1.Tell us your name and the band you
play for
My name is Greg Brown, and I am the
guitarist for Age of Fire
2.Who made you want to pick up the
guitar
Angus Young for sure. I was 10 when
Back in Black came out and it blew me away. From there I got into Van
Halen, Iron Maiden and Metallica.
3.Are you self taught or did you take
lessons?
I was self taught for the first 12
years but then studied classical guitar and composition. I’ve never
taken an electric guitar lesson except for the first 3 months and it
was awful, just didn’t click with the teacher which is important.
4. Can you read music, Can you read
tab?
Both. After studying classical music I
became a pretty good reader. I’ve written a bunch of stuff for
orchestral instruments including a few guitar concertos, string
quartets and other chamber music.
5.Do you feel like you have your own
sound / tone ?
I feel like I have my own style but
tone is a quest and it varies from piece to piece. Each song requires
different elements and timbres. It could be effects or types of
distortion or harmonies. It’s still a work in progress for sure.
6.Tell us about your guitar ( brand
,model . year , color )
My main guitar is a red Samick that I
bought back in 1988 after a Fender Strat that I was using got stolen
from a gig in Miami. I have no idea what model it is. I recently
tried to get another like it but couldn’t find one. When I bought
it I was starting to get into all of the neo-classical shredders and
it was the first guitar that I ever saw that had 24 frets. I started
doing my own arrangements of the Paganini caprices etc. I love that
guitar.
7.What about pickups? Passive or active
? Tell us about them
I have the DiMarzio pickup that I just
love. Bought it in 1989 or so. Not available on the market now. It’s
a humbucker, passive but has 2 pots on each pickup per string. Killer
tone.
8.Lets get into amplification, Same
drill brand , model , speakers etc
Currently I’m using a Fender Hot Rod
Deluxe, lots of kick and a unique tone in the metal world. I do sit
in with blues and jazz bands from time to time so it’s versatile.
Stock speakers. I’m still looking around at others for sure but I’m
happy with my Fender. Over the years I’ve used Marshall, Peavey and
Crate and other Fender models as well.
9.Do you have a pedal board? Tell us
about that badboy
I have a Boss pedal board. Currently I
have an original Dunlop wah, MXR Phase 90, Boss Super Chorus CH-1,
Boss Digital Delay DD3 and a MXR Fullbore Metal pedal. I use the Zakk
Wylde pedal for some extra kick from time to time as well as a DOD
Death Metal Pedal.
10.Now tell us your Dream Rig in
detail….
Probably something in the Marshall
line. I grew up listening to so many Marshall artists. They sound
great when you crank them but man my neighbors would freak out. I’m
still looking. Versatility is huge for me. I like what I’ve played
from the EVH line, that little lunchbox is awesome. Not sure I could
ever settle on one.
12. Is tone more important or is
technique?
I think they need to be symbiotic. I
remember when I was a kid and first heard Eruption I was blown away,
I had no idea what techniques he was using but it was all there, same
goes when I first heard Cowboys from Hell, that guitar tone was
incredible but his chops were intense.
13. Name your top 5 guitarist
- Eddie Van Halen
- Joe Satriani
- Paco de Lucia
- Jeff Loomis
- Yngwie Malmsteen
14.Who is the most overrated guitarist
Different music touches people in
different ways. That comes down to opinions, I have mine but people
are trying to get a variety of things from the guitar. Some focus on
the songwriting, some on shredding, some harmony etc., I just try to
do the best I can and focus on that.
15.Who would you like a one hour
private sit down lessons with anyone dead or alive?
That’s a tough one, Jimi would be
awesome for sure. That man could just go and go like he was
channeling something from another part of the universe. His lines are
so thought out and fluid and so engaging. I don’t like everything
that Jimi did but I respect the hell out of him, he just went for it.
He was the total package, technique, songs, chops, no inhibitions
with one foot rooted in the blues and another in the future. Yeah, it
would have to be Jimi.
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