Rough Edge: Dave, thank you so much for taking the time to answer a few questions for Rough Edge. I'd love for the people reading to get a chance to hear your music. You're on MySpace at www.myspace.com/davesharmanguitarist. And you also have your own site at www.davesharman.com. Are there any other media outlets where aspiring guitar players can go for a listen?

Dave Sharman: We’re currently updating my official website to include a tips & tabs section as well as a podcast as I often get requests from fans wanting to know more about my technique and style of play. After releasing my first album I was asked to do a Hotlicks instructional video but never got round to it (sorry), you can also find me on Spotify, Last FM, Facebook, YouTube etc.

Rough Edge: Who were some of your early influences when it came to guitar players?

Dave Sharman: Eddie Van Halen was probably the first guy to have a major impact on me in terms of the way a guitar could be represented as a main focal point, with those early Van Halen albums he really pushed the boundaries on how the instrument could be used sonically as well as artistically. Growing up, I also listened to a lot of progressive bands like Deep Purple, Yes and Rush. Ritchie Blackmore is very tasteful; I’ve always liked the classical influence in his playing and both Steve Howe and Alex Lifeson are very unique players in the way they structure chords and rhythm. Allen Collins, Ed King and Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd are great, also Neal Schon, Michael Schenker, Tom Sholtz and Jimi Hendrix to name a few.

Rough Edge: "1990" was your first offering as a guitar player. What were some great memories while recording it?

Dave Sharman: I have many but one that sticks in my mind was during the recording of the title track ‘1990’… it also happened to be the first track we recorded and I wanted to make a statement reflecting my intent as a player, there was a guitar break a couple of minutes into the song which basically set me off on a legato speed run lasting about 30 seconds or so, leading up to that section I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to pull it off in one go but I managed it first take! It was kinda like popping my cherry on record, once I got that out of the way the rest of the album flowed easy.

Rough Edge: Is there anybody that you've been impressed with lately when it comes to instrumental guitar?

Dave Sharman: To be honest these days if I’m listening to anything instrumental it’s more likely to be Beethoven, Bach or Mozart but as far as guitar is concerned when I was starting out it was guys like Yngwie Malmsteen, Vinnie Moore, Paul Gilbert, Tony Macalphine, Alan Holdsworth, Steve Vai, Joe Satriani etc. you know, the usual suspects!

Rough Edge: How many guitars do you own? Are you monogamous with any certain mahogany guitar?

Dave Sharman: I own about twenty or so.  I have an unnecessary amount of loyalty to my black ‘n’ white checkerboard Jackson soloist custom, which is the guitar I used on ‘1990’ and most of my recordings; there’s some strange kind of attachment between us that I can’t explain, if I play another guitar it’s as if I’m cheating on her! it’s got a Kahler tremelo system and Dimarzio humbuckers and is very comfortable to play with a great action. Jackson guitars also built me a few custom made strats to my specifications, all of them are checkerboard, different combinations of red, white, black and blue.

Rough Edge: What does your set up consists of when you play live, such as pedals, effects processors and amplification?

Dave Sharman: Don’t use a lot of pedals, sometimes a Boss DD-20 Delay, Super Overdrive and a Cry Baby wah, Hughes & Kettner Switchblade amps, Roland VG-88.

Rough Edge: Do you think that instrumental guitar is as prevalent today as it was a few years ago?

Dave Sharman: Yes, maybe even more so. This is very interesting times with the net making everything and everyone that much more accessible, whether it’s Youtube or MySpace or whatever you can find almost any person that’s ever released a piece of music. Guitar Hero, Rockband and such are helping to turn new generations onto guitar-based music and the guitar in general is as popular as it’s ever been so, from that point-of-view, instrumental guitar is still relevant as ever.

Rough Edge: I know your home is across the pond from me, do you ever tour or play in the states?

Dave Sharman: Not as yet but at some point the band will be coming over, actually I have a sister in Boston and most of my fan base is in the States; would be great to tour the east and west coast in the not so far off future.

Rough Edge: Chemical Phantom, your new band, is working on a studio album. Do you have a release date set; are there any cuts available for the listening public?

Dave Sharman: Hopefully, sometime during the summer, we’re considering streaming a few cuts on the official website (www.davesharman.com) and other usual outlets like MySpace, Last FM etc. It’s quite different to my other stuff. I’m the vocalist in the band and the music is more song based but there’s still plenty of mean guitar.

Rough Edge: Are there any other projects you are currently working on?

Dave Sharman: At some point I would like to get involved in movie soundtracks, it’s just a question of finding the right project. I’m always writing and building up new material but right now my main focus is Chemical Phantom. If people want to get hold of some of my earlier material there are two compilation albums available on iTunes, Amazon, CD Baby etcetera, entitled ‘Dave Sharman Best Of Volume I & II’.

Rough Edge: Dave, again, thank you so much for taking the time to expand on your guitar playing and letting the readers of Rough Edge know something about the man named Dave Sharman.