PAUL STANLEY's Guitar Tech Talks To Gibson.com
October 31, 2007Gibson.com's Sean McDevitt recently spoke to Francis Stueber about the maintenance of guitars for such heavyweights as Paul Stanley (KISS) and Kevin Cronin (REO SPEEDWAGON).
"If Paul goes out of tune, it's not his fault, it's my fault," says Francis Stueber, referring matter-of-factly to one of his many responsibilities as guitar technician for KISS's Paul Stanley, with whom he's worked closely since 2002. "Usually I change his guitar every four to five songs so he doesn't have to worry about going out of tune. It's pretty straightforward with KISS; Paul only plays one tuning and he plays no more than six guitars. Really the only reason I change guitars is for aesthetics."
Stueber's also worked behind the scenes for HEART, THE OFFSPRING, and REO SPEEDWAGON's Kevin Cronin — gigs that have established him as one of the most in-demand guitar techs in the U.S. But it's his work with KISS that's brought him the most recognition. Stueber's relationship with Stanley, which began back in 2002, continues to this day. He's worked on all subsequent tours and one-off shows, on behalf of KISS as well as Stanley's solo efforts. He even took the stage with Gene Simmons and Tommy Thayer during the "Gene Simmons Family Jewels" episode where they performed for the troops, and was on hand when Stanley cut his 2006 solo album "Live to Win". And, of course, he maintains Stanley's personal guitar stash, which includes a number of Les Pauls and SGs.
Read the entire article at KissOnline.com.
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