AXEMEN GUITAR INTERVIEW : Rik Surly-THUNDERCHEIF

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

Rik Surly-THUNDERCHEIF

2.Who made you want to pick up the guitar?

As a former drummer, it was all of the assholes in my former bands. I got tired of relying on guitarists and singers, aka “quitters”, to do my music, so I did it all, like Prince

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

Self taught, I have an Iommic-style finger injury, so I had to create a special tuning in order to play comfortably and with endurance

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

Yes but I don’t

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

Absolutely. With a little help from SRC Effects and the special tuning help set the mood when it comes to my tone

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

Epiphone SG, black 2 knobs, $75 Craigslist find. It’s never let me down

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

I have no idea, you’d need to ask Epiphone, but they work very well. I don’t shop around for pickups

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

Orange TH100, 2 Marshall 4x12 cabs-300W. 

Acoustic BH800 solid state Bass amp, Ampeg 8x10

Drums run through a Peavey Standard 400 PA with 10) 10” full range speaker columns

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

I run the Orange straight through the speakers, but I use 1 fuzz pedal for the bass—

-SRC Effects Thunderchief Ass Smoker and a Radial ABY switch

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

See # 8

12. Is tone more important or is technique?

Everybody needs a little of both. Once you figure out the 2, that should be the creative path to follow. Playing within your comfort range is much more productive

13. Name your top 5 guitarists

I don’t really have favorites in anything, but Johnny Thunders, Johnny Ramone, Ace Frehley, Willie Nelson, and Chuck Schuldiner are all badass. No particular order, and if you ask me tomorrow, I’d tell you 5 different ones.

14.Who is the most overrated guitarist

Yngwie Malmsteen

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

If Iommi isn’t the standard answer here, I’d be shocked