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 Adam Holmström (Wildness).
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I started playing nylon string when I was around 9 or 10 years old. My brother got a guitar from our grandparents, but he never got into it. So my parents made me go and take guitar lessons instead. I never really got into it at that time, and the only remnants of my nylon guitar career are that I usually use the classical position while seated.
Then when I was 13 years old, I started to get into to heavier music and my interest in guitar playing was renewed. I still have my first electric guitar. It’s an Ibanez Les Paul copy from the 70s (sadly not a lawsuit one). And our old nylon string is at my brother’s house.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
In the beginning bands like Rainbow, Scorpions and Iron Maiden was a big influence on me, Ritchie Blackmore was my first guitar idol.
But he was quickly dethroned after I heard Randy Rhoads solo on Mr Crowley.
Then I started to get into to loads of other bands, and probably my biggest guitar hero would be Criss Oliva from the band Savatage. He was endorsed by Charvel, which made me want to collect guitars from that specific company. Today I have 5 different Charvel guitars. In the later years I started to get into more technical players, and one that really stuck out to me was Vinnie Moore. I love his Meltdown album from 1990, and I went as far as buying three different vintage Heartfield guitars (the company Vinnie was endorsed by at that time, and that was owned by Fender before it folded) of eBay. One player I also like to name is Jeff Kollman. He’s a great guitar player that perfectly blends technique and feel. If you haven’t heard about him, check him out.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
15 (21 if you count my bass guitars and my acoustic guitars). I guess I have to say Super strats because thats the model I have most of. When I was younger the Flying V was probably my favourite model. I also have to mention my black Charvel Tele with gold details (I love black or white guitars with gold details).
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
When it comes to guitars, I guess that’s a combination of look, sound and feel. And my biggest problem here is that my best-looking guitar, isn’t necessarily my best sounding or my best „playing“ guitar. This last year I’ve been playing my Neck thru guitars a lot more because I think that they have such a big sound. When it comes to amps I honestly dont know. I had an EVH 5150 2×12 50W Combo a couple of years ago that sounded amazing. The only problem was that it weighed around 40kgs. These last few years I’ve mainly been playing a 36W Hughes&Kettner Grandmeister tube amp, mostly because it’s so versatile and mobile. Hopefully I will find my „perfect sound“ with my FM3 amp modeler because it’s even more mobile and versatile then the Grandmeister.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
I’m not really a sound snob. I’ve mostly played tube amps, probably because you’ve always been told that tube sounds so much better/powerful than a solid-state amp. But I honestly haven’t found my favorite amp or sound yet, so I’m still on the fence regarding what amp type that sounds best. On the subject of amp modelers, I actually bought an Axe FM3 from Fractal two years ago, that I’ve recently started exploring more.
I don’t really have an elaborate opinion about tube amps and amp modelers. A couple of years ago I’d probably say tube amps without hesitation, and I still like to think that they sound a little bit better than the modern amp modelers.
But the flexibility, and mobility, of an amp modeler over a 100W tube amp is not a hard sell on me.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
For rhythm tracks I used my old ESP LTD DV8R, Dave Mustaines old signature model from ESP which I bought in 2005. It’s a neck thru guitar that just have such a big sound. On the lead tracks I mostly played my white Heartfield Talon, and my Charvel Pro-Mod DK24. The amp that was used for the recording was FM3 modeler amp.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
When we play abroad and I need to take one guitar with me, I always take my Fender Stratocaster American Deluxe. Not because it’s my best sounding guitar, or the easiest to play, or even the best looking. But because it’s my most reliable guitar. It keeps in tune, even after some aggressive whammy bar action. It still has a great sound and a good look, but mostly I just know that I can count on and that it will work without any issues.
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