Ola Englund is no stranger to the brutal sounds of high output metal and has become a well known shredder from his powerful YouTube videos, large online following and his band Feared who have just released a new album. This week, we talk with Ola about his music and what inspires him to write.

How did you get started playing music?
“I come from a family where everyone played instruments, except me. It wasn’t until I was 13 my fellow classmates started playing the guitar. I thought it looked so easy and cool, I jumped on the bandwaggon. I also wanted to be cool. My dad had all the equipment at home so it was very easy to be the coolest kid in class. My first guitar ever was a white Fender Mustang.”
How do you find your inspiration?
“Obviously, from every event of my life, getting married, having kids, tough times, happy times. Life experience is inspiration. And I have a lot of inspiration. Also, my followers keep blowing my mind everyday by sending mails and commenting my videos,  I love my Youtube-posse. Boosts my confidence to keep on going.”
Tell us about your band Feared.
“Feared is a band that I started, to be able to express all my influences and everything I love about metal. Started out around 2007, formed a full 4-piece band, did a couple of shows. We stopped rehearsing, I continued to write songs and I ended up playing the songs in my Youtube-videos. Two album and one EP released, Rejects being the most recent one released in November 2011, as well as an instrumental album coming early next year. Simple put; Every bit of music I write and create are Feared songs.”
Any crazy touring stories you can tell us?
“Not too many, but we had such a misfortune when my other band Scarpoint was on tour with Meshuggah, we were so happy that we got this tour, we had everything set and our own mini-van to get us from town to town that we had borrowed. Turns out the van had tires that blew up one after one along the way. We ended up buying tire after tire along the tour just to keep this van rolling and to get to our next gig. We got late to load ins and sound checks and it was just so embarrassing. At the time everyone in the Scarpoint was stressed and went on each others nerves but we made the gigs and now we can laugh at the whole situation. Also now the band owns 4 completely worthless tires.”
What defines a good performance to you?
“When there is a connection between the audience and you. I always give a 100% live and when the audience returns the favor I’m having the best time of my life. Oh and yeah, also knowing I have the best sound out of all the other bands and guitarist on the set also brings an evil grin to my face.”
For more information on Ola Englund, click here.
You can watch his videos on YouTube, here.

Hard rock and metal guitarists no longer need to choose between the power of active pickups and the response of passive pickups. The Gus G. FIRE Blackouts System blends the best aspects of both.

“This system combines the massive tone, kick, and distortion of Blackouts with the rich tone and expressive feel of my favorite passive pickups,” says Gus G., the exciting young guitarist just off the road with Ozzy Osbourne. “It responds perfectly to all my picking techniques, and more of my personality comes through than with any active pickup I’ve tried.”

Details:
• Combines active and passive. The Gus G. Fire Blackouts System is a matched set of two passive humbucking pickups and a dual preamp that replaces one of the guitar’s volume pots.
• Traditional humbucker design with individual pole pieces provides the note definition and string-to-string feel of passive pickups.

• Alnico 5 magnets deliver rich, detailed tones. The bridge pickup’s larger magnet adds more low-mids for fatter, fuller-sounding leads.

• Custom-wound coils create a remarkably open, airy sound.

• A high-output, low-noise differential dual preamp captures every nuance of the passive-style pickups—with plenty of headroom. Most other active preamps clip too easily, decimating your dynamics.

• Long battery life. A single 9-volt battery provides approximately 750 hours of playing time.

• Bare-wire lockdown connectors. Uses the same solderless connectors as our Liberator Pickup Change System. No soldering required if replacing existing active pickups. Screwdriver included.

• Includes three additional 25K potentiometers for users who are replacing passive pickups.
• Organic sound. Instead of tone that sounds as if it was created by a preamp, you’ll hear the wood of your guitar. You’ll hear your picking style. You’ll hear you.

• Pickups hand-made in Santa Barbara, California. Preamp made in the USA.

To locate a store, click here.

