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 Teemu Mäntysaari (Megadeth, Smackbound, Wintersun).
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I started playing in 1999 when I was 12. My very first guitar was a cheap steel string acoustic. Can’t recall the brand, but I do still have that guitar in storage. I remember the day when we went to buy the guitar from a music store with my father. It had a high action and quite horrible playability but it was enough to learn the first little riffs and melodies on. Soon after that I was able to convince my parents to get me my first electric guitar, which was a used Ibanez RG320.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
I’ve always enjoyed many different styles of music and have had a quite wide range of influences over the years from blues, rock, metal, jazz/fusion and classical music. Some of my all-time favourite guitarists are Guthrie Govan, Shawn Lane, Greg Howe, Mark Knopfler, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
Over the years I’ve gathered a selection of instruments from different brands and styles for different sounds and uses: strat/superstrat types, LP types, guitars with Evertune, guitars with a floating bridge, guitars with a piezo bridge, nylon string acoustics, steel string acoustics, longer scale guitars for lower tunings etc. My main guitars have been Ibanez since 2006 and I’ve been fortunate enough to work with the company for some custom instruments over years, which are also some of my favourites.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
I think of guitars and amps as tools, and different situations might require quite different tools. But sometimes the „perfect“ tool is just whatever gets you inspired. In general I appreciate well made guitars with good fretwork and often tend to prefer acoustically resonant instruments with a good sustain. Proper setup is also very important for a good playability, intonation and tuning stability. For my main live guitars I also have a few special specs like having the volume knob out of picking hand’s way; Luminlay sidemarkers for better visibility on dark stages; locking tuners for quick string changes and scalloped highest frets for easier bends. I like many different amps from Mesa, Marshall, Fortin, Friedman, Soldano, ENGL, Cornford etc. – they all have their own character and feel. My most used sounds and what I’m usually looking for in an amp are a tight heavy rhythm tone (usually no fx, except gate), a boosted smooth lead tone (usually with delay) and a chimy clean (often with chorus and reverb). I like amps that can be aggressive and punchy but also react well to the dynamic nuances of my playing.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
I love my tube amps for their sound and simplicity but modelers can be super handy tools too, especially when touring and flying around with your gear. Lately I’ve been using the Neural DSP Quad Cortex for most of my teaching, recording, practicing and live shows. I think it sounds really great and is just so convenient to use with modern features like a touch screen and cloud backups.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
For Smackbound’s „Hostage“ album rhythm guitars and solos I used mainly my white Ibanez JBM modified to my specs by Estonian luthier Kaur Kukkur. It has an Evertune bridge and Fishman Fluence Modern pickups. For clean and melody guitars I used Ibanez Jem7Vwh, PRS Custom 24, Ibanez RGR652 and Fender Yngwie Malmsteen Stratocaster. For piezo sound doubling some clean parts I used my 2010 Ibanez LACS RGA and for lower tuning rhythm guitars Ibanez RGD2120. I recorded everything through the Quad Cortex with several different amp models.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
The white customised JBM. Or if floating bridge tricks or piezo is needed then my LACS RGA.=
