Matthias Röhr
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Matthias "Gonzo" Röhr (born 16 April 1962 in Frankfurt) was the guitarist of the rock-band Böhse Onkelz from 1981 to 2005. His stage name Gonzo derives from Double live Gonzo, an album of Ted Nugent.
Röhr grew up in the area of Frankfurt in a strictly Catholic family. The brothers and sisters rarely saw their father, because he was working the whole week in a food store and later opened his own kiosk in Frankfurt. Röhr's family moved often, but stayed in the Frankfurt area.
At the age of twelve he already began to play the guitar. Despite his strict education and his young age, Röhr discovered what was important in his life. The repetitive church-visits and the ministers, who always tried to make him a better man, weren't parts of the life he wanted. But the music it did to it. He and friends thrown money together in order to be able to get guitar lessons. After a few weeks he quit the lessons, because he wanted to play "real" music and not folk-music or endless scales. A little later Röhr sold his guitar, bought an e-bass and joined a school band. When he enters the Frankfurt punk-scene in 1980, he already had played in several bands. When he joined the Böhse Onkelz as the fourth member, he played first bass. Later he changed again to guitar due to its gift and played it until the the band split in 2005.
[edit] Equipment
Gonzo changed nearly all of his equipment on every tour. In the early years he mostly used "Gibson SG" guitars for recordings and concerts. This can be seen in the "Live in Dortmund" video from 1996.
- Tour 2000: Guild SG Custom / Rack with Marshall IMP preamplifier and Mesa/Boogie power amplifier + Marshall 4x12 speakers
- 20 Jahre - Live in Frankfurt: Fender Standard Stratocaster with Humbucker at the bar position / Rack with Marshall IMP preamplifier and Mesa/Boogie power amplifier + Marshall 4x12 speakers
- Tour 2002: Gibson Flying V Limited Edition (with changed mechanics) / Engl Special Edition Top + Engl 4x12 speakers
- Clubtour 2003: Tausch 665 S blue/white / Engl Special Edition Top + Engl 4x12 speakers
- Open Airs 2003 (Loreley, Ferropolis): Tausch 665 S black / Engl Special Edition Top + Engl 4x12 speakers
- Rolling Stones Support 2003: Tausch Dragonfly Custom / Engl Special Edition Top + Engl 4x12 speakers
- Tour 2004: Tausch Dragonfly Custom - Gibson Flying V (for "Gehasst, Verdammt, Vergöttert" and "Feuer") - Gibson Les Paul Classic with Dropped D Tuning (for "Ja, Ja" and "Superstar") / Engl Special Edition Top + Engl 4x12 speakers
- Farewell festival 2005: Fender Stratocaster Custom models, which Gonzo arranged himself / Fender Bassman, Fender Custom Shop '57, Fender Pro Sonic Amp + Marshall Box
In the last years he also used a Gibson doubleneck model for the songs "Nichts ist für die Ewigkeit" and "Erinnerungen", furthermore a Martin Eric Clapton Signature Acoustic guitar for "Wieder mal 'nen Tag verschenkt" and "Ich bin in Dir". He states, that he is the only known german guitarist, who uses the doubleneck guitar.