At Seymour Duncan, we are all about the players and their quest for the right sound. For every band that has achieved critical mass, there are thousands more who are putting in their dues at local bars and coffee shops. Seymour Duncan Underground is a new continuing series to showcase unique musicians and bands that have not quite reached the mainstream. Today, we sit down with rocker Blake Havard from Vancouver, Canada.

Blake grew up in Alberta, influenced by the music of his parents, where it was not uncommon to hear Motown, Kris Kristofferson, Neil Diamond, The Beatles, and Elton John playing on the record player. His older brother had started a band and Blake quickly took to starting his own group. Blake set his sights on the local Battle of Bands and won. He took off to Vancouver and started playing shows, recording and living the life of a musician. Blake can currently be found touring around doing solo acoustic dates and will soon be working with Canadian guitar legend Bill Dillon.
As a musician from Vancouver, Canada – how would you describe the music scene and the challenges for an artist?
“Vancouver is a beautiful city with a lot of talented and creative people. The challenge being an artist in this town (maybe like a lot of towns) is that it is an expensive place to live and there are not a lot of places to play. It’s hard for small venues to make a buck which makes it hard for the working musician to survive. Having said that, there is a big open mic scene where you can keep your chops up and test out new material in front of great audience! You can always go visit your massive fan base built up all over the world on Myspace/Facebook!”

Your music has been described as storytelling – where do you draw your inspiration in the songs you write?
“As a kid, listening to music would take me on a journey. I could identify with a song like it was my own story. I was hypersensitive to all these wonderful nuances of emotion and sound. I remember busting moves to ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ in my parents living room or starring off into space listening to Ziggy Stardust or the Beatles White Album. My songs usually come from a real life emotion triggered by an event that affected me deeply. If I am lucky, that emotion makes it to the iPod stage and the listener can identify with it.”
“If I am laughing, crying or dancing during the songwriting process I know I am on to something! Storytelling seems to be a dying art in songwriting these days. I am humbled when I listen to the great storytellers Dylan, Cohen, Hank Williams etc. I just hope a little bit rubs off on me! Don’t get me wrong though, I like to bang my head to AC/DC or get down to KC and the Sunshine Band too!”
What kind of gear do you currently use?
“I like the twang and funkiness of old school Fenders, Gretsch, Gibson, Rickenbacker guitars. You can’t go wrong with an AC-30 or a blackface Deluxe. I do have a Pensa/Suhr Strat with a matched set of Duncan’s that sound sweet! For my acoustic shows these days I rely on a Gibson Rosewood J-45.”
Has the life of a musician always been the path you desired?
“I remember seeing my Grandpa rocking boogie woogie on the Vox Continental organ. It changed my life. Since then it’s been an ongoing love affair with the mystical magical world of music. For better and for worse! I grew up in Northern Alberta so there was a time I dreamt of playing hockey for the Edmonton Oilers. Sometimes, I still have that dream skating on the ice – but for some reason my stick is a guitar.”

You mentioned meeting Seymour, what were your impressions on meeting him?
“Years ago I went to a small guitar shop in my home town to see Seymour Duncan do a seminar. The place was called ‘Mothers Music.’ I was blown away that he was actually going to be there. There was only a handful of us in the room and I was a little nervous. It was like going to see Santa Claus for the first time! He played some stingingly fine Telecaster riffs and was a laid back down to earth guy. I got to shake his hand and introduce myself. They did a draw for a pickup and I won! I still have it! I think I was 17. Good times!”
For more information on Blake Havard, please visit:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BLAKE-HAVARD/6227977831
http://www.myspace.com/blakehavardmusic
http://www.twitter.com/blakehavard
http://www.reverbnation.com/blakehavard
http://www.youtube.com/blakehavard

The Texas guitar tradition runs deep. It’s a gutsy school of blues playing, marked by thick tones, aggressive attack and tons of technique, all delivered in a flamboyant, swaggering style that is endemic to the Lone Star State. From T-Bone Walker and Clarence Gatemouth Brown on through Albert Collins and Freddie King, Billy Gibbons and the late Stevie Ray Vaughan, the tradition of the Texas guitar slinger has lived on. One name that ranks atop that exclusive list is Johnny Winter, the international ambassador for rocking Texas blues for the last thirty years.
Johnny Winter’s new release entitled Roots on Megaforce/Sony is out now! This recording finds Johnny performing a selection of songs that helped shape his legendary talent. Produced by guitarist Paul Nelson the CD features such notable guests as: Vince Gill, Warren Haynes, John Popper, Derek Trucks, Susan Tedeschi and more along with his new band.

