Paul Gilbert’s WROC: a deep dive into creativity, history, and uncompromising guitar mastery

Legendary guitarist Paul Gilbert returns with his latest release, WROC — a project that fuses unconventional songwriting techniques, stream-of-consciousness creativity, and even historical literature. This is not just another record; it is a fully realized artistic concept where musical virtuosity meets intellectual exploration.

🔶 History becomes music

The new album by Paul Gilbert is inspired by George Washington’s Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour in Company and Conversation. Yes — the very same historical figure studied in school. And somehow, Paul Gilbert manages to transform this material into something engaging, musical, and surprisingly fun.

While many guitarists from his early metal era were drawn toward darker imagery and themes, Paul Gilbert had completely different interests. He spent time reading the writings of America’s Founding Fathers, including Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and George Washington. These weren’t narrative stories, but rather collections of thoughts — almost like reading someone’s personal emails from centuries ago.

It was through this exploration that he first encountered Washington’s rules. The concept of civility, respect, and proper behavior resonated with him and eventually became the conceptual backbone of WROC.

🔶 The birth of WROC at 30,000 feet

After performing the final show of Mr. Big’s farewell tour at Tokyo’s Budokan, Paul Gilbert found himself on a flight home reflecting on what would come next. Feeling inspired and ready for a new chapter, he turned to technology — specifically AI — to spark ideas.

At first, he asked AI to take random rules from Washington and convert them into blues-style lyrics. Within seconds, he had results. Then he began refining the process: asking for repeated choruses, structuring verses, and even selecting different rules for song bridges.

However, as the process evolved, Paul Gilbert realized that his own instincts worked better. Instead of letting AI generate lyrics, he used it as a tool — for example, organizing all 110 rules by length so he could quickly find short or long phrases depending on his songwriting needs.

🔶 A songwriting process built on transformation

For Paul Gilbert, starting from lyrics is one of the most natural and enjoyable ways to write music. He describes it almost as an escape — a way to step outside himself and enter a different creative space.

He would take Washington’s lines and shape them into melodies. Once that foundation was in place, he moved on to harmony — one of his favorite parts of the process. Finding the right chords, balancing repetition without overdoing it, and introducing unexpected notes all became essential elements of crafting each song.

Sometimes simply repeating the last phrase of a line turned it into something musical. Other times, he would combine multiple rules to build verses and bridges, allowing each composition to evolve organically.

🔶 Rich harmonic language rooted in classic influences

The harmonic depth of WROC reflects the influence of artists such as Elton John, The Carpenters, Todd Rundgren, Queen, The Beatles, and The Beach Boys.

Growing up, Paul Gilbert learned primarily by ear. It wasn’t until he attended GIT (now known as Musicians Institute) that he began to understand the theory behind what he was hearing. That education helped him connect the dots and expand his harmonic vocabulary.

He recalls studying songs like “God Only Knows” by The Beach Boys, analyzing complex chords such as half-diminished voicings. These discoveries became a major part of his musical identity.

🔶 When AI gets it wrong

During the creation of WROC, Paul Gilbert encountered an unexpected issue: AI-generated information wasn’t always accurate.

At one point, he searched for a rule he had used as a song title — only to discover it didn’t exist. When questioned, the AI admitted it had “hallucinated” the content. According to Paul Gilbert, roughly 80% of the material was accurate, while about 20% was fabricated.

Despite this, he chose to keep some of these elements, as they still captured the spirit and tone he was aiming for.

🔶 Guitar virtuosity remains front and center

Although WROC is conceptually rich, it is still unmistakably a Paul Gilbert album. Fans can expect blazing fast runs, intricate phrasing, and expressive solos.

Tracks like “Keep Your Feet Firm and Even” feature neoclassical-inspired passages and harmonized melodies, while others incorporate jazz, fusion, and progressive influences. His use of slide guitar — a technique he has explored more deeply over the past decade — adds another layer of expression.

🔶 A unique approach to setup and technique

One of the more unusual aspects of Paul Gilbert’s playing is his setup. He uses extremely light strings — sometimes as thin as .0085 or even .007 — while maintaining relatively high action.

This combination allows for better control over bends and articulation, especially given his aggressive playing style. He even recalls struggling to play guitars with heavier strings and low action during a clinic in Italy.

🔶 Balancing guitar and vocals

While Paul Gilbert has developed into a strong vocalist over the years, he openly admits that guitar remains his most natural form of expression.

He explains that while technique on guitar can be developed extensively through practice, the human voice has natural limitations. Even with dedicated training, certain vocal performances remain out of reach.

🔶 A new philosophy of practice

Today, Paul Gilbert is less focused on speed and technical drills, and more focused on melody. His goal is to instantly translate the melodies he hears in his head onto the guitar.

To achieve this, he practices singing and playing at the same time — a challenging approach that forces a deeper connection between musical ideas and execution. While difficult, he notes that the results are worth it, as it creates a more honest and expressive performance.

🔶 Paul Gilbert’s Gear

Guitars (live)

• Ibanez FRM350 Paul Gilbert signature
• Ibanez PGM50 Paul Gilbert Signature
• 1970s Ibanez IC200
• Ibanez RS530
• Ibanez Custom Shop PGM Paul Gilbert Signature (pink)
• 1970s Ibanez double neck (set neck version)

Guitars (studio)

• Ibanez AS7312
• 1970s Ibanez 751 acoustic

Amps

• 1990s Fender Custom Vibrolux Reverb into a Randall isolation cabinet
• 1960s Fender Vibrolux Reverb used as a wedge monitor
• Victoria Club Deluxe (engaged for solo volume boost)

Effects

Distortion pedals for main amp:

• Xotic AC Booster (always on)
• JHS Overdrive Preamp
• Mojo Hand Colossus

Distortion pedals for solo boost amp:

• MXR Distortion+
• Xotic AC Booster
• Voodoo Labs Pedal Power 2 Plus
• Boss LS-2 Line Selector (two units: one for switching between clean and distortion, another for activating solo boost amp)

Clean tone pedals:

• Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer
• Catalinbread Callisto

Modulation pedals:

• JAM Pedals RetroVibe
• MXR Stereo Chorus
• Home Brew Electronics THC Three Hound Chorus
• Sabbadius Tiny-Vibe

Strings, picks, slides & cables

• Ernie Ball Mighty Slinky (.0085–.040; with .040 replaced by .046)
• Dunlop Tortex III .73 mm picks
• Dunlop 318 Chromed Steel slide
• Divine Noise coiled cable
• DiMarzio straight cables, patch cables, and speaker cables