NIGHTMARE TOYS

Friday, January 24, 2020

THE AXEMEN GUITAR INTERVIEW : Robin / CHUGGER



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

My name is Robin, and I play guitar in the groove metal band Chugger. I'm the guy with the mask!

2.Who made you want to pick up the guitar

It was actually My dad, he literally MADE me play guitar. I wanted to play the drums, my uncle played drums when I was younger and I thought it was so cool watching him play. But my dad was like "A drumkit takes to much space, and they are to f*#$ loud. I'll buy you a guitar, an amp and a couple of headphones if you want" and that's how it all started. But I do still love drums and amazing drummers!

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

I'm totally self taught, can't you tell? Haha, well I started playing my guitar to some Kiss and AC/DC cassettes. That I actually borrowed from my dad and uncle. And later on when you could use the internet at home easier and computers got affordable, I watched alot of music videos. Just trying to see how they were playing, what frets and so on. So I play alot by ear and have manage to get a good sharp ear for picking out songs that way.

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

Well, I can read tabs if it's pretty basic. But I usually learn by listening by ear, and trying to figure out how the songs go. And just play my way through it, and then go back to the tabs and see if I'm on the right track or not.

5.Do you feel like you have your own sound / tone ?
 
I like to think so anyway, haha. I have a real heavy chugging picking hand, and like to play with different rythms alternating hammer on and pull offs and stuff like that. I've been inspired alot by different guitar players, and drummers actually. I get way more inspired by listening to awesome drummers than guitar players.

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

I have a lot of guitars 16 I think. But as I joined Chugger, I also got the opportunity do get sponsored and get an artist deal with a small swedish company called "Inferno guitars". So I designed my own custom Inferno Vortex guitar. It's a 27,5" scale V-shape guitar, with a spalted maple top and grayish/black bust. It's just a thing of beauty, I absolutely love it and it sounds amazing. I just love being able to do my own custom guitars. I've been called a "guitar snob" a lot, haha! Before I got the V one, I had a friend handbuild me customized baritone guitar that I just love aswell. But now it's Inferno all the way! (Follow my instagram chugger_robba and you see what I'm talking about)


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


I have always been using active pickups like the EMG 81/85/60 etc. But for the Inferno guitar I really wanted to try something new and different. So with help from our awesome sponsor, Tim and the guy's over at Bareknuckle pickups. I decided to go with a set of Ragnarok pickups. Also with my own customized touch to it. And man...They sound absolutely brutal and beautiful! 




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

I use my Mesa Triple Rectifier, with a little slap on the nuts from a Tubescreamer just to tighten up the sound a bit. I play that through a Mesa 4x12" oversized cab.

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

Well… I finally have two rigs now, one for doing the gigs were you have to travel as light as possible. And still sound as good as possible. Then I use my Mooer Preamp Live pedal, I can just plug it into the PA or existing amps on stage. So that's my pedal board I guess.
 

And for the Mesa Rectifier, I have a mooer mini-tuner, a tubescreamer and the Mesa footswitch.

I'm oldschool like that, haha!

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

Well...I think I pretty much have my dream rig already. But I wouldn't mind another Mesa cab, like a 2x12" and a back up Rectifier, haha. But if someone over at Mesa reads this. I want more Mesas, I just love the sound and tone of their amplifiers...But right now I have great rig. So I'd much rather have my own roadie and guitar tech ;)

11.What guitarist can you not stand?

...All of them, goddamn guitarist! No but seriously. If I have to pick one, it might have to be Yngwie. He's just way to much for me, haha.

12. Is tone more important or is technique?

Hmm, I think you need both to be successful. So it's very hard to choose between them… it's all depending on what genre you play. But with great technique you often get a nice tone. So I'd have to say...Both just to be on the safe side.

13. Name your top 5 guitarist

Dimebag Darrell
Brent Hinds
Gina Gleason
Gary Moore
Ace Frehley


14.Who is the most overrated guitarist

Haha...Yngwie, sorry!

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


No doubt it would be Dimebag, everything you've heard about that guy. Nothing but kind words and crazy stories. So an hour with Dime would be awesome. R.I.P Dime!

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