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On the Road with KISSFrom: Gibson.com Posted: October 31, 2007 Francis Stueber Francis speaks in-depth about the maintenance of guitars for such heavyweights as PAUL STANLEY and Kevin Cronin. "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 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. Because KISS tours infrequently, these days the 38-year-old Stueber works most often with Grammy-winning producer John Shanks, the mastermind behind many of the No. 1 hits of Michelle Branch, Sheryl Crow, Bon Jovi, and Fleetwood Mac. Also the accomplished guitarist who formerly backed Melissa Etheridge on albums such as 1995’s Your Little Secret, 1999’s Angels Would Fall and Breakdown, and 2004’s Lucky, Shanks happens to be a guitar fanatic with a staggering collection of vintage instruments. That’s where Francis Stueber comes in. "John just loves guitars," explains Stueber, a New York native who works with Shanks at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Records Studios) in Los Angeles, Shanks’ home base. "If he has one of something, he’s got to have two of them, three of them, or as many as he can get his hands on. And he uses all of them on his recording projects so I basically maintain them constantly." It’s the job of Stueber, himself an accomplished player, to keep everything in working order—no easy task when you’re charged with maintaining some 180 vintage guitars, including an array of classic Gibsons: a sunburst 1959 Les Paul; 1983 Joe Satriani Flying V; 1976 Explorer; ’64 Firebird V; ’63 Hummingbird; ’69 Les Paul Deluxe; ’61 ES-335 Dot Neck; ’65 Pelham Blue SG; ’61 SG Standard; ’92 Custom Shop Les Paul; ’57 Les Paul Goldtop; and a ’57 Junior, among many others. Besides keeping Stanley’s guitars in perfect working order and changing their strings daily during tours or periods of heavy use, Stueber maintains their beauty with a cleaning ritual that includes his two secret weapons—a conditioning cloth that he says can be found at any dollar store and a nut and bridge lubricant. "The sweat and corrosion of a live show makes strings pretty dead and nasty so I change them every day," Stueber says. "I also clean the fingerboard and the frets with this amazing stuff called Gorgomyte. It’s this abrasive cloth that has lemon oil, and it cleans the frets great. It comes in sheets and I cut it into little squares. I also use Big Bends Nut Sauce. For years I used graphite to lubricate the nut but this is an awesome lubricant. I use it on everything." It’s the little things that tend to matter in Stueber’s day-to-day routine. "I’d say the biggest challenge with an artist of Paul’s stature is just attention to detail," Stueber explains. "And that goes for gear as well as him performing. When you’re at that level, you expect things to be right, and they should be. My job is to make things right." |
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