“Tracii has been so important. I’ve always loved his playing – I’m extremely grateful to have him as a mentor”: Schooled by Tracii Guns and serving in three hard-rock powerhouses, Sam Bam Koltun is a Les Paul aficionado to watch

At 28, Sam Bam Koltun is an odd juxtaposition alongside the elder statesmen he pals around with. But that’s no bother. “It’s not too weird,” he says. “I came up as a kid playing in bars when I was 12, so even then, the guys I played with were older. I’m conditioned to working with older musicians.”

That’s good news for him, as Koltun is an integral part of Faster Pussycat, which featured guitarists Brent Muscat and Ace Von Johnson before him.

“Ace is one of my best friends,” Koltun says. “He was with Faster, but when Tracii [Guns] recruited him for L.A Guns, Ace asked if I wanted to join Faster in 2019. Five years later, here I am!”

For the Les Paul-slinging Koltun, Guns, a fellow single-cut devotee, is of note, as he and Koltun have become friends. “Tracii has been so important. I’ve always loved his playing, and when Ace got sick in 2022, he asked me to fill in with L.A. Guns. Tracii and I became close; I’m extremely grateful [to have] him as a mentor.”

Koltun also makes time for musicians his age – specifically with hard rocker Dorothy [aka Dorothy Martin], whom he’s toured and sometimes recorded with.

“Dorothy and I connected on Instagram,” he says. “She messaged me that she and Ace were friends, and we kept talking. Ace brought me to the Viper Room one night, and Dorothy was there. She liked what she heard and asked me to join her band. I’ve been there ever since.”

As a ’72 Black Beauty-wielding gun for hire, Koltun lends his skills to other acts, but he makes time for his own work, too, with Budderside.

“I joined a different version of Budderside,” he says. “But I’ve put together a new lineup and am writing new music, like Good for Nothing, which is hard-hitting and captures my intensity.”

But Koltun doesn’t have too much time to devote, as he remains busy with Faster Pussycat and Dorothy. He’s also joined Tommy Henriksen’s [Alice Cooper] Crossbone Skully, so free time is at a premium.

“That doesn’t bother me,” he says. “I like to keep moving. It’ll be across-the-board touring and new projects. I’ll work on my stuff, but I can’t stress enough how grateful I am. I’ll try to put on a good show and be ready. You’ll see and hear a lot of me this year.”