Taiwan, and after that we go back home and we do a pretty extensive UK tour, then a mainland European tour. And I think after that we’re going to try to get over into America. So it’s going to be a world tour. The whole run.”

Ozzy & Friends Summer European Tour
May 23, 2012 Helsinki, Finland – Hartwall Areena
May 25, 2012 Stockholm,Sweden – Stockholm Stadium
May 27, 2012 Jelling, Denmark – Jelling Festival
May 29, 2012 Bergen, Norway – Bergen Calling Festival
May 31, 2012 Oslo, Norway – Oslo Spektrum
June 2, 2012 Malmö, Sweden – Malmö Stadion
June 4, 2012 Dortmund, Germany – Westfalenhallen
June 6, 2012 Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena
June 15, 2012 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain – Azkena Rock Festival
June 17, 2012 Clisson, France – Hellfest
June 20, 2012 Mannheim, Germany – SAP Arena
June 22, 2012 Dessel, Belgium – Graspop Metal Meeting
June 24, 2012 Milan, Italy – Gods of Metal
June 26, 2012 Vienna, Austria – Wiener Stadthalle
June 28, 2012 Belgrade, Serbia – Ušće Park
July 1, 2012 Athens, Greece – Rockwave Festival

Firewind – Live 2012:
June 10, 2012 Donington Park (UK) – Download Festival
July 14, 2012 Vizovice (Czech Republic) – Masters Of Rock Festival
July 18, 2012 Thessaloniki (Greece) – Mylos Open Air
July 28, 2012 Rotterdam (The Netherlands) – Roadgrill Festival
August 17, 2012 Dinkelsbühl (Germany) – Summer Breeze Open Air
August 24, 2012 Beijing (China) – Star Live
August 25, 2012 Shanghai (China) – Mao Livehouse
August 26, 2012 Taipei (Taiwan) – Hwa Sha Auditorium

Firewind & Leaves’ Eyes – “Few Against Many” European Tour 2012:
September 25, 2012 Paris (France) – Divan du Monde
September 26, 2012 Colmar (France) – Le Grillen
September 27, 2012 Bochum (Germany) – Matrix
September 28, 2012 Hamburg (Germany) – Knust
September 30, 2012 Berlin (Germany) – SO36
October 2, 2012 Aschaffenburg (Germany) – Colos Saal
October 3, 2012 Ingolstadt (Germany) – Eventhalle
October 4, 2012 Cologne (Germany) – Underground
October 5, 2012 Zwolle (The Netherlands) – Hedon
October 6, 2012 Vosselaar (Belgium) – Biebob