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 Paul Sabu.
When did you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I got a guitar when I was 13 but I don’t think you could call the first couple of years playing. I remember living in an apartment building and the neighbors got to the point of banging on the walls when I just turned on the amp. Back then, I wasn’t into music, so my beginnings may have sounded more like detuned alternative punk white noise. It was a electric Sears guitar and a little amp with a 4-inch speaker if memory serves. My mom got it for me initially because she (along with a couple doctors) thought I was going crazy in the apartment alone and music would be a good hobby.
So after a couple of weeks, the neighbors couldn’t take it anymore, so mom signed me up for a few guitar lessons locally…Whoa, after 1 lesson I understood what a guitar was.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
After realizing what I had missed by not listening to music, I had a lot of catching up to do. After lesson 2, my teacher told me to start listening to the radio and buy some albums…Zeppelin, Clapton when he was in Blues Breakers, Hendrix (to this day, I still think his rhythm guitar playing is like sex), my later favorites were of course “Eddie“ and am a huge fan of Gary Moore!
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I’m not a guitar hoarder. I have 6 Tom Andersons, Kramer semi-acoustic (also tooled by Tom), an Old Red label 1971 Yamaha acoustic, and Ibanez 12 string.
I’ve been sponsored by Tom Anderson since 89…All of his guitars are Strat style. Originally, I just liked his guitars but after 89, he built me some amazing guitars using different woods, with various pickup configurations.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
Nothing feels better than plugin’ in a Marshall MKII, Plexi, or 800. Kinda like an old sweater that you know always feels good. These also can detect sound differences between various woods the guitars are manufactured from, especially when the pickups have a low to medium output.
So grabbing one off the shelf, I’d have to say a 58 Les Paul and Marshall 1959 Super Lead Plexi would be very close to the holy grail of guitar sounds.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
Sonically it’s simply a psycho-acoustic difference. In simple terms, the human ear likes to hear odd harmonics which is what analog is (tubes). Transistors and silicon chips produce even harmonics that the ear does not like as much. Quick and dirty…Odd harmonics blend easier and even harmonics are in general too loud or too soft.
Even though we are getting used to hearing in today’s world, I prefer to use as many tubes in the audio chain as possible.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
I started the album using a 5150 head but it sounded too modern.? (as far as distortion/overdrive). Frontiers thought it wasn’t 80’s enough so I ended up using my 1978 Marshall MKII and close-miked my Marshall cabinet (vintage 30’s) with a Shure SM 57 plugged directly into a 1073 Neve preamp.
If you could only choose one guitar, which one would you take?
That’s a hard one, if I only had one to choose it would have to be my Mahogany & Maple body / Rosewood neck guitar that Tom Anderson built for me…It’s my go-to guitar that I could not go without.
