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 Sol Perez (Icon Of Sin, Royal Rage).
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
I got my first guitar when I was 8 or 9 years old, it was a very simple Golden Superstrato guitar in blue color and I remember being very happy. It was with this guitar that I learned my first chords and also my first scale (Pentatonic). Even though I didn’t spend a lot of time with her, I always remember her.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
There were several stages! I became a guitarist because of „Slash“, the first song I heard was „November Rain“ and I remember that the „climate of the song“ really impacted me when I was a kid and that solo at the end caught my attention a lot, when I heard „Sweet Child O‘ Mine“ was something decisive… I would be a guitarist! Here in Brazil, I am influenced by some guitarists like Kiko Loureiro, Juninho Afram and Paulo Schroeber, outside Brazil without a doubt the guitarists that inspire me are Slash, Ron „Bumblefoot“ Thal, Paul Gilbert and Jimmy Page.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
I currently have two guitars: „Esp Ltd GH600 Snow White“ and also a „Schecter Diamond Series 7 Strings Black“ I love my Schecter!
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
I like the combination of active Seymour Duncan pickups and the distortion that Mesa boogie tube amps provide, but the quest for perfect tone never seems to end! In the studio, sometimes it takes hours to get the ideal timbre and live it’s always a challenge. For this reason, I switched to the „IR“ technologies that the new pedals offer, I am currently using the „Fractal Audio FM3“ and I am very satisfied with the results both in the studio and live.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
For me, the quality that valve equipment can offer is unquestionable, however I am very motivated by the „IR“ technologies that exist today. It’s impressive how the sound of a simple „Plugin“ has evolved so much, and I believe the quality will improve more and more
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
I used my „Schecter Diamond Series 7 Strings“ guitar, while Marcelo Gelbcke used a „N Zaganin Strato“ guitar. I recorded it in line and send the „clean“ sound to the producer who later made a „Reamp“ with Plugins from the „Bogren BDH 5169“. The two discs of „Icon of Sin“ were recorded in this way
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
Without a doubt, my „Schecter Diamond Series 7 Strings“ guitar. Its pickup (Seymour Duncan Active) allows me to have great clean sounds and a well-defined and heavy distortion, and I got used to the seven strings… I recorded a few albums with it, there are good stories.
