Devour Once Dead AXEMEN guitar interview

1.Tell us your name and the band you play for

John Ewing. I play for Devour Once Dead

2.Who made you want to pick up the guitar

I was a late bloomer. My father asked me on my 18th birthday what I wanted, and I said a guitar. I never picked one up before then. I realized right away that I was born to play.



3.Are you self taught or did you take lessons?

.Self taught for the most part. There was a friend that helped me out in the beginning. But I started simple. I learned songs by ear, mostly punk songs. It took me a bit to play metal.



4. Can you read music, Can you read tab?

I learned tabs pretty easy. Reading music not so much. I can kinda understand it but I never really felt a need for it.

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5.Do you feel like you have your own sound / tone ?

Most definitely. I'm really picky about tone. I learned along the way that if you invest into your equipment, you achieve the tone your looking for.



6.Tell us about your guitar ( brand ,model . year , color )

It’s a Black Schecter Hellraiser 7 string. I bought it recently. I also like to use ESP brand.

7.What about pickups? Passive or active ? Tell us about them

I've always liked the EMG active pickups. Mine has the popular 87 and 66.





8.Lets get into amplification, Same drill brand , model , speakers etc

I have a Peavey 6505+. It has great tone right out of the box. But I also like to DI my pedalboard. Less gear to lug around.

 

9.Do you have a pedal board? Tell us about that badboy

I have a Headrush pedalboard. An amazing piece of equipment. I can mold my own sound very easily. And I can DI it without requiring a cab or amp.



10..Now tell us your Dream Rig in detail…..

I'm pretty satisfied with what I have. I could always use more guitars though lol.



11.What guitarist can you not stand?

There's really no one I can say. I might not like ones style, but everyone has their own unique way.



12. Is tone more important or is technique?

Both are equally important if you want to achieve great songs.


13. Name your top 5 guitarist

Tom Searle from Architects (RIP)

Seth Blake from Wage War

J.B. Stead from Miss May I

Steve Wilson from Porcupine Tree

Oli Herbert from All That Remains (RIP)



14.Who is the most overrated guitarist

Never really thought about it. I don’t like cocky guitarist though. Ones that think they are the show. You have to be a team in a band.

   

15.Who would you like a one hour private sit down lesson with? Anyone dead or alive?

Tom Searle. I love his writing technique, and I find myself looking toward something similar.