Joe Stump Interview www.lachaineguitare.com1/3 17/11/09

Joe Stump Interview with La Chaîne Guitare

www.lachaineguitare.com Questions By Pierre Journel ( pjournel@gmail.com

) - Oct. 26, 2009 – By e-mail

Q : What are the main milestones between when you got your first guitar and now?

A : Some of them would be releasing my first solo album Guitar Dominance back in 1993, my firstappearance in the U.S guitar magazine Guitar World with a great review of my second album Nightof the Living Shred calling it the best neo-classical album since Yngwie’s Rising Force debut. I’vewent on to record over 16 records between solo offerings, vocal power metal bands Joe Stump’sReign of Terror and HolyHell along with 6 instructional DVDs.Being added to the guitar faculty at the esteemed Berklee College of Music where I’ve been for over 16 years now. Being named one of the 10 fastest shredders of all time by Guitar One magazineand one of the top 20 shredders of all time by Guitarist, that was great to be on a list with so manygreat pioneers of the shred genre like Michael Angelo Batio, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, JohnPetrucci and others.I of course consider all of the records I make and release important milestones somewhat and I’mquite proud of my latest works, two being The Collection record and the HolyHell debut album.Other milestones would be in regard to touring, playing countries and going to parts of the worldI’ve never been before, my first trips to Japan and Asia. I’ve also been very fortunate that with

Joe Stump Interview www.lachaineguitare.com2/3 17/11/09HolyHell I’ve played some great shows whether it’s big outdoor festivals or sport halls. We playedthe Olympia Hall In Munich Germany back in 2007 on a tour in support of power metal kingsManowar and that meant a lot to me since I’m a huge Ritchie Blackmore disciple, that was wherethe famed Rainbow Live in Munich DVD and record was recorded.

Q : What are your main influences?

Guitar-wise all the great European hard rock/metal masters Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen,Uli Jon Roth, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker and Jimi Hendrix. I also love classical music, Bach,Vivaldi, Paganini, Mozart, Beethoven are some of my favorites.

Q : Any present guitar players who impress you?

There’s a ton of great players out there, when you ask about present players I’d imagine you meannewer guys and usually when I want to listen to guitar it’ll be one of my previously mentionedheroes. As I’m too busy doing my own thing to really seriously check out what’s been coming outrecently. Not to say there aren’t quite a few newer cool players out there.

Q : How do you build your composition? Do you start from a guitar riff? Or from a melody inyour head?

Both, I just pick up the guitar, as I’m always playing and practicing and things just flow out of me.Sometimes it’ll be a killer evil riff for a vocal oriented track, other times a strong melody. AnytimeI compose a melody I always write the melody first and then the chord progression around themelody (same way the classical composers would).Other times it could be a cool intricate classically influenced section with arpeggio play and pedal point lines or a cool retro Blackmore/Hendrix inspired hard rock groove or riff. I love all schools of metal and hard rock so my vocabulary is quite extensive.

Q : What is you main guitar?

My main guitars are my MC Guitars custom made Demon Wings and my ESP custom shop Strats.Both have reverse headstocks, scalloped fretboards, dunlop 6000 jumbo frets, Dimarzio pickups,locking tuners, alder bodies and Wilkinson vintage style Strat tremelo systems.

Q : You appear on the cover of your latest album with a your signature model from MCGuitars, can you tell us about how this guitar was conceived?

They approached me about doing a custom signature type model. However it had to be somethingto deviate from your standard Strat shape. They wanted it to be more of an evil looking metalmachine. I embraced the idea as playing something other than a standard Strat shape appealed tome, but I’ve been a Strat guy my entire career so it had to be right. The guitar came out killer, whileit looks all evil, gothic and demonic it sits on me and plays just like a Strat.The neck is modeled after one of Blackmore’s 72 Strat necks and the toggle switch, tremelo andvolume knobs are identical to a Stratocaster placement-wise. It’s got a little bit more of a heavier tone since it’s got a bit more wood on the body, which works nice. It’s also got a custom tone