MILLENCOLIN
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MILLENCOLIN

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So, Soundwave!

 

I’m really looking forward to The Smashing Pumpkins. I’ve never seen them and they were one of my favourite bands when I grew up.

 

So let’s talk guitar. What are you using at the moment?

 

I’m playing a Gibson SG, two, actually. For the first time I’ve got two guitars which feel exactly the same. I’ve been constantly trying to get that because we switch a lot and I’m really happy with those. I love SGs. They’re a good light guitar.

 

It’s often tricky with two of even the same model of guitar for them to be the same because you’re dealing with the variables of a chunk of wood.

 

Yeah. I’ve got like four SGs and the other two feel completely different. I used to play Fender. I played a Stratocaster for a long time in Millencolin and then we got an endorsement from Guild Guitars when Fender bought Guild. I got two Bluesbirds, a copy of a Les Paul, pretty much. That was really, really strange because I ordered two and they were just starting to make these again. So I got number 441 and 442, and one of them had a really slim neck which I like, and the other one had a really fat neck. My roadie went to the factory and said “I want this slim neck profile” and they said “No no, we don’t make that one. We make a thick one. We don’t make those.” So one in the series just had a really slim neck, which I love, and all the other models had this fat neck! It was really, really strange. They said they never made it but they did! I loved that guitar but the electronics sucked! Everything came loose inside. It sounded like maraccas, the whole guitar! My guitar tech had so much trouble. He’d be fixing that guitar so many times, but it sounded alright. After that I went back to the Stratocaster because you can trust those electronics to work for a full tour. Then we got this deal with Gibson in Europe. I wanted to play SGs because they’re so light and nice. I first played an SG live when we went to South America and the airline lost the luggage. I accidentally got an SG and I really loved that guitar. It’s a little bit weird, the weight of the guitar, because they’re so top-heavy. But as long as you get used to that, I love to have that light feel on stage.

 

 

What about amps?

 

We’ve been endorsed by Mesa Boogie for a long, long time and I love their stuff. I use a Triple Rectifier and their cabinets. But I really like the other head which Mattias is using, which they’re not making any more, the Stiletto. Love the sound of those. Live the Triple Rectifier is really good. I love to switch channels but I hate the little mute while you’re switching channels. It’s annoying with that little dead air there.

 

What pedals do you use?

 

I’ve been switching because we get stuff from people. I’m not sure what I’m using right now to be honest. I know I’ve got one of the classic BOSS Distortion pedals which I’ve been using since the first time I started to play electric guitars. I love the distortion in the Mesa Boogie so I try to use that sound more than pedals. I got some delays and I’ve got a chorus which I rarely use. And I’ve got a wah-wah which I rarely use. Then I’ve got a preamp that raises the volume a little bit, but I honestly don’t know the names of the new ones I’m using right now.

 

I hear your influence on a lot of bands. Do you pick up on that?

 

Ah, maybe. Sometimes. I dunno. Not really, to be honest.

 

So are you guys working on any new music?

 

Yeah! We own our own studio so we’ve been recording a lot, since March last year. We’re wrapping stuff up now, so I think we will have one new song officially by the time we come down for Soundwave. Epitaph has talked about releasing one song either during Soundwave or the week before. So that’s exciting, but then more stuff will come out during 2015.