Takamine

On His YouTube Success:

“I think that YouTube has become a powerful tool for people who are willing to express their own creativity. It’s great to have such exposure these days. It gives you a certain kick. I personally did not expect such a huge response. Still it has happened. Not only does it bring fame but it also brings responsibility.”

How do you decide which songs to record?

“I always think in terms of guitar when it comes to my arrangements. Mostly I play what I like at the present moment. It can also be a hint, like while I’m walking in the supermarket and hear a particular tune or hearing somebody whistle a song on the street. Sometimes I wish to play something which I think is nice, but for some reason it doesn’t comes out right away so I postpone it and I play it later most of the times.”

What was your favorite video to put together and why?

“My favorite at this particular moment is November Rain not only because it has initially a very beautiful orchestration and it’s challenging to perform it on guitar, but also the video itself was shot in HD with a higher audio/video quality and with a different video angles, that’s nice.”

Igor and Takamine:

Igor’s very first experience with Takamine was back in 1996 in Antwerpen, Belgium. It was a second had Takamine CP-132C which was owned by a local gypsy musician. He saw it, tried it, immediately fell in love with it and bought it on the spot. He is playing this guitar in the video of the Godfather Theme and still has it to this day.  “I have an unexplainable feeling of grace every time I touch my Takamine. I don’t know whether it is the smell of the wood, the shape, the sound ... I think it is just a magical combination of all those factors.”

Guitar Wisdom:

“The main goal for me during the communication with my audience is to establish love for the music, love for ‘Her Majesty’ the Guitar.  I love to play for people. To see the sparkle of joy in the eyes of the listener is the most rewarding thing for me.”