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 Mark Borgmeyer (Crimson Glory).
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
Started playing guitar when I was around 9 years old and my first guitar was a Harmony acoustic and a year later bought a Lotus Les Paul Copy.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
My biggest influences were mostly the most iconic players at the time being Jeff Beck, Jimmy Page, and Jimi Hendrix and as a kid growing up in the 70’s and 80’s my influences started expanding to the likes of Brett Garsed, Andy Timmons, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen, Neal Schon, Doug Aldrich, and of course Eddie Van Halen!
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
Stared out as a Gibson player mainly Les Paul’s since i was son into the look and sound of both Jimmy Page & Jeff Beck but later i really found i liked the tone and feel of Fender Stratocasters more comfortable and now playing Fender guitars with some modifications! Currently don’t have a large collection of guitars and always find my favorites to be the ones I always play! Guitars should be played and not just hung on the wall or in a case in the closet LOL.
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
Well since early on I realize that the tone came from the players Heart, Soul, and fingers and my favorite players always had or created their own unique sound! I have always preferred tube amplifiers and think the tube amp platform allows the feel of a players feel to come through whether they’re playing a Fender or Gibson style of guitar!
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
My choice would always be a tube amp but with travel and fly dates I’ve had to work with digital modeler’s as of late and they have come a long way in creating some nice sounding platforms which are getting closer and closer to real amp tone & feel.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
For the New Crimson Glory Album Ben Jackson is using his old tried & true Peavey JSX head paired with a Gibson Les Paul and I’m using my old Mesa Boogie MKiii 60w which I have had since 1988 and I’ve used it on all my studio projects and local live shows and still using it with my local „Cover“ band The Lost Boys! Also using my Modified Fender guitars and my Live rig Fractal FM3 for some tones!
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
If it was down to one guitar pick it would be my old 1973 Fender Stratocaster that I modified from 3 bolt to a 4 bolt conversion and swapped its original ’73 neck to an old 80’s re-issue rosewood fingerboard neck! I’ve run my own business (Borgy’s Guitar Repair) now for just over 38 years so guitar mods and custom modifications come quite easy!
