Paul Landers Research Index

Source led and citation driven Paul Landers research: early life context, guitars and gear, stage persona, DDR (GDR) memories, politics, German identity, and recurring interview quotes gathered into one ultimate collection. Misinformation? 20 year old "because fandom said"? Not on my watch.

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Life, origins, & biography context

Baseline Paul related early life and trivia to help him make sense both in the band and in the greater context of life.

  • Origins and early life

    A brief overview of Paul's early life and basic biographical origins. With full citations and dispelling numerous "myths". Don't know what a Barensiegel is? What's with his chronic illnesses? Was he a librarian or boiler guy? I'll demystify all the jumbled telephone fan lore online.

    Youth Teen/20s

  • Lifelong connection with Russia

    A not so secret Russophile? Probably. (Joking...) Here's the youth context and explaining his language acquisition. No, he wasn't a fluent savant at age eight.

    Youth

  • Hobbies and non-music interests

    You probably know he likes surfing. Want to know more? Learn all about what man does when not making or playing music. Spoiler: if there's green grass or clear water involved, he's into it somehow.

    Fun trivia

  • Music he enjoys or referenced

    What the heck is on his Spotify playlists? What was on his iPod 15 years ago? What did he play on CD in the car? I needed to know. I think he's that guy with 15k artists in his library and 50k songs and the genres have nothing in common. No Paul, you can't put Starmania, Visage, Muse, Knorkator, Gary Numan, and Kid Rock on the same playlist and hit shuffle. But he probably has.

    Fun trivia

Guitars, electronic gear, & sound

Covering his instrument usage, future career with gear, and various electronics.

  • First instruments and early guitar experiences

    Piano? Clarinet? Drums? Guitar? Yep, it's all covered here in-depth. Including his early usage of guitar, first attempts at a pedal, and how he taught himself.

    Youth Teen/20s

  • The Lifelong Tinkerer & SansAmp

    A deeply researched and loving look at how Paul has spent his life walking into Tech 21's graces. This essay is my everything. You will walk away from this text having actually learned something about him you never knew before and a deeper appreciation than thought possible. I solved what Flake couldn't. This has to count for something.

    Tech 21 My Magnum Opus

  • List of Paul's guitars used on stage

    Every Music Man Axis color imaginable, tiny details per Axis model explained, that one strange Ibanez was not a fever dream, the elusive and secretive ESPs, and of course, the Gibson Les Paul. Sorted by chronological.

    List Guitar

  • 2012 Metal Hammer: Signature Gibson Les Paul

    A very informative interview covering the baseline of his thoughts about his Signature Gibson Les Paul that was prototype tested throughout LIFAD and finalized for sale by Made in Germany tour.

    Interview Guitar

  • 2018 Metal Hammer: Tech21 Signature Fly Rig

    An extensive interview about his Tech21 effects pedal. I slipped in numerous notes to make the text digestible. I tried to make guitar words less scary.

    Interview Tech 21

  • Further on the Tech 21 Signature Fly Rig

    A collection of press and informational articles about his Tech 21 collaboration on the official site.

    Tech 21 External link

In his own words

A curated collection of Paul quotes about various topics from many interviews compiled into neat pages for easy reference.