After years of playing for a lot of artists it turns into a job, but for you it still seems to be an adventure. What do you do to re-inspire yourself and keep yourself fresh?
“I’m a blues man and I will be that way until the day I die. I never get tired of playing for my fans. I still enjoy recording and touring all over the world.”
To whom do you recommend a learning guitarist should listen? Any particular albums or tracks?
“The musicians that did it for me were guys like Chuck Berry, Robert Johnson, B.B. King, T-Bone Walker and Muddy Waters. Basically, I enjoy listening to the same thing that other blues purists listen to which is music recorded in the 1950s.”
Are there any scales you recommend?
“I don’t really think of scales when I play. I have learned by playing by ear and copying riffs from recordings and then piecing everything together. I would recommend listening to as much music possible from whatever style you enjoy.”
If you never met Mike Bloomfield, how would your life be different?
“That’s a tough one because I know performing with him at the Fillmore in 1968 was what helped launch my career. I was signed soon after that to Columbia Records.”
What lessons did you learn from John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters?
“I didn’t really learn anything from them when I finally met and performed with them. I already knew all of the material. I will tell you that Muddy was a true gentleman and performing and recording with him was the highlight of my career. I received three Grammys while producing with him. Although I didn’t work as much with Hooker, it was an honor as well.”
 

What did you learn about yourself by being a producer and did it influence your playing in a different way?
“When I produce I try to get a more raw, traditional sound out of an artist. This usually means recording the whole live in the studio at once. That what I did with Muddy and that’s what I do with all of my recordings, for the most part.”
What is your gear setup?
“I use a Earlwine Lazer guitar for straight, lead and rhythm playing and my 60’s Gibson Firebird for slide guitar. I use a Music Man 4×10 amp. For effects I use a Boss CE-2 Pedal and that’s about it. Everything is set loud and bright.”
Most memorable gig and why?
“That would be Woodstock. At the time I was doing arena-size shows already, but I had seen that this was developing into something bigger and more important. I knew I had to be a part of it. I played at 12 p.m. midnight on Sunday. My band was Tommy Shannon on bass, Uncle John Turner on drums and Edgar sat in too.”
Worst gig and how did you deal with it, and what did you learn from it?
“The worst gig was playing on a rotating stage. I was very spaced out at the time. The stage had rotated so much we couldn’t find the exit. (laughs)”
What current artists do you like and why?
“I like Derek Trucks, Warren Haynes, Sonny Landreth, actually all of the people who joined my on my latest CD, Roots. They all have their own unique style and they are very talented in their own way.”
Why did you change out your stock pickups?
“I’ve always sought out a brighter, thicker tone that cuts through. Once I was introduced to Seymour Duncan pickups, they were exactly what I was looking for to get me the sound I wanted to express myself more freely.”
Which Seymour Duncan pickups do you use and for which guitars?
“SM-1n and SM-1b Vintage Mini Humbuckers in the Firebird®, SSL-1 Vintage Staggered for Strat® in neck and SH-1B ’59 Model Humbucker in the bridge position for the Lazer. Like I said, the pickups are thick, bright, full of tone. They bring out the sound of the instrument. You can play better and more freely knowing that the sound is always there.”
“My Seymour Duncan pickups amplify the sound, the style and the feel that’s already in you. They allow you the freedom to play your ideas consistently night after night. Seymour Duncan pickups give me the sound that I need which allows me to effortlessly express myself on tour and in the studio night after night.”
Tour dates

Johnny Winter band is:
Paul Nelson on guitar, Scott Spray on base and Vito Luizzi on Drums.

Buy Johnny’s new “Roots” CD at Amazon.

Listen to some of Johnny’s new CD.

