Start Guitar & Bass Special Guitar Special Vol.383 with Nils Courbaron (Dropdead Chaos, Sirenia)

Guitar Special Vol.383 with Nils Courbaron (Dropdead Chaos, Sirenia)

Pic: Cécile Delpoïo

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 Nils Courbaron (Dropdead Chaos, Sirenia).

Pic: Raphael Bobillot

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

I started to play guitar when I was 13 yo. My first guitar was a shitty Jim Harley then Santa dropped at home a Jackson Warrior Blue for Christmas and I got a LTD F50 for my birthday.

Pic: Raphael Bobillot

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

I’m a metalhead so I’m playing metal stuff most of the time. I’m really into Power Metal and Heavy metal stuff but I also like Technical Death Metal, Melodic Death Metal and I’m a huge fan of Flamenco. So if I have to say some band I would say Iron Maiden because it’s the first band I listened and it became a religion for me then Helloween, Gamma Ray, Symphony X, Fleshgod Apocalypse, The Black Dahlia Murder, Children Of Bodom, Arch Enemy & Rodrigo Y Gabriela. About my faves Guitar player in particular I shall mention Alexi Laiho, Adrian Smith, Jeff Loomis, Kiko Loureiro, Michael Romeo & Rodrigo Y Gabriela.

Pic: Raphael Bobillot

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

I have at home 8 guitars, 5 ESP & LTD and 1 Edwards as official French demonstrator for the brand and because I’ve always been in love with ESP. I Have a Traveler Guitar that I’m using on holidays, on the road in the tour bus and an Acoustic Lâg Hyvibe.

What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?

First of all, the musician I would say Seriously, If we’re talking about brands then for me it’s ESP. For the amp, it’s not easy to say because I stopped using real amp almost 10 years ago now…But if I have to to choose an Amp company I’ll go for ENGL!

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

I think Kemper, Neural DSP, Kemper etc are doing a great job and to be honest I’m using a Kemper with Dropdead Chaos and the Headrush with Sirenia and I’m more than happy with that. I don’t even have a real amp at home…

Pic: Cécile Delpoïo

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

For the Rhythm parts I’m using my ESP EII Horizon NT7 loaded with the Evertune bridge most of the time but I also like to play My ESP Custom Shop Horizon III. I have an amazing and beautiful EII Horizon FR7 BTB but I’m using this one for touring. For the amp there’s some Peavy and Mesa reamping.

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

I’ll choose my ESP Custom shop because it’s for me the most beautiful guitar on earth. My dream would be to have a signature LTD of this beast. Fingers crossed! I’m working hard on it!