13 QUESTION METHOD: ALEX SKOLNICK

Born and raised in Berkeley, California, Alex Skolnick is an American jazz and metal guitarist. He was a member of the San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal band Testament from 1983 until his departure in 1993. He returned briefly to re-record some old material for the band's First Strike is Still Deadly release, as well as the "Thrash of the Titans" all-star performance in 2001, before returning full-time four years later.

1. Which was the first record you bought with your own money?
Kiss' Alive!. I bought it used from my older brother's friend.

2. Which was the last record you bought with your own money?
Afro-Celt Sound System—Anatomic.

3. What was the first solo you learned from a record — and can you still play it?
It was Jimmy Page's solo from Led Zeppelin's "Stairway To Heaven." I can play it much better now than I did then.

4. Which recording of your own (or as a sideman) are you most proud of, and why?
My newest album, Veritas. It feels honest and organic, and taps into all the reasons I love the guitar and creating music. It's also the first album I've produced in which all "rule books" were thrown out, all expectations ignored.

5. What's the difference between playing live and playing in a studio?
Live, every moment is what it is and there's no turning back. In the studio, you have the luxury to listen, reflect, redo, or make changes. The catch is that in the studio, the moment lives on forever, so you'd better use that luxury wisely. In a sense, the processes are diametrically opposed, but there is some overlap. Live, it is generally understood that there are variables beyond your control and audiences realize that. But in the studio, you're considered to have no excuses. Of course, there are variables that come up in the studio as well, but audiences and critics are less forgiving of them so it is up to the musicians to be prepared.

6. What's the difference between a good gig and a bad gig?
It's hard to pinpoint. Sometimes you have what truly feels like a bad gig and everyone tells you it was a really great gig. Other times it's the reverse- you feel as though it went really well, but the feedback indicates that it really wasn't that good. I suppose a truly good gig is one where you feel it went well and the post gig- feedback reflects that. A bad gig is one where you're struggling (usually gear problems and/or audience response has something to do with it) and the post-gig feedback confirms it.

7. What's the difference between a good guitar and a bad guitar?
A good guitar is any guitar that enables you to get lost in the music. It's a lot like watching a good film. With a good film, you're able to get lost in the story. You forget about all the components- the camera work, the script, the acting, the scenery etc... In a bad film, something keeps getting in the way. Guitars are the same. With a good guitar, you're able to forget about its components- the action, the bridge, the tuning pegs, the wood etc....With a bad guitar, this process of getting lost in the music is unattainable, even by seasoned professionals.

8. You play electric and acoustic. Do you approach the two differently?
I don't think about it much, but picking up an acoustic naturally brings out a different side then electric. I probably play a bit more chordal on acoustic, more single line on electric, although there are elements of both. In general, big string bends are reserved for electric and big chordal strums for acoustic.

9. Do you sound more like yourself on acoustic or electric?
I'd like to think I have an identity on both. But my playing is probably more recognizable on electric.

10. Do you sound like yourself on other people's guitars?
It depends on the guitar and the rig. I've sat in on gigs and been told I sound very different—they're my ideas but filtered through a very different set up. It depends on the guitar and the rig. I've sat in on gigs and been told I sound very different—they're my ideas but filtered through a very different set up.

11. Which living artist would you like to collaborate with, and why?
I'd love to be able to collaborate with Squarepusher. I don't really know much about the genre of electronica, but I really like what he does, especially the tracks from the Lost in Translation soundtrack. He's also a great bass player. I'm sure we'd come up with some interesting music.

12. Which dead artist (music, or other arts) would you like to have collaborated with, and why?
The Swedish pianist, Esbjorn Svennson, who tragically passed away a few years ago. I first heard him at a jazz fest overseas, before he was well known. Not just a great player, but a seriously creative musician and composer not to mention a super nice guy—I'm sure we'd create some cool music and have a great time. Before he passed, I would have said Miles Davis—although working with Miles would probably be more personally challenging, based on things I've heard firsthand.

13. What's your latest project about?
My latest project is the album Veritas. It's all about really focusing in on music and why it has meaning and significance in our lives. It's not about virtuosity, although there are moments that have been described as such. All licks are there purely to support the music as a whole.