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p a u l t a l k s g u i t a r

LATEST STUFF/ BEKI MYSPACE / NEW ALBUM / KEV TAYLOR / PAUL TALKS GUITAR / INSOMNIA MAG / SAD NEWS

How long been playing ?

I've been playing guitar for 10 minutes and 6 seconds !
Well actually 20 years but I stop occasionally for a piss and a pint.

What guitars do you use ?

My stage guitar is a Hamer Scarab that I bought in the late 80's.
Gibson Les Paul Standard.
Danelectro retro green thingy.
Roland GR synth guitar.
And I just got a Fernandez 'Les Paul stylie' called a Montana ( gay name or what? ) last month.
I also own a custom Nylon Flamenco and a Steel String Acoustic but Beki keeps threatening to fill them with concrete and fit some pick up's to them..or burn them.

What is your favourite guitar ?
 

My Hamer and I are inseperable at gigs cos it still sounds great played thru any pile of shit amp...As you know at festivals abroad and US tours it is too costly to import your own amp so when I have to use other gear, dear old 'Hamish' sounds like a bazooka even thru a 10watt practice amp.
For recording my favourite guitar is Beki's Gibson Les Paul Custom from the 80's.It is a ferocious guitar that slices the competition in half...problem is that it weighs a ton.
Even Beki stopped gigging with it as it messed her shoulder up carrying it onstage for an hour every night, plus we couldn't risk having it stolen.
It is well suited to Beki in that it looks beautiful, is fuckin LOUD and hurts if you are hit on the head by it !

If you could have any guitar what would it be ?

Probably a PRS custom.
I once owned a Yellow PRS custom and a Red PRS Santana model that were beyond amazing.
They were so expensive that I dare not use them at punk gigs ( getting bashed up etc ) but they both sounded ace.
I have never played guitars as comfortable as those.
Sadly I ran into financial difficulties ( being a pro musician I have no steady income ) money was tight last year so I had to sell them.
It was a sad day indeed, I would rather have sold my TV , shoes and washing machine but my beloved PRS guitars had to go.
In truth they were way too beautiful and precious to take out on the road.
Maybe one day I can buy another...sob sob...

What backline do you use ?

Peavey 5150 Van Halen 120 Watt Head and an old Marshall 4 x 12" cabinet.
Bring it on....Mesa Boogies are for gay boys.. I Fuckin love it...cos it goes all the way up to 12 !!

What effects do you use ?

Live I use an old Boss Flanger and a tuner....Until I can afford roadies thats it !

At home I got some really weird stuff..

Lovetone Ring Stinger ( ooh missus ! )
Electro Harmonix Micro Synth
Electro Harmonix Frequency Analyser
Electro Harmonix Memory Man Delay
Electro Harmonix Memory Man Delay
Electro Harmonix Memory Man Delay...Delay.....ha ha..geddit !!
Electro Harmonix Big Muff ( oooh Titter Ye not  !! )
Roland Space Echo
Roland GR700 guitar synth
Snarling Dogs Mold Spore Wah
Digitech Whammy
Digitech Envelope Follower
Line 6 Filter Modeler
Line 6 Echo Modeler
Line 6 Modulation Modeler
Adrenalinn Filter / Sequencer / Drum box
Korg Pandora
Rockman Chorus / Delay...

And a shit load more mental pedals in my 'Toy Box of Doom'.

Basically I was brought up on Dr Who / Star Trek / Gary Numan / Kraftwerk / Bowie and I love to get a guitar sound like a synth or a computer and that bunch of FX gets the guitar to sound as far away from a traditional sound as possible.
Be warned though if it was all plugged in at the same time my head would probably explode and the world would tilt off it's axis or summat !

What guage strings and type ?

11 - 52 Ernie Ball Custom guage ( Purple pack ).
Anything lighter is for puffs and / or Jazz Funk Sissies...ohh, i forgot they are one and the same..tee hee.

Favourite singer , bass player, drummer ?

My band of course.......
Bondies ( aka, Pondweed / Beki Bondage ) is my favourite tub thumper ( literally !).
Sir Kev Taylor is my fave singer.
Mildred plays bass very well considering that bass is the tool of ignorance also he excels on the Pink Flute !.
Seriously aside from Vice Squad - I love John Bonham and the Billy Idol's old drummer Thommy Price.
Vocalists Steve Perry from Journey, Aimee Mann and Brian Wilson..The mighty Joe Strummer.
Bassists - Paul Simonon, Billy Sheehan, Flea and ....Mark King...NOT !

