This article series is about the tools of popular guitar and bass players. What are their favorite guitarsor basses and how is it related to them? This time with Justin Sherrell from the band SOMNURI.
Interview with Justin Sherrell about guitar
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I started playing guitar around 12 or so. I was also dabbling in drums at the time but couldn’t do either very well. My first guitar was a Yamaha acoustic, still have it to this day. It’s cheap as hell but it still plays ok.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
Growing up, playing guitar just seemed so unattainable. It was weird to have these virtuoso influences. It made it hard to want to play guitar after listening to someone like Prince express themselves so effortlessly. Hearing the Foo Fighters first record and knowing that Dave Grohl came from drumming in Nirvana made me feel like I could do it too! Like, okay, this is possible. The first two records were really awesome guitar records to me. Really great songs and execution. So I guess that’s where I started. Later, I got into a lot of different styles and that was the evolution into my taste for metal. Learning to play Lamb Of God records pushed my dexterity and musicality. Then Hearing Yob and how Mike Sheidt plays with a looseness but with total control at the same time, it really made me feel comfortable knowing I didn’t have to be a shredder necessarily. Just express yourself and mean every note you play.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
Oh boy! Well, I have the first guitar I owned, the Yamaha acoustic. I have a Breedlove acoustic/electric that I use to write some Somnuri stuff at home. I recently got a nice, cheap Ibanez 12 string, it’s a ton of fun after you tune it for 30 minutes haha. For electric guitars, I still have the first one I bought. My high-school bandmates all pitched in and got a Schecter Omen or whatever it’s called, it’s terrible. Then I bought an early 2000’s SG that I put some JB pickups in. My old bandmate built me an 80’s SG, the one that says “The SG” on the headstock. I rarely play them these days. A couple years ago, I transitioned to baritone guitars and picked up a baritone Fender Telecaster. I never liked Telecasters, thought they were for old guys who couldn’t rock but I was so wrong, this thing rules! It still gets played a lot and we use it on records but my newest and favorite guitar is my Banker Custom Redtail R baritone. It’s a 28” scale Firebird-style guitar. Full neck-thru construction with solid sinker Mahogony, 28” scale ebony fretboard, reverse headstock with vintage banjo tuners, set up with 14-68 gauge strings. It was made by a friend of the band, Matt Hughes, in Atlanta, GA. I had never seen anything like it and it sounds and plays like no other guitar. I am not worthy!
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
I really don’t think there is such a thing as a perfect guitar or amp. It’s all about what the player is trying to achieve. What’s worked for so many people might not sound good for me or our band. It comes down to whatever’s the most comfortable set up that helps maximize your ability to express yourself. My custom Banker is effortless to play, it lets me not think and just do. That to me is what it’s all about. As far as an amp goes, if it’s heavy and doesn’t muck up the notes of big chords and such, it’s a keeper. I recently got a Revv G100 P. It’s loud with heavy, tight low-end, chimes nicely in the highs and it has an FX loop so my delays and reverbs don’t get lost in the distortion. Totally love it!
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
I don’t really feel any way about it. Do what sounds best for you. I’d use anything as long as it sounds right. I’m not a purest at all.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
For our new record “Desiderium”, we tracked guitars at Gojira‘s studio in Queens, Silver Cord Studios. We used a blend of my Laney Pro Lead Tube 100, an EVH 5150 and a Revv 120P. These three amps together sound like the holy trinity! I used my new Banker custom baritone on every track and my baritone Telecaster which made it on most tracks as well.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
Easiest question so far! The Banker Custom Redtail R Baritone. It can really do it all!
Interview about bass
When you start bass playing and do you remember your first bass?
I started playing bass in high school jazz band, in 9th grade or so. I didn’t know jazz at all, playing “Smells like teen spirit” by Nirvana was about all I could really muster. But learning “Chameleon” by Herbie Hancock blew my mind, I was hooked. The bass that the school provided as an 80’s Peavey Foundation. I had never played a bass before so it was the coolest I had seen at that point.
What are your influences and which bass players are your favs?
Growing up, I was really into Green Day. Mike Dirnt had such a cool lead playing quality to his style and it just stood out to me. Later on, I got into Rage Against The Machine and Tim Commerford playing and tone caught my ear. I still love both of their sounds. Rex Brown from Pantera is someone I think of when we’re recording bass as far as what serves each part of the songs best. He has simple tones that stand out in the mix and is a special player.
How many basses do you own and what are your favorite models?
I own two Squire Jazz basses that I’ve had for years. Totally standard with the original pickups and everything, they’re workhorses. With a good amp and some saturation, they sound pretty rad. I also have an old Silvertone that sounds like shit but I love it! We put a Fender P Bass together for this record with Mojotone pickups, it rules.
What do you think makes the perfect bass and amp?
I think it depends on what you’re trying to achieve and what the band needs are. Personally, I like simple designs, nothing flashy. It’s gotta be durable and able to handle a couple of different tunings. Maybe handle some thicker gauge strings. But I do like the Fender J and P basses, they do the trick. Amp wise, I like tube amps. But as long as the amp has a big, beefy low-end and can articulate some of the high end attack, then I’m happy.
Which basses and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
For our new record “Desiderium”, we used our modded Fender P Bass with the Mojotone pickups and kept it simple as far as sounds go. Everything went through a sansamp and a series of Darkglass parallel distortions. Justin Mantooth at West End Studios in KC really gets the guitar and bass sounds we’re going for and helped dial it all in. We have a couple songs in this super low F# tuning, the J basses are set up for those tunings and lend a slightly different sound to keep things interesting.
When you only can choose one bass, which one will you take?
At the end of the day, whichever bass sounds the best right then and there. As long as it’s not super ugly, I really don’t care. If it sounds good and serves the song the best then that’s what we’re rolling with!
