.: FuryRocks :: interview :: Eric_Singer_and_Bruce_Kulick_About_guitars_drums_and_equipment_Part_1

Published: 05 March 2009

Eric Singer and Bruce Kulick About guitars,drums and equipment - Part 1

ESP is in the Netherlands. Not exactly something to get you off the edge of your seat, as most people won’t know who ESP are. Once you start explaining that the full name is Eric Singer Project and the guy is the current drummer of Kiss, you see eyebrows being raised and their fans start coming out of every nook and cranny of the universe. If you then have a look at the line up, your mouth really starts watering, because with guys like Bruce Kulick (guitar - Grand Funk Railroad, ex Kiss), John Corabi (vocals and guitar - ex Mötley Crüe) and Chuck Garric (bass – Alice Cooper) you can really call this an all star line up. We of Furyrocks.com get the chance to talk to Bruce as well as Eric. Naturally we have more questions than time and this becomes a short conversation with the emphasis on equipment. Nevertheless we manage to get so much information out of the two gentlemen that we decided to split the interview into two parts. This is part one.

First off I am joined by Bruce Kulick in the cosy lobby of hotel Arrows in Uden. He gladly fills in our Artist Profile and in the meantime we start our conversation with him. Halfway this part the present Henk de Graaf asks some questions as well, and as he is a guitar player himself, it did lead to specific questions and answers.

How’s everything going so far?

‘Quite well actually the crowds are great, the venues packed. I wouldn’t dare say they are all sold out, but we are getting close.’

How do you know which equipment to use on stage?

‘Well, I do know what I like and what makes sense. I have always been a fan of Marshall amps and certain guitar makers. Of course I use ESP, but I also like brands like Gibson, Fender and BC Rich. I am rather loyal to my Marshall amps, so I also use them in the studio. On the other hand, if it’s necessary I will gladly switch to a Vox or a Fender amp, if they are what I need to get the noise I need. Pedals is a whole different ball game, as there so many good makes and so much good material. Personally I’m not hot on digital sounding pedals, I’d much rather use the ones that have the analogue way and sound. This means I usually end up with the older ones. A while ago I ran into a guy in LA who makes his own pedals and he has provided me with some good ones. And if you are travelling, as we are now, I like taking smaller ones with me, as they are easier to take with you and fit into your luggage. For that reason I have the Microchorus and a Boston Super Overdrive and stuff like that. I like to keep everything as simple as possible.’

Will you change your equipment according to the size of the venue?

‘In a small club like the Pul, where we are playing tonight, I will be using two Marshall amps of, I believe, 100 watts as my backline, because otherwise there is nothing there, but that’s it. I don’t really adjust my equipment, as I am always using the same pedals. When I’m on the road with Grand Funk I do have a proper backline and my pedals will be fixed on a specially crafted pedal board. It holds a few more than I will be using tonight. I use a phaser and an analogue delay, while I also have a digital one on my board. As for the sound I look for, it is quite specific. I have my favourite chorus pedal, wah-wah and such. Within certain parameters there are differences that I would have to explain to someone, but that would take a lot of time and you need to be very comfortable with the matter. My chorus pedal sounds really good, is very small and does what it’s made to do, my wah-wah needs to have a wider range than many can offer. Luckily enough everything is working as it should, at least most of the time, but that’s also why I do try to stick to reliable brands and equipment.’

In your Kiss days everything was about huge stages. How did you do it back then?

‘I liked to keep it simple as possible in those days too. I didn’t want to have to rush to a certain place on stage every time I needed to change something. Something needed to be made and I got this switch that I could pull out of my guitar. TomPro devised a switch that made it possible for me to use my wah-wah just by using that switch. It saved me running around so much and I didn’t have to be static, which was good for the show.’

In those days you must have been given a lot of guitars from several manufacturers through endorsements. Did you customise them at all?

‘We did receive a lot of guitars from Chavell and Jackson. Quickly followed by ESP, and the only customising I did was in the graphics, change the pick-ups into the ones I wanted myself. If for instance I play with Grand Funk I will use four or five guitars during a show, purely because I like guitars and I love using them. Now with ESP it’s different, because such a small tour I make sure I have a guitar that can do it all. My very first guitar actually was a Gibson SG. Before that I was on bass and owned an EP3.’

At that moment Eric Singer joins us and the talk takes a whole new direction. Eric says he saw me walking the dog earlier that day and was surprised that I didn’t respond to him, although I clearly recognised him. I explain to him that here in the Netherlands we don’t jump people just because they are well known.

While Eric is filling in our Artist Profile we continue with Bruce. We want to know what it’s like to play with Grand Funk Railroad.

‘We don’t do the excessive touring like Kiss does. We mostly ply in the summer, mainly on large outside festivals. We all go there together, either by bus or by plane. The trucks do come over the road to the venue. We do a lot of State Fairs and Classic Rock shows, have a lot of amazing musicians in the band and I still think the music is brilliant. I still enjoy it immensely and I am on my ninth year with these guys. A month like February isn’t suitable for us as it is very cold in the USA (‘And here too!’ Eric calls out), so a tour like this one is perfect for me.’

So far for Part 1. Tomorrow in Part 2 the emphasis is on Eric Singer and his thoughts about Queen, guitars, drumming and equipment…. See you Tomorrow!