To visit with Johnny please go to:
http://www.johnnywinter.com

Beckoning guitarist, producer and all-around musical hybrid Deryck Stanek was born in Omaha, Nebraska. From his parent’s basement, he launched the band Go Crash Audio whom, within six years, would go from clueless musicians to performing alongside artists like Kevin Rudolf, Fall Out Boy & LFO. Deryck soon went on to pursue many other projects, including the production of EP’s for Kid Contagious, Rochester and others. It was during this time that he began to find his niche in the world of session recording. “I have always believed that a good guitarist is not one that can throw out the most technical riffs, but one that can do it with the most feel and integrity,” he said in an interview for Reverend Guitars. Countless performances and recordings later, Deryck is currently the Musical Director and Guitarist for Warner Bros/Decaydance artist The Ready Set.
Deryck’s sound can be identified as uncommon and persuading, subtle and explosive. For a guitarist with no boundaries, only time will show what the future holds. “If I’m not being innovative and true to myself, I’m doing something wrong,” he says. “People don’t listen to what you do, they listen to why you do it.”

Why did you change out your stock pickups?
“I have been in pursuit of fresh and intriguing sounds longer than I have played. Once I found my love for playing, I spent years going through various amps, numerous guitars, and every pedal I could get my hands on, but something was always missing. I could never fully nail that sound I wanted. Somebody suggested that I try new pickups and I thought, “Why have I never done this?!” It was at this moment that I realized that I have almost never truly loved the sound of stock pickups. When I discovered the Seymour Duncan JB (and later, several others), I finally hit that perfect point. From that moment on, I have and will believe 110% in Seymour Duncan’s products.”
Which pickups do you use and for which guitars?
“My primary guitar is a Reverend Sensei RT, modified to house humbuckers. I have an SH-14 Custom 5 in the bridge and an SH-2 Jazz Model at the neck. I also just got a Reverend Volcano with an SH-5 Duncan Custom at the bridge position (the guitar is wired so that it only has one working pickup in the guitar.) My Les Paul benefits from a JB at the bridge.”
“Although they all have a beautifully massive mid-range growl, it’s the low and high end that makes each of the pickups carry their own weight. Imagine the JB as the perfect, neutral pickup. Add a bit more of a deep, yet tight low-end and a bit of that modern-sounding high-end and you have the SH-14. The SH-5 is a bit of a different creature. Similar in some ways to both the JB and SH-14, but the lows, mids & highs jump out in different spots. Did I mention that the SH-5 is a MONSTER?!”
“Because of my Seymour Duncan pickups, I no longer have to search for the sounds I have always been looking for. Tuning amps and dialing in tones on pedals have become completely painless. I now fall deeper in love with the sounds I can produce, therefore pushing me in new directions.”
“I also have used a Pickup Booster pedal to compensate for signal loss from my old rig’s insane cabling. Now that my rig’s signal chain has been drastically reduced, I found that I didn’t need to use anything for that purpose. However, I still play around often with the Pickup Booster when trying to add a bit of muscle to certain things.”
“I believe in outstanding sound that challenges the status quo. Therefore, I use Seymour Duncan pickups in all of my guitars.”

How would you describe your playing?
“I play for the song. I grew up around guitarists that wrote and played very self-serving, ego-driven parts. I enjoy hooks and melody. I also enjoy magical performances and creative sounds. These things are my primary focus when writing and performing.”
About the band:
“All I’ve ever really wanted out of music is to just keep writing and touring and not to have to worry about living paycheck to paycheck,” explains Jordan Witzigreuter, the force behind the mammoth pop sound of The Ready Set. “You know, to just keep doing what I’ve been doing since I was in high school.”
Raised in Fort Wayne, Indiana, the twenty-year-old singer spent his early adolescence locked in his bedroom methodically analyzing stacks of CDs. By his mid-teens, he’d started writing songs and booking his own shows under the moniker The Ready Set. “My last name gives people trouble,” the singer says with a laugh. “So I kinda needed a band name even for my solo stuff.”  Witzigreuter’s epic, super melodic tracks, including an early version of the explosive first single “Love Like Woe,” made their way to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, who took one listen and promptly made The Ready Set the first signing to his newly-formed Decaydance Records/Sire Records joint venture.
For The Ready Set tour dates, please go here:
Tour Dates
To visit with Deryck please go to:
http://TheReadySet
http://DeryckStanek.com
http://ItsDeryck.com
http://www.twitter.com/thatderyckguy

