Matt Cronk (Qui)
SPB: What kind of guitar do you use and how did you come to this choice?
Cronk: What a fun question! I love guitars and can go on and on about them, ad infinitum. I have several that rotate in and out but if I had to pick one, it would be my ‘99 Gibson Les Paul Deluxe Reissue. It is totally stock with no modifications or breaks. It is on the heavier side but that doesn’t bother me as much as it does some players. For me, part of what makes Les Pauls so comfortable is their weight and balance. I have had other, lighter, LPs that were chambered to reduce the weight and the balance was all wrong. It made the guitar neck-heavy and uncomfortable. Also, the lack of heft in the body had a horrible effect on the tone of the guitar. It sounded wimpy and hollow, which is not what I want from a Les Paul. My ‘99 hangs perfectly and has a really deep tonal character. Interestingly, the mini-humbucker pickups that are so often reviled by most players have a unique tone that I’ve grown very fond of. They are low-output, which I generally don’t like, but still drive my amps well without being overbearing and are, in fact, very dynamic and musical. It is finished in wine red. That is special to me because the first guitar I ever touched was my uncle’s wine red Les Paul standard when I was 6.
