ALBUM
GREEK SHREDDER GUS G’S TIPS FOR KILLER SOU N DS AND SOLOS
From becoming one of Greece’s biggest musical exports to joining Ozzy Osbourne’s band and releasing signature gear through Jackson, Blackstar and his own company Black Firre chkups, Gus Gis a man of many talents. Returning this year with his band Firewind’s tenth album StandUnited, he’s still ring on all cylinders.
What tones are you dialling in these days?
I’ve been really getting into Klon-type pedals! I love how they tighten and compress your tone but also sound super clean. As well as custom shop versions of my pickups, I’m actually looking at doing pedals through Black re, starting with a Klon. My main sound right now is a Blackstar St James 6L6 with the J. Rockett Archer in front. It’s insane how good those two sound together –that’s the sweet spot for me.
Is that what we’re hearing on the new Firewind album?
It was a pro le of my signature Blackstar head, mixed with STL and Soldano plug-ins. As well as my own Jackson guitars, I used a Randy Rhoads Concept Series model because it had a Floyd Rose. I hadn’t used one in so long, so why not have a bit of fun with big dive bombs and harmonic screams? I just need one good sound and I’m set. Alot of players forget that. Iremember watching an interview with Joe Bonamassa and him saying there are so many sounds you can get by changing your volume, tone and pickup controls. I’m all about working the volume knob!
One of the new songs, Salvation Day, features one of your most dazzling solos, rapidly shifting through varying techniques while always sounding musical and fluid...
That’s probably most demanding bit on the record. We’ve only played it live once and I thought straight away, ‘Oh sh*t, I need to practise
