• Eddie Van Halen

    Eddie Van Halen

    Posted by Floyd Rose

     

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  • Neal Schon

    Neal Schon

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Journey - Lead Guitarist
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.journeymusic.com

    Neal Schon was born in Midwest City, Oklahoma on February 27th, 1954 to Matthew and Barbara Schon. Neal dropped out of school when he was 15 to join Carlos Santana's rock group Santana. Four years later Carlos Santana and his band split up, so Neal and Gregg Rolie formed Journey.

    Journey released its self-titled debut album in 1975. Journey then released "Look Into the Future" (1976) and "Next" in (1977). Records weren't selling well and the band was told to get a lead singer so they brought in Steve Perry. With Steve they released the album "Infinity" in 1978. Infinity was followed up by "Evolution" (1979) and "Departure" (1980). Also released in 1980 was a compilation album of earlier works called "In the Beginning". Also in 1980 the band went to Japan to record a soundtrack for the movie, "Dream After Dream". In 1981 the live album "Captured" was released. Greg Rolie left after the release of the album "Departure" so keyboardist Jonathan Cain was brought in for the 1981 release of "Escape". "Escape" was Journey's biggest record and the single "Open Arms" went to #2 on the charts. Also in 1981 Neal teamed up with Jan Hammer for the album "Untold Passion". Again in 1982 Neal teamed up with Jan Hammer for an album called "Here To Stay". In 1983 "Frontiers" was released and Journey was named the most popular rock group in America. After "Frontiers" the band split for a while. Neal formed HSAS with Sammy Hagar and in 1984 they released an album called "Through the Fire". In 1986 Journey, without bassist Ross Valory and drummer Steve Smith, and released the album "Raised on Radio".

    In 1988 Neal helped form the group Bad English. Bad English released their self-titled debut album in 1989. Neal also released his album "Late Nite" in 1989. In 1991 Bad English released their second album, "Backlash". In 1992 Neal joined Hardline for the album "Double Eclipse". Neal released seven solo albums, "Late Night", "Beyond the Thunder", "Electric World", "Piranha Blues", "Voice","i on u", and "The Calling" (2012). A Journey reunion of band members Schon, Jonathan Cain, Steve Perry, Ross Valory, and Steve Smith happened for the 1996 album "Trial By Fire". In 1997 Neal released his album "Electric World." In 1998 Steve Perry was replaced with Steve Augeri as Journey's new lead singer after the band waited almost two years for him to fix his hip. Steve Perry and Journey debuted together on the  Armageddon (1998) soundtrack with the song "Remember Me". 2001 saw the release of the Journey record "Arrival". Neal has five children: Miles, Lizzy, Sarah, Aja and Sophia. He became engaged to Michaele Salahi on October 14, 2012.

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  • Brad Gillis

    Brad Gillis

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Nightranger
    Floyd Rose Non-Fine Tuner
    www.bradgillis.com

    Brad Gillis is best known for his guitar playing in the chart-topping band NIGHT RANGER. Since Night Ranger's first release in 1983, Brad's mastery of the strings and whammy bar have helped lead this rocking AOR band to the top of the charts with multi-platinum records and sales reaching over 17 million around the world. Brad has close to twenty gold and platinum albums to his name. Having appeared in over a dozen MTV and VH1 music videos, TV's AMERICAN BANDSTAND, SOLID GOLD, ROCK & ROLL TONIGHT and thousands of live concerts, Brad is one of the few guitar icons of our time that can undoubtedly be recognized by both his aggressively unique tremolo guitar sound. His first solo album GILROCK RANCH produced the top twenty AOR single, "Honest to God," co-written and sung by the legendary Gregg Allman.

    Gillis' guitar history began long before the break-through of NIGHT RANGER. Receiving his first guitar at 8 years old, he started his first band called THE INVADERS at the age of 10. When turning nineteen, Brad joined the San Francisco based funk-rock band RUBICON after auditioning over numerous Bay area guitar veterans. Together they recorded two albums, Rubicon and American Dreams, with 20th Century Fox Records. When Rubicon disbanded, Brad and two other band members, Jack Blades and Kelly Keagy, went on to form a hard rock band with the short-lived name Stereo. When the other half of the guitar duo, Jeff Watson, and keyboardist Alan "Fitz" Fitzgerald joined the ranks, Night Ranger was born. After the unfortunate death of legendary guitarist Randy Rhoades, heavy metal icon OZZY OSBOURNE recognized the talent in Brad and asked him to supplant Randy on his ongoing tour. For the next year, Brad toured the world with Ozzy supporting the DIARY OF A MADMAN tour and can be heard playing lead guitar on Osbourne's SPEAK OF THE DEVIL live album. When Night Ranger was offered a record deal with Boardwalk records, Gillis had the difficult task of choosing one path over the other. Luckily, for music fans everywhere, Night Ranger was releasing hit after hit and touring the world. Over the next 2 decades Gillis wrote, recorded and toured with Night Ranger, contributing to such hits as "Don't Tell Me You Love Me," "Sister Christian," "When You Close Your Eyes," and "(You Can Still) Rock in America," just to name a few.After years of being one of the top grossing touring bands of the '80s, the members of Night Ranger are still touring the world with a hefty schedule in 2011.

    Currently touring the Summer,Fall of 2011with Journey and Foreigner, Night Ranger is rocking the US with a 3 month, 60 show tour ....Yearly performances in Japan have spawned many LIVE IN JAPAN CD's. Night Rangers Hit Song "(You Can Still) Rock In America" has been picked up for the hit game GUITAR HERO. Brad's musical side projects include songs for ESPN, Sports Center, The X Games, Fox Sports, Tiger Woods Sony Playstation Games, EA Sports,The Fuse Channel and many others. Soundtracks by Brad and Night Ranger hits can be heard in dozens of movies and TV shows. Brad's music can currently be heard on Monday Night Football (2009,2010) and other TV Networks. Brad is an avid vintage guitar collector and has been featured in Guitar Player, Vintage Guitar and Guitar World Magazines..... Night Ranger's latest 2011 release "SOMEWHERE IN CALIFORNIA" brings back the 'Original Night Ranger Sound' that fans grew up to love.........

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  • Richie Sambora

    Richie Sambora

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Bon Jovi
    Floyd Rose Original, Sambora Signtaure Floyd Rose Guitar
    www.richiesambora.com

    Raised in the humble, swampside locale of Woodbridge, New Jersey, Richie Sambora -- the gifted lead guitarist of the multi-million-selling rock act, Bon Jovi -- was initially inspired by blues-based icons of the 1960s such as Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. Following a self-released eponymous 1980 hard rock album with an act called Message that he had co-founded with the late Dean Fasano, Sambora took a two-week trip to Los Angeles to audition for a place in Kiss. Although the audition was unsuccessful, on his return to New Jersey a reassuring friend suggested that he make contact with Jon Bongiovi, a local artist whose taste in music was perhaps more closely aligned with Sambora's than that of Gene Simmons and company. By 1983, Sambora had replaced Dave Sabo as the guitarist in Bon Jovi and the band was signed to Mercury Records. Selling over 28 million copies, Bon Jovi's third album, Slippery When Wet, became their most successful record, ushering hair metal into the mainstream. Sambora had a hand in composing nine of the ten tracks, enjoying not unsubstantial royalties from what became the highest-selling album of 1987 in the U.S. As a result of this success, Sambora found himself in the media spotlight more than ever and his relationship and subsequent breakup with Cher were widely reported.

    Following an extensive promotional campaign for 1988's New Jersey, Bon Jovi went on a well-deserved hiatus. While Sambora's 1991 debut solo album didn't enjoy the same commercial success as Jon Bon Jovi's Golden Globe-winning 1990 release Blaze of Glory, Stranger in this Town allowed him to return to his beloved blues roots. With his hero Clapton contributing a deft solo to "Mr. Bluesman," there was the implied sense that Sambora had achieved yet another lifelong ambition. A full seven years passed before Sambora issued his sophomore solo album, Undiscovered Soul. In the interim, Bon Jovi issued the successful studio albums Keep the Faith and These Days, and consolidated their global position with a world tour that visited 43 countries. Although 1998's Undiscovered Soul was considered to be a less strong set than his debut, most critics acknowledged that it was a more ambitious effort, showcasing a versatility of approach that found power ballads sitting next to arena rock material.

    The June 2007 release of Bon Jovi's country-influenced tenth album, Lost Highway, coincided with a difficult period in Sambora's personal life. Following the breakdown of his marriage with actress Heather Locklear, his father passed away, and this turn of events led to a period of alcohol dependency and rehab. Building on the eclecticism of Undiscovered Soul, his third solo album -- 2012's Aftermath of the Lowdown -- found Sambora in determined mood when it eventually arrived. It was another opportunity for him to explore areas of music that Bon Jovi had neglected to visit, and included material that was comparable in style to artists as diverse as Coldplay and David Bowie.

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  • Alex Lifeson

    Alex Lifeson

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Rush
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.rush.com

    Canadian musician, best known as the guitarist of the Canadian rock band Rush. In the summer of 1968, Lifeson co-founded the band that would become Rush. Other co-founders are friend and drummer John Rutsey, bassist and lead vocalist Jeff Jones, and Jones's successor, current front man Geddy Lee a month later. Lifeson has been an integral member of the band ever since. For Rush, Lifeson plays electric and acoustic guitars as well as other stringed instruments such as mandola, mandolin, and bouzouki. He also performs backing vocals in live performances, and occasionally plays keyboards and bass pedal synthesizers. Like the other members of Rush, Lifeson performs real-time on-stage triggering of sampled instruments, concurrently with his guitar playing. The bulk of Lifeson's work in music has been with Rush, although Lifeson has contributed to a body of work outside of the band as well.

    Aside from music, Lifeson is part-owner of The Orbit Room, a bar and restaurant located in Toronto, Canada, and is a licensed aircraft pilot. Along with his bandmates Geddy Lee and Neil Peart, Lifeson was made an Officer of the Order of Canada on May 9, 1996. The trio was the first rock band to be so honoured, as a group.

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  • Mick Mars

    Mick Mars

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Motley Crue
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.mickmars.tv

     It all began one Christmas morning when Mick was 6 years old. His parents had given him a guitar that had Mickey Mouse ears and a crank that, when turned, played Mousketeer songs. Mick was by no means "mousketeer material" so he tightened the guitar strings until it made a sound that was music to his ears. At just 6 years old, Mick was a musical genius in the making. Mick joined his first band, The Jades at 14. The Jades were a Beatles cover band in which Mick played the bass before replacing the guitarist. School was of no interest to Mick so when he attended, he often found himself in trouble for making music his priority instead of schoolwork. He soon dropped out of school to focus on his music. Mick moved into the shed behind his parent's house so he could play whenever he wanted and as loud as he wanted, without interruption. In April 1981, thirteen years after he moved out of his family’s home, living in Orange County, Mick Mars was reborn. He dyed his hair black and placed a want ad in “The Recycler”, an LA newspaper, describing himself as a “loud, rude and aggressive guitar player”. This gained the attention of Nikki Sixx and the two decided to form a band together. Tommy Lee joined on drums and upon Mick’s prodding, they persuaded local Rock Candy singer, Vince Neil to join them.

    It was Mick’s suggestion that the band be called Mötley Crüe, a name that had stuck with him from an interaction from his days as a member of White Horse when a band manager walked into the room and called them “…a motley looking crew.” After dabbling with spelling and punctuation, he came up with “Mötley Crüe”. Unique to the other hard rock/heavy metal guitarists of his era, Mars’ guitar style is steeped in the blues tradition. He employs frequent use of the metal slide in his soloing and takes in both the rhythm and lead guitar duties of the band. Mars frequently tunes his guitar down to D (rather than the standard E) to get a stronger and crunchier rhythm sound. The altered tuning also increases string slack to get his characteristic hammer-on trills, pitch bending and pinch harmonics during soloing. Mars has introduced the pedal steel guitar to many of Mötley Crüe's later recordings and live sets, and has taken an increasingly critical role in songwriting. Mars is responsible for many of Mötley Crüe’s best know guitar riffs.

    In 2001, Mötley Crüe split and Mars dealt with bankruptcy, depression and worsening health problems. Mick has struggled with ankylosing spondylitis, since his initial diagnosis. This disease has increasingly impaired his movement , caused him a great deal of pain and led to a hip replacement surgery at the end of 2004. The illness has caused his lower spine to seize up and freeze completely solid, “causing scoliosis in my back and squashing me further down and forward until I was a full three inches shorter than I was in high school.” In December 2004, Mötley Crüe reunited to begin their climb back to the top, and despite his precarious health condition, Mick was able to perform in the Carnival of Sins Tour in 2005 and the Route of all Evil Tour, with Aerosmith, in 2006. Mötley Crüe remains at the top of their game with their Summer 2008 release of Saints of Los Angeles, and Touring Extravaganza –Crüe Fest.

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  • Andy Sneap

    Andy Sneap

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Sabbat, Hell
    Floyd Rose Original, Titanium Floyd Rose
    www.andysneap.com

     

    Andy Sneap is a guitarist and songwriter, though mostly known these days as a producer. He founded Sabbat at the age of 16, wrote all the music and released three albums with them, producing the latter two himself.

    Formed in Nottingham, England in 1985, from the very beginning it was recognized that Sabbat had a special kind of talent. Disillusioned with the state of British Heavy Metal, which for several years had become increasingly more commercial and predictable, the band endeavoured from the outset to provide metal fans with music of the quality and originality that they personally would like to hear.


    Too technical to be dubbed mere Thrash, too thought provoking to be labeled Black Metal, Sabbat are their own masters. Their sound is built upon the blackened fury of early Venom and the chaotic orchestration of Mercyful Fate, the razor riffing of classic Metallica, Exodus and Slayer.

    In May 1986 the quartet recorded their 'Fragments of a Faith Forgotten' demo. This demo was given excellent worldwide reviews and gained the attention of larger magazines which included a two-page colour feature in Kerrang! (issue 140).

    A Radio One session, an invitation to record a flexi-disc for the fantasy gaming magazine White Dwarf, and extensive touring of the UK culminated in a recording contract with Noise International.


    Sabbat unleashed their debut album 'History Of A Time to Come' in early 1988 which was met with universal critical acclaim. No less than eighteen months later this was followed by the monumentous 'Dreamweaver', an ambitious project inter-twining the imaginative lyrical interpretation of the Brian Bates novel 'The Way of the Wyrd' and hailed to become the yardstick for an exciting new era of intelligent metal.

    However, tensions within the band began to mount, due to musical differences, which ended with Walkyier leaving to form Skyclad in 1990 and Sneap going on to concentrate on production.

    He has since decided to focus on a career as a producer and has found great success in this field, working with bands as diverse as Masterplan and Killswitch Engage-- his list of credits is almost endless. Since 2008, he's also the guitar player and co-composer in Hell, whose David Halliday taught him to play the guitar.

    Having led the way for many to follow in their footsteps, Sabbat reformed for four shows across the UK in 2006 in support of their protégés Cradle of Filth and played festivals throughout 2007.

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  • Chris Poland

    Chris Poland

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Floyd Rose Original, Stone Tone Block

    Chris Poland is probably best known as the former lead guitarist for Megadeth, a group he was asked to rejoin several times, but Chris had been a well known L.A. area fusion player prior to his stint with Mustaine’s group.  He has since continued to solidify his reputation as an exceptional songwriter and guitarist, leading such projects as his solo debut,Return to Metalopolis, A&M Records’ Damn the Machine, and Mumbo’s Brain.  In addition to his main group OHM:, Chris has also done side-projects with members of famed jamband, Umphrey’s McGee (OHMPHREY) and Columbia Records recording artist, sax player, Frank Catalano (PolCat).  He is also an in demand session player appearing on recordings with such diverse artists as Ice-T, Queensryche, Flotsam & Jetsam, Jeff Loomis, and Redemption.

    Chris’ clean, overdriven tone, and legato phrasing make him instantly recognizable.  His unique style can be partially attributed to an injury to his index finger on his fret hand. This injury forced him to develop a style that includes smoothly phrased passages and wide intervallic leaps.

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  • James

    James "J.Y." Young

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Styx
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.styxworld.com

     James "J.Y." Young, guitarist, singer and songwriter best known for playing lead guitar in the rock band, Styx.  J.Y. plays mostly Stratocasters and all of his guitars have Floyd Rose locking trems strung with .008-.038-gauge strings.

    Styx won a recording contract with Chicago-based Wooden Nickel Records, and Young and Denis DeYoung co-wrote Styx' debut single "Best Thing," which was a minor radio hit. The group's second album slanted far more heavily toward DeYoung's contributions; the breakthrough success of his piano-based rock ballad "Lady" launched a string of Top 10 hits for Styx that would last through the mid-1970s and into the early 1980s.

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  • Angus Clark

    Angus Clark

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Trans Siberian Orchestra
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.angusclark.com

    Angus Clark was born and raised in New York City and has made his mark as a professional touring and recording guitarist for the last 20 years. He has toured and recorded for the last 12 years with the Platinum-Selling and Grammy-Nominated Trans-Siberian Orchestra. Prior to his work with the TSO he spent 5 years touring and recording with the world reknowned, Golden-Globe and Grammy-Winning New Age artist Kitaro. During his time with Kitaro he appeared as the lead soloist on 3 Grammy-Nominated albums and the concert DVD "An Enchanted Evening".

    As a solo artist, Angus has recorded 2 albums, a vocal album, "Grace Period" in 2004, and the all-instrumental "Your Last Battlefield" in 2008. In 2009 he released "Out of the Sun" with his band DareDevil Squadron. As a songwriter, his material has been used in commercials and has been performed by various artists including Jethro Tull. He also appears regularly in the Broadway production of the musical "Rock of Ages" and has performed with numerous artists such as Paul Rodgers (Bad Co.), Jon Anderson (Yes), and Robin Zander (Cheap Trick). Angus is also General Manager of Song Division, an innovative new company that takes corporate client groups with literally no musical experience and provides them with the opportunity to write and record their own original songs with a band of A-List session players.

