Interview – Adam Tanbouz – He is Legend

When did you start playing guitar and what guitar and equipment did you start on?

I started playing when I was 12, my first guitar was a Yamaha strat copy and a small 15 watt Marshall combo amp purchased from a pawn shop as a Christmas present

Which bands inspired you to start playing guitar and are there certain riffs or songs that specifically motivated you to start playing guitar?

Nirvana and all the big Seattle bands at the time were probably the reason me and my friends started playing, later on SRV became an influence because at the time there was a decent blues scene in our town, then a few years later hearing Pantera and Meshuggah for the first time was super influential for me

When did you really feel your guitar playing and equipment got more professional and you thought: “Yes, this is the sound I really like!” ?

When I got my first Mesa Dual Rectifier half stack, it was the heaviest thing I’d ever heard, such a wall of sound

Do these 2 go hand in hand or did it evolve differently for your playing and your equipment?

I definitely think the right gear is important for the specific sound you’re going for, it’s also just about what gear resonates with you, I’ve always been into the crushing enormity of the Mesa sound so it just makes sense to me

Do you recall using what kind of amps, guitars, pedals and pickups on the albums? If so, would you mind sharing them? (for example: for album X we used a peavey 5150 mixed with a mesa dual rec and a TS9 and I was using a ESP LTD MH-400 with JB in the bridge)

• Hollywood was a 5150 and Tubescreamer for main rhythms, a bit of Framus for certain parts, Ltd MH 400 with EMGs plus a strat for some parts.
• SOTP was a Bogner with various pedals mostly a Rat I think, Fernandes with EMGs,
• IHY was a Dual Rec and a Ltd MH 400 with EMGs,
• HF was a mix of Dual Rec and 5150 Ltd Eclipse with Duncan JB,
• Few was mostly 5150 a bit of Dual Rec Ltd Eclipse with Duncan JB,
• White Bat was 5150 Ltd Eclipse with Duncan JB and Mojotone pickups,
• EH was 5150 Ltd Eclipse Mojotone 44 magnum pickup

I have noticed the difference in sounds over years of your albums; did you switch to other amps but do you also feel the amps were a better fit for you, the songs and your playing?

In the studio you often play what’s available, then around IHY we found the recording team we like so we’ve stuck with them for all the records since then and we use what works well for the studio mic which for our sound is the 5150 and Dual Rec

I see you currently use a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier – multiwatt as main amp and an older 2 channel or another Multiwatt as backup?

Yes, 2 multi watts one as backup, no mods

Any mods done to the amp or changes to the tubes?

No mods

Can you tell me a bit more about the thick strings you use; how do they help your tone and does it help with playing as well? (why would a thinner set of strings won’t work for you?)

I use a set of custom Dunlop strings 70-48-36-18-14-11 in drop C, I pick very hard and I enjoy the tension,clarity, and resonance from having thicker gauges for the 3 wound strings, we also play fairly loud live so I find that thicker strings help the guitar sit well in a mix with other instruments

How relevant is the speaker cab for you? Do you use what is at the venue or do you prefer to play a default cab like a Mesa 4×12 with V30 speakers or something else?

I use a Mojotone Grand Canyon 4×12 and twin canyon 2×12 loaded with Eminence EM-12 speakers rated at 200 watts per speaker, those cabs are super clear and powerful and it’s important for our sound to push air

What is your favorite guitar atm and why?

That’s a tough question as I love all my Ltds, and they each have attributes they do well that make them unique. I’d say the Ltd Eclipse is probably the guitar that’s best suited to what I do. It’s super solid and tracks really well.

If you could choose one amp to play for the rest of your life; which one would it be for you and why?

Probably the Dual Rec multi watt, it’s my favorite version of the recto features and tone wise

Which album are you most proud of as a guitar player?

Guitar wise I’d say I’m most proud of the last 3 albums Few, White Bat, Endless Hallway

Is there something you learned over the years about guitar gear (for example: using a tubescreamer, specific pickup or strings, amps, cabs, passive vs active pickups etc.) and you wished you knew before and gave you an ‘AHA!’ moment?

lol
There have been many of those moments but I’d say learning more about intonation and setup in the last 10 years has really shown me how important it is to anything you’re trying to do on guitar

Passive vs Active pickups: which one do you prefer for your style and band and why?

Passives. To me they have the character I seek in my tone, the Mojotone 44 Magnum is my favorite bridge humbucker

What is the most consistent item in your guitar rig and why?

Other than the Ltd guitars and Mesa amps, I’d say I have to have a tuner, green OD(I like the Maxon 808) and a noise gate(I like the decimator 2.

Which riff of one of the songs you wrote are you most proud of and why?

Thats an impossible question for me lol, I’m proud of many of my riffs but I don’t have a favorite

Do you use a certain guitar playing technique that is instantly recognizable for who you are as a guitar player? (damping, blues licks, power chords/barre chords, pinch harmonics)

I think it’s probably how I hold the pick, I’m a trailing edge player and also hold the pick with 3 fingers

Which guitar players of current existing bands inspire you as a guitar player and why?

Oh damn dude, there’s literally too many to mention, that list is so long lol. Pretty much every guitarist out there that’s doing awesome stuff inspire me. Vogg, Brandon Ellis, Jordan Ziff, Aaron Marshall just to name a few etc etc I could go on

Last but not least: any last words or tips for guitar players out there?

Find your strengths and what excites you about the instrument and pour heavy into those cups, strive for excellence in delivering what makes you unique

Check Adam’s Instagram page to see/read/listen more about Adam and He is Legend.