Paul Gilbert no longer spends hours teasing his bangs. And his pink spandex pants and sateen jackets with poofy shoulder pads are long gone. But that doesn’t mean the fire and dazzling technique that shot him into the guitar stratosphere when he did wear that stuff (back in the mid ’80s) has diminished one iota. If you’re new to the Gilbert game, all you have to know is that the guy wowed the head of that decade’s preeminent guitar label (Shrapnel Records’ Mike Varney), formed a terrifying band called Racer X at Hollywood’s Guitar Institute of Technology, found mainstream success with bassist extraordinaire Billy Sheehan in Mr. Big, and then launched an impressively eclectic solo career that often mixes Beatles-esque vocal harmonies with consistently mind-boggling speedpicking, arpeggios, and legato phrasing. We spoke to Gilbert recently about everything from how he began his career, how he plays some of his most jaw-dropping riffs, and what inspires him today.

Let’s take it from the top: How old were you when you started playing guitar, and what got you interested?

I took some lessons when I was six, but the teacher began with sight-reading and I wanted to play music. I started and soon quit drums right after that for the same reason. When I was nine I started again, playing by ear. I still have a certain mistrust of TAB and the written note from these early traumas.

Were you the nerdy guitar kid that played guitar every waking moment?

I was the totally cool kid who played guitar every waking moment. It took me years to become a nerd.

It has been said that you were trying to get a gig with Ozzy Osbourne when you were 14. Is that true?

I was 15. I was a huge Randy Rhoads fan and had learned most of the songs from those early Ozzy records. I thought I would kick myself for the rest of my life if I didn’t at least try. So I sent a cassette of my playing to Mike Varney. He liked my playing, but thought that Ozzy probably wouldn’t want to have a 15-year-old kid in his band.

My motivation varies radically, depending on my environment and mindset. I have to thank my parents for always having good music playing on the stereo when I was a kid, and for creating an atmosphere that encouraged creativity in general. I saw some great concerts when I was a kid, too: Van Halen, Ozzy with Randy Rhoads, Pat Travers, UFO, Cheap Trick, Judas Priest, Def Leppard, Saxon, and others. These all inspired me enormously. And now I have live shows and recording deadlines to inspire me. Plus, watching this one video of Gary Moore on YouTube—search for “Gary Moore Lesson,” it will blow your mind. The tour I did with G3 was very motivating, as well. Overall, though, as much as I fancy myself a staunch individualist, my strongest motivation comes from knowing I’ll be having some kind of interaction with other human beings. It can be teaching one student, playing for an audience of 10,000, or anything in between. Book a gig, and you will be motivated!

I understand you’re from illinois but later moved to La to attend the Guitar institute of technology, right? How was your experience there?

I was born in Illinois, but have no memory of it. My family moved to Pennsylvania when I was very young, and I basically grew up there. After high school, I moved to Hollywood to go to GIT. It was great! My time at GIT was very motivating. There were so many great students and teachers to listen to and jam with. I learned music theory and how to apply it to the guitar. I was exposed to new musical styles by inspiring teachers. I practiced more that year than any other year of my life.

How did racer X come about?

I formed Racer X with some other GIT students, and I was very excited to have a record. Vinyl and cassettes were the cutting edge of technology then, and I didn’t know the difference between an indie label and a major, so I enjoyed the illusion that we might be hugely successful. In retrospect, we did quite well for our indie status,and I’m happy that we were on a label that encouraged us to do adventurous guitar music.

When Bruce Bouillet was with you in racer X, the music reminded me of the ventures in overdrive. Were you aware of that era of instrumental music at the time? I wasn’t exposed to much of the Ventures. I’ve watched them on YouTube, and they’ve got some moves! How did the Beatles affect your music?

My parents had most of the Beatles records, and they were my absolute favorite when I was young. I was stunned when I began teaching and some of the students hadn’t heard every Beatles song. I thought it was common cultural knowledge—like knowing what a McDonald’s cheeseburger tastes like.