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  • Joe Walsh

    Joe Walsh

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Eagles, James Gang, Joe Walsh
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.joewalsh.com

    From his early hits with the James Gang through to his tenure with the Eagles -- as well as a successful solo career -- Joe Walsh remained one of the most colorful characters in rock & roll, lending his distinctively reedy vocals, off-the-wall lyrics, and expansive guitar leads to a series of AOR staples including "Funk #49," "Rocky Mountain Way," and "Life's Been Good." Born November 20, 1947 in Wichita, Kansas, Walsh initially studied the oboe and clarinet, later playing bass in local bands the G-Clefs and the Nomads; while attending Kent State University, he finally picked up the guitar, fronting the collegiate combo the Measles from 1965 to 1969. He then joined the Cleveland-based hard rock trio the James Gang, appearing on their debut LP Yer' Album. The trio's 1970 album, The James Gang Rides Again, proved the group's commercial breakthrough, launching the FM radio favorite "Funk #49" and achieving gold status. While the follow-up, Thirds, was another success, yielding the classic "Walk Away," Walsh found the James Gang's power trio format too confining and left the group soon after.

    After relocating to Colorado, Walsh formed a new group, Barnstorm, recording a self-titled 1972 LP before making his proper solo debut the following year with The Smoker You Drink, the Player You Get. The record cracked the Top Ten on the strength of the pop hit "Rocky Mountain Way" and was followed in 1974 by So What. In the wake of 1976's You Can't Argue with a Sick Mind, Walsh replaced guitarist Bernie Leadon in the hugely popular West Coast rock quintet the Eagles, making his debut on their best-selling Hotel California album. He also continued his solo career, issuing But Seriously, Folks... in 1978; the record's highlight, the hilarious "Life's Been Good" -- a dead-on portrait of rock star debauchery -- became his biggest pop hit, nearly reaching the Top Ten.

    In 1979, Walsh announced his campaign for President of the United States, promising "free gas for everyone" if he won (he didn't). The Eagles' final studio album, the chart-topping The Long Run, appeared that same year. The soundtrack to the film Urban Cowboy generated Walsh's next solo smash, "All Night Long," which cracked the Top 20 in the summer of 1980; although 1981's There Goes the Neighborhood featured his final Top 40 entry, "A Life of Illusion," he continued recording steadily, resurfacing in 1983 with You Bought It: You Name It and issuing The Confessor two years later. In between, Walsh ran for the vice presidency, again unsuccessfully. Following 1987's Got Any Gum?, he toured with Ringo Starr & His All Starr Band, returning to his solo career for 1991's Ordinary Average Guy. In 1994 he joined the reunited Eagles for their blockbuster Hell Freezes Over tour and remained on the road as a solo act for years to come.

    In 2012, after years touring with the Eagles and writing new material, Walsh recorded his first solo album with producer extraordinaire Jeff Lynne (of Electric Light Orchestra) and Beatles drummer Starr. A comeback of sorts, the album title Analog Man pertained to Walsh's difficulties catching up to the new standard of digital recording as a 64-year-old, and trying to adjust to technological advances in society.

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  • Derek Tailer

    Derek Tailer

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Overkill
    Floyd Rose Original

    Overkill is synonymous with power, precision and perseverance. Across three decades, the pioneering powerhouse has shaped, refined and steadily broadened a determined style of blue collar power metal, soaring melodic hard rock and genre-defining thrash built from steadfast, muscular pulls at their own proverbial bootstraps. Overkill continues to power ahead through the changing musical landscape, trends be damned, and has delivered an incisively supercharged and ridiculously energized new landmark in the form of The Electric Age.

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  • Brian Tarquin

    Brian Tarquin

    Posted by Bold Commerce Collaborator

    Floyd Rose Original, FRX, & ISOT3 Guitar

    Multi Emmy Award winning Brian Tarquin is an established top rate composer/guitarist. He has won 3 Emmy's for “Outstanding Achievement in Music Direction and Composition for a Drama Series” and has been nominated for an Emmy 6 times. In 2019 Tarquin received a Global Music Gold Award for his release Orlando In Heaven for “Best Album.” Three years in a row (2016-2019) Tarquin received “Best Album Of The Year” nominations from the Independent Music Awards for his releases Guitars For Wounded Warriors, Orlando in Heaven and Guitars for Veterans. On which, Tarquin shows his guitar prowess along side such world-class shredders as: Steve Morse, Larry Coryell, Mike Stern, Billy Sheehan, Gary Hoey, Bumblefoot (Guns N’ Roses), Reb Beach (Whitesnake), Hal Lindes (Dire Straits), Chris Poland (Megadeth) and Chuck Loeb (FourPlay). In 2006 SESAC honored him with the Network Television Performance Award. Tarquin has graced the Top Billboard Charts with such commercial releases as: This is Acid Jazz, Vol. 2, Sweet Emotions, and Bossa Brava: Caliente on Instinct Records, followed by several solo jazz albums, which charted Top 10 at Smooth Jazz Radio R&R and Gavin charts. Brian has appeared on 38 releases, selling over 140,000 records in his career.

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  • Brad Whitford

    Brad Whitford

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Aerosmith
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.aerosmith.com

    Born on February 23, 1952 in Reading, MA, Whitford became interested in music early on via his older brother, who had hopes of becoming a radio disc jockey. It wasn't long before Whitford began playing his brother's guitar and taking lessons, and playing in such obscure '60s local bands as Teapot Dome, Earth Incorporated, Cymbals of Resistance, and Justin Tyme. Upon discovering such blues-based hard rock acts as Led Zeppelin and Humble Pie, Whitford's playing took on a similar style.

     After attending the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston during the early '70s, Whitford was invited to join up with Aerosmith, who were still and up-and-coming local band at the time themselves. Replacing original guitarist/member Ray Tabano, Whitford proved to be missing piece to the puzzle for Aerosmith, as they soon after were signed by Columbia Records. Whitford and Aerosmith slowly but surely built up a solid following by non-stop touring, as their first two releases sold admirably -- 1973's self-titled debut and 1974's Get Your Wings. But it was such classic hard rock releases as 1975's Toys in the Attic and 1976's Rocks that catapulted Aerosmith to the top of the heap, as they became one of the decade's most popular (and later, most influential), hard rock acts. Although usually standing in the back and letting Perry and Tyler hog all the spotlight, Whitford helped co-pen several tracks that have gone on to become fan favorites, including such Zeppelin-esque riff mongers as "Round and Round" and "Nobody's Fault," plus the funk-rocker "Last Child," among others.

     But big-time success caused the bandmembers to indulge heavily in drink and drugs, which led to the group's disintegration. Although such albums as 1977's Draw the Line, 1978's Live Bootleg, and 1979's Night in the Ruts sold well, the group's magical spark had long been extinguished (during this time, Whitford also played guitar on an a release by the obscure outfit, Nineteen Eighty Four). Soon after, both Perry and Whitford opted to exit the group about a year apart from each other. Upon his exit from Aerosmith in 1981, Whitford hooked up with former Ted Nugent singer/guitarist Derek St. Holmes, forming the appropriately titled outfit Whitford/St. Holmes. But when a self-titled release the same year failed to return the pair to the top of the charts (and a subsequent completed sophomore effort was shelved), the duo split up; St. Holmes returned back to Nugent, and Whitford joined forces briefly alongside his former Aero-bandmate Joe Perry in the Joe Perry Project. In 1983, Whitford played guitar on former teen heartthrob Rex Smith's release, Camouflage, playing on several tracks and co-penning a song called "Get it Right."

     With Aerosmith's career on the downside (and all current and previous members still hindered by substances, and fast going bankrupt), Whitford and Perry decided to return to the group, resulting in a reunion tour in 1984. It took the group a few years (and a failed comeback album, 1985's Done with Mirrors) to regain their footing, and put and end to the drug abuse once and for all. But as soon as they cleaned up their act, Aerosmith reclaimed their standing as one of the world's top hard rock acts, as they scored massive hits with 1987's Permanent Vacation and 1989's Pump. In addition, the group's sound and look was copied by countless bands around this time, including Mötley Crüe, Guns N' Roses, Cinderella, the Black Crowes, etc. Whitford also took the time to try his hand at co-producing another group, the Boston-based power pop outfit the Neighborhoods, on 1990's Hoodwinked. Whitford and Aerosmith toured and issued albums throughout the '90s and beyond (although their music became more radio-friendly with each subsequent release), including 1993's Get a Grip, 1997's Nine Lives, and 2001's Just Push Play. Whitford (along with his bandmates) was extensively interviewed for Aerosmith's 1997 autobiography, Walk This Way.

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  • Greg Howe

    Greg Howe

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Duke, Richie Kotzen-Greg Howe Project, Michael Jackson, N'SYNC, Justin Timberlake, Maragold
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.greghowe.com

    Easton, PA's Greg Howe was a breath of fresh air amidst the seemingly never-ending stream of harmonic minor guitar virtuosos pouring forth from the Shrapnel Records label in the late '80s. While other post-Yngwie Malmsteen players of the "shred guitar" genre were pursuing the dramatic neo-classical vein, Howe brought a sense of funk and groove to the table that was sorely needed. Howe paid his dues playing the Easton/Allentown club circuit in the '80s with the band Duke, featuring his brother Al on lead vocals. When one of his instrumental demos grabbed the ear of talent scout and Shrapnel Records owner Mike Varney, Howe was signed to the Shrapnel label in 1987. His all-instrumental debut, Greg Howe, featuring the talents of Billy Sheehan and Atma Anur on bass and drums, respectively, was released in 1988, to considerable acclaim. Howe's second album, High Gear, released under the moniker Howe 2, was less a solo album than a Van Halen-styled band effort, featuring his brother Al Howe on lead vocals. The band broke up after releasing its more commercially minded follow-up, Now Hear This, in 1990 and Greg Howe returned to making all-instrumental albums in his home studio, taking a decidedly more fusion-styled direction.

    Howe released Introspection in 1993 and Uncertain Terms in 1994 and has continued to produce albums at a prolific rate since then. Aside from releasing Parallax and Five in 1995 and 1996, respectively, Howe collaborated with fellow Pennsylvania virtuoso and Shrapnel labelmate Richie Kotzen on the Tilt album in 1995 and again on 1997's Richie Kotzen/Greg Howe Project. His last Shrapnel album, Ascend, was released in 1999, followed by his debut on the Tone Center label, Hyperacuity, released in 2000. Outside of his solo career, Greg Howe is also a sought-after sideman who has toured with the likes of Michael Jackson and N'Sync.

    As of 2013, his new band, Maragold, has released a self-titled album which is already getting rave reviews.

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  • George Lynch

    George Lynch

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Dokken, Lynch Mob, Souls of We
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.georgelynch.com

     George Lynch is one of the most recognizable names in the world of heavy metal guitar. With a career spanning more than thirty years, George has recorded more than twenty albums, toured the entire globe many times, and is the one of the most recognizable endorsees of the world’s finest guitars and equipment. Born on September 28, 1954 in Spokane, WA, George Lynch began learning to play guitar at the age of 10. A naturally gifted musician, his guitar playing quickly progressed and became a creative outlet for him during his teenage years performing with several bands, most notably Sergeant Rocks. In the late 1970s, George moved to Los Angeles, California where he formed two bands, The Boyz and Xciter. With Xciter, George’s technical abilities and unique style was a very important draw to the band’s fan base. Playing the L.A. club circuit, it was clear that he was already taking the necessary steps that would lead him to success in the 1980s and his partnership with legendary band Dokken.

    When George Lynch joined Dokken in the early 1980’s, success came very quickly. As history proves, much of the band’s album sales and credibility is the result of George Lynch’s guitar abilities and songwriting. With Dokken, Lynch recorded five albums from 1983 to 1988, all of which did remarkably well in the United States, Europe and Asia. This worldwide success made George Lynch one of the most influential rock guitarists in modern music, even earning the band a Grammy nomination in 1989 for Best Rock Instrumental. 1989 was also the year the George parted ways with Dokken and began the new decade with a different approach…enter the Lynch Mob. At present, George Lynch has been busy in the studio and on the road. His latest solo record titled “ Legacy” features a collection of songs that influenced the musician throughout his career This special edition EP release celebrates thirty years of George Lynch’s guitar playing with an amazing 4 track offering for the fans. Legacy injects us with a super charged dose of George’s signature style and proves once again why he’s one of the most respected guitar players of the last 3 decades! George is also working on a new album project called “T & N” with Jeff Pilson, Mick Brown and Brian Tichy. George Lynch is always evolving as a musician. And with the George Lynch guitar legacy comes remarkable business opportunities. Many musical instrument manufacturers consult with George creatively to produce equipment. As a result, many quality products bear his name.

    The most notable is his endorsement with ESP Guitars. ESP has held George as their highest profiled endorser for close to 20 years. Electric guitar pickup guru Seymour Duncan has also honored George with his own signature series pickup called the “Screamin’ Demon.” Now a highly regarded standard in the guitar world, the “Screamin’ Demon” reigns as one of Seymour Duncan’s most popular items to date. George also conceived the design for a triple amp selector switching system called the “Tripler” which is manufactured by Morley. American Recording Technology manufactures and distributes the George Lynch Signature guitar, patch and speaker cables. In 2005, Randall Amplifiers revealed a new George Lynch modular amp called the “Lynch Box”. Also of note, George Lynch and Robert Keeley have developed the Lynch Time Machine, a unique and powerful effect unit that is gaining a lot of interest and momentum within the guitar industry. To keep up to-date with the current news & tour schedules of George Lynch, please visit www.georgelynch.com and don’t forget to visit www.shadowtrainmovie.com, a new documentary George Lynch is involved with, titled “"ShadowTrain: Under A Crooked Sky."

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  • Lars Johansson

    Lars Johansson

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Candlemass (Sweden)
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.candlemass.se

    'Since 1987, Lars Johansson has been lead guitarist with Candlemass, the heaviest doom metal band to ever come out of Sweden. The band has released 11 studio albums, five live albums, four DVDs and a bunch of other stuff to huge global success. On top of that, Lars has also released some music on his own under names like Zoic, Creozoth and Fat.Mo.Mac.' -SeymourDuncan Website

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  • Jeff Loomis

    Jeff Loomis

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Nevermore
    Floyd Rose Original, Stone Tone Block
    www.jeffloomis.com

    Born in 1971, Jeff Loomis sent a tape to metal band Sanctuary when he heard they had lost their guitarist. He got the job, but it was not slated to be a long-lasting one. The group broke up two months later. However, as the ashes of Sanctuary were clearing, Loomis, along with two other members of the group, formed the band Nevermore. Loomis’ complex shredding has been a central part of the progressive but powerful and thrashy edge often attributed to Nevermore’s trademark sound since the band’s formation in 1992. As the band’s lone guitarist, he’s been responsible for some of the most awe-inspiring riffs modern metal has ever heard. Taking the classic techniques he learned from listening to legends like Jason Becker and Yngwie Malmsteen as a teen and applying his own ingenuity, Loomis has carved his own niche and created an instantly recognizable style. As a result of his invaluable contributions to Nevermore’s success, fans have been calling for a JEFF LOOMIS solo album for years. With most in the band taking a rare and much-deserved break, Loomis finally had the opportunity to hit the studio himself and the outcome is nothing short of remarkable.

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  • John Goodsall

    John Goodsall

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Brand X
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.facebook.com/johngoodsall 

    John Goodsall, born in 1952, was made famous by his work with Brand X. He began playing guitar at age 7, and joined Carol Grimes' Babylon at age 15. Prior to his work with Brand X, he toured extensively, first with The Alan Bown Set, and then as "Johnny Mandala" with Atomic Rooster. After Brand X's 1979 World Tour, he moved to Los Angeles and worked extensively as a session musician, with artists such as Bill Bruford, Peter Gabriel, Billy Idol, and Bryan Adams. In 1989 he began leading a band called Fire Merchants, with whom he released two albums. Shortly after this Brand X reformed and released X-Communication and Manifest Destiny.

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  • Jennifer Batten

    Jennifer Batten

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Michael Jackson
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.jenniferbatten.com

    The buzz on Jennifer Batten rose from the guitar underground, and the guitar magazines promptly began chronicling her savvy musicianship and highly original approach to the electric guitar in print. At one point Batten was in 6 different bands, playing everything from straight ahead rock, to metal, fusion, and funk. A major turning point came when she was selected from over one hundred guitarists to play in Michael Jackson's highly skilled band which toured the world for one and a half years playing for over four and a half million people. Jennifer wasted no time after the” Bad” Tour's grand finale, diving into work on her own album with renowned producer (and Stevie Wonder guitarist) Michael Sembello. The stunning results can be heard on “Above, Below, and Beyond”, the title appropriately describing the interesting diversity within. With this debut release, the world at large learned what all the excitement was about. Shortly after the record's release in the spring of '92, she was asked again to join Michael Jackson for his upcoming "Dangerous Tour". In January '93, she joined Jackson to partake in Superbowl XXVII's half time entertainment which aired to one and half billion people in 80 nations. It was the largest audience in television history.  She completed her second solo record "Jennifer Batten's Tribal Rage~Momentum," just before she was again asked to join Michael Jackson for his 2 year world tour supporting his double album "HIStory" in 1997.

