Paul Gilbert

Paul Gilbert
Paul Gilbert .jpg
Background information
Born November 6, 1966 (1966-11-06) (age 42)
Carbondale, Illinois
Genre(s) Instrumental rock, heavy metal, hard rock, power pop
Instrument(s) Guitar, Vocals, Bass, Keyboards, Percussion
Years active 1985–present
Label(s) Universal Japan, Shrapnel
Associated acts Mr. Big, Racer X
Website Official website
Notable instrument(s)
Ibanez PGM signature series

Paul Brandon Gilbert (born November 6, 1966 in Illinois, United States of America) is an American guitarist best known for his work with Racer X, Mr. Big, and his more recent instrumental albums. He also joined Joe Satriani and John Petrucci on the 2007 G3 tour.

Contents

Shrapnel Records

Around 1981-82 Paul first contacted Mike Varney, founder of Shrapnel Records, asking for a gig with Ozzy Osbourne. At the time Varney couldn't think why Osbourne would want a 15 year old guitarist, but after listening to his demo it changed his mind. They talked for the next 3 years, until Paul came to L.A for the GIT ( Guitar Institute of Technology ), and then was ready to record Racer X's debut album Street Lethal.

Racer X

Formed in Los Angeles in 1985, Racer X originally comprised Paul Gilbert (guitar), John Alderete (bass), Harry Gschoesser (drums) and Jeff Martin (vocals). They were heavily influenced by Judas Priest and Gilbert's playing was reminiscent of Yngwie Malmsteen, displaying fast-driven solos with extreme-level technique. Gschoesser was replaced by Scott Travis (later known for being the drummer for Judas Priest) in 1986, and Bruce Bouillet was added as a second guitar player. Bouillet was a very skilled player, as he had to play over Gilbert's always difficult and challenging phrases. Paul Gilbert gained recognition as one of the fastest guitar players in the world due to incredibly technical pieces like "Frenzy", "Scarified", "Y.R.O." and "Scit Scat Wah". Gilbert left Racer X in 1988, and the members of the band went their separate ways. The band would eventually reform, after Paul received an e-mail from a disgruntled fan under the alias "Snakebyte" about the musical direction of his solo albums. Snakebyte accused Paul of abandoning the shred guitar genre that he helped popularize with Racer X.

Paul contacted the members of Racer X, and all agreed to return, with the exception of Bruce Bouillet. In mid-1999 the band recorded the album Technical Difficulties. Technical Difficulties went gold in Japan, and Racer X's new record label requested a follow-up. In late 2000, the band released what is recognized by many fans as their best album to date, Superheroes. The record was mixed by former Racer X guitarist, Bruce Bouillet.

In order to further capitalize on their new-found success in Japan, Universal Japan requested that the band record a live show for another live CD and DVD. On May 25, 2001, the band played their first live performance in thirteen years to a sold-out crowd at the famed Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles. The show was recorded for both audio and video, and in 2002, both the CD and DVD were released under the name Snowball of Doom.

In January 2002, in support of Superheroes and Snowball of Doom, Racer X toured Japan and Taiwan. The band performed these shows in their Superheroes costumes, and the final show, in Yokohama, was hastily recorded in two tracks on the sound board and was to be later released as Snowball of Doom 2. Later that year, Universal Japan pushed for another Racer X release. In October of 2002, all four members of Racer X gathered at Gilbert's house in Las Vegas to record Getting Heavier, which was sold alongside Snowball of Doom 2 in a package deal. Although the album was a successful release in Japan, some fans were disappointed with the lighter tracks, which resembled a Paul Gilbert solo album more so than a traditional Racer X album.

Racer X will perform at the 2009 NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California. Andy Timmons and his band will open the show, followed by a solo set from Paul Gilbert, and finally Racer X. The Racer X lineup will consist of Paul Gilbert, Scott Travis, Jeff Martin and John Alderete. [1]

Mr. Big

When Billy Sheehan left David Lee Roth's band in 1988, he joined with Paul Gilbert, who had left his former band, Racer X. They founded Mr. Big, with Pat Torpey on drums and singer Eric Martin. The band was a huge success in Japan, and became famous in 1991, with Lean Into It, their second album, which featured the ballad "To Be With You", which received strong media play and reached #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Gilbert continued playing in Mr. Big until the late 90s. He left the band in 1997 to pursue a solo career, and was replaced by Richie Kotzen. Mr. Big disbanded in 2002.

Projects

In May 2003 he played on an only twice-performing project called Yellow Matter Custard, a Beatles cover band consisting of Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater), Neal Morse (ex-Spock's Beard), and Matt Bissonette. A CD and DVD are available. They took their name from a lyric in "I Am the Walrus": "Yellow matter custard, dripping from a dead dog's eye".

He rejoined Portnoy along with Dave LaRue and Daniel Gildenlöw for a Led Zeppelin tribute band called "Hammer of the Gods" in 2004, again with Portnoy in September 2005, with Sean Malone, and Jason McMaster in the Rush tribute band "Cygnus and the Sea Monsters", and yet again with Portnoy, Gary Cherone, and Billy Sheehan in May 2006, as Amazing Journey: A Tribute to The Who, playing three shows. The band (excluding Sheehan) destroyed their equipment after the show in homage.

He was also revealed to be the guest guitarist on the Neal Morse solo album, Sola Scriptura.

