This article series is about the tools of popular guitarists or bassists.. What are their favorite guitars or basses and how is it related to them? This time with the band „PRIDIAN“
Hello! This is Martin & Jörg from the band PRIDIAN and we are responsible for the majority of the guitar work in our songs.
When did you start playing guitar and do you remember your first guitar?
Martin: I started playing in 2004 and my first guitar was ordered from an online catalogue. It was a western guitar and I learned the majority of Metallica songs on it before i got my first electric guitar a year or two later.
Jörg: I first picked up guitar at age 15, so at around 2007. It was an RG series Ibanez from 2006. First songs I remember learning were from the „Toxicity“ album by System of a Down and also trying to learn a few Metallica songs here and there poorly.
Pics by: Marta Vatsfeld
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
Martin: My earliest influence is definitely Metallica, notably James for his incredible sense of melody and rhythm playing. After that, I spiraled into the world of nu and death metal. I
remember being SUPER into Korn & Slipknot. Then I discovered death metal thanks to bands like Morbid Angel, Nile, Aborted etc.
Jörg: I remember being really into System of A Down and Slipknot at that time, but I also listened to a lot of other bands from different subgenres, like 30 Seconds to Mars, Linkin Park and Underoath. Later on I found Nine Inch Nails and I remember being completely obsessed with their music. This is most likely what got me into the audio production side of music as well. Specific guitarists that come to mind – Steve Vai, Robin Finck, Joe Satriani.
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
Martin: I’ve owned a lot of guitars, currently I’m rocking only 5. My absolute favorite guitars are my ESP E-II Horizon in see-through black and a Jackson Pro Series Juggernaut in Snow White.
Jörg: I have always been a one guitar guy and I still own just one guitar to this day. Never been into collecting them. After my first Ibanez, I got an RG320PGP2, which had a floyd rose in it. I quickly realized what a floyd rose was only after buying it though. Ended up having the tremolo system blocked at a luthier and kept on playing that for a while. I currently own an ESP LTD MHB 400 baritone with 27″ scale length, which I have consistently been upgrading throughout the years.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
Martin: The perfect guitar is the one you write the bulk of your music on. There aren’t many inspiration machines out there which just make the riffs fall out of your soul. I gotta say that the Neural DSP Quad Cortex is probably the best amp sim out there, but I really dig the EVH 5150 III 50W amp head with the EL34 tubes. There is just something magical about the saturation it produces.
Jörg: I personally think it is an easy trap to fall into and chase the next perfect guitar model all the time. There certainly are some out there, which are above the pack in my view either from a technical point of view or just give a certain special vibe (Aristides, Music Man, Legator), but at the end of the day it will come down to your skill and how you use the instrument. From the tech spec side though, what I love about my current ESP is definitely the neck profile. I like really thin and flat necks, especially on a baritone, since the scale length is longer. On the amp side – my first real amp was a Bugera 333XL Infinium. Rocked that for a few years until I completely switched over to modelers, when the Line 6 Helix came out.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
Martin: If you can do it – both! Otherwise go with whatever makes you happy. They’re both amazing. Modelers provide unbelievable flexibility and portability, while a real tube amp just gives you that physical “vibe” and a sound that just puts a smile on your face.
Jörg: Modelers all the way for me. If I can avoid carrying around an amp and a cab, that’s perfect! But in general, I think amp sims and modelers should be and actually are being embraced more and more. Digital reproductions of their real life counterparts have become pretty much indistinguishable nowadays. While a real amp might give me just 10% more of a certain vibe, all in all I think the pros of an amp/cab/stompbox modeler greatly outweigh the real thing.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
Martin: We used my ESP E-II Horizon and a baritone LTD MHB-400!
Jörg: As mentioned, we both used our mains for the upcoming EP and the songs already released. All of the tones were built with either the Neural DSP Quad Cortex or other Neural DSP plugins (Gojira and Nolly).
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
Martin: I’ll go with my ESP.
Jörg: Right now, my ESP as well, although I have been considering getting either a Legator or Aristides as a second guitar (finally!)