    Jennifer's Tribal Rage project took a much different direction than her first record and is heavily influenced by world music. It is a hybrid of rock and very exotic sounds, including African percussion, Australian didgeridoo, Caribbean steel drums and Scottish bag pipes. In the spring of 98 Jeff Beck asked Jennifer to join his band. They joined forces for 3 years on the CD’s "Who Else", and "“You Had It Coming"” which were both supported by world tours. Other guest appearances include CDs with Carmine Appice, Michael Sembello, Carl Anderson, Carina Alfie and several rock tributes. Jennifer has authored two music books and has just released her third solo CD/DVD entitled “Whatever”. With this 3rd effort, she’s ventured into electronica, vocal samples, and film. She’s supporting this release with a multimedia one woman show, playing guitar in synch with films projected onto a giant screen. The companion DVD includes over 90 min of art films, previously unreleased music videos, interviews, commentary, and an innovative guitar lesson.

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  • Nuno Bettencourt

    Nuno Bettencourt

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Rihanna
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.nunobettencourt.com

    Guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt made his name with the eclectic pop-metal outfit Extreme during the height of the guitar-shredder era, and embarked on a solo career after the band's breakup. As a soloist, Bettencourt's most immediately recognizable influence was Eddie Van Halen, but as a songwriter, he might draw from Queen, the Beatles, Prince, and anything in between. The youngest of ten children in a musical family, Bettencourt was born Nuno Duarte Gil Mendes Bettencourt in the town of Praia da Vitoria, on the island of Terceira in the Azores (an archipelago governed by Portugal) on September 20, 1966. His family moved to Boston when he was four and he began playing music as a teenager, trying out drums, bass, and keyboards, but settling on guitar. Bettencourt played in several area bands, sometimes with his brothers, and joined Extreme in 1985; after becoming quite popular locally, the group signed with A&M and released their debut album in 1989. Three more albums followed, plus a number one pop single in the acoustic ballad "More Than Words," before the band called it quits in 1996.

    In addition, Bettencourt produced and guested on the second album by Australian hard rockers Baby Animals in 1993; the following year, he married the group's lead singer, Suze DeMarchi. Bettencourt had been rumored to have a solo project in the works for some time, and after Extreme's demise, he threw himself into the idea in earnest. In fact, he played all the instruments on his 1997 solo debut, Schizophonic (released by longtime label A&M). While the album did take the alternative rock revolution into account, it failed to sell very well; feeling constrained, Bettencourt left A&M and in 1998 put together a permanent backing unit featuring nephew Donovan Bettencourt (who'd played on the supporting tour for Schizophonic) on bass and former Extreme bandmate Mike Mangini on drums. Mangini didn't stay long, however, and was replaced by Jeff Consi in January 1999. Bettencourt dubbed the group the Mourning Widows, and they signed with Polydor's Japanese division; their debut, Mourning Widows, was released overseas in 1998, blending hard rock and funk-rock with bits of alternative and psychedelia. The follow-up, Furnished Souls for Rent, was released in 2000. Bettencourt took two years to follow up Furnished Souls for Rent with a self titled debut from his new group, Population One.

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  • Kirk Hammett

    Kirk Hammett

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Metallica
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.kirk-hammet.com

    In the spring of 1983, Hammett received a phone call from the boys in Metallica -- which included singer/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, and bassist Cliff Burton -- asking if he'd be interested in trying out for the band (their original guitarist, Dave Mustaine, was about to be booted due to erratic behavior). The group arranged for Hammett to fly out to their new home base of New York, where he passed the test after a single run-through of their early classic anthem, "Seek & Destroy," with Burton comparing Hammett's playing to such Euro-metal guitarists as Michael Schenker and Ritchie Blackmore -- two of the band's fav players. The new lineup instantly began work on their debut album, Kill 'Em All, issued the same year -- since Hammett joined just a short while earlier, he didn't have a chance to put his own stamp on the material, opting instead to stick to the riffs and approach that Mustaine had already laid down. This would change on the band's next two releases, 1984's Ride the Lightning and 1986's Master of Puppets, as Hammett developed his own style on what many consider to be among metal's all-time great albums.

    Metallica was fast becoming one of metal's premier bands, yet Burton's tragic death mid-tour in September of 1986 almost ended the group. With former Flotsam & Jetsam bassist Jason Newsted taking Burton's place, Metallica soldiered on, issuing two mega-hit albums, 1988's And Justice for All and 1991's self-titled release, and establishing themselves as one of rock's biggest acts. Further sold-out tours and hit releases continued throughout the '90s -- 1996's Load, 1997's Reload, 1998's Garage Inc, and 1999's S&M -- as the group reinvented their former image from long-haired heavy metallists to snappily-dressed, short-haired GQ men (Hammett in particular even wore eyeliner and nail polish around this time, something that would have warranted automatic termination from the band a decade earlier!). Throughout the '90s, Kirk's guitar playing also shifted focus from his early metal roots to a more earthy (almost bluesy) Jimi Hendrix-esque style, as Hammett's own "signature series" line of six-strings were manufactured through the ESP guitar company.

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  • Phil Collen

    Phil Collen

    Posted by Bold Apps

    Def Leppard
    Floyd Rose Original, Floyd Rose Sustainer
    http://www.philcollenpc1.com

    Philip Kenneth Collen was a late starter by all standards, especially when you consider his current iconic rock star status as lead guitarist for a world famous multi-platinum selling rock-n-roll band. Born in Hackney, East London, England on December 8th, 1957, Phil was influenced by everything from the Rolling Stones to the Motown sound to glam rock, hard rock, punk, or anything with a flair. He got his first guitar at the age of 16 after pestering his parents for two years. Ken, a cross country truck driver and Connie, a devoted housewife were persuaded that it was the right thing to do. This came about after Collen was taken to his first rock concert to see Deep Purple at age 14 by his cousin. “The experience changed my life,” said Phil.

    Collen left school at sixteen to work in a factory and as a dispatch rider. Influenced by guitar players such as Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix, and Mick Ronson, he soon developed a flashy, aggressive style of playing rock guitar. Phil quit his day job he went on tour as a guitarist with the London-based post-punk glam rock band ‘Girl’. Collen joined Def Leppard in 1982 during the Pyromania album recording sessions, playing guitar solos on the hits ‘Photograph’, ‘Foolin’’, and ‘Rock Of Ages’ among others. Pyromania was Def Leppard’s breakthrough album and turned Def Leppard into rock super-stars almost over night. They spent the summer of 1983 at number 2 on the Billboard charts, behind Michael Jackson’s Thriller, the biggest selling album of all time. Pyromania sold in excess of 10 times platinum and received a Diamond award in the US and Canada.

    After the Pyromania tour ended, tragedy struck the band. During the recording of the Hysteria album drummer Rick Allen lost his left arm in a car accident on New Year’s Eve 1984. The band chose not to replace Rick. He re-learned how to play the drums using his left foot to replicate left arm percussion. His dedication to the band paid off and upon the release of Hysteria Def Leppard had their best selling album to date, releasing seven singles from the album including the smash hits ‘Pour Some Sugar On Me’ and ‘Love Bites’. The band received their second diamond album, selling over twelve million copies in the U.S alone, putting them in an exclusive group of only six bands ever to achieve two diamond albums in America. Def Leppard was now among rock-n-roll’s elite which included The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, The Eagles, and Van Halen.

    Fortune and fame, however, often have a price to be paid, and tragedy was to strike the band again. While creating songs for the Adrenalize album Steve Clark was found dead in his London home due to a mixture of painkillers and alcohol. Clark had been Phil’s best friend and guitar partner in the band. The pair had been dubbed ‘The Terror Twins’ due to their “on tour shinnanigans”. Soon the name became synonymous with more than pranks and their classic harmonious guitar playing became known as the ‘Def Leppard sound’. Adrenalize was released with Phil Collen recording the guitar parts for both players and was the number one album in the U.S during the 1992 L.A. riots.

    The nineties also saw the release of the Slang album and the ever popular Vault, Def Leppard’s greatest hits album which has achieved quadruple platinum status in the U.S.A.

    Expanding their reach Def Leppard collaborated with two country superstars. Tim McGraw was featured on their Sparkle Lounge single ‘Nine Lives’ while Taylor Swift teamed up with the band swapping hits on CMT’s Crossroads which also has been released as a DVD and garnered the band two CMT nominations.

    Phil and his bandmates from Manraze are currently creating music for a second album. As lead vocalist and lead guitarist he performs a modern day mix of punk, rock, and reggae with bassist Simon Laffy formerly of Girl and legendary Sex Pistols’ drummer Paul Cook. The band’s debut album Surreal has been released in the US and the UK to rave critical reviews comparing the band to the Police, the Foo Fighters, and the Clash. Phil Collen was the only artist to play twice at 2009’s Download Festival with both bands, Manraze and Def Leppard.

    These days there is intense interest in Phil Collen’s health regimen and diet as there is in his music and artistic expression. Phil trains as a practicing Muay Thai kickboxer and utilizes weight work-outs culminating in three workouts a day, seven days a week under the watchful eye of his trainer Muay Thai kickboxing champion Jean Carrillo to get to and maintain his current fitness level.

    Phil Collen has been a vegetarian for 27 years and alcohol-free for 22 years, busting the myth of the classic ‘rockstar’ stereotype wide open.

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  • Paul Crook

    Paul Crook

    Posted by Bold Apps

    Meat Loaf, Anthrax, Sebastian Bach, Session Musician
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.paul-crook.com

    Paul Crook is an internationally acclaimed guitarist and highly sought after songwriter, producer and engineer. Known for his stints as lead guitarist for metal pioneers Anthrax, vocal icon Sebastian Bach and currently performing with the legendary Meat Loaf, Paul has established himself as one of the world’s premier rock and metal guitarists. It is that reputation that has Paul contacted for studio session work with famed producers including Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Dave Matthews Band) and Kevin Shirley (Iron Maiden, Led Zeppelin) as well as being personally selected by world renowned Queen guitarist Brian May to perform those classic Queen licks in the Las Vegas version of the smash hit musical “We Will Rock You”. Having toured the world countless times, performing on gold and platinum selling albums as well as major motion picture soundtracks, Paul continues to enjoy what has been a successful two-decades-long career.

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  • Steve Stevens

    Steve Stevens

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Billy Idol
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.stevestevens.com

     Steve Stevens is one of the most gifted guitarists to emerge from the ’80s music scene. Born in Brooklyn, New York, on May 5, 1959, Stevens first picked up the guitar at only seven years old on the suggestion of Sunny Ochs, sister/guitar teacher of 1960’s protest singer Phil Ochs. Immersing himself in the great early 1970’s Brit guitar heroes like Beck, Page and Clapton, Stevens would eventually became an avid prog rock fan, especially the likes of King Crimson and Yes. Steve was accepted into the prestigious LaGuardia High School For The Performing Arts which the film Fame was based on.

    Honing his craft while playing in Manhattan, Stevens recorded an unreleased album with his band, Fine Maribus for Island Records. That album was produced by Jimmy Miller of Rolling Stones fame. Steve was invited to play on Kiss drummer Peter Criss’ second post-Kiss solo outing, 1982's Let Me Rock You. Peter covered Steve’s original song First Day In The Rain for this album. It was also during the early ’80s that Stevens hooked up with ex-Generation X singer Billy Idol, who had relocated to New York in hopes of launching a solo career. Idol found the perfect foil in Stevens, and with ex-Kiss manager Bill Aucoin backing them, Idol’s career skyrocketed. Combining Idol’s punk and Stevens’ hard rock backgrounds with dance music, Idol became one of MTV’s early video stars, as such albums as 1982's Billy Idol and 1983's Rebel Yell became blockbuster hits — spurred on by Stevens’ inventive guitar work (and outrageous glam rock image).

    In 1985 Steve traveled to France to record with the Thompson Twins for their album, Here’s To Future Days. He was also the bands guest (with Madonna and Steve’s friend Nile Rogers) to perform at the Live Aid concert. It took an extended period for Idol and Stevens to offer a the third album, 1986's Whiplash Smile, and although it was another big hit, Stevens longed to launch his own solo career, and exited Idol’s band by the end of the decade. Stevens also remained an in-demand hired gun, as he played on recordings by Michael Jackson (Dirty Diana-Bad), Ric Ocasek (This Side of Paradise), and Robert Palmer (Don’t Explain), among others. Additionally, Stevens appeared on the mega-selling 1986 soundtrack to the Tom Cruise movie Top Gun, for which he collaborated with keyboardist Harold Faltermeyer on “Top Gun Anthem” (which earned Stevens a Grammy Award for Pop Instrumental Performance that year).

    In 1989 after being signed by famed producer Ted Templeman to Warner Brothers Records, Stevens formed his own group, Atomic Playboys. The early ’90s saw Stevens keep up his busy schedule, as he formed a new group with ex-Hanoi Rocks singer Michael Monroe, named Jerusalem Slim. In a strange twist of fate, Stevens then signed on to work with ex-Mötley Crüe singer Vince Neil on 1993's Exposed. This saw Stevens & Neil as openers for the summer Van Halen tour. Many reviews stated that Steve was the best guitarist to grace the stage on many an evening. Stevens finally got his chance to show off his lifelong appreciation of prog rock when he united with bassist Tony Levin and drummer Terry Bozzio in the bombastic outfit Bozzio Levin Stevens, issuing a pair of releases thus far: 1997's Black Light Syndrome and 2000's Situation Dangerous. Around the same time, Stevens reunited with Idol, appearing alongside the singer on 2002's VH1 Storytellers, and also found time to issue another solo release, Flamenco A Go-Go. During this period he forged a creative partnership with Ben Watkins of electronic collaborative Juno Reactor. The duo’s composition, Pistolero, was chosen by director Robert Rodriguez for his film Once Upon A Time In Mexico. Stevens-Watkins songs have since been used in many major motion pictures. In 2008 Steve released the critically acclaimed instrumental album Memory Crash. In 2011 Steve Stevens and Billy Idol celebrated a 30 year partnership that is stronger today than ever.

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  • Roger Fisher

    Roger Fisher

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Heart
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.rogerfisher.com

    Quote: "Hats off to someone who, with their vision, creativity, and willingness to break the rules has taken residence on the same pinnacle of importance as Les Paul and Leo Fender. Good job, Floyd!"

     Born in Seattle, Washington on February 14th, 1950, Roger Fisher was founding guitarist of the rock group Heart, globally known through the sales of more than 30 million albums. Roger has played in almost every major city in North America. He has also toured Europe, Japan, Australia, Uzbekistan and Russia, and performed at massive events in the Czech Republic, Japan, Canada and the United States for as many as 280,000 people at a single rock show. He has appeared on a multitude of television shows including Johnny Carson and Jay Leno, and television broadcasts for more than 60 million people in Europe.

    Songs featuring Roger’'s songwriting and iconic guitar riffs have been used in numerous TV commercials, TV shows, Guitar Hero, and in several movies, including Charlie'’s Angels and Shrek 3. Other artists have covered his material, including Eminem. His timeless anthem guitar intro to Barracuda is frequently used as the lead in for America’s number one rated radio talk show, Rush Limbaugh. Tony Robbins refers to Barracuda as part of the turning point in his life. It was also controversially featured by Republican presidential and Vice Presidential candidates, John McCain and Sarah Palin in the 2008 election. The original line-up of Heart was inducted to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2013. His latest release is ALL TOLD, album one– of a four-album package entitled ONE VISION, with brother Mike, a.k.a. Magic Man.

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  • Synyster Gates

    Synyster Gates

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    

    Avenged Sevenfold
    Floyd Rose Original
    http://www.avengedsevenfold.com

     Synyster Gates was born Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. in Huntington Beach, California on July 7th, 1981. He was born to Brian Haner, Sr and Jan Gera, with whom they had one other child, Brent. They split when he was younger and his father remarried Suzy Haner, and had one child with her, McKenna, younger than Brian. His mother has a child from her second marriage, named Johnny. He's played guitar since he was young, when he picked up a guitar and started to try and learn Jimmy Page's solos, ignoring his father's warnings. His father is a studio musician, working for bands such as Frank Zappa's. He went to Music Institute of Technology, was accepted into the guitar program, but he dropped out when The Rev recruited him to play lead guitar in Avenged Sevenfold. His first band was with The Rev and two members of Ballistico and the former bassist of Avenged Sevenfold, Justin Sane (not to be confused with Anti-Flag's Justin Sane), called Pinkly Smooth, which he refers to as "Goblin metal with Danny Elfman influences," and they put out a six-song album called Unfortunate Snort before disbanding so that the two members could focus on Avenged Sevenfold. He won Metal Hammer's "Young Shredder of the Year" award in 2006, and "Guitarist of the Year" from Total Guitar in the same year of 2006.

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  • Vinnie Moore

    Vinnie Moore

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    UFO
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.vinniemoore.com

     Vinnie Moore is one of the most influencial and important guitarists to emerge out of the virtuoso boom in the mid to late eighties. Boasting six studio albums as of 2001, he is one of the most recognizable artists on the Shrapnel record label. Beginning his career at the tender age of 12, Moore played clubs and bars until Shrapnel big wig Mike Varney discovered him through a magazine article. His connection with Varney led to a Pepsi commercial in 1985, which gave him enough recognition to record his first solo album, Minds Eye. His debut led to several awards from guitar magazines and sold over 100,000 copies, bringing him directly into the spotlight of the guitar world.

    The virtuoso craze of the late eighties led to more well received releases on Shrapnel, and soon he began to perform with other bands in the hard rock scene. He joined Alice Cooper's band for a tour and the Hey Stoopid album, and released two very popular instructional videos on playing guitar. He secured a tour with Rush for his solo material, then turned around and had a guitar clinic tour that spanned several continents. His dedication to teaching his craft has brought him much praise in musician's circles. Although the nineties saw a decline in the popularity of solo guitar music, Moore survived the downward trend due to his popular guitar clinics and quality guitar playing. Standing tall with fellow guitar heroes Al DiMeola and Joe Satriani, Vinnie Moore has enjoyed a successful working relationship with Shrapnel records that has continued past the nineties into the next century. Despite never cracking the mainstream, Moore still has enjoyed a long and creatively satisfying career in the world of instrumental guitar.

