Claver Menezes is a renowned Indian rock guitarist who formed the band Rust Angels in 1991, quickly gaining popularity and reaching the finals of Live Wire at IIT’s Mood Indigo. Known for his clean and articulate guitar style, he earned recognition as one of Mumbai’s best guitarists and paid tribute to Joe Satriani in a notable 1998 performance.
In 2000, Claver founded Hangar Records to support rock music. The label released the instrumental album “The Unborn Recital (FOK II)” in 2001 and “Screwed” in 2002, featuring top rock bands. After disbanding Rust Angels in 2004, he focused on solo instrumentals and composing music, including scoring the film “Sacred Evil.” His solo albums Crooked Ways, Diverse Delusions, Diverse Delusions 2 and The Word feature various talented artists from across India. His latest album, ‘Divide,’ will be releasing on August 9th on all music streaming platforms.
Let’s hear from Claver, who has used DiMarzio pickups throughout his career, to understand why he prefers them.
Q. Why did you initially choose DiMarzio pickups for your guitars?
Claver: I chose DIMARZIO because my neighbour’s surname was ROZARIO 😉 Jk 😉 Honestly, I had no clue about pickups and their importance in the 90s. My brother Clinton asked me to notice the tones of my guitar heroes like Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and Paul Gilbert and I thought I must use what the best used. It all just started like this no fancy technicality or some pathbreaking story.
Q. How have DiMarzio pickups influenced your playing style and tone over the years?
Claver: I had to make the most of the pickups I accidentally purchased. No, but on a serious note, I just can’t play on any other pickups. DiMarzio became my voice through the guitar. I could literally talk with them, and express my feelings in every note I play.
Q. Can you describe the DiMarzio models you prefer and why they work for you?
Claver: I have the DiMarzio PAF PRO® DP151, neck, and bridge humbucking pickups along with a single coil Dimarzio SUPER DISTORTION® in the center on my Ibanez. Recently, I installed the DiMarzio DP220 D ACTIVATOR BRIDGE humbucker on my other Ibanez.
Q. How do you approach the process of selecting and installing DiMarzio pickups in your guitars? Are there any specific rituals or preferences you follow?
Claver: It all started by default with my PAF PRO pickups with which I recorded my earlier 3 albums ‘DIVERSE DELUSIONS’ 1 & 2 and ‘THE WORD’ but when I started working on ‘DIVIDE” which is releasing soon, I wanted a different sound, so the pickup had to be sensitive where I could play with the tone by splitting the coils to get a twangy and clearer tone and have all the qualities of an active pick up but with no batteries so I got the DiMarzio DP220 D ACTIVATOR BRIDGE humbucker for my Ibanez.
Q. In your experience, how do DiMarzio pickups perform in different musical genres or playing environments?
Claver: They are versatile pickups, they can blend into any kinda music, pop, rock, heavy metal, and now even progressive & death metal music
I don’t play Death Metal but keep jamming in my studio on a couple of “Gojira” tracks for fun with the DiMarzio DP220 D Activator bridge humbucker. The tone is nailed which was only achieved by an active pickup earlier.
Q. Could you share any memorable experiences or performances where your DiMarzio pickups played a crucial role?
Claver: There is this original from my album Diverse Delusions called “You” It’s a switch between clean and distorted sounds. Once, on stage, I was pretty far from my pedal board and I could gauge that I wouldn’t reach there on time so I switched the pickups and turned the volume knob down to get a clean tone and then as then vice versa to play the distorted part.
Q. What song or riff do you think showcases the unique character of your DiMarzio pickups the best?
Claver: I have gone all out in my new album ‘DIVIDE’ the song called “ROCKET”. You will hear the tone change on the fly. The intro has a different twangy tone then it goes to a solo/rhythm tone and then I get these little tiny tinkerbellish kind of notes in the 2nd verse and then again in the end. It’s the perfect demo for the new DiMarzio DP220 D Activator Bridge humbucker and then “Juicehead” has an acoustic guitar in the beginning with a sim nailed quite well.
Q. For aspiring musicians looking to upgrade their pickups, what advice would you give regarding DiMarzio pickups?
Claver: The most versatile of all the DiMarzio DP220 D Activator bridge humbucker. Check it out.
Q. Reflecting on your career, can you share a pivotal moment where your choice of DiMarzio pickups significantly influenced the outcome of a recording or performance?
Claver: I could play different genres with my DiMarzio pickups effortlessly satisfying the ear and tonal taste in general
Q. Describe DiMarzio pickups in 3 words.
Claver: One Time Investment