Paul's beloved Roland synth guitar as used by Steve Stevens

Favourite studios ?

My home studio which is called 'AutoErotica' cos I sleep,drink and wank under my mixing desk.
The Granary in Kent where we are currently recording our latest,heaviest and finest album.
And..here goes the name big drop....Abbey Road where we remastered some Vice Squad tunes.
I was in 'anologue heaven' whilst at Abbey Road cos they had corridors full of vintage tape machines and stuff that was being moved out in order to be replaced by computers....duhhh !
I wished I had a big truck that day...our U.K musical heritage was being shipped to some Japanese collector no doubt.

If you could guest on an album who would you choose ?

One that had no other guitarists playing on it that would show me up...Do you mean one that has been recorded already ?
David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' I guess.

Favourite guitarists ?

Gosh,how long is a piece of string ??
Being a Yorkshireman I was introduced to Bill Nelson at an early age and I think he gave me the idea of playing tuneful guitar with melodies and themes.
Gary Moore has the most feel of anyone I ever heared - as a kid I used to stand at the front of his gigs and cry cos of the sheer emotion that bloke put into his playing.
Steve Jones is such an awesome rhythm player and I always get a stiffy when I hear the 'Anarchy In The U.K' guitar sound.
Brian Setzer is so passionate about old style Rock n Roll, Big Band and Trad Jazz I love him.
Recently I discovered John 5 ( ex Marilyn Manson ) who looks fantastic but can play vitrually ANYTHING.He does the fast metal shredding, country picking and creates Sci-Fi and horror soundtracks..fuckin awesome guy..I met him by chance on Sunset Strip and he is a lovely fella.
Buckethead is in my top 3 cos he plays somewhere between Jimi Hendrix and a computer...he is totally original and plays with 8 finger tapping and gets the guitar to sound like an industrial loop or a sequenced synth...I am not worthy.
Paul Gilbert and Tom Morello are wicked but my favourite player is ...

Steve Stevens...

His playing is truly brilliant - he plays Rock,Punk,Metal,Country,Jazz, Funk,Flamenco and Classical with equal ability and passion.
He has written hit songs and film music too - I guess he is the real 'all rounder' and I could only dream of being so energetic and talented.
Because I love so many different styles of music and have always strived to create new sounds I guess Steve Stevens epitomizes my approach and constantly inspires me to play.
I saw Billy Idol / Stevens at Brixton recently and I refused to move for the 2 hour set cos Stevens was fuckin out of this world...I nearly pissed myself tho !

What album changed your life ?

Not an album but an old single called 'Riders In The Sky' by an instrumental band called The Ramrods.
When I was 9 or 10 my uncle gave me a pile of 1950's / 60's singles on vinyl and I ploughed thru them one week...I discovered this gem.
It had ghostly ranch herders and twangy guitars like The Shadows and I sat playing it over-and-over...magical !!

Influences ?

Mozart
Rock n Roll
Left-Wing Politics
Punk Rock attitude

Favourite films ?

Alien
Withnail and I ( fucken top film )
Saving Private Ryan
Titanic !! * note * Beki says this is a 'chic flick' and that I am, in effect a gay..but it makes me cry !

Hamish 2007

Favourite albums of all time ?

Diamond Dogs by Bowie
Escape by Journey
Rebel Yell by Billy Idol
Sergeant Peppers by Beatles
Highway to Hell by AC/DC
Bollocks by The Sex Pistols

Favourite actors of all time ?

Kevin Spacey
Christopher Walken
Tom Hanks
Tim Robbins
Jack Nocholson
Sigouney Weaver

Tips for all guitarists out there ?

Get the fuck out and gig.
Shredding at home means nowt if you don't get onstage and try it in front of an audience.
Also - less is more !
So many technical guitarists play fast from start to finish and it gets boring to Joe Punter and even to fellow Axe person.
Just put the odd mental speed lick into a song and it will have the impact of a baseball bat round the canister.
Don't drink 5 pints of Cider just before the show.
Drink 8 pints AFTER the show !

Any comments you would like putting on ?

Yes...My philosophy is..."Have a good time, all of the time...!!"

Pics of 'Hamish' the Hamer 2007

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