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  • Vernon Reid

    Vernon Reid

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Living Colour
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.myspace.com/vernonreid

     As the lead guitarist of Living Colour and a co-founder of the Black Rock Coalition, Vernon Reid has done a great deal to undermine stereotypical expectations of what music black artists ought to play; his rampant eclecticism encompasses everything from hard rock and punk to funk, R&B and avant-garde jazz, and his anarchic, lightning-fast solos have become something of a hallmark as well. Born in London, Reid and his family emigrated to Brooklyn while he was a child; he began playing guitar at age 15, initially studying jazz and progressing quickly. In 1980, he joined drummer Ronald Shannon Jackson's Decoding Society, a cutting-edge jazz group with whom he appeared on six albums; over the course of the decade, Reid went on to work with a wide variety of experimental musicians -- Defunkt, Bill Frisell, John Zorn, Arto Lindsay, and Public Enemy, among others.

    Around 1983, Reid formed the first version of what was to become Living Colour; in 1985, with journalist Greg Tate, he formed the Black Rock Coalition, an organization devoted to opening doors in the music business for black musicians who were not content being confined to the roles of soul crooner or rapper. Living Colour did not really begin to jell until their lineup stabilized in 1986, and when Mick Jagger saw the group perform at CBGB's and invited them to appear on his Primitive Cool album. Jagger went even further, producing two demo tracks and helping to convince Epic to sign the group. Living Colour debuted to massive critical acclaim in 1988 with Vivid; the group lasted through Time's Up (1990) and Stain (1993) before disbanding in 1995. Reid has continued to make periodic appearances on others' recordings, and in 1996, he issued his solo debut, Mistaken Identity. He resurfaced in 2002 as one half of Yohimbe Brothers, a duo also featuring DJ Logic. The two released the Front End Lifter album in September and subsequently toured the United States throughout October. They issued a followup in 2004 on Thirsty Ear entitled The Tao Of Yo.

    Reid has remained active as both a session guitarist and as a producer, most notably on James Blood Ulmer's recordings since 2001 beginning with Memphis Blood: The Sun Sessions in 2001 and continuing through 2003's No Escape From the Blues: The Electric Lady Sessions, 2004's Birthright and Bad Blood in the City: The Piety Street Sessions in 2007. Also in 2007, Reid, bassist Jamaaladeen Tacuma, and drummer Grant Calvin Weston played a get-together for the closing of New York's Tonic performance space. The show went well enough for the trio form a band called the Free Form Funky Freqs; their debut album, Urban Mythology: Volume One was released as part of Thirsty Ear's Blue Series in February of 2008.

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  • Gary Holt

    Gary Holt

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Slayer, Exodus
    Floyd Rose Original 
    exodusattack.com

    Gary Wayne Holt was born May 4th, 1964 in Richmond California.  While not a founding member, Holt is the lone musician who has appeared on every one of the thirteen albums released by the San Francisco thrash band Exodus.  In 2011, Holt was asked by fellow Bay Area thrashers Slayer to fill in at guitar for Jeff Hanemann, and performed with the band during its five-date Australian Soundwave Festival tour as well as the band's set at the Big 4 Concert in Indio, California on April 23rd.


    Exodus was founded in 1980 by current Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, second guitarist Tim Agnello, frontman Paul Baloff, Tom Hunting on drums, and Carlton Melton on bass.  Before the band was named or any songs had been written, Agnello left the band to pursue a life of ministry and was replaced by Holt, who had been serving as Hammett's guitar tech.  Holt has been considered the band's main songwriter ever since and has been the only member to remain with the band ever since.

    By 1982, when the band recorded its first demo, Melton had been replaced by Jeff Andrews on bass, who would leave shortly after to form Possessed.  The demo would be Kirk Hammett's only recorded contribution with the band, as he left shortly after to join Metallica.  Holt brought in Rick Hunolt to replace Hammett, and the duo would later become known as the band's “H-Team”.  With Rob McKillop handling bass duty, this lineup would head into the studio to record their first album, “1985's “Bonded By Blood,” still considered the band's best by its most devout fans.

    Shortly after “Bonded By Blood” was done recording, Baloff was fired by the band and replaced with Steve “Zetro” Souza, who had been the frontman for Legacy, an early incarnation of the band Testament.  Baloff went on to form a band called Piranha, named for one of the tracks on “Bonded By Blood.”  The lineup would remain fairly stable for the next few years, and the underground success of “Bonded” led to the band signing with Sony / Combat Records, which released their second album, “Pleasures of the Flesh,” in 1987.

    “Pleasures” found little commercial success, but the band struck gold with its next album, “Fabulous Disaster,” in 1989.  The album reached No. 82 on the Billboard 200 chart, unheard of for band's of that genre at the time, and a video for the single “Toxic Waltz” was played heavily on MTV's “Headbanger's Ball.”  Exodus would go on to release nine more studio albums, none of which matched the success of “Fabulous Disaster,” though the band is considered a principal cog in the rise of the Bay Area thrash movement, along with the more commercially successful Bay Area stalwarts Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and Megadeth.  The band has also released three live albums and two compilations.

    Holt currently has an endorement deal with Schecter Guitars, and has a signature model through them, though he has used Ibanez, Jackson, and B.C. Rich guitars onstage in the past.  Holt released an instructional video in 2008 called “A Lesson In Guitar Violence,” and produced Warbringer's second album, “Waking Into Nightmares,” in 2009.

    Holt cites as his main influences on guitar: Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Schenker, Tony Iommi, Ted Nugent, Angus Young, Uli Jon Roth and Matthias Jabs.  Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Venom, Motorhead, and Iron Maiden are among the bands Holt says inspired him.

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  • Henrik Danhage

    Henrik Danhage

    Posted by AP International

    Henrik Danhage is a Swedish guitar player.  His high energy playing is filled with tasteful crazy shred and soulful melodies with tons of vibe have been a big part Swedish band Evergrey, DeathDestruction for many years. Henrik is also working on his first instrumental solo album at the moment as well. 

    “I’m very honored to now be a part the iconic Floyd Rose team and legacy. I got my first Floyd Rose back in 1987 on a Kramer and later this year when my Charvel Henrik Danhage signature model comes out Floyd Rose is of course the whammy bar on that one as well since for me it’s as essential as having strings on the guitar. Life is awesome.”

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  • Tommy Anthony

    Tommy Anthony

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Santana, Gloria Estefan
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.tommyanthony.com

    Quote: "The Floyd Rose has guitar great tone, wonderful balance, and won't go out of tune. What more can you want in an axe?"

    Born in New york and raised in Miami, music found Tommy at a very early age. "I didn't choose music... it chose me." Completely self taught and without any type of formal lessons or training, Tommy displayed an uncanny talent for learning, and by his early teens played several instruments [drums, guitar, piano and bass]. "It was strange, really... things would seem to come easily, although I was really most competent on drums and guitar." During these early years, he also developed a strong singing voice which eventually led to him fronting every band he ever joined.

    By his late twenties, he found himself doing sessions as a guitarist and vocalist. "Even today, half the producers I work with hire me as a singer and the rest call me for guitar work." The studio work led to touring with many artists, among them Steve Winwood, Jon Secada and Gloria Estefan.

    "Working with Jon was never work... we spent 8 years touring and having a blast. As for Gloria, the last 5 years with her and The Sound Machine have been an absolute joy. I called her when I got the Santana gig and she flipped... she was so happy for me. That tells you a little something about her."

    His recording credits include Shakira, Ricky Martin, Julio Iglesias, Cristian Castro, Mandy Moore, and dozens of other major artists. He even found his way to soundtracks, singing the closing theme on the film, "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon."

    Now with Santana as a guitarist/backing vocalist it all has come full circle for him. "For years, Carlos' influence has been not-so-subtley present in my approach to guitar and soloing in particular... Now I get to play with the man himself. It's unreal."

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  • Tobi Hero

    Tobi Hero

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Tobi Hero & The Allstar Band
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.myspace.com/tobiheromusic.com

    Being the grandson of Bessie Munson and third cousin legendary bluesman King Curtis influenced and enhanced the musical career of Tobi Hero in ways we can only imagine. His life from the cradle until today has been filled with some of the best Jazz and Blues music in American Music History, music which he experienced LIVE and Unplugged. Tobi Hero has been performing professionally since the 10th grade and has never looked back. His first band “Brainchild” during his high school years included a 9th grader named Ethan Allen(Bass) Greg Corrales(Drums/Security Guard From Muir High) and Dave Hayes( Keys) of Cal Tech.

    His second band “ Caution” was a Jazz / Metal Fuson band out of South Central Los Angeles featuring Martin Anthony Fawcett on( bass) and Brian Corbett on drums. Although the band only lasted two years (1986-1988) it was hailed as a super group during that time period.

    In 1989, Tobi Hero met legendary James Bradley, Jr at Bluebird Studios where Bradley was rehearsing with another group. The meeting resulted in the band “Put on Ice” featuring Bradley, bass player Moses Ingersoll III, Stanley Butler, Ricky Ricardo Jr and Tobi Hero.

    From 1990 – 1994, Tobi Hero sharpened his musical talent while playing various restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley while continuing to write and perform with well musicians. It led to concert promoters tapping Tobi Hero to open concerts and other large arena events to entice larger crowds. Today, Tobi Hero and The All Star Band have earned the nickname "The Los Angeles Super Band" for the diverse members who are some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry, who are or who have played with some of the biggest names in music history. It is not uncommon to see Dennis Chambers (Santana’s drummer), Gary Grainger (George Duke’s bass player), Delmar Brown (Sting’s keyboardist) and Ornette Coleman (one of the major innovators of the free jazz movement) playing with Tobi.

    Due to the well known status and diversity of the band members, Tobi Hero and the All Star Band are a marketing mega for any venue; especially casinos that have a lounge or supper club on-site who have a huge influx of patrons on a regular basis. And, you never know what mainstream celebrity may pop in to see the show or play with the band. From a business perspective, this marketing strategy has proven successful many times over.

    Featured with Tobi Hero and the All Star Band is "DJ Battle Cat" a well known hip-hop producer for such acts as Snoop Dog, The Game, Xzibit and others. He is also a well known associate of DJ Qick, a musical child prodigy who is a well known MC and record producer himself. Battlecat is a legendary DJ member of The Worldwide DJ organization. During intermission DJ Battlecat fills in for the band by spinning some tunes for the audience. Some of Battlecat’s own artistic infusion can also be heard during some of the performances by Tobi Hero and the All Star Band. The Big Band Era may be gone but Tobi Hero & the All Star Band are here. A modern day big band that will give your patrons something to talk about, and talk about it they will.

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  • Steve Mandarano

    Steve Mandarano

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Floyd Rose Original
    www.onearmbanditguitars.com

     Steve Mandarano (One Arm Bandit) is an extremely dedicated and hardworking musician who has overcome overwhelming obstacles in his career. Steve overcame his disability and has developed through hard work and determination into a Guitar Instrumentalist that rivals anyone in the business today.

     

    Steve has worked as a studio musician for James Vincent Studios in central N.J. playing on various artists works, is a guitar instructor, and does all his own recording and mastering

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  • Steve Henderlong

    Steve Henderlong

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    39 Stripes
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.39stripes.com

    Steve Henderlong is the guitarist for the Christian rock band 39 Stripes. Originally from Detroit, Steve joined the Florida based band White Horse right after graduating high school and toured with them until founding 39 Stripes in 1997. The band's albums have been played on radio stations around the world with songs in the top ten on many Christian Rock charts. Steve had the honor to play onstage with the legendary Les Paul in NYC in 2006 and again in 2007 and cites it as an "almost religious experience!" 39 Stripes recently released "Beyond Broken" accompanied with a music video for the title track that reached #4 on the New Rock chart. In 2012 George L's guitar cables featured Steve in magazine ads for Vintage Guitar, Guitar World, Guitar Player, and Revolver.

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  • Steve Brown

    Steve Brown

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Trixter, Stereo Fallout
    Original Floyd Rose
    www.stevebrownmusic.com

    This heavy-hitting electric guitarist is best known for his recordings with the band Trixter. A later unit he led on his own, 40 Ft. Ringo, seems to have been lost in the shuffle of bands with names in which measurements play an important part. Trixter got something of a reputation in the late '80s and early '90s with radio hits such as the demanding "Give It to me Good," the unusual "One in a Million," and the highly accommodating "Surrender." Originally formed in 1983, the New Jersey-based band enjoyed a period of heavy video rotation on MTV. Then, however, there was something of a change in rock fashion. New, heavier yet more naturalistic bands such as Pearl Jam and especially Nirvana made the entire concept of groups such as Trixter irrelevant.

    This shift in rock styles, lamented by many listeners as the beginning of the end of non-commercial punk, was the end of the end for bands of the Trixter ilk, considered as hopelessly unfashionable as a Rod Stewart shag -- the haircut, that is. Within a couple of years the Trixter band would trick no more, its second major label album released with scant hype or promo. Brown and former band partner P.J. Farley put together 40 Ft. Ringo as an attempt at re-establishing themselves in the new, hardly improved music industry. The guitarist has described the new group in various interviews as hard pop, heavy melody, and melodic hard rock. Naming the Beatles as an important influence, Brown also admits the band name came from a chance comment at a screening of one of the Fab Four's films, when the charismatic drummer filled the wide screen with a close-up. The guitarist dabbles with producing unsigned artists in his studio and also does both commercial jingle and film soundtrack work. He is quite adept at slide guitar and has adopted this style along with its acoustic variants such as dobro into a style of music more associated with the string-bending whammy bar.

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  • Scott Gailor

    Scott Gailor

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Floyd Rose Original, Stone Tone Block
    www.scottgailor.com

     What makes a musician so versatile? Experience. That’s exactly what you get with South Florida’s Scott Gailor who brings his discipline of technical prowess and modern emotion to a new tier. Hailing from Saratoga Springs, Scott began making a name for himself through the New York City club circuit before toughing it out touring along the east coast racking up more than 2600 shows. It wasn’t long before Scott was recognized nationally as an on the rise talent by coming in 4th out of 750 players in the Guitar Wars Semi-Finals, and regional runner-up in Guitar Center’s Guitarmageddon competition.

    "The first time I heard/saw Scott Gailor play I was 16 years old and I thought he was an alien from outer space! Simply Amazing!” –JP Soars (JP Soars and the Red Hots, Southern Hospitality, Divine Empire) Whether it has been with Scrooge, Union Jack, Kidd Havok (SunCity Records) or Lauren Krothe, Scott has proven that no matter who he is with, he stands toe to toe with greatness as he has opened for everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Dokken, Extreme, and Sebastian Bach. Usually a fickle bunch, the press has even singled Scott out for his ‘breakneck speed,’ (Metal Edge Magazine) and comparisons to Eddie Van Halen (Hard Rock Haven). From the National, right to the local level, he continues to inspire fans of all ages. “Let me help you on your first steps in the never-ending pursuit of tone!” Currently you can catch Scott adding atmosphere and slinging licks as part of Lauren Krothe's live band while he puts the finishing touches on his highly anticipated first instrumental release that’s sure to be stuck on repeat for days.

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  • Ronny North

    Ronny North

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Floyd Rose Original, Stone Tone Block
    http://www.ronnynorth.com

    Ronny North plays his own signature brand of instrumental guitar rock and is fast becoming a So Cal guitar hero. He won the Best Male Guitarist Award at the 2006 All Access Magazine Music Awards. He was also honored with his own Ronny North Day at his old high school Norwalk High in Norwalk, California on April 7th, 2009, an event which Fox 11 TV News covered and featured Ronny and the kids live on TV. He was honored by his sponsor Morley Pedals to be the "Morley Pedals Artist of the Month for April 2009". He has appeared in and/or has been featured in numerous national and international music publications and periodicals such as Guitar Player Magazine, Rock N Roll Industries Magazine (in which he has a featured interview in the Jan 2012 issue) , MMR Magazine, Performer Magazine, Player Magazine (Japan), Music Connection Magazine, Flash Magazine (Italy), Modern Guitar Magazine, Muen Magazine, Young Guitar (Japan), Premier Guitar Magazine, Guitar World Magazine, All Access Magazine, Verde Valley Independent, and Fireworks Magazine from Europe and also on the Fireworks compilation CD that comes with the magazine. Guitar Player Magazine’s head editor Michael Molenda has even said some very complimentary things about Ronny's playing in the magazine.

    Ronny has been a fixture at NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) shows for over a decade. Ronny headlined the NAMM Kickoff event in 2011 at the Anaheim Convention Center and is performing on the main stage twice at the 2013 Winter NAMM show. Ronny plays all over the world and did a great tour of Japan in 2010 and then played the Head Banger’s Open Air Festival in Germany in the summer of 2012. There are already plans to return to Germany in early 2013. Some of the events he regularly plays throughout the U.S. include several NASCAR Race events ( The NASCAR fans love him!) , The Long Beach Grand Prix, The LA Marathon, LA County Fair and the San Diego Fair just to name a few. It’s no mystery that he is regularly featured in ad campaigns and catalogs for his many sponsors and also consults with them on new equipment designs.

    His music sells and gets air play all over the world and his new single Inertia was world premiered on KNAC radio with Ronny live at the radio station’s studios in November 2012. The full length CD of the same name will be released in January 2013. Ronny’s music has been used by several TV shows and small movies and was licensed by MTV to use on their reality shows including “The Real World". He’s also a very popular radio guest and has appeared on radio shows all around the globe. Ronny is a firm believer in using his music to help others and regularly plays charity events such as the Special Olympics Summer Games (for which he just performed for the 12th consecutive year), Toys for Tots, Support The USO, Covenant House, Project Aides Los Angeles, Musicians in Need, Save Lives Animals in Need, Veterans in Need, the Norwalk Unified School District (to benefit both their music and sports programs) , the Cancer Society, Tsunami Relief and the Haiti Quake victims among others. Ronny recorded two brand new songs in late 2012 to contribute to the Eonian Records Hurricane Sandy benefit CD. All proceeds will go to benefit the victims of the hurricane. He is also a very popular clinician and regularly does clinics and performs at trade shows throughout America for his sponsors. He even squeezes in a few recording sessions when time permits and has played on several high profile artist’s platinum projects.

