credit-Jeppe Wittus
This article series is about the tools of popular guitarists. What are their favorite guitars and how is it related to them? This time with Thor (guitar), Mikkel (bass) and Birk (guitar) from the band DEMON HEAD.
Pic: Christine Bjoerk (and all pics below)
THOR (Guitar)
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I was 10 years old when i startet playing guitar. It was in 99 i think. I was playing with a friend in school on what ever acoustic guitar there was in the classrooms. My first real guitar was a Yamaha something strat looking guitar. I got it a year later and actually stil got it, but it is unfortunately unplayable now
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
I’m listening a lot to bands like Death, Voivod and Dødheimsgard at the moment, they do influence me for sure. I’ve also found the new record from Still House Plants “if I don’t make it, I love u” very inspiring. A fresh take on the post-rock genre. Also all time favorites like Neil Young, Thin Lizzy, Mercyful Fate, Judas Priest, Wipers, Fleetwood Mac, Bruce Springsteen etc. will always be a great influence. My favorite guitar players are Neil Young, Scott Gorham, J Mascis, and Hendrix of course.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I have 5 guitars. Two Gibson Les Paul (a black custom 54 and a Studio with a nice bigspy), a Gretsch 12sting, a old Levin parlor, and a old Framus acoustic 12string that my youngest son just smashed into the floor so it cracked in two. The Les Paul is my favorites.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
I really like a heavy guitar with a thick neck and the sound of p90 pickups, so my LP is a perfect match. The tweed deluxe amp is a perfect amp for me, it’s very dynamic, dirty and still clear. everything you plug into that amp and turn the volume up just sounds amazing.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
Never tried the modeler thing yet, but I sure do love a loud tube amp
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
I mostly played my two Les Paul’s and the Gretsch 12string for some parts. We used my Reinau Tweed Deluxe on almost everything
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
It will be the black Les Paul. It can do everything and just plays really great. And looks good too.
MIKKEL (bass)
When you start bass playing and do you remember your first bass?
I started playing bass guitar when I was around 10 years old. My first bass was one I got from my bigger brother, not entirely sure which model it was but some sort of peavey.
What are your influences and which bass players are your favs?
As I’m writing and composing mostly on a guitar I find it difficult to identify myself as a bass-player. Which means that I sort of never thought about specific bass players as an influence, neither do I have any faves.. so to speak. In the beginning I did everything I could to play “guitar” on the bass, I was all over the place, as much as possible all the time, and as fast as possible. Which of course is a lot of fun but nowadays it is way more simple.. stay in the background if that’s what the composition is asking for, otherwise just fill the empty space out or support the guitars. At least in Demon Head.
How many basses do you own and what are your favorite models?
I own one bass guitar. It’s a rebuilt Fender aerodyne jazz bass,. always loved the round and punchy sound of a p-bass but I’m more into slim necks. So after a few different basses I kept this, at least for now. Once I had a Rickenbacker 4001, probably the best bass i’ve ever owned. In the end I sold it as I thought I could use the money elsewhere. Probably just spent that money on disgusting and shitty food while touring, don’t remember. Hopefully it was beer.
What do you think makes the perfect bass and amp?
Fender aerodyne jazz bass with an aggressive neck pick-up ——> into a turbo rat distortion pedal ———> into an ampeg svt classic with 810. At least for demon head. And if I’m going for a dynamic yet powerful sound.
Which basses and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
Fender aerodyne jazz bass with an aggressive neck pick-up ——> into a turbo rat distortion pedal ———> into an ampeg svt classic with 810. But in the end we skipped the amplified track and only used the direct line, if I’m not mistaken. But could be the other way around, no line, only amp.
When you only can choose one bass, which one will you take?
The one in front of me. I’m not that picky but I do prefer one I’ve tried before.
BIRK (guitar)
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
To some extent I started playing the guitar when we started Demon Head. Before that I was playing the drums quite seriously. In the beginning I was playing an old semi-acoustic Danelectro guitar! That was my first guitar too. Pretty unusual for the type of music but I think it had a good influence on the sound because it was more obvious for me to play chords with open strings and such.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
At the moment I’m quite inspired by the fellow playing the guitar in Deathspell Omega. Maybe more compositionally than technically. But technic and composition goes hand in hand to some extent I suppose. Neil Young for playing almost lyrical guitar solos. Robbie Basho for steel string acoustic guitar. Rory Gallagher. Scott Gorham not so much as an influence but in my opinion he plays the best fast and energetic solos.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I own three guitars. A black Rickenbacker 330 from the 80’s. A newer american Strat and a very old steel string guitar by René Gérôme. Of these the Rickenbacker is my favourite. The neck is quite slim and the frets are narrow and I’ve got very long thin fingers so I can do these really strange and complicated chords on it. I think it has really shaped the way I play and compose on the guitar as well.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
For this kind of music I think a Gibson Les Paul is the perfect guitar. In terms of amps i feel like combos supports a more dynamic and energetic performance. But I think you can everything work if your willing to improvise with the sound and how it works with the music.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
Haha well up until now I’ve only played tube amps live and a few times a transistor if it suited the recording. But I must admit I’m at the point of giving up in terms of playing gigs because it’s so incredibly stupid that you can’t play loud in most venues. It’s like it’s illegal to play rock music. So in order to maintain a live practice I feel like it could be the only way forward, unfortunately.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
I played my Rickenbacker and my brother’s Les Paul. We mostly used his amp which I don’t know exactly what is. Some hand build danish Fender something replica thing.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
Presuming I have the rest of my life to play I would spend a long time finding the right Stratocaster. I find them difficult to play but it seems like they bring out the best in the performer. You can really hear what and how is being played, for better or for worse. Maybe that 7-string one they made.
