1.Tell us your name and the band you play for
Arron – My name is Arron and I am the lead guitarist for Defining Lines.
Micky - I'm Micky and I play guitar in Defining Lines.
2.Who made you want to pick up the guitar
Arron – For me it was a combination of a few artists really. But to begin with, I would have to say Slash… but then as my music taste became heavier it then switched over to Synyster Gates from Avenged Sevenfold. Now its just a mish mash of different guitarist.
Micky - There were many early influences but ultimately it was my high school mate Will who let me pick up his Epiphone Les Paul and taught me my first chords.
3.Are you self-taught or did you take lessons?
Arron - I am mostly self-taught. I did have guitar lessons for a few years however… but the majority of what I know now came from sitting alone in my bedroom.
Micky - Predominantly self-taught, I had a couple of lessons early on and you're always learning when you're jamming with new people.
4. Can you read music? Can you read tab?
Arron – I am not the best when it comes to music theory. For me, if a song sounds good, then it sounds good. I don’t really worry too much about the theory behind the notes I am playing. If I am writing/learning a new song, then I am usually just working with tabs.
Micky - Wouldn't say I read music but I understand some parts of it but yes, I can read tab
5.Do you feel like you have your own sound / tone ?
Arron – I think the music that we create as a whole is our own sound. We all have very different influences that I feel we combine to make a new sound that we are all happy with. I like to think of it as an old school metalcore vibe with modern qualities. A lot of the guitar riffs we have written in past songs and future releases are reminiscent of bands like… As I lay Dying, Killswitch Engage, Trivium etc. but we also mix that with other influences such as Beartooth, Architects etc…
As for guitar tones. I was the first person in the band to make the change over to a digital setup. So, I spent many weeks tweaking my tone to find something that I was both happy with, and something that would work well with the rest of the band and our sound. Me and Micky also spent a lot of time together getting a solid overall guitar sound once he made the change over to digital as well.
Micky - I think between us we have found a powerful sound that works complimentary for the style we're playing
6.Tell us about your guitar (brand ,model . year , color )
Arron – I used to run with the Matt Heafy Signature Les Paul in black when we first started, but I have since made the change over to Jackson. I still have the black LP as a backup guitar, but I am currently using a 2016 Jackson Pro Monarkh SC in Tobacco burst. I mostly use this guitar because I much prefer the thinner neck, the guitar is much lighter than my LP, and it sounds and feels great. I have never had any issues with it so far.
Micky - I've stopped playing my Black Burny Les Paul recently (was getting more and more difficult throwing that weight around on stage) and I'm now playing an Ibanez RG421 with mahogany oil finish, much lighter and faster.
7.What about pickups? Passive or active? Tell us about them
Arron – I’m a fan of both passive and active pickups… but, I do run a pair of active Seymour Duncan Blackouts in my Jackson, and an active EMG 81/85 configuration in my LP.
Micky - Les Paul - EMG 81 & 85 (Active) Ibanez RG421 - Dimarzio D Activators (Passive)
8.Let’s get into amplification, Same drill brand, model , speakers etc
Arron – Currently me, Micky, and Riki (Bassist) are all using the Helix Floor. We run all 3 of them straight to the front of house using cab impulses. Using the helix really helped us move forward with using in ear monitoring. Since we don’t use any cabs, we decided to make the switch to an IEM system so that we don’t have to rely on the monitor mix at a venue and can have everything running through our ears.
9.Do you have a pedal board? Tell us about that badboy
Arron – All of the effects that we really use or need come from the Helix. I am aware that you can however expand and add your own pedals to the Helix through the FX loop, which is something that I might be looking at in the future.
10.Now tell us your Dream Rig in detail….
Arron – I’m a typical guitarist… my guitar related wants and needs change all the time. For example, I recently discovered that Kemper have brought out a floor version. Which I of course now want.
I have always wanted to use a Victory Kraken Head. They sound so fat and huge. I would say either that or a Kemper rack setup.
Micky - When I first started a Mesa was the dream, in today's digital age I'd love a Kemper.
12. Is tone more important or is technique?
Arron – Hmm. It depends how much technique. Because if you are comparing someone with amazing technique and a bad rig to someone with 0 technique and a dream rig, then I would say technique over tone. You can have the best gear in the world but you need to know how to play it.
Micky - Wait, theres no number 11... did I pass the test?
*FIRST PERSON TO EVER NOTICE!!
They're both important and there's a definite fine line, but if you've got the greatest gear on earth and you play like trash.. you're probably going to sound like trash
13. Name your top 5 guitarist
Arron – Josh Middleton, Mark Holcomb, Tom Searle, Synyster Gates, and for the last one I will say Micky T from Defining Lines because he is an awesome dude.
Micky - In no particular order...
1. Nick Hipa
2. Adam Dutkiewicz
3. Matt Heafy
4. Jim Root
5. Tom Searle
14.Who is the most overrated guitarist
Arron – Lil Wayne. I know people don’t rate him as a guitar player but he is still overrated even for that...
LIL WAYNE PLAYS GUITAR???
Micky - Tom Morello (overrated doesn't mean bad! Riffs for days but those solos are over hyped)
15.Who would you like a one hour private sit down lessons with anyone dead or alive?
Arron – I would probably say Josh Middleton form Architects/Sylosis. He is a beast of a guitar player.
Micky - Adam Dutkiewicz, more for the banter I guess
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