    With all of this exposure, Ronny has been a popular guest on radio shows all over the world .He has also shot appearances for TV on Tru TV’s reality show “All Worked Up”, The Ed Roman Guitar King reality show in Vegas, Flash Rock Live, The Brenda Carey Show (for which he also wrote the show’s theme song). Ronny has become a popular celebrity judge for many guitar competitions including Guitar Center’s King of the Blues and Sam Ash’s Steve Vai’s Best in Shred Competitions and was a featured speaker at the 2011 Sponsor Success Summit Event. On that note, he has written several music columns in various music publications through out the years, and currently he writes a music column called Planet Guitar for the Live to Play website. Definitely check out Ronny and see what all the excitement is about. He's tomorrow's guitar hero today……

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  • Rick Derringer

    Rick Derringer

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Rick Derringer
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.rickderringer.com

     Young guitar great, vocalist and entertainer Rick Derringer was just 17 when his band The McCoys recorded the No.1 hit "Hang On Sloopy" in the summer of 1965, knocking "Yesterday" by The Beatles out of the top spot. The McCoys had enjoyed four years of successful touring, when Rick merged his talents with Johnny Winter in 1969 forming Johnny Winter And (And referring to the McCoys). Rick was the only producer of all gold and platinum Winter Brothers recordings. In '71 Rick was featured on three records, "Johnny Winter And", "Johnny Winter And-Live" and "Edgar Winter's White Trash". "And" featured the first version of Derringer's "Rock and Roll Hoochie Koo" which was also released as a single, then selected again for "And - Live". Eventually, the busy Derringer joined Edgar Winter's White Trash full-time and produced the gold LP, "Roadwork". Derringer's solo album, All American Boy was released in '73 with the now already popular "Rock and Roll, Hoochie Koo", this time as a 'hit' single. Rick was writer/producer of Johnny Winter's Still Alive and Well album and player/producer of the hit album, They Only Come Out At Night. The latter featured the No. 1, Grammy nominated monster hit, "Frankenstein" and "Free Ride". In 1976 Rick created the Derringer. He released four albums and in '83 returned to his solo career with the LP, Good Dirty Fun. Throughout the '70s and '80s the popular Derringer appeared on numerous albums with artists Alice Cooper, Richie Havens, Todd Rundgren and Steely Dan. The list also includes Cyndi Lauper, Barbra Streisand, Kiss, Mason Ruffner and Madam X. In the mid-80s, Derringer discovered Weird Al Yankovic, producing music for Grammy-winning albums and videos. Derringer's productions of the Michael Jackson parodies, the No. 1 hit "Eat It", and "Who's Fat", have been Yankovic's most successful recordings. It was also in the '90s that Rick was selected to be producer/writer/performer of the World Wrestling Federation LP Hulk Hogan's theme song, "I Am A Real American" was written and performed by Rick as a part of these projects. Derringer was once again sought after by Edgar Winter and in 1990, performed for the LP, Edgar Winter and Rick Derringer Live in Japan. Then in 1999 Rick and Edgar were back together again for their collaboration on his Winter Blues CD. Derringer also recorded four blues CD's starting in '93 with Back To the Blues followed by Electra Blues, Blues Deluxe and his 2000 release Jackhammer Blues. At about that same period Derringer, who seems to be constantly in motion, released his destined-to-be-classic Tend the Fire in Europe to rave reviews and is eagerly expected by his loyal fans here in the US. The year 2001 was another busy one for Rick. His venture back into Rock & Roll with Vanilla Fudge superstars Carmine Appice and Tim Bogert produced a recording of intense synergy - D B A (for Derringer, Bogert & Appice) with vocals, writing and instrumentals shared by all three. 2004 promised a reprise for Derringer and Appice, with the release of D-N-A.The Derringers - Aiming 4 Heaven After DBA the next project was truly a work from the heart and soul of Rick and his wife Brenda Jean (Jenda Hall). Entitled Aiming 4 Heaven, it brought forth their devotion to God and put it into song with help from their children, Lory & Martin. That project opened the doors for a worldwide release on Reborn Records We can't forget the Winter of 2002, where Rick ventured into a whole new musical world - Smooth Jazz. Interest in Rick Derringer - Free Ride grew quickly at radio, and the second single "Hot And Cool" (in the 'Radio and Records' top 20 for 5 months, and number 42 for the year) showed Derringer right at home in the format. It might come as a surprise, but as he explains, it's the kind of music he's been waiting to do his whole life. His wife Brenda is featured as co-writer on three songs, and arranger/singer on the title cut. It seems like almost too much story to take in at one sitting, but the most surprising part is...... after more than four decades he's still going strong!

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  • Reb Beach

    Reb Beach

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Whitesnake, Winger
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.rebbeach.com

    Richard Earl "Reb" Beach was raised in the steel-making town of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It became almost immediately apparent that Reb would not end up laboring in the steel refineries, however. He was a musical prodigy; playing piano and later guitar at an early age without any formal training whatsoever.

    It was while living and working in New York that Reb hooked up with his future band mate - bassist and frontman Kip Winger. Reb and Kip formed the band Winger and the rest is history. The two proved to be great writing partners, producing platinum records that featured no less than six top-forty singles with music that was commercial yet complex.

    After recording and touring in support of three records with Winger, Reb returned to Pittsburgh to perform on other artists' records and start collecting material for his solo work under the name The Reb Beach Project.

    Unfortunately for Reb's solo project but fortunately for fans of great live guitar shows, the road called and Reb was invited to play with long-time friend, the legendary Alice Cooper. The two joined forces for three years of successful touring. More recently, Reb was recruited to replace the departed George Lynch as not only lead guitarist but also co-songwriter of Dokken. Not surprisingly, the resulting CD, "Erase the Slate", was the most successful Dokken record in almost a decade. Years of Jazz Fusion and session work had not dulled Reb's heavy metal instincts!

    2001 was a very important year for Reb. It marked his debut as a solo artist with the album entitled "Masquerade". With this album, Reb was able to show the world how talented he really was. He wrote, produced, and sang all of the songs on the record, and to rave reviews. His guitar playing on the record was regarded as some of his best performances. His solos were described as "deeply moving" and "jaw dropping". The record was multi faceted, and spanned a myriad of musical styles, proving that he was a great songwriter, as well as an award winning guitarist.

    Following the Winger reunion, Reb finally got the gig with a guy he'd been sending tapes to for many years - David Coverdale. The band? Whitesnake. Since 2003, Reb has toured the world with Whitesnake. The band's sellout show at London's famous Hammersmith Apollo was filmed for a DVD that was released in the spring of 2005.

    2005 also marked the release of "The Mob", a super band created by Reb, and produced by his best friend Kip Winger. Reb was joined by the unique and powerful vocals of Doug Pinnick (King's X), someone with whom he had been dying to work with. Also, in the band, his friends Kelly Keagy (Night Ranger), and Timothy Drury (The Eagles, Whitesnake).

    Following a Night Ranger tour, Reb entered the studio with Whitesnake to make the new studio album, "Good To Be Bad". The world tour that followed was very demanding, and kept Reb on the road till the summer of 2009. The tour reached its peak with a show at the Download Festival, in Donington (UK). There were 70,000 screaming fans.

    Reb and Winger were ready for their come back with the new studio album "Karma". The acclaimed record got outstanding reviews from critics and fans of the band all over the world. That year, Winger toured extensively to promote the record and traveled all over Europe, Russia, the United States, and South America.

    2011 began with a clinic tour in Italy where Reb was able to perform on his own, crafting his very special one man show and amazing the Italian crowds with his guitar skills and funny stories from his days on the road. Right after that, it was time to go back on the road with Whitesnake to promote the new studio record "Forevermore". 9 months, 44 countries, and one hundred plus shows later, he is finally back home, and busy writing his new instrumental solo record.

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  • Prince

    Prince

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Prince
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.prince.com

     Few artists have created a body of work as rich and varied as Prince. During the '80s, he emerged as one of the most singular talents of the rock & roll era, capable of seamlessly tying together pop, funk, folk, and rock. Not only did he release a series of groundbreaking albums; he toured frequently, produced albums and wrote songs for many other artists, and recorded hundreds of songs that still lie unreleased in his vaults. With each album he released, Prince has shown remarkable stylistic growth and musical diversity, constantly experimenting with different sounds, textures, and genres. Occasionally, his music can be maddeningly inconsistent because of this eclecticism, but his experiments frequently succeed; no other contemporary artist can blend so many diverse styles into a cohesive whole.

    Prince's first two albums were solid, if unremarkable, late-'70s funk-pop. With 1980's Dirty Mind, he recorded his first masterpiece, a one-man tour de force of sex and music; it was hard funk, catchy Beatlesque melodies, sweet soul ballads, and rocking guitar pop, all at once. The follow-up, Controversy, was more of the same, but 1999 was brilliant. The album was a monster hit, selling over three million copies, but it was nothing compared to 1984's Purple Rain.

    Purple Rain made Prince a superstar; it eventually sold over ten million copies in the U.S. and spent 24 weeks at number one. Partially recorded with his touring band, the Revolution, the record featured the most pop-oriented music he has ever made. Instead of continuing in this accessible direction, he veered off into the bizarre psycho-psychedelia of Around the World in a Day, which nevertheless sold over two million copies. In 1986, he released the even stranger Parade, which was in its own way as ambitious and intricate as any art rock of the '60s; however, no art rock was ever grounded with a hit as brilliant as the spare funk of "Kiss."

     By 1987, Prince's ambitions were growing by leaps and bounds, resulting in the sprawling masterpiece Sign 'O' the Times. Prince was set to release the hard funk of The Black Album by the end of the year, yet he withdrew it just before its release, deciding it was too dark and immoral. Instead, he released the confused Lovesexy in 1988, which was a commercial disaster. With the soundtrack to 1989's Batman he returned to the top of the charts, even if the album was essentially a recap of everything he had done before. The following year he released Graffiti Bridge (the sequel to Purple Rain), which turned out to be a considerable commercial disappointment.

     In 1991, Prince formed the New Power Generation, the best and most versatile and talented band he has ever assembled. With their first album, Diamonds and Pearls, Prince reasserted his mastery of contemporary R&B; it was his biggest hit since 1985. The following year, he released his 12th album, which was titled with a cryptic symbol; in 1993, Prince legally changed his name to the symbol. In 1994, after becoming embroiled in contract disagreements with Warner Bros., he independently released the single "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World," likely to illustrate what he would be capable of on his own; the song became his biggest hit in years. Later that summer, Warner released the somewhat halfhearted Come under the name of Prince; the record was a moderate success, going gold.

     In November 1994, as part of a contractual obligation, Prince agreed to the official release of The Black Album. In early 1995, he immersed himself in another legal battle with Warner, proclaiming himself a slave and refusing to deliver his new record, The Gold Experience, for release. By the end of the summer, a fed-up Warner had negotiated a compromise that guaranteed the album's release, plus one final record for the label. The Gold Experience was issued in the fall; although it received good reviews and was following a smash single, it failed to catch fire commercially. In the summer of 1996, Prince released Chaos & Disorder, which freed him to become an independent artist. Setting up his own label, NPG (which was distributed by EMI), he resurfaced later that same year with the three-disc Emancipation, which was designed as a magnum opus that would spin off singles for several years and be supported with several tours.

     However, even his devoted cult following needed considerable time to digest such an enormous compilation of songs. Once it was clear that Emancipation wasn't the commercial blockbuster he hoped it would be, Prince assembled a long-awaited collection of outtakes and unreleased material called Crystal Ball in 1998. With Crystal Ball, Prince discovered that it's much more difficult to get records to an audience than it seems; some fans who pre-ordered their copies through Prince's website (from which a bonus fifth disc was included) didn't receive them until months after the set began appearing in stores. Prince then released a new one-man album, New Power Soul, just three months after Crystal Ball; even though it was his most straightforward album since Diamonds and Pearls, it didn't do well on the charts, partly because many listeners didn't realize it had been released.

     A year later, with "1999" predictably an end-of-the-millennium anthem, Prince issued the remix collection 1999 (The New Master). A collection of Warner Bros.-era leftovers, Vault: Old Friends 4 Sale, followed that summer, and in the fall Prince returned on Arista with the all-star Rave Un2 the Joy Fantastic. In the fall of 2001 he released the controversial Rainbow Children, a jazz-infused circus of sound trumpeting his conversion to the Jehovah's Witnesses that left many longtime fans out in the cold. He further isolated himself with 2003's N.E.W.S., a four-song set of instrumental jams that sounded a lot more fun to play than to listen to. Prince rebounded in 2003 with the chart-topping Musicology, a return to form that found the artist back in the Top Ten, even garnering a Grammy nomination for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance in 2005.

     In early 2006 he was the musical guest on Saturday Night Live, performing two songs with a new protégée, R&B singer Tamar. A four-song appearance at the Brit Awards with Wendy, Lisa, and Sheila E. followed. Both appearances previewed tracks from 3121, which hit number one on the album charts soon after its release in March 2006. Planet Earth followed in 2007, featuring contributions from Wendy and Lisa. In the U.K., copies were cover-mounted on the July 15 edition of The Mail on Sunday, provoking Columbia -- the worldwide distributor for the release -- to refuse distribution throughout the U.K. In the U.S., the album was issued on July 24. LotusFlow3r, a three-disc set, came in 2009, featuring a trio of distinct albums: LotusFlow3r itself (a guitar showcase), MPLSound (a throwback to his '80s funk output), and Elixer (a smooth contemporary R&B album featuring the breathy vocals of Bria Valente). Despite only being available online and through one big-box retailer, the set debuted at number two on the Billboard 200 chart. A year later, another throwback-flavored effort, 20Ten, became his second U.K. newspaper giveaway. No official online edition of the album was made available.

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  • Pedro Frugone

    Pedro Frugone

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Quote: "Tone is the key to great work in the studio. My Floyd Rose guitar delivers an incredible rich and warm sound. The balance and the intonation is simply unbelievable. I love my Floyd Rose guitar."

     Pedro Frugone, Chilean musician and composer, with over 25 years of experience, was the guitarist in La Ley and is a Three-time Grammy winner; he's been on records with more than three million copies sold. From a young age has expressed interest in social issues; he currently combines his work as a professional musician with speaker and volunteer participation in assistance programs and music education to underprivileged youths with substance abuse problems.

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  • Paul Allender

    Paul Allender

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Cradle of Filth
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.myspace.com/pauljallender

    Paul Allender is the guitarist of the British extreme metal band Cradle of Filth.

    Early life:

    Paul Allender was born on 17 November 1970 in Colchester, Essex, UK.

    At the age of six years old, his father introduced him to martial arts which led to a total way of life for him and the home which he grew up in.

    He received his first guitar at the age of fourteen and played in staggered periods until he was nineteen years old because his martial arts training was always his first priority.

    Cradle of filth:

    He joined the band as the guitarist in 1992 and stayed until 1996. In 1996, Paul left Cradle of Filth to join The Blood Divine and to spend more time with his son. In 1998 Paul started another band called Primary Slave. In 2000, just before Primary Slave signed for a record deal, Paul rejoined Cradle of Filth after receiving a phone call from Dani asking him to rejoin, along with drummer Adrian Erlandsson and keyboardist Martin Powell on the band’s album, Midian.

    While performing on stage with Cradle of Filth at the Bloodstock Open Air music festival in the UK in August 2009, Paul suffered an injury, thought to be on his lower back, from a gobstopper thrown by someone in the audience. This caused him (and the band) to end the performance early.

    Graphic art :

    Paul also has an art side project known as “Vomitorium: The Dark Art Of Cindy Frey And Paul Allender”. He also produced the artwork for www.newprojectonline.com [New Project]s debut album Ultraviolent Light.

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  • Onree Gill

    Onree Gill

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Alicia Keys
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.onreegill.com

    Humble – Only one of the many words that describe Onree Gill. Talented, and entrepreneur are also amongst the list.

    This legacy, son of a musician, is destined to bless the world with his multi-talented abilities. He has taken the music industry by surprise and added to it a balance of R&B, Gospel, Jazz, and Hip Hop – His own visionary style.

    A New Yorker – Prodigy in his own right – taught himself to play a variety of musical instruments such as: Drums, keyboard, and base guitar, just to name a few. Onree later went on to Mannes College of Music to further his studies and perfect his craft.

    Like others before him, Onree's beginnings can be traced back to the church. Where he says most of his inspiration is drawn from.

    "To thine own self be true." says Onree. "I always knew that I would end up in the music business." Onree admitted that he was hooked the first time that he stepped into the studio with his father.

    Onree's insatiable passion for the industry has taken him to new levels and afforded him the opportunity to work with an array of artist such as: Jay-Z, Sade, John Mayer, Eve, Prince, Missy Elliott, Jennifer Hudson, Annie Lennox, Kelly Price, DMX, Sean "P Diddy" Combs, Stevie Wonder, Justin Timberlake, Al B Sure, Gwen Stefani, Lenny Kravitz, Carlos Santana, Eric B, Sheryl Crow, Anthony Hamilton, Angie Stone, David Bowie, Chris Martin,  Big Daddy Kane, Janelle Monae, Naughty by Nature, Dez, Iyanla Vanzant, Public Enemy, Kathleen Battle, James Hall & Worship & Praise,  Kim Burrell, Jade, Patra, Adele, Chris Daughtry,  Bono, Melanie Fiona, Arturo Sandoval, Paul Simon, Julian Marley, Esperanza Spalding, Damien Marley, Usher, Angelique Kidjo, Adam Levine, Beyonce Knowles,  Snow, 50 Cent, Soundscape Music Media, I'mGiggin.com and for the past ten years the Musical Director for Alicia Keys.

