Guitar international - Interview
New Generation of Swedish Rock Guitar
by Matthew Warnock
The world of instrumental guitar is mostly associated with American and British performer such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth and Guthrie Govan, but there have also been amazing guitarists from other countries who have made meaningful contributions to the genre over the years. One of the countries that have produced some of the best instrumental guitarists over the last 30 years is Sweden. Players such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Adreas Olberg and now Fredrik Pihl have all shone a spotlight on the Swedish guitar scene with their lightning fast technique, soaring melodies and on-stage flair.
Guitar International caught up with Fredrik Pihl to talk about his influences, Swedish guitar players and gear.
Matthew Warnock: The world of shred guitar has a long list of legendary players in its ranks. What do you bring to the instrumental rock table and how do you see yourself fitting in with the top names in the genre?
Fredrik Pihl: There are many great players out there for sure! I try not to compare myself with anyone, and just do what I love, which is to play guitar and make music. With my new album, it was my intention to make music that wasn’t just shredding or guitar oriented, like the music that I made in the past. I tried to focus on songwriting and arranging instead. Of course there is some fancy guitar stuff happening in the songs, but I wouldn’t define the music as pure shredding.
So I’m not really sure whether I fit in with the top names or not. That’s up to the listeners to decide. As for myself, I wouldn’t dare compare myself to some of the great players. I just want to make music and push my limits as much as possible, which I really did when I recorded this album.
Matt: Who were some of your major influences growing up?
Fredrik Pihl: When I was twelve years old, me and some friends were watching a live concert with Guns N’ Roses on TV. We all played air guitar, and we wanted to look as cool as Slash. I guess that’s when it started. Slash was a huge influence as well as James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica. Later I discovered players such as Marty Friedman, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. I was also a huge Iron Maiden fan. Since then my list of influences has expanded a lot, but I still like many of the guitar players I grew up listening to as well.
Matt: After dying a quick death in the early ‘90s, do you think that Shred and Metal is making a comeback in the new millennium?
Fredrik Pihl: I hope so! There are so many great players out there that really deserve way more attention than they receive today. I’m not going to mention any specific names, but I guess we can all agree on that statement. I was really into the shred music stuff in the early 2000s. I was almost obsessed with technique, and I spent hours and hours working on that. Nowadays I prefer a strong melody over technique, even though I still enjoy shredding once in a while. I guess I’m growing old.
But technique isn’t worth anything if you can’t use it in a musical context. It’s like using bad words in a language once in a while, to get a message through. But if you use profanity all the time when talking, people usually grow tired of you. I think it’s the same thing with shredding. You should use it sparingly to get a “wow-effect.” Some players tend to just play fast, and seem to miss out on the music itself. It’s more of a technique exhibition than music.
Matt: Being born in Sweden you must get immediate comparisons to Yngwie Malmsteen. Is he still a big name in rock guitar in Sweden or is he considered to be part of a bygone generation of players?
Fredrik Pihl: I don’t know if people compare me to Yngwie. If so, I’ll take it as a compliment, but I’m sure Yngwie would look upon it as an insult. Yngwie is a huge influence of mine. Whenever I feel satisfied with my vibrato, I put on a Yngwie record and go practice again. If it wasn’t for him I probably wouldn’t be doing this interview. Thank you Yngwie!
Matt: You also teach clinics, besides performing, can you tell us how you got involved in teaching and what does a typical clinic consist of?
Fredrik Pihl: The clinic thing just happened by accident almost. A friend of mine was working at a community youth-center, where a lot of bands and local musicians hung out and practiced. He asked me if I wanted to do a guitar clinic, and talk about song writing and guitar playing in general. I only had about a week and a half to prepare, so I called up my long-time friend and fellow guitar player Christian Johansson, and we decided to arrange something together.
We decided to focus on songwriting and how to work with other musicians. Christian and I are two very different players music-wise, but we always get along and influence each other. So we were talking a lot about that. Then there were also some typical guitar related questions happening about technique, gear etc. We really liked doing it, and we’re discussing the possibilities of doing more in the near future.
Matt: What guitars are you currently using?
Fredrik Pihl: I’ve been using Vigier guitars since 2007. They’re the best in my opinion. I was lucky enough to get an endorsement deal with them, and I’m currently using the Excalibur custom models, as well as the fretless guitar which has become a big part of my playing. There’s plenty of fretless playing on the new album. I love that instrument.
Matt: What amps and effects are you using in the studio these days and does that differ from your live rig?
Fredrik Pihl: I use a Rocktron Prophesy preamp lined out to a small amp in the studio. The amp is miked up with a SM57. I also got a Vox 30w amp, that I use every once in a while. Got an old Marshall amp as well. But the Prophesy has basically every sound that I need. I like to keep it as simple as possible, but still getting the best sound I can. I guess that’s something many players can relate to, and God knows it’s not easy sometimes.
