guitaristz

so today i'll talk about a few guitarists i really admire in terms of style and sound.  i hate to rate things, especially when it comes to music since it's so wide open, so the order in which i present these guys means nothing.

1.  adam jones (tool)

i was big into tool when i first started playing guitar, so i consider adam jones one of my early instructors.  alternate tunings and weird rhythms are probably a strange place to start, but i managed pretty well i think.  i love tool's ability to stay so tight even without very concrete song structures.  i've always dug adam's tight snappy distortion.  his riffs are pretty simple for the most part, but man are they effective (stinkfist anyone?).  my penchant for reverb-like delay, pick scrapes, and generally creepy sounds can mostly be attributed to him.  i saw tool in 2007 for the 10,000 days tour and was blown away.  his talk-box solo in jambi was incredible.

2.  david gilmour (pink floyd)

  i'm nuts about pink floyd.  i got hooked in high school and haven't gotten tired of them yet.  david gilmour has the coolest and most mysterious guitar tone in my opinion.  a lot of information about his effects over the years is available online, and his rigs are pretty mesmerizing.  i'm not much of a fender fan, but i wont lie, i'll own a black strat before i'm dead.  i also think gilmour has such a bizarre and unique style.  he can be very subtle and atmospheric of course, but the dude can really shred.  i've tried to adopt a lot of his dynamics (although i've never really tried learning any floyd songs).  in my opinion the guy's every bit the legend he deserves to be.  great voice too!

3. page hamilton (helmet)

 i feel like everyone should know who helmet is, but i'm always amazed how few do.  another dropped tuning hero of mind, page is one of the heaviest and grittiest players i can think of.  his tone has tightened up over the years, but i love the jet engine meets vacuum cleaner distortion on strap it on.  i really appreciate helmet's bare bones rock your face off which page has been perfecting for decades.  i hope he never feels to old to rock out, because he's still got it (looove their last album 'seeing eye dog').  i love his chaotic solos and improvisations.  he's also a wonderful jazz player.  the beat up pink esp (pictured) is awesome as well.

4. steve austin (today is the day)

steve austin scares me.  today is the day is perhaps the most genuinely evil sounding band i've ever heard.  and that's why i love them.  between his bone chilling screaches and flesh rending riffs, it'd be easy to conclude that this guy is truly insane.  seems pretty normal in the few interviews of seen of him though.  his playing style is very unique and complex, and his tone is either something you absolutely love, or can't stand hearing at all.  violent is the best word i can think of to describe it.  he's a very competent producer as well (seems a couple disagree, but whatever, different strokes).

5.  mike einziger (incubus)

i blame mike einziger for getting me addicted to guitar pedals and signal paths.  if you've ever listened to incubus, you'll know that their 'guitar' parts often sound like a different instrument entirely (pardon me, nice to know you).  i really love his early use of heavy phaser and delay.  he's stripped down his sound considerably over the years, but still sounds great.  his solo in sick sad little world is a personal favorite of mine.  incubus puts on a great live show.

6.  scott kelly & steve von till (neurosis/blood and time/harvestman/tribes of neurot)

even if you don't like heavy music, i recommend taking a ride with neurosis at some point in your life.  absolutely one of my favorite bands, thanks largely to scott kelly and steve von till.  no crazy solos and not much in the way of effects either.  sparse, sabbath like riffs and cryptic clean passages,  make up the grand majority of neurosis' haunting music.  through silver in blood is the heaviest album ever, in my opinion.  they also play great acoustically in their respective solo projects.  i have to credit dave edwardson (bass) for having one of the most devastating growls ever (the breakdown of locust star is just insane).  i don't know if i channel any neurosis in my playing (yet), but i feel they are essential to anyone interested in honest music.  i'm dying to see them live.

7.  billy howerdel (a perfect circle/ashes divide)

a perfect circle's mer de noms is the first album that really woke me up to the power of music.  i listened to it towards the end of high school while hiking through zion canyon in utah, and could hardly comprehend what was happening to my brain.  billy howerdel's music is just beautiful.  he has a very spacey and ethereal tone and a great singing voice as well.  i love how he mixes up his live solos without overdoing it, and his red and black les paul is extremely sexy.  i finally get to see apc for the first time live this summer after about 8 years of idolizing their music.  i can't wait!

it appears i'm out of room >.<  i'd also like to cite tom morello (rage against the machine/the nightwatchman), wata (boris), justin broadrick (godflesh/jesu/head of david/napalm death), and kurt ballou (converge), and matt pike (high on fire/sleep) as some of my many guitar heroes as well.

off to play a show with C21!