Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10

[Evan Skopp]

SDUGF Members, I'm proud to introduce the newest member of the Seymour Duncan artist family: Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Yngwie is spending the day with us in Santa Barbara and he was gracious enough to devote some time to you and let you get a chance to meet him.

Yngwie is not much of a typist, so I'll be doing the typing. If I need to interject my own words, I'll use my initials.

As stated earlier:

1) One question per forum member.

2) You must have been a registered forum member before this post to ask a question.

3) All forum rules regarding respectfulness will be strictly enforced.

So without further ado, Mr. Yngwie Malmsteen!

 

[phil_104]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Yngwie,

Given your change of pickups, one could assume you are changing small aspects of your overall tone. You playing has been described in many ways, but, If you could write a single phrase definition to describe your tone and style in the musical history books, how would you describe it?

Also, being a classically trained guitarist, I must say that your Concerto Suite , live with the New Japan Philharmonic Orchestra was superb. By far my favorite mixture of classical and rock genres.

Thank you for doing this,
Phil

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Good to see you here Mr. Malmsteen. One of the first concerts I went to as a young teenager was Yngwie Malmsteen, Talas, and Sound Barrier at the Hollywood Palladium in '85.

I remember thinking "this guy doesn't sound like anyone else" and figured you could probably play just about anything you set your mind to, but were trying to carve your own identity.

My question is this......if you could add another LIVING guitar player's entire musical mind and technical skill set to your own, so that you'd have everything they're capable of added to your capabilities, who would you choose?

 

[Got_tone?]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

I have no questions but just I want to say that you're one hell of a player and you have no doubt inspired hundreds of guitar players. Keep it up.

I'll now enjoy these 30 minutes. pcorn:

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

If you could write a single phrase definition to describe your tone and style in the musical history books, how would you describe it?

That's an impossible task, but I'll try, Phil. Fluid, intense and emotional.

 

[Diocletian]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Hi Ygnwie, thanks for taking the time to do this.

My question is - would you ever consider switching to a humbucker in the bridge position, for a heavier rythm tone?


And good choice of singers, Tim is the best vocalist in metal right now!

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

My question is this......if you could add another LIVING guitar player's entire musical mind and technical skill set to your own, so that you'd have everything they're capable of added to your capabilities, who would you choose?

I don't think like that. But I'll have to say, Allen Holdsworth. He does some stuff that's so outside the box.

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Yngwie, great to have you on the forum!!

My question is: If you were told that you could only play one more gig, where would you play it, and with whom?

 

[phil_104]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

That's an impossible task, but I'll try, Phil. Fluid, intense and emotional.

Thank you very much for the response! That a great way of describing it.

Welcome once more to the Duncan family, and keep on rocking!:headbang:

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

I have no questions but just I want to say that you're one hell of a player and you have no doubt inspired hundreds of guitar players. Keep it up.

I'll now enjoy these 30 minutes. pcorn:

Thank you!

 

[oilpit]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

My question, what was the inspiration/reason for the scalloped fretboard, and very thin strings.
Did you play a guitar that was already set up like that and fall in love?

Or did you decide one day, I want to try this, because of this, and then it just stuck.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Yngwie, great to have you on the forum!!

My question is: If you were told that you could only play one more gig, where would you play it, and with whom?

I've played just about everywhere. And they've all been great. It's hard to pick just one.

 

[daemon barbeque]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

What is the "core" difference between your "old" PU and the new SD one.

Thanx for the whole inspiration for years BTW. Cheers!

 

[DMyers77]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Hi,

I've read that you have an amazing collection of vintage strats. What kinds do you have? Do you scallop the fingerboards and replace the pickups on all of them, or do you keep them original?

 

[Diego]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Yngwie,

It's an honor to have you here with us. Thank you!

I know Ritchie Blackmore has been one of your biggest inspirations as a guitar player; he's been my biggest influence for many years.

What caught your attention the most about him when you first listened to him? Also, is there anything about his playing/tone/etc. that you still haven't quite captured that you wish you had in your arsenal?

You're an amazing guitar player and a legend, Yngwie. Rock on!

EDIT: Just noticed I wrote two questions. If necessary, ignore the first question. Sorry about that.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

My question, what was the inspiration/reason for the scalloped fretboard, and very thin strings.
Did you play a guitar that was already set up like that and fall in love?

Or did you decide one day, I want to try this, because of this, and then it just worked.

As a young boy, I took a job as an apprentice at a luthier shop. And one day a lute from the 16th Century came into the shop that had concave wood in between the frets. I liked the way it looked so I tried it on my neck and found that it increases my control and vibrato. However, it DOES NOT make it easier to play fast.

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

What is the "core" difference between your "old" PU and the new SD one.

Thanx for the whole inspiration for years BTW. Cheers!

OK... with the old pickup, I basically settled for a "quiet" pickup. However, with the Fury, it took almost a year to reach the perfect tone and responsiveness that, in the past, I didn't think was possible.

 

[dmandude123455]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Hi Yngwie, thanks for spending some time with the forum.

my question is, how did you develop your finger speed?

and welcome to the SD family

 

[Evan Skopp]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Hi,

I've read that you have an amazing collection of vintage strats. What kinds do you have? Do you scallop the fingerboards and replace the pickups on all of them, or do you keep them original?

I have some of the most rare Fender Strats ever. One of them is of the first 10 ever made. March '54. And no, I do not customize those instruments. In the past I have scalloped some of the old ones including a '56, '59, '61, '66, '67 and so on, but I don't do that anymore.

 

[Jovan]

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Re: LIVE Q&A with Yngwie Malmsteen - 1/18/10 3:00 Pacific

Hi Yngwie!

I have more some advice and proposition to you rather then answer. There is one dude in USA called John Evosevic, and he did mods to your YJM308 pedal. With his mod, tone was better then ever, and pedal was far less noisy. You should contact him! There is his myspace

http://www.myspace.com/springhillguitar

All the best!!