Ex-Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick on custom versus vintage guitars: “They actually play a little better than the original ones”
For years, guitarists have debated the merits of vintage versus custom instruments. Each camp has its champions, and with good reason – vintage guitars are often prized for their unique tonal character, while custom models offer modern features and playability that can elevate a player’s experience.
In a recent conversation with AM-FM Magazine, former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick shares his love for custom guitars, arguing that modern innovations and advancements in technology often give these instruments an edge over their vintage counterparts.
READ MORE: Rage Against The Machine drummer escapes LA wildfires with his family, pets and his OG Van Halen T-shirt
“Fender Custom Shop does a great job recreating Teles and Strats and guitars like that, but that actually play a little better than the original ones, because there were certain specifications,” Kulick explains [via Ultimate Guitar]. “
“I’m not putting down an original ‘59 Strat or anything like that,” he adds. “But I’m just saying that things keep evolving with the way people play and what makes it better.”
The musician also points out the growing competition in the custom guitar market, noting how many import and boutique brands are now producing “solid guitars” that offer excellent quality at a significantly more accessible price point.
“If you order a Custom ESP made-in-Japan guitar, it will take you at least a year to see that guitar, and the price will be dear. So what has become popular, and there’s nothing wrong with it, of course, is there’s a lot of import brands that are making solid guitars with a lot of these features that you can get for 15 [hundred dollars] and under. You know what I mean? And they’re quite popular, too.”
“And I support anyone that’s celebrating the guitars from the ‘80s and the ‘90s, of course. So I find the fascination with it… and there are a lot of boutique companies. There’s a lot of competition from all these other people who build guitars.”
Elsewhere in the chat, Kulick also offers advice to aspiring musicians who ‘want to do what he does’, saying: “I’m glad I make it look easy but it isn’t.”
“I spend a lot of time preparing for events and rehearsing. I realise in the moment anything can happen but I do try to prep myself the best I can. And I do have to add that some of the stuff from 40 years ago is harder to play now. If you want to look at it like an athlete, I was at my athletic best when I was like 30. And when you’re 70 it’s not as easy okay. So I have to take that into consideration too.”
And while “everything is really going to be in their favour being younger”, Kulick emphasises that young players “really gotta walk before you run”: “I can’t stand when I see people that are just trying to rush through things.”
“I think a lot of players also don’t pay attention to vibrato enough or phrasing enough,” he says. “And what I always prided myself in was studying people like Eric Clapton and Jimmy Hendrix and Jeff Beck and Jimmy Page — sometimes where you don’t play is just as important as where you do play. If they admire me or Eddie Van Halen or players like that, they need to know that we all kind of got our vocabulary from some of those players.”
The post Ex-Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick on custom versus vintage guitars: “They actually play a little better than the original ones” appeared first on Guitar.com | All Things Guitar.
Source: www.guitar-bass.net
