Start Guitar & Bass Special Guitar Special Vol. 439 with Joe Merriman & Michal Kulbaka (Brian Downey’s...

Guitar Special Vol. 439 with Joe Merriman & Michal Kulbaka (Brian Downey’s ALIVE AND DANGEROUS)

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 Joe Merriman & Michal Kulbaka, the two axemen from Brian Downey’s ALIVE AND DANGEROUS.

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

Joe Merriman: I started playing when I was fifteen. My first guitar was given to me by my parents as a Christmas present and it was an Epiphone black SG. I loved it. I covered it in stickers and played it to death.

Michal Kulbaka: I started playing guitar at the age of 11, but had already shown an interest in instruments before that. Maybe I was 9 years old my older brother got a bass guitar from our cousin. Previous to that we had an old guitar on which I tried to pluck the strings, because it was a big acoustic I was annoyed that I couldn’t reach it, so the electric bass, although it was very heavy, had a comfortable neck so I could try grip the strings somehow haha. A little later my Dad bought me a guitar from his work colleague for a bottle of vodka. I will always remember this my mother sent me to the pub to get my father out after work so he wouldn’t get too drunk. It was then at the bar that my slightly tipsy dad made a deal with his mate and the next day he brought me a guitar without strings. Then he said jokingly that if I learn how to play guitar, he will buy me strings, the rest is history…obviously I got the strings then too lol.

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

Joe Merriman: My biggest influence has always been Thin Lizzy. My father played their music regularly when I was a child so I grew up hearing it alot. There are many players who I’ve took inspiration from but to name a few, obviously besides all the Lizzy guitarists, Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhoads, Rory Gallagher, Jimmy Page, Hendrix, Tony Iommi, Dimebag, SRV, Jake E Lee, Zakk Wylde, John Norum to name a few. Guitar-wise, I’m currently listening to a lot of Albert Collins, Roy Buchanan and Robert Cray. I’ve been on a blues buzz lately.

Michal Kulbaka: It’s hard to answer this question. Growing up as a kid in Poland I grew up with the music of my parents and they were mostly Polish artists from the 60’s 70’s like Czeslaw Niemen, Dzem, Perfect etc. But I remember my mum had records of The Beatles, The Shadows, Elvis for which went crazy for !!! Especially the sound of Hank Marvin definitely my first hero and Scotty Moore for sure. On the other hand, my brothers grew up in the Guns N Roses-Nirvana era and also discovered bands like the Sex Pistols, Hendrix, The Police. Bob Marley, Metallica you name it lol. So that influenced me a lot !!! Then I would start listen to blues too at the time because of the Hendrix connection…and finally my oldest brother got lend of Texas Flood album…and I was blown away after hearing Lenny for the first time I knew I want to be like Stevie lol I was obsessed with Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Ritchie Blackmore, Angus Young , Gary Moore, Slash and all the 70’s rock guitarists like Robo or Tony Bourge from Budgie. Obviously now that all changed I love Django stuff, Green Grant…more jazz blues guitar players or pickers like Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed etc. But I still love to listen to my old influences time to time.

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

Joe Merriman: I think I’ve about twelve. My favourite guitars are Gibson Les Pauls. They just get the job done. I also have a 1997 collectors edition Strat that I love and a 1952 reissue telecaster with the vintage wiring. It’s noisy but half the fun is in the struggle of taming it.

Michal Kulbaka: I own : Gibson Les Paul 59 Custom Shop CME Gibson Les Paul 58 Custom Shop Fender Stratocaster 63 Journeyman Custom Shop Gibson Es 335 Dot Custom Shop Dogiel Telecaster Epiphone Les Paul Standard Harley Benton Sting Ray bass. I love my 2 CS les Paul’s and my 63 CS strat probably my top 3 guitars. Ah I forgot about Martin 00015 M which is my loved acoustic guitar.

What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?

Joe Merriman: I dont think any one thing could be considered perfect, not for me anyway. But the guitar that feels best in the individual players hands is probably close. For me there has to be a connection with yourself and the instrument. When i bought my first Gibson, I tried out about ten different Les Pauls , one after another, before finidng my current lightburst. I knew within minutes that it was the one for me. Sometimes it just speaks to you. My favourite amps are Plexis. I think Marshall nailed it over half a century ago and for me, nothing has come close since then for getting such a raw, ballsy Rock tone.

Michal Kulbaka: I suppose all the classics do perfect combos, but for me my tools to go would be plexi and les paul or option 2 is strat and plexi with some pedals like fuzz face to get more anger in it haha. I think also Fender guitars with good Fender amp like vibrolux for example you can’t beat it. For crunch and screaming lead marshall and les paul. For fat strat tones Fender Strat and Fender combo yeah perfect couples.

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

Joe Merriman: Amp modelers are amazing technology and can replicate certain sounds very well. They have come a long way and are ideal for certain situations but I have always preferred the roar of a cranked tube amp. Using feedback from the amp is something i love utilising. Gary Moore and Jimi Hendrix were masters at it and i think its not used often in modern times and maybe that’s because more and more people are using amp modelers instead of tubes. They just can’t replicate that feel for me, not yet anyway.

Michal Kulbaka: Nah, not for me…too much knob tweaking lol. They getting great now, but will never beat the dynamic response of real tube amp. Mostly you get 2 good settings the rest is rubbish and there is always that compressed sort of saturation on driven settings sometimes can be harsh. Cleans seem to be always alright. Again it’s a very broad and subjective thing. I stick with my JTM 45 always lol.

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

Joe Merriman: I am currently doing pre-production with my original band HazyMaye for our first release. I use my Les Pauls for the bulk of rhythms, solos and overdubs. I’m using my 97 strat and 52 reissue telecaster for certain parts where I feel the tone suits. I also have an ESP m ii with active pickups that may suit some heavier tunes on the album. Amps I’m using are my Marshall 1987x Plexi, Marshall Vintage Modern, Mesa Boogie dual rectifier and a Hot Rod Deville 410 iii combo for some cleans and light crunch.

Michal Kulbaka: Well, in the studio I like use my JTM 45 as main amp and then blend other ones like Fender Bandmaster or Hiwatt, That’s what I did the last time for my original band Samarkind at the Hellfire Studios in Dublin. In terms of guitars I like use Les Paul and Strat mainly, but then I used on some occasions ES335 or Gold top with P90’s.

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

Joe Merriman: Out of my own collection, it would be my 2013 Les Paul traditional lightburst. Its unchambered and feels good in my hands. I had it refretted a while back as I wore them down from hammering it out of it.

Michal Kulbaka: Oh God, I would never be able to decide between Les Paul and Strat…maybe hybrid of two lol. Some coils, humbuckers les paul body ,strat neck God knows some sort of frankenstein of both glued together. But on the serious note I think my 59 Custom shop Les Paul can do both it’s very versatile instrument.