Did you leave racer X to join Mr. Big, or was the timing a coincidence?

Yes, I left to join. It was a gut-wrenching decision, because I really liked Racer X’s music and the guys in the band were my best friends. But we were stuck playing clubs locally and recording for a small label. Plus, I had always been a huge fan of Billy Sheehan, so I was excited about the new band. It turned out pretty well.

How much time did you guys spend woodshedding parts for a tune like “addicted to that rush”? You made it look so easy.

The flashy stuff was actually the easiest for us. I think the unison lines in “Addicted” took about 15 minutes to work out, and we used our first take in the studio. On the other hand, I remember spending hours trying to get a simple G chord to sound right in the studio. I learned a lot about how playing something simple can be even more challenging than the crazy stuff.

I feel obliged to give a tip of the hat to your fun with fashion, how you wore your hair in the ’80s, and how it all fit into your role as an entertainer—as opposed to your role as a musician.

I grew up in the ’70s and early ’80s, when there was a lot of crazy hair and clothes going on in the popular bands, and it looked like fun to me. In the ’90s, Nirvana and Pearl Jam came along and made it OK to look disheveled. That saves me a lot of time before shows now. I can put more time into playing guitar, whereas in the ’80s I would have needed at least 15 minutes with the Aqua Net can.

What motivated your move to a solo career?

I wanted to try styles outside of the Mr. Big sound. I was really into pop music like Todd Rundgren, Cheap Trick, and the Wildhearts, so I followed my inspiration.

You’ve had a long association with Ibanez. How did that come about?

I met with them in the mid ’80s and they offered to build me any guitar I could think of. I had met with some other companies that were much more conservative and would only supply production models. I really like Ibanez’s innovative attitude, and it has been a 100% great experience working with them since that time. I love my guitars!

I understand you’ve recently been enjoying a 24 3/4" scale guitar in addition to the 25 1/2" models you’ve been playing for years. Why is that?

On the 24 3/4 guitars, I can use a set of 10s [strings gauged .010–.046], tuned to standard tuning, and the tension feels perfect. The 10s have a bit more resonance than the 9s. Although with Mr. Big we’ve been tuning down to E♭for our recent shows, so I can use 10s on my PGM guitars— which are 25 1/2" scale—and that works out to be a nice tension, as well.

How important are string gauge and scale length to how you play?

Very important! If the string gauge is too light, then it’s no fun to play anything except fast legato. Heavy strings make bending more rewarding because of the increased sustain, and picking is easier because the string is more stable. Your new ibanez Fireman model has single- coils pickups.

What do you like about them as opposed to humbuckers?

I saw Frank Marino play a show a couple years ago—he’s one of my biggest guitar heroes—and his tone was incredible. He was playing two different SG’s. One had humbuckers, and the other single-coils. The single-coils had more clarity, which I liked, so I thought I would try some. Steve Blucher at DiMarzio sent me a bunch of different models to try. My favorite is the Area ’67.

Any chance Ibanez will offer a more affordable version of the Fireman?

It depends on which factory they make it in and how much of it is handmade. At the moment, they are using their best luthiers in Japan to handbuild the guitars, so the price reflects that. If they decide to build them in a factory using more production-line techniques, then the price will drop. I’ve visited several of Ibanez’s factories, and they are all stunning. Their production-line guitars are killer as well, so I hope there will be a Fireman made in those factories someday.

You grew up in the heyday of the whammy bar, but you’ve chosen to not go that way. Why?

I never really found my voice with the whammy, whereas I feel very comfortable bending strings and doing vibrato with my left hand. The guitar feels more stable and solid to me with a fixed bridge, although on the occasion that I do use a whammy, I am blown away by how well they stay in tune.

What’s up with the headphones? Are they just ear protection, or are they also monitors?

