INTRO INSTRUMENTAL INQUISITION!

Guitar instrumentals have supplied some of music’s most evocative moments. Jason Sidwell asks top guitarists for their take on this iconic movement. This month: solo artist, guitarist for Dave Lee Roth and Rob Zombie, John 5.

John 5 with his double humbucker Fender Telecaster

GT : What is it about guitar instrumentals that appeals to you?

J5: I think it started with Eruption. Hearing that guitar solo. Then I would listen to other things like Roy Clark or Chet Atkins. And I was like, “Wow, there's no singer.” And I was so impressed by the fact that these were popular songs that had no singers. Another one is Frankenstein, by Edgar Winter, things like that. I was so taken aback by that. And I think that's what really started it with guitar instrumentals for me.

GT: What can an instrumental provide that a vocal song can't?

J5: I would say it’s much more difficult to get something across with just an instrumental song, but there's so many songs that have such amazing emotion and such incredible feel. It's very hard to describe, it's like trying to describe a colour. But to be honest, I don't really listen to a lot of lyrics. A lot of people memorise lyrics and they can sing them. I always listened to the music. Of course, I know the words to the choruses, but I don't memorise all the verses and bridge. I kind of just listen to the music. Sometimes Rob (Zombie) will ask me, “Hey, what's the lyric in this one verse, I forget.” And I'm like, “I don't know.” So that's how much I really concentrate on the music.