The year was 1991, when two teenagers named Anders Nyström and Jonas Renkse decided to have a go at the extreme metal scene. Death metal was at its peak and although they were comfortable with that style they felt an urge to incorporate something more beyond just the brutal aspect. They searched for the elements that spoke to them to give their sound a uniqueness, brutality, harmony and blackness. What became was Katatonia, a band that has spent the last twenty years bringing this unique brew of power and darkness to audiences across the world. In our continuing search for the best of metal, we talk with Anders Nyström of Katatonia.

What inspires your music?
“Everything between the cradle to the grave, and beyond! When we started out we obviously had very direct influences from other similiar bands in the metal scene, but as the years went by the inspiration started coming in more from other sources such as movies and books and then eventually dug even further into real life. Moods, moments and surroundings are important factors these days. Musically, we also discovered that if you’re a metal band but draw your influences from unexpected genres like alternative music, singer songwriters etc you’re gonna end up with an entirely unique sound within the metal genre. What I love is that no matter of heavy or how mellow we sound, people still recognise it as part of Katatonia, so it’s very liberating to have reached that level of recognition. Furthermore, one of the most consistant and maybe surprising inspiration has been color. You see, whenever we do an album we always wait to see what color it will represent itself in and then we follow that through with the design and layout.”

What is your craziest gig?
“Oh there’s been a couple through the years haha! About fifteen years ago, in the middle of a european tour, we got to play in a house located out in the desolate countryside fields of Switzerland. The “stage” was the livingroom and we were told to play the gig sitting on a couple of school chairs and I remember the audience (wherever they came out from) was scattered around the house, peeking in from all doorways and the ones who couldn’t fit were peeking in through the windows from the outside. That was and still is a plain crazy experience! One more recent happening was in St Paul, Minnesota where we discovered two of our guitars had been stolen five minutes before entering the stage, so we had to re-arrange the setlist on the spot and go up there totally disillusioned. Once we started playing the drummer broke his right bassdrum pedal! I mean, c’mon, how big is the chance that you split a steel tip in two!? Anyways, it happened, so he had to finish the song with his left foot and then we had to scrap all the remaining songs needing double pedal patterns. It wasn’t looking good, but we kept on playing to an audience who still seemed oblivious to the chaos when all of a sudden the power went out and the stage stayed black for 40 (!) minutes. I’ve totally blocked out what I did during this time, but I remember looking across the room and past the audience and seeing our bass player with his bass still strapped on having a beer at the bar. When the power got back on, we could only play one more song. I felt like I wanted to sink through the earth, but the audience cheered more than ever, maybe they thought it was all part of the show, or should I say, the circus!”
What kind of gear do you currently use?
“I use tons of different stuff in the studio, but my live setup consists of Mayones gothic Regius & Setius custom signature electric guitars equipped with Seymour Duncan SH-6 pickups in the bridge & Fernandes sustainer pickups in the neck. Blackstar S1-100 amplifier with S1-412 cabs, Ampclamps for mic mounting, Boss GT-10 & Line6 POD XT for effects processors that I run either by the 4 cable method, line and by midi. Lately, I’ve put the signal straight out from line to the PA and let Pro Tools do the channel & patch switching by midi which means I don’t have to manually stomp on any pedals what so ever, so I don’t even have them on the floor but sitting in the back. I use Morpheus FX Droptune and Capo pedals to polyphonically change my tuning and pitch down or up without having to manually touch the tuning pegs or even change guitars, very innovative and smooth! I use Sennheiser’s G2 In-ear system for monitors and Audio Technica ATW 3110 for wireless. Rotosound strings with the gauge 0.11 to 058, In Tune & Jim Dunlop guitar picks and Planet Waves for all cables and accessories. I guess that pretty much wraps it up.”
What defines a good performance for you?
“A good performance is when an artist can feed off the energy of a loving crowd and spit back out to them double the dose!”
For more information on Katatonia:
http://katatonia.com/

The Phat Cat is a real P-90 inside a humbucker and lives up to its name with a fat P-90 tone with lots of sustain and a great mix of brightness, smoothness and the spank of a single-coil. The Phat Cat is available in gold or nickel and in bridge and neck versions and you can even get hum-canceling in the in-between positions.

