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 Andrey Smirnov.
When did you start playing guitar, and do you remember your first instrument?
I started playing guitar when I was around 12–13 years old. Everyone told me it was already too late to become a “proper” musician — but of course, I didn’t listen to anyone. I just kept going. To be honest, I took only one official guitar lesson at the very beginning. The rest I learned from my father. He used to play in a school band, and even though he hadn’t touched the guitar for years, he still remembered a few chords. He showed me the very first shapes and songs I ever learned. After that, most of my education came directly from the streets — from older, more experienced players who showed me riffs, tricks, and techniques. And the real breakthrough moment was when I finally got to play with distortion. That sound completely changed my world and made me realize the guitar would stay with me for life.
Who were your influences and favorite guitar players?
I grew up right in the middle of the thrash metal and grunge era, and that shaped everything about my musical taste. The first guitarist I truly learned from was James Hetfield. His rhythm playing, precision, and attitude became the foundation of my style. Then, of course, there was Adrian Smith and Dave Murray from Iron Maiden. Adrian’s unique technique and melodic phrasing had a massive impact on me. I watched Iron Maiden – Live After Death on VHS and listened to the cassette literally a thousand times. I absorbed every harmony, run, bend, and detail. Metallica was also a huge influence — especially Master of Puppets and …And Justice for All. Later on, I found myself getting deeper into other bands from the late ’80s and early ’90s like Megadeth, W.A.S.P., Accept, and many others. All of them helped shape my style in different ways.
How many guitars do you own, and what are your favorite models?
I have quite a lot of guitars at the moment — probably around 25 instruments. But I’m actually trying to reduce the number and keep only the ones I really want to play. I believe every guitar needs to be played; if it stays in a case for too long, it loses something. That’s why I keep fresh strings on all of them, so I can pick up any guitar and start playing immediately. For live performances, I rely heavily on my ESP guitars — they’re reliable and perfect for touring. In the studio, I use a wider palette: Old Gibsons from my collection, An 8-string guitar that’s surprisingly good despite being inexpensive, A bass guitar, And even an oud I bought in Egypt. For a few U.D.O. tracks, I even recorded ukulele, which is also part of my home arsenal.
What makes the perfect guitar and amp?
For live playing, the most important thing for a perfect guitar is tuning stability. You have to trust your instrument — that’s the number one priority. Of course, I have certain model and brand preferences, but reliability always comes first. In the studio, the mindset changes. The guitar and amp need to serve the song. Depending on the tempo, tonality, or vibe, I choose a specific guitar and a specific amp that fits that track. That’s why I keep several options ready to go — sometimes the right instrument can completely shape the direction of a song.
Modelers vs. real amps — what’s your opinion?
Honestly, I prefer to use both. For touring, it’s incredibly easy to travel with something like a Quad Cortex. You can profile your favorite amp directly in the studio, capture your exact tone, and then bring it on the road in one small box. It’s lighter, cheaper, and much more practical. And speaking as a mixing engineer and studio guy, I can say that the difference nowadays is not as big as people think. It’s still a hot topic, but modern modelers are absolutely good enough to compete with real amps in many professional situations. Real amps still have their magic, but the key for me is simple: Use whatever gets the job done and inspires you.
Which guitars and amps were used on recent albums or recordings?
On most of the U.D.O. albums I played on, we used my custom plugin created together with the Italian company Overloud, called TH-U All Metal Gears. Inside this pack, you can find the exact tones used on several of the latest records — amp models, cabinets, IRs, effects, and presets built specifically around my sound. And yes, it’s true: a lot of what you hear on those albums genuinely comes from this plugin. For the Steel Factory album, we used real ENGL amps. We recorded clean DI tracks, and Jacob Hansen re-amped everything through his ENGL to get that tight, aggressive tone. On my solo records, I use whatever inspires me at that moment — sometimes Kemper, sometimes TH-U All Metal Gears, sometimes Neural DSP or other gear. Many of my songs actually begin with the tone itself — a sound that sparks the first idea.
If you could choose only one guitar, which one would you take?
That’s a really tough question because I love all my guitars. But if I had to choose just one, it would probably be one of my most valuable instruments — either my Gibson Black Beauty or my Gibson Joe Bonamassa Custom. A close contender would be my PRS Custom 24, which I also really enjoy playing. Choosing only one feels almost impossible… but it would definitely be one of those three.