In 2007, Paul Gilbert toured with Bruce Bouillet for promotion of his first instrumental album, Get Out of My Yard, which was released in 2006. Also joining him was his wife, Emi Gilbert, on keyboards. Paul Gilbert also joined Joe Satriani and John Petrucci in the 2007 G3 tour. This was the 5th North American G3 run and the 12th tour worldwide since its inception.

Paul's new instrumental CD titled Silence Followed By A Deafening Roar was released in Japan on January 23, 2008, in Europe on March 31, 2008, and in America on April 8, 2008. This is Paul's second instrumental album.[2]

Influences and Style

Talking about his influences, Paul mentions many different artists, including Tony Iommi, Alex Lifeson, Jimmy Page, Robin Trower, Judas Priest, Akira Takasaki, Jimi Hendrix, Kiss, Van Halen, Randy Rhoads and The Ramones. He is also a great fan of The Beach Boys and The Beatles. He states on the Space Ship Live DVD that George Harrison is one of his favorite guitar players. Guitar World magazine declared him one of 50 of the world's fastest guitarists of all time, along with Buckethead, Eddie Van Halen, and Yngwie Malmsteen.

Gilbert composes music in a wide variety of styles including pop, rock, metal, blues, funk and classical, but is perhaps best known for his versatility and speed, which helped him be named as one of the "Top 10 Shredders Of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine.

Instructor

Paul Gilbert wrote his own section of the British guitar magazine, Total Guitar, where he normally demonstrated guitar techniques in the magazine and accompanying CD. Even before that, he contributed instructional articles to Guitar Player Magazine in a late 80s/early 90s series entitled "Terrifying Guitar 101". His period of working with Total Guitar spanned thirty-one issues until the November 2006 issue. Paul also teaches at the Guitar Institute of Technology (GIT) regularly, and is also an "honorary dean" of the GIT division in Japan. Paul visits Japan, enjoying the lifestyle and like his Shrapnel labelmate Marty Friedman, who to this day still lives in Japan and speaks Japanese fluently. Gilbert now writes a column for Guitar World entitled "Shred Alert".

Gear

Paul Gilbert primarily uses his Ibanez PGM signature series guitars, identified by their unique painted "f-holes". Although earlier PGM models featured the Ibanez Lo-Pro/Edge double locking tremolo system, many of his guitars (such as his main PGM300) have since been modified to accommodate a fixed bridge, hence the Ibanez PGM301 series. Along with his signature guitars, Gilbert often uses his sticker-covered "Dino" Ibanez RG750, in addition to a wide variety of Ibanez solidbody and semi-hollow electric guitars. Recently, Gilbert started using specially-designed Ibanez Iceman guitars with reverse bodies.

Regarding amps, Gilbert used ADA preamps and rack effects units early in his career prior to switching to Laney amplifiers. He praised the Laney amps as having "the best natural distortion of any tube amp ever heard". Since the G3 2007 tour however, Gilbert stated that playing with Joe Satriani and John Petrucci inspired him to take a closer look at his own guitar sound. As a result of his search he found the Marshall Vintage Modern series. He currently uses the Marshall Vintage Modern 2266c combo amps. Paul uses Jim Dunlop Tortex picks he prefers the orange (.60mm) picks.

Gilbert uses few effects, especially in comparison to some of his peers. He uses a Dunlop Wah, a delay, t.c.electronic flanger/chorus, Electro-Harmonix electric mistress flanger and an MXR phase 90, running the delay pedal in the effects loop of his Laney amps. On stage he has also been seen using a Fulltone OCD Overdrive, most recently at The Benefit for Cliff concert that took place at the House of Blues Los Angeles September 30, 2006.

Paul also used a modified vintage ADA Flanger from the 70s. You can hear it on tracks like 'Bucket of Rocks' and he also uses it on the 'Snowball of Doom' DVD. Paul claims the Flanger has been modified and he uses it to change the pitch from high to low to create a sound similar to a dive bomb. He also uses the Psilocybe phaser and THC chorus pedals from Home Brew Electronics.

In the intro to "Get Out Of My Yard" Paul uses a Boss DD-3 Delay pedal to achieve the altered pitch looped effect at the beginning of the track. This was also demonstrated by Paul on the instructional DVD of the same name.

Discography

With Black Sheep

Racer X

Mr. Big

Solo albums

Other appearances

Videography

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/news/upcoming_tours/racer_x_to_perform_at_namm.html
  2. ↑ News

External links

Mr. Big
Eric Martin · Paul Gilbert · Billy Sheehan · Pat Torpey · Richie Kotzen
Studio albums
Mr. Big · Lean into It · Bump Ahead · Hey Man · Get Over It · Actual Size
Live albums
Raw Like Sushi · Mr. Big Live · Raw Like Sushi II · Japandemonium: Raw Like Sushi 3 · Channel V at the Hard Rock Live · Live at Budokan · In Japan Live at the Hard Rock Cafe
Singles
Addicted to That Rush · Green-Tinted Sixties Mind · To Be With You · Just Take My Heart · Wild World · Ain't Seen Love Like That · Take Cover · Not One Night · Superfantastic · Static · Where Are They Now · Shine · Arrow
Compilations
Big Bigger Biggest: Greatest Hits · Deep Cuts · Greatest Hits
G3
First guitarist
Second guitarist
Steve Vai · Kenny Wayne Shepherd · Uli Jon Roth · Paul Gilbert
Third guitarist
Eric Johnson · Robert Fripp · Adrian Legg · Michael Schenker · John Petrucci · Yngwie Malmsteen
Discography
G3: Live in Concert · G3: Rockin' in the Free World · G3: Live in Denver · G3: Live in Tokyo