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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 Alberto Piccolo (guitar) and Marco Zanin (bass) from Doom Metal Band MESSA.
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Guitar Interview with: Alberto Piccolo
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I started playing guitar at 9 years old, when I asked my uncle if he could teach me. My first guitar was an acoustic Yamaha that my parents bought when they were young. It had always been in a corner in the living room. I remember I used to play with the open strings of the guitar as a game since I was a small child, way before asking to be taught guitar.
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What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
I have a lot of different influences and somehow more stuff keeps adding up with time. For sure one of my first and probably most important influence is Jimmy Page. I was, and still am, really into blues and ‘70s Rock since the very beginning, so for sure I have to mention Eric Clapton, early days with Cream and Blind Faith and the Beano album with John Mayall. With him Rory Gallagher, Ritchie Blackmore, Jeff Beck and all of the greats of that era. Santana’s Abraxas album is still one of my favorites and I keep spinning it entirely from time to time. At the same time I’ve listened to Derek Trucks a lot, and later on to the Allman Brothers Band with Duane Allman and Dickey Betts. At some point along the road I got into jazz and at the same time into flamenco, so Wes Montgomery, Robben Ford, Paco de Lucia, Vicente Amigo just to cite a few.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
Guitars are never enough, I don’t even want to count them! But I’m not one of those freaky guitar collectors, I just try to buy guitars when I really think they are great. At the end I just stick to a couple when it gets to making the job done. My absolute favorite is my Gibson Custom SG ’61 reissue from 2011. I’ve always taken her on the road with me, in the studio and at jam sessions, and she had never let me down once. My second fav is a Gibson Les Paul Deluxe from 1971, a great sounding instrument. When I’m in a more jazzy/blues/jam environment that is my guitar of choice.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
There is no perfect guitar or amp, it’s just about the right stuff in the right context – and the right person using it. People, especially guitar players, forget that both guitar and amp (AND THE PEDALS) are really just instruments. It’s always the musician that uses the gear in an artistic way, hopefully. You would never go and say to a painter “wow nice brushes” if you appreciate the painting, but still, I hear a lot of “wow nice pedal, nice amp, nice guitar” when it comes to music. Even a 1959 Les Paul with a Dumble amp and a Klon Centaur overdrive really don’t play by themselves. It sounds just as good as the player.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
My thought is that whatever makes your inner voice speak better, you should go for it. Nowadays digital emulation is reaching excellent levels of quality. I had good and bad experiences with both. For me it’s still the full analog tube amp that sounds the best though.
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Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
Currently, with Messa, my main sound is with my Vox AC30 and the SG. That’s on ‘Close’ too of course. But most of the songs we chose for the “Live at Roadburn” album are actually played on a Danelectro 12 strings electric, which suits the atmosphere we wanted to recreate with the acoustics, mandolin and oud.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
Without any doubt, my SG. Not just because she sounds great, but also because there’s history there, I really feel she’s part of the journey.
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Bass Interview: Marco Zanin
When you start bass playing and do you remember your first bass?
I started playing bass in 2002, and it has been my first instrument. Unfortunately I did not have any musical heritage in my family, and actually they pushed me several times to give up on it. Part of them considers rock, metal, and punk music a ‘waste of time’.
My first bass was borrowed from a friend of mine, a Fender Jazz clone with its neck completely bent. Of course with no suitcase. I played it for at least a year, and then – thank god – I collected 100€ and bought my own first bass: a ROYTEK. At least this one had the neck straight…
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What are your influences and which bass players are your favs?
There are many, and they’re tied to different periods of my life.
To name a few: Lemmy, T.M. Stevens, Flea, John Entwistle, John Paul Jones, Mark Sandman, Dylan Desmond from Bellwitch, Al Cisneros. But the first one on the list is the first one in my heart too.
How many basses do you own and what are your favorite models?
– Fender Jazz bass
– Epiphone Thunderbird
– Gibson RD Artist from 1978
– KRAMER XL-8 string bass from 1980
What do you think makes the perfect bass and amp?
The perfect bass and amp have been run by Lemmy. There is no other sound as perfect as his own. That’s it.
Which basses and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
I’ve used my Epiphone Thunderbird, which was ‘converted’ into an 8-string bass by the magic hands of Mark from ‘Jailbreak Guitars’. Check his job out, he’s rad. All the album was recorded with a SUNN 300T with an 8×10 Ampeg speaker.
When you only can choose one bass, which one will you take?
My Gibson RD artist. I’ve spent so many good times with it. I’ll never ever sell it.
