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 Eduardo Marcolino (Tarmat).
When did you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I had acoustic guitar lessons as a kid for a while, but I actually started playing seriously in 2001, when I was 14. My first electric guitar was a Yamaha, „super-strat“ style.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
My main influences have always been classic rock (mostly from the 70s and 80s) and blues, but I love jazz as well. I’m a huge fan of so many guitar players, but trying to name a few of the most important ones to me: Mark Knopfler, Gary Moore, Pat Metheny, Joe Satriani, Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Larry Carlton.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I currently own four electric guitars, three of them with P-90 pickups, which is my favorite pickup style. My main guitars are my black Gibson Les Paul Studio 60s Tribute, and my cherry burst PRS S2 Standard 24 (with humbuckers). I also have two acoustic guitars (one nylon and one steel).
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
I think the „perfect guitar“ is any well-built guitar which you feel comfortable to play and enjoy how it sounds. This is really personal and every guitar has its own characteristics. For me, I like certain specific things: shorter scale lenght (Gibson or PRS style), thicker necks, stainless steel frets, fixed or vintage tremolo bridge (no Floyd Rose!). As for amps, I’m really not the best person to talk about it, as I don’t use them much – haha. But my references are usually vintage Fender amp tones for clean sounds, and Dumble-style smooth overdrives.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
I’m all about being practical, so I have been actually avoiding amps for years now, even when playing live. I usually run my rig straight to the mixer. I’m not saying modelers are better than amps, or that they sound 100% like them, but they work great for me. And I love the fact that I can carry only a guitar and a backpack, and I’m ready for a gig or a recording session. I have a solid state Fender amp which I can use if needed, but I never really owned any tube amp.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
On TARMAT’s album I used basically my two main guitars (PRS and Gibson), which I mentioned earlier. Also my steel string acoustic (Rozini, Brazilian brand) for some parts. No actual amps were used. On 9 out of 10 songs, I used my Zoom G3n effects processor (with amp and speaker simulations), and on 1 song I used my FlyRig 5 v2, made by Tech 21.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
Hard question. But I guess my PRS S2, which is great for recordings in general and also really versatile, with tremolo bridge and push-pull pot for coil split. Thank you so much for the questions! It was a pleasure.
