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Kitchana Lersakvanitchakul

THE NATION

 Andy Timmons, the former guitarist with glam-metal band Danger Danger, is roaring through Asia conducting axe clinics and flogging his new Ibanez AT100CL.

On his Bangkok stop earlier this month he shared a few tales about performing and listed his own guitar heroes.

Who was your first inspiration?

Initially, it was my three older brothers, who all played guitar, and the '60s British Invasion records my oldest brother Mark was buying: the Beatles, Dave Clark Five, Kinks, Animals, etc.

I have a very vivid memory of listening to "I Saw Her Standing There" by the Beatles when I was about three and realising my favourite part of the song was when they stopped singing and just the guitar played - a lovely reverb-drenched sound. I still love that type of sound today!

I had a toy plastic guitar with nylon strings and I could play "Not Your Stepping Stone" by the Monkees on one string. I'd sneak into my brothers' rooms when they weren't home and try to figure out the chords I'd seen them play.

Why was it you originally wanted to be a session musician like Steve Lukather and Larry Carlton?

I've been fortunate to be a session player now for 20 years thanks largely to the inspiration of those guys and Tommy Tedesco. I realised early on that being successful in a rock band was quite a long shot, but these guys were earning a living in the studio playing on other people's records. That inspired me to want to learn about all styles of music and how to read music.

You've played alongside many of your heroes. Who's top of your list?

Too difficult - too many heroes! But here's the top eight:

Ace Frehley: "Kiss Alive" was how I learned to play electric guitar. Great feel, vibrato and very well-composed solos

Steve Lukather: Incredible timing, note choice and conviction.

Larry Carlton: Incredible feel, note choice, bending and tone

Mike Stern: first guy to really fuse jazz and rock

Pat Metheny: The most beautiful compositions, incredibly expressive and wonderfully developed solos

Jeff Beck: Greatest guitarist I've ever seen in concert. Every note seemed to have a purpose. The ballads made me well up with tears.

Eric Johnson: The sweetest tone and incredible dedication, the ultimate guitar virtuoso

Jimi Hendrix: Spirit, vibe and genius wrapped up in a beautiful human being. He played how he was as a person. Direct communication

But there are dozens more!

Why did you call both your solo debut and the follow-up "ear X-tacy"?

Ahh, quite simple: My brother John has a very well-known independent-record store in Louisville, Kentucky, called ear X-tacy. It's my tribute to him, as well as what I think is a cool description of music that makes you feel something.

Thailand's guitarists struggle to come up with instrumental albums that will sell well. Is the guitar hero a dying breed?

I think it's difficult for anybody making instrumental music these days. The masses generally connect more with lyrics. That said, there's always room and need for great songs, whether there are lyrics or not.

A large problem with guitar instrumental records is that the focus is on virtuosity and not composition. The guitar hero seems to be alive and well when you consider all the activity on websites like YouTube. So much of my current success I can largely attribute to the videos that circulate online.

When is your second full-length opus coming out to follow up on 2006's "Resolution"?

I'm currently working on two full-length CDs: One is the follow-up to "Resolution" and the other an instrumental tribute to the Beatles.

What advice do you give rookies at your clinics?

I suggest learning as many songs as possible by ear. So many players rely too heavily on transcriptions, tablature and video to learn music visually. Music is an aural experience, and it's essential to learn it that way.

Who is today's most striking new guitarist?

Derek Trucks has a beautiful feel and tone. Tommy Emmanuel, though not new, is quite possibly the greatest musician I've ever seen. Monte Montgomery has a killer style on the electric acoustic. And Guthrie Govan is an incredibly gifted and versatile player.