Check out these videos to see it used in a variety of guitars.

What guitar might you put a Phat Cat in?

Bruce Bouillet, guitarist from the underground shred metal band Racer X, has played with Paul Gilbert on record and on stage, scored his own record deals with The Scream, and Epidemic. He has performed around the world, including a US and Canadian run on the infamous G3 tour with Joe Satriani. Aside from performing live, he has produced, recorded, and mixed, on six gold albums, and a Grammy winner in 2005. His compositions are heard year round on MLB, NHL, NFL, Nascar, MTV, HBO, and more. Currently recording and touring with the band ASIA featuring John Payne, Bruce is filling the void that was held for years by guitarist extraordinaire Guthrie Govan.
Bruce Bouillet moved to Los Angeles, California, in 1985, to study at G.I.T. in Hollywood. Shortly after arriving on the L.A. music scene he joined forces with guitarist Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big), bassist Juan Alderete (The Mars Volta), drummer Scott Travis (Judas Priest), and vocalist Jeff Martin to form the progressive rock band Racer X. Within 3 months, they became a top draw on the west coast club scene selling out 1000+ venues on a regular basis. In December of 1986, he signed to Shrapnel Records and recorded the first of three albums with Racer X – Second Heat. Quickly gaining world wide exposure through featured articles in Guitar World, Guitar Player, Kerrang, Burn, and Young Guitar.
After a two year nonstop blitz of the club scene and two live albums Extreme vol.1, and Extreme vol.2 – Racer X disbanded in 1988. By 1990, Bruce signed to the newly formed Hollywood Records with the band The Scream featuring members Juan Alderete, Walt Woodward (Shark Island), and John Corabi (Motley Crue, Ratt.) In 1991, their first release “Let It Scream” produced by Eddie Kramer landed them on a year long tour of the U.S and England, as well as three videos on MTV. As their fan base was increasing and record sales were on the rise, John Corabi left the band to join the newly revamped arena rockers Motley Crue, and was replaced by vocalist Billy Fogarty.
Bruce is presently writing and recording his third instrumental solo record and developing production company “Flat Fifth Digital” with Dave Foreman. He is also preparing for a world tour in 2012.
Why did you change out your stock pickups?
“One reason is for live touring. I like to have some of my guitars matched as far as output and response. Another reason is that I’ve had the luxury of trying different pickups in the same guitar through the same amp. And the JBs were always one of the best sounding. I have stayed with JBs in my main two guitars. A 1978 Les Paul Standard, and a 1978 Ibanez pf300. The sound of my JBs are smooth and even, with a solid output. Not too fuzzy or scooped.”
How would you describe your playing?
“A little more on the aggressive side. My first full length album was with Paul Gilbert and Racer X – so I still have some of that over the top quality. I lean more toward darker minor melodies. I still like heavy music of all sorts. So that would influence some of my playing when I’m doing my own thing. I also record and tour with ASIA featuring John Payne. In that project I have to cover a lot more sounds, so it’s a great platform to really see what the guitars, amps, pedals, and pickups can really do.”
How would you describe your music?
“My new album coming out near the end of this year is very heavy and back to my metal roots. I been working hard to put out something really special this time. It’s a very dark album, with some very crushing moments.”

