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 Markus Vanhala (Omnium Gatherum, Insomnium)
When you start guitar playing and do you remember your first guitar?
Around when I was 12 years old, I got my first Epiphone Stratocaster copy back then. It was red and white Fender copy, with a horrible neck. Skateboard changed immediately to this another piece of wood. Made my fingers strong as had to learn with that heavy piece of wood where you could not lower the strings that I could’ve played it easily. Probably the biggest steps on my early guitar playing ”career” was first learning some Metallica songs, like Harvester of Sorrow, One and Enter Sandman of course, but the Adrian Smith guitar solo of ”Stranger In A Strange Land” and Randy Rhoads solo in ”Mr. Crowley” were the ones I deepest fell in love and wanted to learn play like that, so called eye, or better, earopeners for me. It took weeks, days and long hours in my parents basement with that guitar to learn those tricks. But eventually I learned them and rest is OG History.
What are your influences and which guitar players are your faves?
Randy Rhoads, Adrian Smith, Edward Van Halen, Yngwie Malmsteen were my first heroes on guitar and my early big 4. Bit later along with Chuck Schuldiner of Death and Jeff Waters of Annihilator. After that my taste broadened with Dan Huff of Giant (and studio musician), Steve Lukather and David Gilmour and via this mix up of all these names probably comes my guitar style. For Finnish guitarist I cannot deny the influence of Roope Latvala and Alexi Laiho later either. That’s only guitar wise, but musical wise my taste is really broad. Maybe main influences by decades are 70’s heavy and progrock, 80’s hard rock and 90’s death metal…
How many guitars do you own and what are your favorite models?
There’s never too much or enough, haha. My goddaughter just counted them on my home studio as I didn’t have a clue about the number, I think she came up around 40 or so. Jackson guitars are of course my main love, and I’ve been playing the Randy Rhoads shape and model for decades now. Also old Jackson and Charvel Strats are definitely cool, and love to jam with them at home but on stage my pick usually is Rhoads or nowadays Kelly too. Lately been falling in love to Fender stratocasters again and Telecasters for the first time, starting to be adult I guess… 🙂
What do you think makes the perfect guitar and amp?
Not too much in it, just basic stuff should be okay. Like good woods, good parts, good neck, good pick ups (which matter a lot!). Ampwise it’s usually tubeamp with also not too much knobs and shiny and glitter and stuff, just the basics and they should be good. Jackson/Charvel makes the perfect guitars for my taste, and amp wise for me it’s EVH 5150 and some nice old tube Marshalls.
How do you feel about the question of modeler or tube amp?
In studio I always go with real tube amps, on the road I’ve been switching to modelers (Neural DSP Quad Cortex) as it’s way easier and works without too mush hassle (if you have a spare amp). I link my Quad Cortex to real EVH amp stack though, as I’m old school and rock’n’roll and there have to be sound pressure on stage to make guitar scream. But to front of house and PA system via mixing guy goes only my QC, so the real amp and stack is just my personal fun.
Which guitars and amps were used on the new album or for recordings?
In Japan last year, the airline company lost all my stuff for few days and I went immediately to guitar store and found my friend Brandon Ellis signature model Jackson Kelly there and bought it. I fell in love with that guitar immediately, so I’ve played it live pretty much since then and I also recorded all the rhythm guitars with that. Because I love the screeeeam the guitar does via it’s amazing Seymour Duncan Parallel Axis pickups. For leads I used my beloved Jackson Randy Rhoadses, except I think ”Street Of Rage” solo was actually recorded with real old school Fender telecaster to get that cranky slang, and for ”Barricades” neoclassical old John Norum / Malmsteen riff lick I used my Jeff Loomis signature Kelly. Clean guitars were mostly done with the Telecaster I think. Ampwise we went with heavy metal sounds with Diesel amp for rhythm tracks, EVH 5150 for leads and solos and my friends custom built awesome Skippers ”Erektor” model amp for cleans and crunches. All this via older Mesa Boogie 4×12 cabinets, except Skipper amps via small Bluetone cab with 1×12 speaker.
When you only can choose one guitar, which one will you take?
I believe it would be my first USA Randy Rhoads that I bought 2000, and it’s been 25 years with me on the road and studio, 1000+ shows and so on. My real buddy that never disappoints. It’s insanely good guitar, and gets better by time as real wood usually does!