    There is still more to come from this electrifying sensation. Whether it is in the areas of Musical Director, Songwriter, Producer, Arranger, or Composer – the sky is the limit – and Onree is willing and able to take it all on.

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  • Mike Orlando

    Mike Orlando

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Adrenaline Mob
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.mikeorlandomusic.com

     Mike Orlando is a founding member of the explosive new supergroup ADRENALINE MOB. The Line-up includes vocalist extraordinare Russell Allen (Symphony X) & metal giants Disturbed bassist John Moyer. The band released their debut album Omerta on Elm City Music/EMI in March 2012. They've completed multiple US Tours, a run w/Godsmack & taken the band across EU/UK w/stops at major festivals such as Sweden Rock, Graspop, Bospop & Gods of Metal. They'’ve just recently completed a South American run w/Halestorm in support of their latest release Coverta. A bone crushing collection of some of the bands favorite classic rock tunes. The band has begun tracking their follow up to Omerta which will be released in early 2014 with a worldwide tour to follow. Adrenaline Mob'’s debut release Omerta landed Top 5 on Billboards Rock Album Charts & #62 on Billboard'’s Top 200 it’s 1st week of release in March 2012. Mike Orlando & Russell Allen were featured guests on VH1 Classic'’s Season 11 premiere of "“That Metal Show." Mike is also a member of the newly formed hard rock supergroup TRED which features rock royalty & legends bassist Rudy Sarzo (Ozzy,Whitesnake,Dio,Quiet Riot), drummer AJ Pero (Twisted Sister) & Tim “Ripper Owens (Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Dio Disciples..). They are currently recording their debut album for a mid to late 2014 release & tour! He also fronts Mike Orlando'’s Sonic Stomp Instrumental Band and has released his debut Instrumental Cd Sonic Stomp in 2007. The Cd which has achieved worldwide critical acclaim contains 12 tracks which take the listener from raging over the top extreme rock guitar playing with sheer finesse and lightening speed to beautiful ballads with great emotional feel and everything in between In November 2010 Mike released the follow-up Cd, Sonic Stomp II which took Mike'’s playing & composing to a complete other level of virtuosity & overall extreme command of the instrument. A number of phenomenal guest artists are featured on Sonic Stomp II which include: Michael Romeo (Symphony X), Shane Gibson (Korn), Gary Hoey, Mike Pinella (Symphony X) and Joe Stump. Sonic Stomp II also features drummer extraordinare John Macaluso (Yngwie Malmsteen,TNT, James Labrie-Dream Theater, Tony Harnell, Ark..). Mike's latest release Sonic Stomp II is available on the world famous ROCKBAND Game! Mike was also a featured guitarist on Magna Carta'’s February 10, 2009 release “Guitars That Ate My Brain”, which features 10 of some of metals premier guitarists. As owner of his own recording studio, Sonic Stomp Studios, he handles everything from engineering, producing, mixing & mastering. All this can be heard on his debut Cd Sonic Stomp and follow up Sonic Stomp II as well as tracking & engineering Adrenaline Mob's Omerta & mixing/mastering their latest release Coverta. Mike is also engineering, mixing & mastering the new upcoming Adrenaline Mob album at Sonic Stomp Studios, which is slated for an early 2014 release. Mike proudly endorses: Marshall Amplification, GHS Strings, Rocktron, Line 6 Wireless Systems and Shredneck products. He is one of the main featured artists on the GHS Strings and Rocktron sites performing many of the Rocktron audio clips including the Tri-Wah, Black Cat Moan, The Banshee Talkbox. Cyborg Delay, Cyborg Reverb, and mostly all audio clips for Utopia G100, Utopia G200 & G300 Utopia 300 as well as the entire new line of Rocktron Boutique Pedals & Reaction Series Pedals! In addition he proudly endorses DiMarzio pickups & products. For electrics he endorses the legendary Charvel/Jackson Guitars & his acoustic guitar of choice is the one & only Ovation Guitars. Mike has filmed numerous videos for Ovation Guitars, GHS/Rocktron, Shredneck & has recently filmed a new Charvel Guitar Live in Studio Video Promo. See all of Mike's videos @ www.youtube.com/mikeorlandomusic. Mike has also been given the honor of receiving his own signature products as well. The Rocktron Mike Orlando Signature Wah Pedal and Mike Orlando Signature Shredneck Model. He has been featured in Guitar World Magazines Dvd’s & also was given the honor of being selected as a Top Finalist Worldwide for Guitar Player Magazine'’s Guitar Superstar of the Year 2008 from thousands of passionate guitarists. Mike has been a main stay performer at NAMM and held signings for GHS and Rocktron & Charvel Guitars since 2006. He has performed daily every year at NAMM in Anaheim,Calif. since 2006 for Eleca International and Shredneck, GHS Strings & Rocktron Products, ZZYZX Snap Jack Cables & has also performed at the Fender Custom Shop Party. He was also a featured performer at the Musikmesse in Frankfurt,Germany & Music China in Shanghai in 2009 & 2010 for ZZYZX Snap Jack Cables, GHS Strings , Rocktron, Shredneck and Eleca International. Mike has enjoyed multiple sold out Sonic Stomp Tours across China & Japan in 2009 & 2010 performing to thousands of fans and has also filmed his first 30 minute Feature DVD for Young Guitar Magazine in Japan which came out in July 2010.

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  • Mark McGee

    Mark McGee

    Posted by James McCaffrey

    Gregg Allman

    www.markmcgee.com

    By the early age of 11, Mark's love for guitar and dreams of the big time had completely taken over. Driven and determined, his passion for music propelled him through the years gaining him much respect in the music world. His appreciation for all styles of music is key in Mark's continuing search for new ways to develop his talents.

    In 2003, Mark and dynamic vocalist Nicole Sutton formed the rock group Luvplanet. Their new cd "State Of Mind", as well as their self-titled debut, showcases their vital songwriting chemistry, signature vocals and Mark's intense guitar work. Together with rhythm section Tommy Sisco and Scott McKenzie, they deliver powerful performances combining rock, pop and psychedelic sounds. Produced by Mark, he feels it's his finest work to date! Luvplanet continues as Mark's main musical endeavor.

    In March 2007, after a three year hiatus from playing in Gregg Allman & Friends, Mark was asked back by Mr. Allman to reclaim his spot as Gregg's right hand man on lead & slide guitar. Mark is back in GA&F! From 1995 to 2003 Mark toured throughout the US, Canada and Japan and, to date, appears on two of Gregg's releases. In 2004, Mark completed 9 years as lead & slide guitarist for GA&F but now looks forward to touring once again with the band and leaving his mark in the illustrious history of this southern rock/blues icon.

    Since 1995, Mark has been performing live with the Alameda All Stars. It was this connection that led to Mark's audition with Gregg Allman & Friends in 1995. Mark and the All Stars still perform regularly. The band members are guitarist/vocalist Mark McGee, keyboardist/vocalist Tommy Thompson, bassist/vocalist Tom Miller, guitarist/vocalist Mark (Jellyroll) Burgstahler and drummer Preston Thrall.

    From 1986 to early 1995, Mark was busy making records and touring the world many times over as lead guitarist for the Bay Area metal band, Vicious Rumors. Mark and VR toured in 20 countries, enjoyed video rotation on MTV's Headbanger's Ball and were nominated for "Outstanding Metal Album" at the 1992 Bay Area Music Awards for their 1991 Atlantic Records release, "Welcome to the Ball".

    Mark is now working on his first solo cd, tentatively titled "Gem". The cd highlights his diverse musical palette and includes guest appearances by bassists Tony Franklin (Jimmy Page), Stu Hamm (Steve Vai) and Tommy Sisco (Luvplanet) as well as drummers Scott McKenzie (Luvplanet), Jamie Van De Bogert (Gregg Allman) and Jeff Campitelli (Joe Satriani).

    Mark has also been busy with appearances on the Disney soundtrack "Sky High", acclaimed instrumental release "Guitar Farm", "Gimme Moore - A Tribute to Gary Moore" and the "Outbound" cd from bass legend Stu Hamm.

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  • Kacy Jones

    Kacy Jones

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Asphalt Messiah, Ghettometal Band

    www.guitarpimp.com

    Kacy Jones comes from humble beginnings, but always had a staple of Rock music in his life, in order to keep him on track. His style comes from being drenched with all forms of music-- his influences have always made him grab the guitar and strive to develop a new style of his own. His "Hybrid Rhythm" style of attack on the fret board has given him a "unique brand of noise." This style has started to turn heads in the industry for sure, and has begun to influence young guitarists all over the globe.

    His influences include George Lynch, Zakk Wylde, Edward, Nuno Bettencourt, Jake E. Lee, Warren Di Martini, Vivian Campbell, Al Di Meola, Steve Vai, Tony Mac Alpine and Angus Young, and he has been endorsed by Stephallen Guitars, Spawn Guitars, Riff Tek, EMG Pickups, as well as Floyd Rose.

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  • Kiyanu Kim

    Kiyanu Kim

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Gwen Stefani
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.kiyanukim.com

     A successful, musician, songwriter, producer, and instructor, Kiyanu Kim has had a passion for music from an early age. He became inspired by his family of musicians: his sister played piano, his brother played violin, and his mother played guitar. At age 11, Kiyanu Kim first took up playing the guitar. Since that moment, he has studied, played, and taught the instrument on an ongoing basis.

    As a musician, Kiyanu Kim has worked with some of the music industry’s top performing artists. Recording in studio and performing live, he has collaborated with such artists as Gwen Stefani, with whom he has performed across the globe since 2000. He has also played guitar with Chris Grace, Ron Saint Germain, Malcolm Burn, and Ben Jelen. Kim has performed on Saturday Night Live, The Late Show with David Letterman, MTV’s Total Request Live, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, the American Music Awards, and the Grammy Awards.

     As a songwriter and producer, Kiyanu Kim has become recognized for his ability to work with a wide range of musical styles. He is the founder of 3PMusic Productions, a Brooklyn, New York-based record company. His music and compositions have been broadcast by National Geographic, MTV, VH1, A&E, Animal Planet, and Style Network.

     As an instructor with more than 15 years of industry experience, Kiyanu Kim has worked with musicians from a range of backgrounds. Many of his artists have earned musical accolades, including BMI’s Young Songwriter of the Year and the Great American Songwriter Contest.

     Kiyanu Kim currently lives in New York. Bilingual in English and Korean, Kim enjoys baseball, art museums, yoga, photography, and travel. He also appreciates Italian and Japanese cuisine.

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  • Kane Roberts

    Kane Roberts

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Alice Cooper
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.kaneroberts.com

    Boston native Kane Roberts became hooked on music at a young age and would eventually serve stints as guitarist for several high-profile rock acts, most notably Alice Cooper. Influenced by Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin, Roberts was already forming bands in junior high school. After a very brief period attending Boston University, he was accepted at the New England Conservatory of Music, where he studied classical and jazz guitar for two and a half years. In New York, Roberts turned his attention back to rock-playing sessions and formed a band, Criminal Justice. In 1986, Roberts was enlisted to play for Alice Cooper, for whom he had done an opening gig the year before.

    During the late '80s, Roberts not only toured with Cooper, but co-wrote and arranged tracks for Cooper's Constrictor, Trash, and Raise Your Fist and Yell albums. He also found time to release his self-titled solo debut in 1987. Leaving Cooper's band in 1991 to pursue his solo career, Roberts released Saints & Sinners the same year, scoring a Top 40 hit with the single "Does Anybody Really Fall in Love Anymore?" (which was co-written with Jon Bon Jovi and Richie Sambora). By the late '90s, Roberts had turned his attention to multimedia projects, including designing video games, computer graphics, artwork, and websites.

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  • JP Cervoni

    JP Cervoni

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    The Babys
    Floyd Rose Original, Floyd Rose ISOT1
    www.jpcervoni.com

    Quote: "When i need to go "wild" with shred-riffs and dive-bombing tricks, and look cool doing it, the Floyd Rose guitar (with the Floyd Rose tremolo) is my axe of choice."

     J.P. grew up in a musical family. At the age of 12, he started his musical career playing keyboards for a top 40 band. At age 15, after seeing an English band playing Led Zeppelin, J.P. switched to the electric guitar and formed his own rock band called TRIM. He taught himself to play the guitar by listening to LPs by his favorite bands like Free, Zeppelin, Hendrix, Cream and the Beatles. At 18, after high school, J.P. went to the Royal Conservatory of Music. where he studied piano. He performed with several rock bands. J.P. went to a Buddy Miles concert in London, Ontario, (Hendrix, Band of Gypsys, Santana) and he went backstage to meet him. Buddy was so impressed with his knowledge of Hendrix songs and the fact that he played the guitar left-handed-backwards (like himself), that he invited J.P. to jam with him the following night. Buddy then asked J.P. to join his band back in Los Angeles, so at 21, J.P. moved to LA. This was the beginning of J.P.’s professional musical career.

    From a 3 piece rock group to a full 16 piece latin / funk band and everything in between, J.P. has toured the world, learning first hand many styles of music. He has since played and continues to work with a myriad of talented artists. J.P.’s talent goes beyond guitar playing. He is also an accomplished producer/writer, with many CD productions and songs under his belt. Currently, J.P. is producing the music for a TV show “WOW Beautiful Women of Wrestling” a Dave McLane/Gene Simmons Production. His latest releases include Jimi Hendrix and Led Zeppelin tribute CD's, featuring TOP ARTISTS; he is also writing-producing for different artists as well as performing live with Cecilia Noel & the Wild Clams, an all-star band from Los Angeles.

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  • Josh Ramos

    Josh Ramos

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Josh Ramos Band
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.myspace.com/joshramos

    Chicago born Josh Ramos got an early musical start in life by playing in the church band before he ever hit double digits. Later in high school he formed and played in bands around the Chicago area. A year out of high school Josh formed LE MANS in 1983. This band recorded two albums, one on the Shrapnel Label and one with Columbia Records. It was during this time that Josh moved to the Bay Area of California and became associated with Neal Schon and his line of "Schon guitars". A few years later Josh and his band ELAN were voted "Best Bay Area Band" by a listeners poll on the number one radio station KRQR.

    Josh joined THE STORM in 1991. Josh had played guitar on the demo tape for "Show Me The Way" and had played with Kevin Chalfant and Ross Valory in a well-respected Bay Area band called The View. The Storm recorded an album with Interscope Records and had a #3 hit with "I've Got A Lot To Learn About Love" and a #10 hit with "Show Me The Way", while giving tour support to Bryan Adams, Peter Frampton and Tom Cochran. The album was near gold and the band was established as one that could deliver radio friendly hit songs. The band received a Bay Area Music Award ("Bammie") for Best Debut Album and a BMI Award for airplay for "I've Got A Lot To Learn About Love". In 1996 Josh has been seen and heard, playing with VELOCITY, a hard rock quartet opening for the likes of Night Ranger, Quiet Riot, and Foghat. A review of Velocity when Josh was with the band said, "The only way to describe this band is just high energy."

    In January, 1997, Josh and Kevin Chalfant traveled to London, England to attend the "Frontiers Awards", and to accept awards for "Best Song" and "Best Album" for The Storm's second album "Eye of the Storm" (on the Music For Nations label). The album features songs like "Waiting For The World To Change", "Don't Give Up", "To Have And To Hold" and several others that possess the same quality and mass appeal as the first. At the Frontiers Awards ceremony, Kevin and Josh performed a special unplugged type medley of four Storm songs. Josh has co-written 3 Storm songs, "Long Time Coming", "Your Gonna Miss Me" and "Touch And Go". Josh has been playing Washburn Guitars exclusively since 1992.

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  • Josette Farinas

    Josette Farinas

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Judas Priestess
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.judasprietessband.com

    Josette earned her heavy metal cred as a teenager in her first ever band: the all girl Hari-Kari, managed and produced by the Eric Carr of KISS. At a young age the Les-Paul-playing Josette became a seasoned rock performer, sharing stages with the top major acts of the day. A New Jersey native, she cites her main influences as Jimmy Page and Stevie Ray Vaughn. She has done extensive touring with various artists such as Chud of Misfits & XWard, Erocktica, and Warped with Shiragirl. Josette also plays the banjo.

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  • John Comprix

    John Comprix

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Beyond Fear
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.facebook.com/johncomprix

     John Comprix is the guitar player for hardcore/thrash heavyweights Ringworm, Beyond Fear (featuring ex-Judas Priest, ex-Iced Earth, and current Yngwie Malmsteen and Dio's Disciples vocalist Tim "Ripper" Owens), Law of Destruction and Tims solo band Tim Ripper Owens.


    Ringworm are currently on tour in support of their latest release "Scars" via Victory Records/Riot! Which was released in July 2011 and is getting critical acclaim worldwide. They recently finished a video for the song "Used Up and Spit Out" and just finished up a headlining tour of the U.S. as well as a headlining tour of Australia and New Zealand with a European tour scheduled for February and March of 2012.


    Beyond Fear is currently in the studio demoing songs for the follow up to their debut album simply titled "Beyond Fear" which was released via SPV records and have been touring heavily splitting duties as Beyond Fear and Tim Ripper Owens playing songs from both bands.


    John was featured heavily on Rippers solo album titled "Play My Game" which was also released via SPV in which he played most of the rhythm guitars and harmonies as well as writing the song "Death Race" and co-writing the title track.

