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 Calle Johannesson (guitar), Magnus Eronen (guitar) and Johan Carlsson (bass) from the band „Sparzanza“.
When did you start playing guitar and do you remember your first guitar?
Magnus: I was around eleven when I started playing. I borrowed one of my father’s guitars at first, before buying a cheap CMI electric guitar from a Swedish mail-order company called Hobbex katalogen. That was my first real “rock machine.”
Calle: I started a bit later, maybe twelve or thirteen. I began on an acoustic, but it didn’t take long before I went electric – much more fun! My first guitar was an Ibanez Artist AR500 from around ’79. I still have it, but I play it way too rarely. Can’t bring myself to sell it though – there’s too much history in it.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
Magnus: My earliest influences were Kiss, Black Sabbath, and Iron Maiden. Later I discovered the thrash wave – Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth. James Hetfield’s downstroke picking is unreal, and Marty Friedman’s phrasing from his Megadeth era still blows my mind.
Calle: I’ve always listened to a mix of styles, not just the heavy stuff, and I find inspiration everywhere – from Faith No More and Depeche Mode to Queens of the Stone Age and Mastodon. I recently discovered Michael Kiwanuka and really love his sound – that warm, soulful vibe mixed with beautiful production. I’m always on the hunt for new music that moves me. My first guitar hero was Ace, so it was tough hearing he passed away. But I tend to love the riff architects – Adam Jones from Tool with his tension-building odd time signatures, Bill Kelliher from Mastodon, Jim Root from Slipknot… And John Frusciante – that feel, that space. And of course Tom Morello. The first Rage Against the Machine record just blew my mind.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favourite models?
Calle: Around ten electrics and three acoustics. Gibson is my go-to brand – Les Paul Custom, Explorer, and a Flying V. Both Magnus and I picked up baritone Gretsch guitars recently; they’re great fun for lower tunings. We even tried to sneak a song tuned down to G onto the album, but it didn’t make the cut.
Magnus: I’ve got five electrics, one acoustic, and a bass. One of my favorites is actually Swedish – a Solar Guitar. I love how it feels, and it’s cool supporting a Swedish brand that builds world-class instruments.
What makes the perfect guitar and amp?
Calle: For me, it’s easy – the Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier. We’ve used it live for over fifteen years and it never fails. Heavy, clear, reliable.
Magnus: Same here. It’s the backbone of our live sound. Plug it in, crank it up, and it just delivers every single time.
Modeler or tube amp – what’s your take?
Magnus: A tube amp will always be a tube amp. But I’ve always been curious about modeling. I bought the original Line 6 POD twenty years ago and it was a total game changer. There are so many great modelers and plugins now.
Calle: I was pretty skeptical at first. The early ones didn’t sound great. But when Magnus showed me the Neural DSP stuff, I was completely blown away. The tone, the dynamics – it’s next level. We still use our Mesa live, but we’re definitely tempted by the digital side.
Which guitars and amps did you use on the new album?
Magnus: For the rhythm parts we blended my Solar and Gibson, and for the cleaner stuff, Calle’s Stratocaster and my Telecaster. We recorded straight into the interface and used Neural DSP plugins. Those things sound killer.
Calle: Yeah, for the first time ever we went fully digital – 100% modelers. We used a mix of Neural DSP amps like the Fortin and Gojira models, and we were really happy with how it turned out. The sound felt powerful and detailed, exactly what we were after.
If you could choose only one guitar, which would you take?
Magnus: My Gibson Les Paul from the ’90s. It just sounds and plays amazing – a real workhorse.
Calle: I’d go with my Gibson Explorer. It feels perfect – balanced, mean, and alive. I’ve swapped to Lundgren pickups, and they add this extra dimension to the tone.
Johan Carlsson (bass)
When did you start playing bass and do you remember your first bass guitar?
I started out when I was about 15 years old. I wanted to be a drummer, but since we never found a bass player, but we found a better drummer I switched to bass guitar.
My first bass was a cheap white Westone.
What are your influences and which bass players are your faves?
I like bass players that can keep a groove. Scott Reeder from Kyuss and Tim Commerford from Rage…/audioslave are great groovers I believe.
How many basses do you own and what are your favorite models?
Now I only have 4 basses. 3 are Sandberg Basses and I have a cheap Squier aswell. The Sandbergs are my faves, they are 3 almost similar.
What do you think makes the perfect bass and amp?
Heavy and loud. Ampeg SVT tube amp with a 8×10” cab. Can’t go wrong with that.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
Depends, when we play live I love the feel of an amp, even though I know our sound engineer takes most of the signal from the sansamp pedal. The cab is mostly for really low end.
Which basses and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
Two of my Sandberg Basses, California models. The only difference is the pick-ups and the tuning and strings. And we have not used any amps at all. Just a good DI signals and then plug-ins.
If you could choose only one bass, which will you take?
My black Sandberg California that is custom made for me.