Have you used any of the Seymour Duncan pedals?
“Deja Vu Delay. It’s got a great old school sound. And even though its built like a tank, I don’t take my effects pedals on tour much these days, it’s more of my studio delay. Therefore, it’s really under the microscope. It performs great.”
If a guitarist wanted to get into producing, engineering, and mixing records, what advice would you give them?
“If you plan on being in the studio, I think the basics of recording is something every musician should learn. Even if you don’t plan on being a recording engineer, it will allow you to communicate with those tracking you, and if you’re not happy with the way things are sounding in a session, you can direct those to the problem, or jump in and make some moves till you are satisfied. As far as producing, you should become familiar with other instruments, how they function on their own and with other instruments. Also, studying arrangements can be very helpful. Overall, when I go into a session with another producer I want to feel comfortable, and if what I’m playing is not working with the song, I expect the producer to be able to guide me in the right direction without taking all day to get there. So basically, it’s important for someone to have clear vision and a lot of good ideas, and the means to communicate them.”
You’ve had a lot of amazing groups that disbanded after only a few short years. In retrospect, what advice can you give bands so that doesn’t happen to them?
“A lot of the bands that I was a part of started out really great, but by the time a major label got a hold of them the end result was less then great. In general, the band’s sound was always watered down, made more commercial. So in the end you’re left with something less than the initial vision. The other big issue is money, I’ve seen that destroy a lot of great projects. A lot of bands will fight over who’s going to get what before there’s any money. In general, don’t sweat the small stuff, be a band and stand by the music you make.”
Want to hear some of Bruce’s music? Click here:
http://www.youtube.com/user/am6634

Links about Bruce:
http://www.myspace.com/brucebouillet
http://www.facebook.com/brucebouillet

We would like to welcome the following artists to the Seymour Duncan family of players seeking perfect tone.
Andy Roberts (guitar) for 3Boxes

 
Conducting From the Grave: John Abernathy (guitar), Jeff Morgan (guitar), & Jackson Jordan (bass)
New album “Revenants” out now https://www.facebook.com/conductingfromthegrave


Johnny Hawthorn (guitar): Toad the Wet Sproket, Everclear, Johnny Hawthorn Band


Chase Fraser (guitar): Decrepit Birth
https://www.facebook.com/decrepitbirth


Johnny DeMarco (guitar)

 
 
Jesse Gabriel (guitar): The Narrative


Micah Pueschel (guitar): Iration

Voices of Metal is a new series dedicated to finding the best of Metal. We scour the earth looking for the most intense bands and then we get to the bottom of their story, how they get their sound and what inspires their playing styles. If you’re looking to discover how some of the worlds heaviest metal bands get their tone, you have come to the right place. Today, we talk with Lars Johansson of Swedish Doom Metal band Candlemass. Having been a defining band of the Swedish Metal scene for nearly 25 years, they continue to put out powerful Doom Metal and rock out crowds across the world.
So tell us about your history with Candelmass.
“Well, the band had already released Epicus Doomicus Metalicus. So I was questioned to join in during the recording of the 2nd album, Nightfall. They were looking for a lead guitarist that was fit for the job. And it went to be a 5 piece band that was playing heavy `Sabbath´ kind of music. And it´s been all good since then.”
What kind of gear do you use?
“I use Hughes & Kettner Coreblade and Switchblade amps + their cabs. Sandberg strats, James Trussart strats, Gibson SG´s & Les Pauls, a bunch of Fender strats, some Tokai’s and homemade strats as well all customized 90% with Floyd rose or Schaller whammy – and 100% loaded with Duncan’s. I mainly use SH-6 distortion in lead position, and Seth Lover in rhythm position. But I also have some P-Rails, a Dimebucker, some SSL-3´s and a few Lipstick Tubes on various axes depending on what I use it for.”
Tell us about a show that really stands out in your mind as an example of a memorable performance.
“All big festivals. I love them. We have been on several tours as well but I mean if there is 20,000-40,000 people or even more at the festival area and they’re looking at you!!! That fills you up with an unbelievable gain I can tell you.”
What bands have inspired you personally?
“Well, in the beginning it was bands like James Gang, Mountain, Black Sabbath, Tempest, Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix Experience, and such magic bands. Later in life I listened to everything that inspires me.”
For more information, please visit:
http://www.myspace.com/larsjohanssonsolo