The world of instrumental guitar is mostly associated with American and British performer such as Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, Allan Holdsworth and Guthrie Govan, but there have also been amazing guitarists from other countries who have made meaningful contributions to the genre over the years. One of the countries that have produced some of the best instrumental guitarists over the last 30 years is Sweden. Players such as Yngwie Malmsteen, Adreas Olberg and now Fredrik Pihl have all shone a spotlight on the Swedish guitar scene with their lightning fast technique, soaring melodies and on-stage flair.
Guitar International caught up with Fredrik Pihl to talk about his influences, Swedish guitar players and gear.
Matthew Warnock: The world of shred guitar has a long list of legendary players in its ranks. What do you bring to the instrumental rock table and how do you see yourself fitting in with the top names in the genre?
Fredrik Pihl: There are many great players out there for sure! I try not to compare myself with anyone, and just do what I love, which is to play guitar and make music. With my new album, it was my intention to make music that wasn’t just shredding or guitar oriented, like the music that I made in the past. I tried to focus on songwriting and arranging instead. Of course there is some fancy guitar stuff happening in the songs, but I wouldn’t define the music as pure shredding.
So I’m not really sure whether I fit in with the top names or not. That’s up to the listeners to decide. As for myself, I wouldn’t dare compare myself to some of the great players. I just want to make music and push my limits as much as possible, which I really did when I recorded this album.
Matt: Who were some of your major influences growing up?
Fredrik Pihl: When I was twelve years old, me and some friends were watching a live concert with Guns N’ Roses on TV. We all played air guitar, and we wanted to look as cool as Slash. I guess that’s when it started. Slash was a huge influence as well as James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett of Metallica. Later I discovered players such as Marty Friedman, Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani. I was also a huge Iron Maiden fan. Since then my list of influences has expanded a lot, but I still like many of the guitar players I grew up listening to as well.
Matt: After dying a quick death in the early ‘90s, do you think that Shred and Metal is making a comeback in the new millennium?
Fredrik Pihl: I hope so! There are so many great players out there that really deserve way more attention than they receive today. I’m not going to mention any specific names, but I guess we can all agree on that statement. I was really into the shred music stuff in the early 2000s. I was almost obsessed with technique, and I spent hours and hours working on that. Nowadays I prefer a strong melody over technique, even though I still enjoy shredding once in a while. I guess I’m growing old.
But technique isn’t worth anything if you can’t use it in a musical context. It’s like using bad words in a language once in a while, to get a message through. But if you use profanity all the time when talking, people usually grow tired of you. I think it’s the same thing with shredding. You should use it sparingly to get a “wow-effect.” Some players tend to just play fast, and seem to miss out on the music itself. It’s more of a technique exhibition than music.
Matt: Being born in Sweden you must get immediate comparisons to Yngwie Malmsteen. Is he still a big name in rock guitar in Sweden or is he considered to be part of a bygone generation of players?
Fredrik Pihl: I don’t know if people compare me to Yngwie. If so, I’ll take it as a compliment, but I’m sure Yngwie would look upon it as an insult. Yngwie is a huge influence of mine. Whenever I feel satisfied with my vibrato, I put on a Yngwie record and go practice again. If it wasn’t for him I probably wouldn’t be doing this interview. Thank you Yngwie!
Matt: You also teach clinics, besides performing, can you tell us how you got involved in teaching and what does a typical clinic consist of?
Fredrik Pihl: The clinic thing just happened by accident almost. A friend of mine was working at a community youth-center, where a lot of bands and local musicians hung out and practiced. He asked me if I wanted to do a guitar clinic, and talk about song writing and guitar playing in general. I only had about a week and a half to prepare, so I called up my long-time friend and fellow guitar player Christian Johansson, and we decided to arrange something together.
We decided to focus on songwriting and how to work with other musicians. Christian and I are two very different players music-wise, but we always get along and influence each other. So we were talking a lot about that. Then there were also some typical guitar related questions happening about technique, gear etc. We really liked doing it, and we’re discussing the possibilities of doing more in the near future.
Matt: What guitars are you currently using?
Fredrik Pihl: I’ve been using Vigier guitars since 2007. They’re the best in my opinion. I was lucky enough to get an endorsement deal with them, and I’m currently using the Excalibur custom models, as well as the fretless guitar which has become a big part of my playing. There’s plenty of fretless playing on the new album. I love that instrument.
Matt: What amps and effects are you using in the studio these days and does that differ from your live rig?
Fredrik Pihl: I use a Rocktron Prophesy preamp lined out to a small amp in the studio. The amp is miked up with a SM57. I also got a Vox 30w amp, that I use every once in a while. Got an old Marshall amp as well. But the Prophesy has basically every sound that I need. I like to keep it as simple as possible, but still getting the best sound I can. I guess that’s something many players can relate to, and God knows it’s not easy sometimes.
Originally posted at: http://guitarinternational.com/2011/05/07/fredrik-pihl-interview-new-generation-of-swedish-rock-guitar/
