Post by Admin on Apr 6, 2020 17:55:52 GMT
DragonForce guitarist Herman Li talked about leaving Ibanez Guitars after many years of playing the company's instruments.
Herman also talked about all the guitars he has in his collection, what he looks for in an instrument and more.
DragonForce released its eighth studio album "Extreme Power Metal" in September 2019. You can check out a part of the conversation below.
I was watching one of your streams and you were talking about the fact that you are now a free agent in the guitar market. You were with Ibanez for a lot of years. What made you want to leave Ibanez?
"You know, I've always been into guitars. I have a big guitar collection. I don't even know how many I have, maybe 200, I haven't kept track after a while.
"I have Jackson guitars, PRS guitars, a number of different brands beyond Ibanez. I've always been really interested in guitar building. For me, it's really important for my guitars to grow with me. I need them to be able to do what I need them to do at the time.
"A guitar is a tool for me, it's a tool for the job of being a musician. Ibanez aren't able to make me the tool that I need to do my job. If I don't have the tool to do my job, I'm out of a job.
"So the only way to do it is I need to evolve the guitar. I have been speaking to a number of builders and companies to see who can make me the next level-up, guitar, that will blow everything I have been playing out of the water. I have these ideas but you've got to make it a reality. That's it."
So, at this point, you're still testing the waters out there. You had some custom PRS, a 27-fret ESP, even a Stratocaster. What are you looking for in a new guitar? What are some things you want to be able to do with it?
"I've spoken to companies and I say, 'Look, if I'm sitting down playing the guitar or if I'm just standing still on stage with the guitar strapped up by my chin, it doesn't really matter what I play, that much.'
"Because I can always play it in my most comfortable positions as if I'm sitting down playing at home. But I'm jumping around, flying around, jumping off stage, running up massive arcade machines and I have to be able to play the guitar without looking.
"So I need something that is, physically, going to be part of my body - something I don't even need to think about playing and I need to be able to play it at all kinds of different angles while performing – doing poses and all these kinds of things. So I need to be able to access all the frets at all angles.
"It also needs to be the right weight and the right sound. So, I'm a total pain in the ass – that's it, really. So, I've asked these companies, 'Can you make me the guitar that I want?', and a lot of people have been up for it.
"A lot of people said yes but they couldn't do it, later on. There are lots of talented builders and great companies out there. So we'll see who can make me the best guitar. That's who I'll sign up to in the end and make that guitar."
I would imagine you've been able to experiment quite a bit. Have you tried out any multi-scale guitars or pickups or neck shapes that you've found particularly interesting?
"Pretty much everything. The more information and knowledge I can take in, the better it is for me.
"I've explored some multi-scale guitars. I've been trying every single bridge there is out there that is going to keep in tune for me - different modifications and variations of every roller bride, Floyd Rose, all the Ibanez bridges - I know the advantages and disadvantages.
"I've been trying the Sophia Bridge, which is another updated system. All the existing double locking and roller bridges... I'm just trying everything at the moment.
"I tried a 27-fret guitar from ESP, I've spoken to Caparison and they're going to send me their guitars to try. I have a custom BC Rich that is absolutely out of this world. They put it together for me in a month.
"The PRS I have here is just insane - it's a Private Stock so it's not like anything you've seen PRS make before. So, we've got some guitars here that are amazing and they're hard to beat.
"It's been really good for me because I get to learn and it's good for them because they're getting some promotion out of me because I'm testing them out live on stream and on tour. So I beat the shit out of these guitars. There is no mercy on them. They've got to hold up."
Herman also talked about all the guitars he has in his collection, what he looks for in an instrument and more.
DragonForce released its eighth studio album "Extreme Power Metal" in September 2019. You can check out a part of the conversation below.
I was watching one of your streams and you were talking about the fact that you are now a free agent in the guitar market. You were with Ibanez for a lot of years. What made you want to leave Ibanez?
"You know, I've always been into guitars. I have a big guitar collection. I don't even know how many I have, maybe 200, I haven't kept track after a while.
"I have Jackson guitars, PRS guitars, a number of different brands beyond Ibanez. I've always been really interested in guitar building. For me, it's really important for my guitars to grow with me. I need them to be able to do what I need them to do at the time.
"A guitar is a tool for me, it's a tool for the job of being a musician. Ibanez aren't able to make me the tool that I need to do my job. If I don't have the tool to do my job, I'm out of a job.
"So the only way to do it is I need to evolve the guitar. I have been speaking to a number of builders and companies to see who can make me the next level-up, guitar, that will blow everything I have been playing out of the water. I have these ideas but you've got to make it a reality. That's it."
So, at this point, you're still testing the waters out there. You had some custom PRS, a 27-fret ESP, even a Stratocaster. What are you looking for in a new guitar? What are some things you want to be able to do with it?
"I've spoken to companies and I say, 'Look, if I'm sitting down playing the guitar or if I'm just standing still on stage with the guitar strapped up by my chin, it doesn't really matter what I play, that much.'
"Because I can always play it in my most comfortable positions as if I'm sitting down playing at home. But I'm jumping around, flying around, jumping off stage, running up massive arcade machines and I have to be able to play the guitar without looking.
"So I need something that is, physically, going to be part of my body - something I don't even need to think about playing and I need to be able to play it at all kinds of different angles while performing – doing poses and all these kinds of things. So I need to be able to access all the frets at all angles.
"It also needs to be the right weight and the right sound. So, I'm a total pain in the ass – that's it, really. So, I've asked these companies, 'Can you make me the guitar that I want?', and a lot of people have been up for it.
"A lot of people said yes but they couldn't do it, later on. There are lots of talented builders and great companies out there. So we'll see who can make me the best guitar. That's who I'll sign up to in the end and make that guitar."
I would imagine you've been able to experiment quite a bit. Have you tried out any multi-scale guitars or pickups or neck shapes that you've found particularly interesting?
"Pretty much everything. The more information and knowledge I can take in, the better it is for me.
"I've explored some multi-scale guitars. I've been trying every single bridge there is out there that is going to keep in tune for me - different modifications and variations of every roller bride, Floyd Rose, all the Ibanez bridges - I know the advantages and disadvantages.
"I've been trying the Sophia Bridge, which is another updated system. All the existing double locking and roller bridges... I'm just trying everything at the moment.
"I tried a 27-fret guitar from ESP, I've spoken to Caparison and they're going to send me their guitars to try. I have a custom BC Rich that is absolutely out of this world. They put it together for me in a month.
"The PRS I have here is just insane - it's a Private Stock so it's not like anything you've seen PRS make before. So, we've got some guitars here that are amazing and they're hard to beat.
"It's been really good for me because I get to learn and it's good for them because they're getting some promotion out of me because I'm testing them out live on stream and on tour. So I beat the shit out of these guitars. There is no mercy on them. They've got to hold up."