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 Nozomu Wakai (Ashrain/ Sigh/ Destinia/ Shortino).
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I started playing guitar when I was in high school. I was 17 years old. I had never been interested in music before, but I heard DEEP PURPLE, which an older relative had, and from there I was hooked on music.
I immediately went to a music store and bought a second-hand Fender Stratocaster.
I remember I wanted the guitar to look like Richie’s Strat, so I scalloped the fingerboard and shaved so much off that the position dots fell off.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
Ritchie Blackmore and Michael Schenker have had a very strong influence on me.
Michael in particular, who I often help out on stage and with equipment when he comes to Japan. He’s taught me a lot. He’s really GREAT. I also like John Sykes, Randy Rhoads and Uli Jon Roth. I am influenced by many other artists. There was a lot of 90’s and 00’s music around at the time, but I particularly liked artists from the 70’s and 80’s.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I used to be endorsed by Kramer Guitars, but in the last few years I’ve been signed to a Japanese Guitar manufacturer called Aria Pro. They are famous for Cliff Burton’s basses. And Yngwie used to use them a long time ago. I mainly use the signature model that Aria made for me. It will be launched this year. It’s my favourite and my main guitar. Last year, I sorted out my guitar warehouse, so I have a lot fewer guitars now. I’ve got a Dean Flying V, a 1976 Les Paul Custom, Killer(Japanese brand) guitar, a Fender Custom Shop guitar, and a few more guitars, so I’m down to about 10 guitars in total.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
It depends on what each of us is looking for, but what I look for in a main concert guitar is overall playability and a tough neck that can withstand the changing climate of touring. On top of that, it should be able to produce a heavy metal sound with a core. These three things are important to me. These are the points that I also valued in my signature.
I also like to have a paint job or something to symbolise my personality. If I were to focus on recording, the points would be a little different. Personally, I think that a slightly heavier guitar with high mass, say, a Les Paul or Explorer with good distortion pickups, is one of the best choices for heavy metal recordings. As for amps, it’s difficult because the sound required changes a lot with the times. I love the sound of the amps, but to be honest, I only use them for recording. Personally, I think the MESA/Boogie MARK IIC+ and MESA/Boogie Badlander are the best for me now. I guess the one I have a lot of affection for is the Bogner Ecstasy, which I used for a long time. It would be great if there was a real amp.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
As I said at the end earlier. Modellers are best for concerts and demo tracks, while tube amps are best for recording. The two are considered by me as separate equipment for entirely different purposes. I am also a graphic designer, so I do some drawing, sometimes with paper and pen, sometimes I do it with a tablet and a PC. I believe that the evolution of the guitar is also approaching such a point in time.
What guitars and amps did you use for the new album and recordings?
I left the sound side to Simone Mularoni (DGM), the engineer on this one. Basically, I always leave it to the engineer who does the mix. This is true for both live and recorded music, the guitar sound is a strong part of the band, so I think we have to look at the drums, bass, vocals, etc. as a whole to determine the best guitar sound. Again, we went with what he thought was the best sound for the best and the album as a whole. He was making a blend of Peavey 5150 amps and something else this time. I hope you like the guitar sound on the Ashrain album.
