Start Guitar & Bass Special Guitar & Bass Special Vol.583 with PEACE OF MIND

Guitar & Bass Special Vol.583 with PEACE OF MIND

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 PEACE OF MIND (David Stolzmann/ guitar and Patrick Stolzmann/ bass).

Who am I interviewing?

Hey, my name is David Stolzmann and I’m playing guitar in the Hardcore Band Peace Of Mind.

When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?

I started playing guitar when I was 14. My first guitar was from the brand XP and the model was the classic ST. My parents bought it for me from a small music store. It’s comparable to a cheap Harley Benton. I would have liked to have had an Ibanez or ideally a Gibson guitar to start with. But looking back I could understand why I should start with a cheap guitar. My parents were worried that I’d quickly lose interest. But luckily I never lost interest in playing the guitar.

What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?

My biggest influences in getting me started playing guitar were Dimebag Darrell (Pantera), Angus Young (AC/DC), Kirk Hammett (Metallica), Kerry King (Slayer), and Chuck Schuldiner (Death). I still admire these guitarists today, and my love for these bands remains. I just listen to AC/DC a little less because it’s not heavy enough anymore haha. When I was about 19, I discovered hardcore music and have been deeply involved to this day. The biggest influencers in this genre for me were and are Sam Trapkin (Trapped Under Ice) and Sean Martin (Hatebreed, 100 Demons, Twitching Tongues).

How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?

I currently own two guitars. As already mentioned, my very first guitar and an Ibanez RGA32 from 2012. This guitar is also an ST model. They are my favorite models. I also had a Schecter 7-string guitar for a while, which was also an ST model.

What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?

A perfect guitar needs a lightweight body and the guitar shouldn’t be top-heavy. A low string height is also important for me while the guitar is still producing a clean tone. Furthermore the guitar should have very aggressive sounding humbuckers. For me, the perfect amp has to be an tube amp. I love that raw, rustic sound that no modeler amp can produce. For me, the amp has to be very powerful with plenty of gain.

How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?

As I already answered in the previous question: Tube amp or death haha

Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?

First of all I would like to give a big shout out to Taylor Young for letting me use this awesome guitar and amps in the studio. Guitar: God City Instruments (GCI) Craftsman from Kurt Ballou (Converge) Amps: Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier, a tuned Marshall amp and SNK VH300.

When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?

Jackson American SRS SL2MG MAD (but we need to change the EMG Humbucker to active Seymour Duncun Black Outs.

Who am I interviewing?

My name is Patrick and I play bass guitar in the hardcore band Peace Of Mind.

When you start bass playing and do you remember your first bass?

I started playing bass when I was 13. My first bass was an XP 4-string bass from a local music store. That must have been around 2007. My parents didn’t really believe it would be a long-term hobby, so I only got the cheapest one at first. But that was enough to start with and spark my love for the instrument.

What are your influences and which bass players are your favs?

When I first started playing bass guitar, my two favorite bands were Iron Maiden and Metallica. History was my favorite subject in school, so I really enjoyed studying music history. Therefore, I can say that Cliff Burton was my biggest inspiration. I still play bass guitar with my fingers because of him. Other people who have influenced me include Steve Harris, Lemmy Kilmister, Reginald Arvizu, and Tim Commerford.

How many basses do you own and what are your favorite models?

I own three basses; I still have my first one in my rehearsal room, haha. I also have an ESP LTD B-15 Black Satin. I’ve always been impressed by the flexibility of five-string basses, but ultimately, I think four-string basses are best for hardcore, especially live. I’ve been playing the Fender Roger Waters Artist Series Signature Precision Bass 2017 – Black for eight years now. I don’t think I’ll ever play anything else.

What do you think makes the perfect bass and amp?

A perfect bass needs a lightweight body, but the bass shouldn’t be top-heavy. Furthermore, low string height should be possible while still producing a clean tone. A thin bass guitar neck is also very advantageous. I don’t want to advertise, but many models in the Fender Jazz series offer exactly that. A good bass amp just needs a decent volume and a control for the lows, mids, and highs. Gain is also beneficial but not essential, as distortion and compressor pedals can add a lot of everything you need. If you want to use everything compactly in one amp without pedals, I can recommend anything from Dark Glass. I highly recommend the following pedals: Tech 21 SansAmp Bass Driver, EBS MultiComp Blue Label.