What’s your number-one guitar?
Herbert: I play the Ibanez Xiphos 27-fret. I
like the way the neck feels. I think it has a cool
shape. It balances well both standing and sitting, and I can swing it up on either leg and do
some cool stuff.
Martin: I just got a PRS Custom 22, which is
the most awesome guitar. It’s my favorite guitar
that I’ve ever touched in my entire life.
What do you have on the floor?
Herbert: All I have is a Maxon OD808
Overdrive, Boss NS- 2 Noise Supressor, Boss
DD- 5 Digital Delay, and a tuner. I’m not really
a gear guy.
Martin: I use a Maxon OD- 9 Overdrive and a
Boss NS- 2 Noise Supressor, but I’m a complete
moron—I can barely hook my own stuff up. Take
the guitar tech away from us and we’re screwed.
How about amps?
Herbert: I use a Peavey 5150 II head with Mesa/
Boogie 4x12 cabs. I think it’s a fantastic amp. I’ll
tell you what, though, I would kill for a block
letter one—the first one. I think those are the
best. That’s what I recorded the album with.
When you talk about this era of metal, that’s the
head that’s most used. You don’t see Marshalls
as much as you used to. When we were on tour
with As I Lay Dying and Iced Earth, we all used
the same exact head. Maybe it was the EVH III
in some cases, but it’s the same thing, basically.
Martin: The very first one is the best-sounding
head I’ve heard in my entire life. I’m using
the Peavey 6505 head with Mesa/Boogie cabs
[Editor’s note: Peavey renamed the 5150 amp the
6505 after Edward Van Halen severed his relationship with the company]. Every time we try something else, it just doesn’t work for us.
Oli Herbert (left) with his Ibanez Xiphos and Mike Martin with his PRS Custom 22. Photo by Justin Borucki
oli herbert s
gear box
oli herbert s
gear box
mike martin s
gear box
mike martin s
gear box
Guitars
Ibanez Xiphos 27-fret guitar,
Ibanez S2170, Ibanez S1625,
Takamine acoustic
Guitars
PRS Custom 22s,
Takamine acoustic
Amps
Peavey 6505 head,
Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabs
with Celestion speakers
168 PREMIER GUITAR JANUARY 2011
Who did the talk box solo in “Won’t Go
Quietly”?
Herbert: That’s Mike’s solo. He had gotten a talk
box as a gift from a friend. I did my solo in the
middle, and we were trying to think of what to
do with the end part. We were like, “Dude, take
a solo—talk box!” I don’t know if I was the one
who said it, but it was kinda like we needed to
use it on the record somehow.
Martin: I just wanted to add some feel—I wasn’t
trying to reinvent rock guitar! [Laughs.] I’d never
even played through one before, but it was a lot
of fun. I’m psyched we put it on there. I think
it’s a cool old-school effect to have in a modern
metal band.
Herbert: Some people are going to hear that and
say, “That’s cool.” Other people are going to go,
“What the hell is this!? I don’t like this in my
metal!” I think it’s tasty.
Amps
Peavey 5150 II heads,
Mesa/Boogie 4x12 cabs
with Celestion speakers
Effects
Maxon OD808
Overdrive, Boss NS- 2
Noise Supressor, Boss
DD- 5 Digital Delay
Effects
Maxon OD- 9 Overdrive, Boss
NS- 2 Noise Supressor,
“talk box”
of unknown make
Strings and Picks
Ernie Ball strings (.012, .
016, .020, .032, .042, .054), Dun-
lop Jazz picks
Strings and Picks
Ernie Ball strings (.012,
.016, .020, .032, .042,
.054), Dunlop 1 mm picks
Miscellaneous
Boss TU- 2 tuner,
Ernie Ball cables,
DiMarzio ClipLock straps
Miscellaneous
Boss TU- 2 tuner,
Ernie Ball cables,
DiMarzio ClipLock straps
