CHRIS BAKER (Gnostic) – Being original is more important than perfect technique

Gnostic er det nye tekniske death/prog metal bandet til de 3 Atheistene Steve Flynn, Sonny Carson og Chris Baker og da plateselskapet tok kontakt og tilbød intervju med gutta, gikk ting ufattelig fort her. Et par G-String ble sendt ut i periferien og mindre enn 24 timer senere, satt jeg her med begge intervjuene ferdig besvart av Sonny Carson og Chris Baker. Vi tar sistnevnte først og ser hva han har å bidra med i vår G-String Series.
Chris var med og startet opp Gnostic i 2005 og tok i tillegg over gitaristoppgavene til Rand Burkey i Atheist året etter. I følge ham selv startet han opp og spille gitar i en alder av 14, og han oppgir Scorpions som årsaken til at han begynte å spille. Les mer om dette og hva annet Chris Baker nedenfor.

When did you start playing the guitar? In what age and which band was actually the one that made you wanting to grab a guitar and start playing?

I started playing at the age of 14 – the Scorpions, actually, was the first metal band that I was into.

What actually makes a guitarist unique? Feeling or technique? Many people for example cannot stand Satriani…who is absolutely a master when it comes to technique!

Twenty years ago, I would have said technique… today I would say more feel is important.  Most guitar solos (and songs) don't SAY anything… and is instantly forgotten; whereas, one single note with the right feel, can be the most important part of the song.  Being original is more important than perfect technique, hands down!

What was your first guitar? Do you still have it?

The first real guitar I ever owned was a CORT EFFECTOR EXPLORER…. Bought it for $140 in 1985….  And yes I still have it!

Do you think that the guitarist is making the quality or maybe the equipment can do magic? 

The guitarist.

What kind of equipment do you use? Guitars…pick ups…amps…? Do you use different equipment in the studio and different while playing live? If yes then what is the reason?

Here's my current lineup, stage/studio the same:  Dean Dime tribute ML – Triple Rectifier (Modified at VOODOO AMPS) – VOODOO 412 cabinet with GT75 Celestions – VOODOO 50/50 cables – D'Addario 9-42 strings – Seymour Duncan Blackouts pickups (AHB-1) – InTune Guitar Picks (.67 gauge) – ISP Decimator noise reduction – Line 6 Delay – the only difference between live and studio, is that in the studio I don't use the noise gate or the delay pedal.

Construct the guitar of your dreams…brand, pick ups, strings..everything! 

It's hanging on my wall right now – the Dean ML with Seymour Duncan Blackouts (AHB-1) and 9-42 D'addario strings!  The only thing to change is a Floyd Rose "original" tremolo.

Now form the band of your dreams…with you participating of course…Which individuals you think would fit like a glove to your style?

Drums: Steve Flynn – rhythm guitar: James Hetfield – bass: Cliff Burton — vox: Phil Anselmo

Are you participating in the composing of your bands material or you're just a performer? How important is it for an artist to be able to express himself? I mean, if for example you were in a band only for performing someone else's musical themes…would you handle it not participating…not being able to express yourself?

I compose, write riffs, solos, songs, even lyrics sometimes…. Expression is everything! In that example, if I were in a band where I did not contribute the material, it would still be self-expression if the music is heartfelt – case in point: in Atheist, I was not on any of the earlier albums, but I totally loved the stuff anyway – and it felt perfectly natural playing those songs that I did not write. However, in Gnostic there is more of a personal attachment, obviously!

Have you ever run out of ideas while composing a new album? How did you fight it? What was the solution?

No, I haven't run out of ideas yet….  There are more ideas, than there is time to try them all.

Do you have endorsements? Do you think endorsements are important for an artist?

I have only one endorsement, with VOODOO AMPLIFICATION.  Endorsements help the artist, the manufacturer, and other artists as well.

In all the years that you've been playing did something go totally wrong during a concert of yours? If yes, what was it. Please go ahead!

YES! In Baltimore, a couple years ago, we had a guitar feedback problem that wouldn't quit!  We did the only thing we could do…. We suffered through it!

Ok then…thank you for answering these questions. One last thing now! Who is the guitarist that you admire or that you would like to "punish" by have him answering these same questions?
Thanks again and good luck with your project(s).

I would like to hear Randy Rhoads' answers.

Det er du ikke alene om, men dessverre kan det by på problemer, siden Randy takket for seg i 1982.
Gnostics andre gitarist, Sonny Carson, vil bidra med sin G-String førstkommende søndag.

http://www.myspace.com/gnosticmusic