Joe Stump Interview www.lachaineguitare.

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Joe Stump Interview with La Chaîne Guitare

www.lachaineguitare.com

Questions By Pierre Journel (pjournel@gmail.com) - Oct. 26, 2009 – By e-mail

Q : What are the main milestones between when you got your first guitar and now?

A : Some of them would be releasing my first solo album Guitar Dominance back in 1993, my first
appearance in the U.S guitar magazine Guitar World with a great review of my second album Night
of the Living Shred calling it the best neo-classical album since Yngwie’s Rising Force debut. I’ve
went on to record over 16 records between solo offerings, vocal power metal bands Joe Stump’s
Reign of Terror and HolyHell along with 6 instructional DVDs.

Being added to the guitar faculty at the esteemed Berklee College of Music where I’ve been for
over 16 years now. Being named one of the 10 fastest shredders of all time by Guitar One magazine
and one of the top 20 shredders of all time by Guitarist, that was great to be on a list with so many
great pioneers of the shred genre like Michael Angelo Batio, Yngwie Malmsteen, Paul Gilbert, John
Petrucci and others.

I of course consider all of the records I make and release important milestones somewhat and I’m
quite proud of my latest works, two being The Collection record and the HolyHell debut album.

Other milestones would be in regard to touring, playing countries and going to parts of the world
I’ve never been before, my first trips to Japan and Asia. I’ve also been very fortunate that with
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HolyHell I’ve played some great shows whether it’s big outdoor festivals or sport halls. We played
the Olympia Hall In Munich Germany back in 2007 on a tour in support of power metal kings
Manowar and that meant a lot to me since I’m a huge Ritchie Blackmore disciple, that was where
the famed Rainbow Live in Munich DVD and record was recorded.

Q : What are your main influences?

Guitar-wise all the great European hard rock/metal masters Ritchie Blackmore, Yngwie Malmsteen,
Uli Jon Roth, Gary Moore, Michael Schenker and Jimi Hendrix. I also love classical music, Bach,
Vivaldi, Paganini, Mozart, Beethoven are some of my favorites.

Q : Any present guitar players who impress you?

There’s a ton of great players out there, when you ask about present players I’d imagine you mean
newer guys and usually when I want to listen to guitar it’ll be one of my previously mentioned
heroes. As I’m too busy doing my own thing to really seriously check out what’s been coming out
recently. Not to say there aren’t quite a few newer cool players out there.

Q : How do you build your composition? Do you start from a guitar riff? Or from a melody in
your head?

Both, I just pick up the guitar, as I’m always playing and practicing and things just flow out of me.
Sometimes it’ll be a killer evil riff for a vocal oriented track, other times a strong melody. Anytime
I compose a melody I always write the melody first and then the chord progression around the
melody (same way the classical composers would).

Other times it could be a cool intricate classically influenced section with arpeggio play and pedal
point lines or a cool retro Blackmore/Hendrix inspired hard rock groove or riff. I love all schools of
metal and hard rock so my vocabulary is quite extensive.

Q : What is you main guitar?

My main guitars are my MC Guitars custom made Demon Wings and my ESP custom shop Strats.
Both have reverse headstocks, scalloped fretboards, dunlop 6000 jumbo frets, Dimarzio pickups,
locking tuners, alder bodies and Wilkinson vintage style Strat tremelo systems.

Q : You appear on the cover of your latest album with a your signature model from MC
Guitars, can you tell us about how this guitar was conceived?

They approached me about doing a custom signature type model. However it had to be something
to deviate from your standard Strat shape. They wanted it to be more of an evil looking metal
machine. I embraced the idea as playing something other than a standard Strat shape appealed to
me, but I’ve been a Strat guy my entire career so it had to be right. The guitar came out killer, while
it looks all evil, gothic and demonic it sits on me and plays just like a Strat.

The neck is modeled after one of Blackmore’s 72 Strat necks and the toggle switch, tremelo and
volume knobs are identical to a Stratocaster placement-wise. It’s got a little bit more of a heavier
tone since it’s got a bit more wood on the body, which works nice. It’s also got a custom tone

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circuit designed by Dawk Stillwell and this is the same custom tone circuit that Dawk installed in
some of Blackmore’s main live guitars when he was Ritchie’s tech many years ago in Rainbow. All
and all of very cool mix of modern and traditional elements, plus looks-wise it’s cool as shit, which
of course is equally important.

Q : Any specific recipe to achieve your tone?

Well I’m completely old school, I have a great collection of older Marshalls. Some early 70’s 50
watt non master small logo big box Mark 2 heads and some later 70’s master volume 50’s with the
larger logo and the white piping like Michael Schenker used to use back in the day. I actually have a
great sounding non master 50 that used to belong to Yngwie so it’s got some of the Malmsteen
mojo attached to it.

The only amp I use that isn’t a Marshall is my Engl Ritchie Blackmore signature model, it’s a killer
amp. Cabinet-wise all Marshall, I’ve got newer cabs and some older 70’s basket weave cabs with
vintage green backs as well. I just kick the front end of the amp with various pedals. I use the old
grey DOD overdrives as well as the newer DOD YJM 308 overdrive and I also use several BSM
(great company from Germany that have killer stuff ) Blackmore inspired treble boosters, the
Fireball and RPA major.

Effects-wise just some Boss stuff on the floor (noise gate, flanger, super chorus, phase shifter,
octave box, digital delay) and a Dunlop Cry-Baby and also a Dunlop Rotovibe for the
Hendrix/Frank Marino/Trower inspired things I do. I’ve had basically the same rig for many years
now, if it ain’t broke don’t fuck with it.

Q : What are you projects for the future?

I`ve just released a bunch of new records this year between the Esssential Shred Guitar Collection,
the HolyHell debut album and my last studio solo effort Virtuostic Vendetta. I will be doing an
instructional book when I get some time to get to it and more than likely a new Joe Stump`s Reign
of Terror record at some point. But more than likely 2010 will be spent touring with HolyHell in
support of our great new record and as far as I’m concerned nothing beats getting out there and
doing some damage live.

Q : Any advice you would give to young guitar players?

If you really, really want to do something with the guitar and make your living with it, then you’ve
got to love it. You’ve got to eat, breathe and sleep it because it’s a tough enough biz to be in and if
don’t really love it then there’s no point. I didn’t start playing guitar to be famous or a rock star or
to get chicks. I did it and still do it because I love music and love playing. I’m just as excited by it
today than back when I was a kid and I feel truly blessed that everyday I get to do what I enjoy.

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