     

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  • Joey Williams

    Joey Williams

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Blind Boys, Robert Randolph, The Joey Williams Project

    www.joeywilliams.com

    Joey Williams has been playing the guitar since the age of 9, when his father showed him the "A Chord". Since then he's gone on to play and sing with many artists and musicians. Most recently Blind Boys of Alabama, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, Ben Harper, Peter Gabriel and more.... he has 5 Grammy Awards under his belt and is still traveling the world singing and playing.

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  • Jeff Duncan

    Jeff Duncan

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Armored Saint
    Floyd Rose Original, Stone Tone Blocks
    www.armoredsaint.com/

    It didn't take long for Jeff Duncan to find his passion. Born into a musical family, Jeff was fascinated by his fathers guitar playing since the age of six. It was then that Jeff received his first informal guitar lesson from his father, and never looked back.
    Years later, trading high school homework time for band rehearsal time, Jeff became a founding member of the band, Odin, which quickly became a pillar on the Sunset Strip in the 80s. Odin cut several albums, and was featured in documentary, Decline of Western Civilization, The Metal Years. Although a huge draw on the Sunset Strip, Odin struggled to achieve success outside of the strip, and disbanded in 1988.

    Never one to rest, Jeff jumped at the chance to become one of the lead guitar players in a friendly rival of Odin's, Armored Saint, along side guitar player and friend, David Prichard. The dual guitar attack of the virtuosos quickly became legend, but due to personal issues, Jeff left Armored Saint briefly after joining.

    Months later while doing a brief stint with the LA based band, Lost Boys, Jeff received the disturbing news that his friend and ex-bandmate, David Prichard was diagnosed with leukemia. David's heroic battle with the disease ended months later, as David tragically passed away at the age of 26.

    Given a new outlook on life, the timing was now right when Jeff was once again asked to join Armored Saint. With his personal issues behind him, he jumped at the opportunity to rejoin the band. To this day, Jeff continues to play a very active role in Armored Saint. His blistering guitar riffs, and impeccable rhythm guitar playing have consumed the left side of the stage during each Armored Saint show for more than 20 years.

    Due to the many projects in which the band members from Armored Saint partake, the band experiences a fair amount of down time between tours/gigs. Realizing this, Jeff started his own band in 1998. DC4 is comprised of Jeff's brothers Shawn (drums) and Matt (Bass), as well as Rowan Robertson (guitar) of Dio fame. Jeff is the primary song writer, lead vocalist, and co-lead guitarist for DC4. Their most recent CD "Electric Ministry," on Metal Blade records in Europe, has received critical acclaim, and in September 2012, Jeff has begun the writing process for DC4's 4th CD. The band remains very active playing regularly in the southwest part of the country including; LA, Las Vegas, and Phoenix. 

    When available, Jeff also plays lead guitar in Dizzy Reed's (Guns N' Roses) solo project. Dizzy often does mini/regional domestic tours, and plays some of the smaller cities in the US that Gun N' Roses does not visit while on tour.

    Recently in June 2012, Jeff was featured in the book Tales from the Stage #1. His career and life story are featured along side 14 other rock pros such as Bruce Kulick, Eddie Trunk, Tim "Ripper" Owens, Herman Rarebell, and Tracii Guns.

    Jeff's career in music has been an amazing one. One of the more satisfying components of his career is teaching guitar to enthusiastic students, and playing acoustic guitar at special events such as weddings or anniversary's. "I love playing to an appreciative audience," says Jeff. "Seeing 10,000 people with their fist in the air gives you an amazing rush, but so does seeing the father of the bride tear up while you are playing an acoustic song for his daughter. It's a different rush, but it's still very moving."

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  • Jason Krause

    Jason Krause

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Kid Rock, Twisted Brown Trucker
    Floyd Rose Original, Stone Tone Blocks
    www.facebook.com/jason-krause

    Jason Krause grew up in Mt. Clemens.

    You don't need a professional ear to catch the yin and yang at work in TBT. Jason Krause provides the fiery, flashy counterpart to Olson's simmering leads.

    See, Krause is TBT's resident metal head. Evidence? He cut his teeth in local bands with names like Aftermass and Black Anthem. He loves his Flying V guitars. Slayer was his favorite band.

    And it took a while for rap to make its mark.

    "I was never a Kid Rock fan," says Krause, a licensed carpenter who built his own studio. "My little brother listened to him. I was like, 'What are you listening to this crap for?' "

    But when DJ Kracker called in early '97, his interest was piqued. Kid Rock wanted another guitarist for his burgeoning band and was interested in hearing Krause's stuff.

    Krause then scored the easiest audition he'd ever enjoyed. He didn't have to play a lick. With a concert date looming two days later, the green light came quickly from Kid Rock: "We've got to get Jason ready for the show."

    Kid Rock would later tell Krause, "I just figured somebody with this much equipment and so many guitars must know something."

    Krause, now certifiably a Kid Rock fan, laughs. "I'm glad I said yes. You know, you probably don't interview too many carpenters for the paper."

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  • Jani J. Szentkiraly

    Jani J. Szentkiraly

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Floyd Rose Original

    Born on January 19, 1981 in Transylvania where he started his career in the music business, starting out in a few well known rock bands! After a few years later he moved to Budapest, Hungary where he is now playing with very popular artists and bands from the Hungarian Music Industry.  Since 2010 he has been the lead guitarist in the band Mobilmania.

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  • Ira Black

    Ira Black

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    ATTIKA7
    Floyd Rose Original, Stone Tone Block
    www.facebook.com/irablackattack

    Quote: "There's a reason why all "The Greats" use The Floyd Rose Tremolo....because it's the best!"

    IRA BLACK (born March 23, 1971) is an American heavy metal guitarist and songwriter. Black plays with ATTIKA7, which features an all-star lineup including front man extraordinaire Evan Seinfeld (BIO-HAZARD), Rusty Coones, guitar (SONS of ANARCHY) and Tommy Holt, drums (U.P.O.). Black has played in over 60 bands since the mid 80's and is best known for his work with METAL CHURCH, VICIOUS RUMORS, HEATHEN and LIZZY BORDEN . Black is known musically for his powerful, loud and heavy riffs, speed, Black’s knowledge of written music and as one of metal's best guitar shredders. Black has been a strict vegan for 20 years supporting living beings as an all-encompassing form of his life.

    While in LA County jail in 2009, Black garnered national media attention by going on a 10-day hunger strike when he was refused vegan meals. Black is also known for his silver painted mountain lion cat spine attached to his beard and his below-the-waist mane of hair. He was featured on the front cover of ROCKDECTOR’S A to Z THRASH METAL book, banging his head at the Bang Your Head Festival in Germany 2001 showcasing Black’s thrashing metal presence.

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  • Gregory Hinde

    Gregory Hinde

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Composer, Sound Designer
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.gregoryhinde.com

    Quote: "Every once and a while life brings something across ones plate that is enjoyed over and over. The Floyd Rose guitar is such an item that has crossed my plate."

     Composer, arranger, songwriter Gregory Hinde is a master of storytelling through his music, whether expressions of deep emotion for film scoring or the outrageous and often hilarious antics of animation. Playing piano at the age of four in his home town of Atlanta, Georgia with a natural affinity fo rmusic he soon mastered various other instruments, playing keyboards and guitar in dance bands; snare drum and flute in marching bads. At an early age he was invited to join Young American Showcase, entertaining audiences throughout the United States and Canada. Continuing his education, Gregory studied traditional performance, composition and arranging at the Birmingham School of Music in England (now UCE Birmingham Conservatoire). Shortly after completing his studies he toured with the British band "Cradle" as their keyboard player. Upon returning to the U.S. he studied keyboard improvisation and arrangement at the Berklee College of Music.

    A resident of Southern California, Gregory has worked in the television and film industry scoring music for Cartoon Network's "Evil Con Carne" series, for which he received a nomination in 2005 for a Golden Reel Award by The Motion Picture Sound Editors. He also composed the music for the final season of Nickelodeon's "The Wild Thornberrys" television series. Gregory composed for the highly rated and very popular "The Grim Adventures of Billy and Mandy" series for Cartoon Network. It is the longest running series to air on Cartoon Network and he was nominated for a 2007 Annie Award for Music in an Animated Television Production for "Billy & Mandy's Big Boogey Adventure." He Recently scored an independent film called "Witt's Daughter" which has been featured at numerous film festivals around the United States, winning several awards.

    Gregory believes the musical score of any production play san integral role in the storytelling. When working with producers and directors his attention to detail and his devotion to the heart of the story is unparalleled, according to those who work with him. As a songwriter, Gregory recently began writing material with Grace Bawden, an exceptionally talented young singer from Australia who was a finalist in the popular series "Australia's Got Talent." His international work continues as he is also currently working on a show in development with a production company from the Netherlands with the animation being completed at a studio in India. He lives in Southern California with his wife and daughter and a menagerie of animals.

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  • George Pajon Jr.

    George Pajon Jr.

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Black Eyed Peas
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.george.blackeyedpeas.com

     George Pajon Jr. is a guitar player of rare and exceptional ability. Most known for his writing and playing with the group Black Eyed Peas (Interscope Records), a group that is currently riding high on the Billboard charts, he has in recent years been a big force in helping to shape the sound of Hip Hop through his originality, creativity, and vision in a genre that is often lacking in original sound and deprived of outstanding musicianship. He is a major part of one of the most exciting live shows in the genre, where you are always sure to see a new show every night - complete with musical and lyrical improvisation, which has helped them win over audiences all over the world.

    A guitar player, producer, and songwriter George Pajon Jr. has shown that he has more to offer the urban music world than the average guitar player, who, more often than not, is simply called in to replay sampled parts. His incredible ability to play multiple genres and make them fit into an urban context not only has made him sought after, but respected in a genre that is based more on producers and slick videos, than caliber of musicianship. He co-wrote and played guitar on the Black Eyed Peas current top 10 hit, “Where is the Love” featuring Justin Timberlake, as well as several other tracks on the 2003 Interscope Records release Elephunk. Radio audiences will get another sample of his writing on the follow-up single, “Shut Up”, which is set for a fall release, and television audiences are currently getting a regular dose of George’s improv playing skills on the MTV/MTV2 series “My Definition” which features the band improvising in every episode along with some of today’s hottest musical guests including Pharrell Williams (Neptunes), Travis Barker (Blink 182) and Rahzel (The Roots Crew).

    Ask anyone who has the opportunity of working with him, and they will tell you that it is a near impossible task to find any guitar player in music, let alone Urban music, that has the cross-genre experience and proficiency that George possesses. And that musical dexterity has never been more apparent than in his current solo project “Fried Plantains”, which fuses the worlds of Jazz, Hip Hop, Blues, and Rock with his undeniable guitar skills. For the project, he drew on some of Jazz’s great players, such as Mike Clark (Herbie Hancock/Headhunters), and Fred Wesley (James Brown), as well as up-and-comers such as Robert Walter (20th Congress/Greyboy Allstars), to create an exciting trip back to “Groove” music that has rarely been conquered since it’s last heyday in the 1970’s.

    George’s years of experience in the studio and on the road have led him into a budding career writing and producing for such artists as Terry Dexter (A&M), Esthero (Reprise), Mos Def (Rawkus Records), Beth Hirsch (K7), and many others. He has recorded with producers such as Rhett Lawrence, Wade Robson, and Ron Fair, and has had the opportunity to write with, play, record, and tour with the likes of Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Macy Gray, No Doubt, Blink 182, 311, The Roots, Wyclef Jean, Coldplay, Queens of the Stone Age, and countless other bands and artists creating some of today’s hottest music.

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  • Dean Cascione

    Dean Cascione

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    FR Non-Fine Tuner, Stone Tone Rock Block
    www.deancascione.com

    Quote: “My Floyd Rose Non Fine Tuner tremolo, hot-rodded with a 37mm Stone Tone Rock Block delivers no-nonsense tuning and stability with a megalith of tone. “

     Dean Cascione is an American Neoclassic Shred Guitarist who is an innovative force in today's shred guitar scene. In a genre overflowing with self-proclaimed speed freaks, Cascione is committed to shattering the shred stereotypes, delivering melodic NeoClassic Metal filled with passion and contrast. Experts have described Dean’s command of the instrument as “A showcase of Neoclassical fretboard pyrotechnics”, "Dangerous with a guitar," "Vicious, high tech and aggressive," "Channeled the spirit of Rhoads and the best of Malmsteen," and "A bright star on the international guitar scene."

    Dean’s debut CD "Guitar Chop Shop" released in 2008, merited Guitar9's #1 chart ranking in May of that year, and an overall ranking of #2 in their Top Sellers chart for NeoClassical Metal in 2008. In honor of one of Metal’s greatest legends, Dean joined forces with the mighty MANOWAR to record "Magic: A Tribute to Ronnie James Dio." Straight from the heart, Dean embraced Dio's legacy with his own haunting instrumental interpretation of his Elf classic Nevermore. The tribute album was released worldwide in 2010. "Neoclassical Fire" (2011) conjured a "Blend of fierce fret board assault with strong, powerful melodic phrasing”. The album merited Guitar9's #1 chart ranking in sales during July and August of 2011, and held for a strong 7 weeks in the Top 10 charts for Neoclassical Metal, Shred, and Instrumental Rock genres.

    "Shred Crusade" is Dean’s latest chapter of pure NeoClassic Metal (2015). Joining Cascione on this epic adventure rides Kenny Lane Swartz ( Drums), Paul Ranieri (Bass), Rich Kelly (Orchestration) and a cavalry of guitar wielding wizards to include: David "The Shred Demon" Shankle (DSG, Devil Land, Voodoo Gods, MANOWAR), Joe Stump (Joe Stump Band, Holy Hell, Reign of Terror, Exorcism, Black Knights Castle) and Dave Mercado ( Shadow Eden).  Influenced and inspired by decades of metal and classical music, Cascione holds the NeoClassic torch high and proud, as he prepares to deliver another volume of powerful guitar anthems! RIP and SHRED!

    Dean Cascione’s fretboard pyrotechnics can also be heard on the Shredlord Joe Stumps (2015 Lion Music) release “Brothers in Shred”.

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  • Dave Reffett

    Dave Reffett

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Floyd Rose Original, Stone Tone Block
    www.davereffett.com/

     Dave Reffett: Hailed for his incendiary picking technique, Dave is a fast rising star in the world's Heavy Metal guitar community. Guitar International Magazine wrote about Reffett "while he can solo with the best of them, what really stands out is his incredible right hand chord work. I have seen and heard a lot of guys speed pick solos over the years at blistering tempos, but few, if any, can match the speed and rhythmic variation that Reffett possesses with his chords." He demonstrates his uncanny ability to teach his techniques to guitarists of any skill level at clinics all over the world. Dave is a Berklee College of Music graduate and has played with the best in the music industry, Players like: Guthrie Govan, Jeff Loomis, Michael Romeo, Mike Mangini, George Lynch, Michael Angelo Batio, Chris Poland, Glen Drover, Glen Sobel, Derek St. Holmes, Michael Devin, Rusty Cooley, Craig Goldy, Annie Grunwald and many more. As an artist and performer, he produced the critically acclaimed album "The Call Of The Flames", which Bruce Dickinson from Iron Maiden called "A Must Have album" on his BBC radio show. He also played a big hand in Michael Angelo Batio's album "Intermezzo", he played on the albums single, "8 Pillars Of Steel" and wrote and produced the song "Juggernaut". Dave is an official artist endorsee for companies like Dean Guitars, Floyd Rose, Eminence Speakers, Mogami Cables, D'Addario Strings, and Stone Tone Rock Blocks. A lover and ambassador of all things music related, Dave has taught his licks, riffs and ideas to hundreds of thousands of people across the globe, via You tube videos, Skype & private lessons, concerts and Clinics. He was a recipient of the Berklee World Scholarship Tour award and the Berklee Best award and has graced the cover of magazines such as Asia's "Gitar Plus", Mexico's "Heavy Riff" and more! 

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  • Craig Goldy

    Craig Goldy

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Dio, Dio Disciples
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.craiggoldy.com

    Quote: "I haven't used anything but Floyd Rose since 1983!"

     Born in San Diego, California, Craig Goldy played in Vengeance, Rough Cutt, and Giuffriabefore joining Dio-- Gold played on several Rough Cutt demos that were produced by Ronnie James Dio. He was also featured on Giuffria's 1984 self-titled debut album, and can be heard on their hit "Call to the Heart," which reached #15 on the Billboard Charts in early 1985. Dream Evil is the first Dio album Goldy played on, recorded in 1987, but he left the group shortly thereafter, returning in 2000 to help record Magica. Craig had left to do solo work, re-emerging in 1991 touting his CRAIG GOLDY'S RITUAL project, a group that involved Mike Stone on lead vocals, bassist Tom Rucci, keyboard player Doug Allen and drummer Carl Marelli-- he released two solo albums in 1993 and 1995 titled Insufficient Therapy and Better Late Than Never. He left Dio again shortly after the release of the Magica album due to family commitments, at which point Doug Aldrich stepped in. Aldrich then joined Whitesnake, facilitating Goldy's final return to the band. Recently he was featured in a Michael Angelo Batio video for the extremely guitar-heavy song, "8 Pillars of Steel," also featuring George Lynch, Jeff Loomis, Dave Reffett, Andrea Martongelli and Rusty Cooley, along with bassist Elliottt Dean Rubinson and drummer Joe Babiak. He is currently touring with Dio Disciples, recording with Vinny Appice on Frontiers Records, and will soon be doing a tour with Appice and Joe Lynn Turner.

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  • Buck Dharma

    Buck Dharma

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Blue Oyster Cult
    Floyd Rose Original, Non-Fine Tuner
    www.buckdharma.com

     A twist of fate, or more accurately, a twist of the wrist, turned Donald "Buck Dharma" Roeser into a guitar player.