Both. I’ve tried in-ear custom molds several times over the years, but the headphones sound so much better that I can’t use anything else. They are called Extreme Isolation headphones. I also use a Sennheiser wireless monitor system.

Your playing often seems very compositional. How much of what you do is offthe- cuff and how much is scripted?

I usually do a bit of both. I just listen to the song and try to give it what it needs. Improv tends to be a bit more fiery, and things that are workedout in advance tend to have better notes.

“Eudaimonia Overture” starts with an amazing barrage of two-handed tapping that reminds me of Edgar Winter’s keyboard part on “Frankenstein.” What the heck are you doing there?

It’s very shapey. I stretch a fourth, then tap a whole step on top of that, and just go across the strings using that two-handed technique. You can see me demonstrate it in fine detail in my Silence Followed by a Deafening Roar instructional DVD. Tab is included! t

Tell us about “the Gargoyle” and those violin-like sounds.

I wrote that right after I learned a Bach piano piece, so classical music must have been floating around in my head. But no violins were used. That’s all guitar. I’m also really proud of “Suite Modale,” where I made my guitar sound like a flute using a sustainer pickup.

Your right-hand speed and accuracy are amazing. Can you share some exercises that will help with that?

My Intense Rock instructional DVD covers my best exercises, and my Get Out of My Yard DVD has some very useful picking ideas, as well. Mostly, I recommend being in control of the angle of your pick, being aware of the differences in tone when you alter the angle, being strict with yourself about playing in time, and finding endings from your fast licks so you can escape from them gracefully and musically. I didn’t do any significant fast picking until I had already been playing eight years, so don’t rush yourself. Get your left hand together first.

A lot of guitarists have problems getting their left and right hands to work together. do you have any tips for syncing them?

Listen—hard. If you turn your ears on, you will not be able to stand the horrible sound of hands playing out of sync. Slow it down until they are working accurately together. Keep in mind that these are virtuoso techniques, and anyone who can do them well has spent at least eight years practicing for many hours every day. Also, don’t look at this as some insurmountable mountain of practice. There is so much good guitar music to play on the way. Enjoy every second.

Do you still spend as much time just listening to music?

That’s why I’m so deaf!

What music are you listening to these days?

I’ve recently discovered Johnny Cash. I love to learn his songs because I can sing them and there is great twangy guitar. My wife has been learning jazz piano, so my ear has opened up to a lot of traditional jazz. I always like Bach piano pieces. Justin Currie is my favorite pop artist at the moment. And that Gary Moore lesson on YouTube always inspires me. Georgie Fame has some great grooves, too.

So what’s next for you?

I’m going to be at a couple of National Guitar Workshop events this summer. After that, I’m going to rest a bit. It’s been a busy year. I love the music, but the traveling wears me out sometimes.

And let me close with the classic question of what advice you might have for young musicians?

Don’t watch TV. Read books instead. Don’t drink much. Eat fresh fruit. Learn songs by ear—your ears and your technique should grow together. Play music with other human beings. Build some strong calluses and bend strings because you love the sound. Learn to analyze songs down to their basic chord structure, regardless of the instruments in the recording. I recommend learning “The Things We Do for Love” by 10CC. The guitar solo is the last thing to work on—first check out those awesome chords! If you can’t get them by ear, then take some lessons from someone who can help you with 7th chords. Watch that Gary Moore YouTube video and soak his vibrato into your ears. Do not accept wanky vibrato into your playing!

PAUL GILBERT GEARBOX

Guitars: Ibanez PGM401 Ibanez PGMFRM1 Ibanez PGM100RE Ibanez PGM300RE

AMPS: Marshall Vintage Modern heads and 4x12 cabinets

Effects: Ibanez AF2 Airplane Flanger HomeBrew Electronics Detox EQ Xotic Effects AC Booster HomeBrew Bajo Mos preamp Misc. Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus THD Hot Plate

Cable: Bullet Cable 30' Coil (red, white, and black)

Headphones: Direct Sound Extreme Isolation Headphones