    Surrounded by music growing up, Roeser spent his formative years listening to his father, an accomplished jazz saxophonist, and naturally gravitated toward the melodic arts as the years progressed. As a child, Roeser briefly toyed with the accordion, but when the British Invasion made a loud landing on US shores, he finally discovered his true calling: Rock & Roll. Buck's first love wasn't the guitar however. He began his journey to rock legend as a drummer.

    But as it happened, fate intervened early, when the young Roeser fractured his left wrist on the basketball court. Unable to quell his musical energies, he began fiddling around with the guitar during his recovery. Slowly, the realization dawned that he enjoyed plucking a guitar just as much as banging skins, and the rest is rock history.

    Following a course familiar to most young musicians, Roeser played in a series of cover bands during his high school years. Imitating licks from his favorite records at first, it didn't take long for him to meld the influences of his guitar heroes into a sound and style all his own.

    It wasn't until after he arrived at Clarkson College in New York that the foundations of his storied rock career began to fall into place. He joined a band that included original BÖC drummer Albert Bouchard. The two hit it off, and continued playing together on and off while attending school. Eventually, both were lured away from academic pursuits - Roeser from a potential degree in chemical engineering - by the enticing possibility of making music full time. Forsaking academia for the wilds of Long Island, they landed in a rented "band house" near Stony Brook University with several other musicians, and the Soft White Underbelly was born.

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  • Bruce Rickerd

    Bruce Rickerd

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Cirque du Soleil

     Bruce Rickerd is a musician who’s been touring, recording and performing professionally with Canadian, American and international artists since the early ‘70s and has never lost his passion for music. He’s played every style from Country and Western to New Age to Rhythm ‘n’ Blues, Disco, Rock ‘n’ Roll, Rockabilly, various ethnic styles, Progressive Rock, Jazz and Blues, drawing from each musical idiom to carve out his unique eclectic stylistic identity. He was approached in 1993 by long time collaborator and colleague, Cirque du Soleil composer Benoit Jutras, to help spearhead the artistic and musical revolution that Cirque du Soleil would unleash inLas Vegas, redefining entertainment in the “Entertainment capital of the world”. Since 1993, Mystère has been Cirque du Soleil’s cornerstone and building block opening the door to “O”, Zumanity, “Ka”, “Love”, the Cirque-Beatles collaboration, Kriss Angel’s “Believe” and “Zarkana”. Through all of this and more than 10,000 shows, Bruce has been the only artist who has performed every single performance of Mystère since its debut in December of 1993 earning him a Guinness World record for “Most Theatrical Performances by a Musician (Male). Having performed before more than 20 Million people live, and more in film and television programs such as “The Tonight Show” among many others. Bruce Rickerd performs nearly 500 shows a year with “Mystère” and still finds time to play with other musicians in the Las Vegas area.

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  • Brev Sullivan

    Brev Sullivan

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Rock of Ages, Featured on Fridays
    Floyd Rose Original, Floyd Rose Custom Shoppe, ISOT-2, DSOTV
    http://www.brevsullivan.com

     Brev Sullivan is a Miami based guitarist proficient in multiple genres. He is the guitarist for Featured On Fridays (FOF), a shred-metal, progressive group whose songs are a tour de force of wildly searing instrumentals - combining metal, shred, jazz, country chicken pickin' and even epic movie soundtrack style melodies. 

    Brev studied with jazz legend Joe Diorio of California's GIT; his first big debut was when his father, jazz legend Ira Sullivan, invited him up onstage him to perform with him and Joe Diorio at the Pennsylvania Jazz festival. There he traded licks with his instructor Joe Diorio onstage in front of 5000 attendees at age 17.

    Brev currently tours with the group Featured on Fridays, and Lazy Bonez an 80's arena rock tribute band on the Royal Caribbean rock cruise circuit. Between traveling, he is an instructor School of Rock. He also conducts Rock Star Camps and clinics for kids and adults along with his group FOF. Brev is also on the faculty for the Summer Young Musicians Camp at the Prestigious University of Miami. 

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  • Boz Boorer

    Boz Boorer

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Morrissey
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.bozboorer.com

    Quote: "In addition to using my Floyd on the Morrissey tour and numerous television festivals, I just used it at the Rockabilly festival. It was admired by purists and modernists alike."

     Martin James "Boz" Boorer was born on 19 May 1962 in Edgware a suburb of North London and is married to Lyn with whom he has 2 daughters: Billie-Rose and Pearl-May. Boorer is a guitarist who composes music for Morrissey as the main songwriter along with Alain Whyte. He is not only famous and well known as a guitarist: Boz Boorer is a high profile, hard working artist and engineer who has scored many times in his different figures, and steadily makes live gigs in several countries with different bands, or as solo performer.

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  • Blackbyrd McKnight

    Blackbyrd McKnight

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Funkadelic
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.blackbyrdmcknight.net

     Blackbyrd McKnight encompasses many styles of music to make up what he calls “Progressive Funk-Rock”.

    Grooved in the cradle by his father’s broad collection of jazz recordings as an infant, brainwashed by Jimi Hendrix in his teens, Blackbyrd entered the University of Funk in his twenties, and has never stopped evolving and rocking people ever since.  In the early stages of his career, Blackbyrd mainly worked with Jazz musicians, such as Charles Lloyd, Sonny Rollins, Herbie Hancock & the Headhunters, and more. He then redirected his path towards funk when he joined the P-Funk Camp in 1978 and has been funkin people up ever since. He was the musical director of George Clinton and Parliament/Funkadelic from 1980 to 2008. Other than working with P-Funk artists such as George Clinton, Bootsy Collins, and Bernie Worrell, Blackbyrd has also worked with Miles Davis, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Ron Wood & Bernard Fowler of the Rolling Stones, Bill Laswell, HR of Bad Brains, Macy Gray, Fishbone and Wyzard of Mothers Finest to name but a few.

    His first solo appearance in New York with Will Calhoun, Melvin Gibbs and Ronny Drayton at Knitting Factory in September 2007 anticipated his musical movement for the near future, as well as the collaboration with Bernie Worrell to form the new supergroup “SociaLybrium” in 2008.

     Blackbyrd has recharged himself after resigning his duty as a musical director of P-Funk in early 2008 and he is now back on the scene with his long awaited first solo album “’Bout Funkin’ Time” which was released in November 2009. He has started performing as a solo artist and looks forward to rockin your neighborhood.

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  • Vivian Campbell

    Vivian Campbell

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Dio, Whitesnake, Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy
    Floyd Rose Original
    www.viviancampbell.com

     Vivian Campbell began playing at the age of 12, and has since played with Sweet Savage, Dio, Trinity, Whitesnake, Thin Lizzy, Riverdogs, and Shadow King as well as on Lou Gramm’s second solo album Long Hard Look. Campbell joined Sweet Savage at the age of 15; the band included Campbell on guitar, Trev Fleming on guitar, Ray Haller on bass and vocals, and David Bates on drums. They were a strong influence on Metallica, who covered the song “Killing Time” as a B-Side of their single, Unforgiven, and was included on their Garage, Inc. covers compilation. Campbell left Sweet Savage in 1983 to join Dio, as part of their first lineup just prior to the release of Holy Diver. He went on to play with Whitesnake from 1987-88, joined Def Leppard in 1992, and tours with them to this day despite having been diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma; he was also a member of Thin Lizzy from 2010-11.

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  • Ezequiel Fernandez

    Ezequiel Fernandez

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Floyd Rose Original

    Ezequiel is a multi-instrumentalist musician who acquired knowledge of different styles for the development of teaching, and the execution of the instrument. He studied pedagogical subjects and methods in the Consudec (Top Council of Catholic Education). He has a degree in music specialized in guitar, bass and piano given by Berklee College of London.
    Ezequiel is a guitarist and bassist in the progressive metal band THE TRIPOLARES. The band integrates sounds from bands like Shade Souls, and Eterna Ansiedad.He gets his guitar and bass influences from Domine of Empire The Tripolares on guitar, and Bass on  Bloodparade in Undercover international bands of Renown in Theaters and Festivals like MAximus Festival; among others bands of Progresivo. Ezequiel is a sessionist,and arrange. He is a transpositor of music for different bands, singers, and choirs. He went on a personal tour through London, Barcelona, Paris and Rome as a jazz guitarist. Ezequiel is the Director of the Music School in Defenders of Banfield, and a professor of music in La Nave de Oseberg. 

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  • Rusty Cooley

    Rusty Cooley

    Posted by James McCaffrey

    Floyd Rose 1K Pro & Original Series Tremolos

    https://rustycooley.com/

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  • Tyler Morris

    Tyler Morris

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Floyd Rose Original, Stone Tone Blocks
    www.tylerdmorris.com/

    Quote: "Stone Tone Blocks make your guitar scream with a clearer and crispier tone. They add more vibe to your overall sound and improve the texture and sustain of your vibrato and even faster notes."

     Tyler Drew Morris is a 18 year old teenage guitar prodigy from the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts. Tyler has played with various artists including Sammy Hagar, Vince Neil, Phil Collen, Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Steve Vai, Rudy Sarzo, Robert Sarzo, Leslie West, Mark Farnar, Ronnie Montrose, Kip Winger, Skunk Baxter, Brent Fitz, Lita Ford, George Lynch, Ritchie Kotzen, Bruce Kulick, Joe Stump, Mark Hudson, Fred Coury, Robert Marcello, Gary Hoey, Robben Ford, Joey Stefko, Kasim Sulton, Sandy Genarro, Juma Sultan, Teddy Andreadis, Rob Affusso, Gary King, as well as many others in the local Boston Music Scene.Tyler has been on stage at the Hollywood House of Blues, The Gibson Hollywood Showroom, The Bethel Woods Woodstock Performance Center, The Cutting Room in Manhattan, BB King’s Blues Club in West Palm Beach, BB King’s Blues Club in New York, The Cutting Room New York, The Hard Rock Cafe Boston, Tupelo Music Hall, Fusion 5, The Tavern, The Sea Note, as well as many other places in and around the Boston. Tyler has recorded with Eddie Kramer at East West Studios in Hollywood, Waterville Studios, Taylor Barefoot Productions and Mad Oak Studios. In January of 2015, Tyler released his debut album, “And So It Begins”, which was featured in Guitar Player Magazine, Vintage Guitar Magazine, Heavy Riff Magazine in Mexico, Gitar Plus Magazine in Asia, Metal to Infinity and Korea Guitar as well as many other online Magazines and media outlets. Tyler currently performs in the local Boston area 3-5 times a week.

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  • Lloyd Wallace

    Lloyd Wallace

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    Lloyd Wallace a.k.a " Dr.Scary " is a Michigan based guitarist who has a reputation of being one of the most intense and over the top shredders in the area. For the past 30 years, Lloyd has been playing in various bands all over the Midwest, most recently with his solo band "Dr.Scary, HairMania, Black Sea Burial, and is currently working on his 2nd solo CD. One of his previous projects, Slap Maggy, released the original CD titled “Damage". He also has his own instrumental CD, "Fingers of Flight". Over his career Lloyd has traveled extensively throughout the United States and surrounding territories. He has had the privilege of opening for national acts such as: Michael Angelo Batio, Dennis DeYoung of STYX, Jack Russell's Great White, Skid Row, The Bullet Boys, Mr. Big, Sponge, Filter, and many more. Lloyd counts among his main influences Yngwie Malmsteen, Joe Satriani, Michael Angelo Batio, Jason Becker, Steve Vai and Randy Roads. Lloyd has been teaching privately since 1990, and has worked with students of all levels. He is also currently endorsed by Guitarheads pickups, Pedal Pad MKS, Lizard Spit, Black Diamond Guitar Strings, Amp Clamp, Morley Pedals most recently, Killer- Q guitar & Instrument Straps, Allen Eden Guitars and PickGuy Picks.

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  • Zach LoPresti

    Zach LoPresti

    Posted by Floyd Rose


    Zach LoPresti is a 28 year old multi-instrumentalist, composer, instructor, and producer from the Philadelphia area. Over the last decade, Zach has become an integral member of the music community, performing with original bands Out of the Beardspace, Gnarbot, Hungry Ghost, and Nik Greeley & The Operators. He also created the dynamic performance based music school "Zachademy of Music", and co-founded the incredibly popular annual music & arts festival, Beardfest.

    Zach's reputation and talent has brought him to the forefront of the progressive/jazz/jam scene, collaborating and performing with prominent artists such as Julie Slick (Adrian Belew Power Trio), Eli Winderman (Dopapod), Mike Keneally (Frank Zappa/Steve Vai/Joe Satriani), Jon Anderson (Yes), John Medeski & Billy Martin (Medeski, Martin & Wood), MonoNeon (Prince, Ghost-Note), Nate Werth (Snarky Puppy, Ghost-Note), Mike Greenfield (Lotus), and Chris Bullock (Snarky Puppy). Zach has become one of the most respected and active musicians in Philadelphia. 

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  • Scott Eames

    Scott Eames

    Posted by Floyd Rose

    "Floyd Rose has been a fixture in my Studio & Stage guitars since the beginning. I can shred and dive-bomb all day ...and they all stay in tune. Simply put, Floyd Rose can't be beaten." - Scott Eames
    Scott just completed a massive North American Tour playing guitar in THY ANTICHRIST as direct Tour Support to metal legends DARK FUNERAL & SEPTICFLESH; followed by a South American Tour in June 2018 alongside death metal giants VADER. Scott also has a full length Album from his band NEVALRA due to drop in late 2018 via Major Record Label, followed by extensive touring both inside and outside the USA. Scott also has his own Signature Guitar Cables line, titled "TERROR-Flex" in which he helped design with Spectraflex Cables.

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  • Damon Marks

    Damon Marks

    Posted by Bold Commerce Collaborator


    Damon Marks, is an American professional rock and roll guitarist, songwriter, record producer, and philanthropist. Marks is the founder of the Traveling Guitar Foundation, a non-profit that supplies underfunded school systems with support and musical instruments. He has performed with such artists as Alicia Keys and Bret Michaels. 

    In 2009, Damon founded the Traveling Guitar Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that works to ensure that school children have access to high-quality musical instruments and instruction. By partnering with such sponsors as Schecter Guitars, the foundation donates new guitars and various instruments to underfunded schools nationally and internationally. By 2018, the foundation had equipped 100+ schools and 35,000 students with musical equipment.

    In early 2013, Damon went on his first celebrity USO tour.

    On October 24, 2014 Marks was presented with a street sign at a ceremony by Mayor Christian Bollwage of the city of Elizabeth, NJ where he grew up.

    On May 13, 2016 Marks was presented with a second street sign at a ceremony by Mayor Barbara McMorrow of the city of Freehold, NJ recognizing him for his contributions to the education of our children through his foundation. Marks was also presented with a proclamation that on Saturday May 15, 2016, being declared Damon Marks / Traveling Guitar Foundation day.

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  • Jeff Elrose

    Jeff Elrose

    Posted by AP International

    Gracchus
    Floyd Rose 1500 series & Tungsten Sustain Block
    https://www.gracchus.net

    Jeffrey Elrose was born and raised in Sayreville, NJ. Interested in a musical career from a very young age, Jeff started playing guitar when he was 12 and later attended Musicians Institute in Hollywood, CA, where he met Bernhard Schnellmann, the founder, singer and guitarist of the Swiss band "Gracchus". Elrose joined the band in 2017, when he would also meet the third member of Gracchus, drummer Allan Murphy. Since then, Jeff has been traveling back and forth between Switzerland and the United States to create and perform music. And since then, his Floyd Rose has always been a loyal and trusted companion.

    After releasing their first full-length album, "Murder Party", in October 2019, Gracchus was named "Tomorrow's Heroes" (Helden von morgen) by Germany's Metal Hammer, a success that was followed by an international headlining tour through Germany and the Czech Republic.

    The band started into 2020 with the great honor of being chosen as the German Rock Hard's "Recommendation of the Month" (Tipp des Monats) and began to forge out intercontinental touring plans. Though, as we all know, the year took quite a different turn. Separated but not silenced by the COVID-19 Coronavirus Pandemic, Gracchus decided to focus on their musical output for the time being and managed to gain international recognition despite the ongoing hardship in the music industry.

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  • Tim Bertsch

    Tim Bertsch

    Posted by James McCaffrey

    Floyd Rose FRX
    www.timbertsch.com

    Timothy has long been a disciple of the guitar and its resonance working as a composer, performer and recording artist in three extremely diverse musical worlds.

    As a member of rock dynamo Jaded Mary, H.D. Fusion and Soulresonance, his musical expression is equally as unique and diverse.

    Having shared headline billing with countless national acts spanning the full spectrum of musical genres, Timothy has established himself as a dynamic soloist receiving international exposure while performing as a featured artist at innumerable festivals including Folklife, The Reno Jazz Festival, Muriel Anderson's All Star Harp Guitar Night and the NAMM Show.

    Timothy's compositions have been featured on television and film and have received airplay on national and international radio stations alike.

    Having studied with guitar legends Larry Coryell and Emily Remler, his versatility and proficiency have made him an in-demand studio musician as well as a sought after live performer.

    In addition to composing and performing, Tim is a passionate music educator whose writing contributions have been published in many notable guitar magazines both in the US and abroad.

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  • David Sanchez (Havok)

    David Sanchez (Havok)

    Posted by James McCaffrey

    David Sanchez is the founding guitarist and lead vocalist of Denver-based thrash metal band Havok. Off stage, David is also a songwriter, producer, mixing engineer, and host of the Riffs Or Die podcast. 

    Formed in 2004, Havok has become a mainstay in the global touring circuit and has released 5 studio albums between 2009 and 2020, including 2020’s critically-acclaimed “V”.  The band has played in 50+ countries and has toured with the likes of Megadeth, Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, Killswitch Engage, Children Of Bodom, Sepultura, and more.

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