Synster Gates

Name: Synster Gates

Band(s): Avenged Sevenfold

Guitar(s): Schecter

AMP: Krank, Marshall, Mesa/Boogie

Instructional DVD/CD: TBA

Website: www.avengedsevenfold.com

Music style(s): Metal 

Synster Gates is the lead guitarist of hardcore metal band Avenged Sevenfold.

Real name Brian Elwin Haner Jr., he was born in July 1981 in Huntington Beach California. He taught himself to play the guitar and his father, Brian Elwin Haner a songwriter and guitarist himself, probably had some input in Synster Gate’s early musical education.

Synster Gates studied at the musicians institute in Hollywood and studied jazz guitar for six months on the Guitar Institute of Technology program – an apprenticeship scheme that was set up to train musicians to a professional level. He was planning to go into session work.

However, he left the course when he was asked to join old Huntington Beach schoolmates as lead guitarist in their band Avenged Sevenfold. Synster Gates joined the band at the end of 1999 aged 18 years old, playing on the first album “Sounding the Seventh Trumpet”.

All band members created stage names and the name Synster Gates came apparently from a drunken drive round a park in the company of "the Rev", drummer James Sullivan a founder member of the band who  died in 2009.

Avenged Sevenfold have released five albums in total, the most recent “Nightmare” released in 2010. They tour extensively throughout the USA , Europe and the UK and have a wide following throughout the world.

As well as his work with Avenged Sevenfold, Synster Gates was also involved in a side project Pinkly Smooth, an avant-garde metal band formed in 2001 also based in Huntington Beach. The band released one album “Unfortunate Snort” in 2002 and although there was talk of another album for a few years, the death of the Rev now makes this now even more unlikely.

Synster Gates has been awarded 2006 Total Guitar “Guitarist of the Year” and the Metal Hammer “Young Shredder “award in the same year. This followed the album “City of Evil” released in 2005 on major label Warner Brothers. This has been their most successful record to date and was awarded platinum status.

Slash

Name: Slash

Band(s): Guns N Roses Slash Velvet Revolver

Guitar(s): Gibson Les Paul

AMP: Marshall Vintage Modern 2466

Instructional DVD/CD: TBC

Website: www.slash.com

Music style(s): Rock 

Saul Hudson (born July 23, 1965), better known by his stage name Slash, is a British American musician and songwriter. He is the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he performed and recorded from 1985 to 1996. He later formed Slash's Snakepit and co-founded Velvet Revolver with his former bandmates Duff McKagan and Matt Sorum, and his debut solo album, Slash, was released in April 2010. He has been on tour with touring vocalist Myles Kennedy to promote the album since its release. A second solo album is due in 2012.

Slash has received critical recognition as a guitarist. In August 2009, Time Magazine ranked him #2 on its list of the "10 Best Electric Guitar Players of All-Time". He was also ranked #21 on Gigwise's list of the "50 Greatest Guitarists Ever".

According to Slash, he was born in West Hampstead in West London, and raised in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire. His African-American and Nigerian mother, Ola Hudson, was born in Tennessee, and worked as a costume designer for David Bowie, among many other actors and musicians. His English father, Anthony Hudson, was an artist who created album covers for musicians such as Neil Young and Joni Mitchell.

When Saul was eleven, his parents moved the family to Los Angeles, California. His parents separated and he lived primarily with his mother. He was given the nickname "Slash" by family friend Seymour Cassel because he was "always in a hurry, zipping around from one thing to another".

As a young boy, Slash was influenced by a musical school teacher:

'Tangerine' from Led Zeppelin III was the very first song I mastered. I had a teacher at school who had a Les Paul and he was always playing Cream and Zeppelin licks and whatever. And when I heard him do that I said "That's what I want to do".

After deciding to form a band with friend Steven Adler, Slash decided to pick up the bass guitar as Adler had declared himself lead guitarist. Slash stopped in at Fairfax Music School and told the receptionist he wanted to play the bass, and at that time met his teacher Robert Wolin. Wolin told him that in order to learn he would need a bass of his own. Slash went home and asked his grandmother and was given a worn-out, single stringed flamenco guitar. After hearing Wolin play "Brown Sugar" by ear, Slash realized that the guitar was his calling. He subsequently dropped out of high school to focus on music. In a Rolling Stone magazine article, he remarked:

My big awakening happened when I was fourteen. I'd been trying to get into this older girl's pants for a while, and she finally let me come over to her house. We hung out, smoked some pot and listened to Aerosmith's Rocks. It hit me like a fucking ton of bricks. I sat there listening to it over and over, and totally blew off this girl. I remember riding my bike back to my grandma's house knowing that my life had changed. Now I identified with something.

Jimi Hendrix

Name: Jimi Hendrix

Band(s): Jimi Hendrix Experience Little Richard

Guitar(s): Fender Stratocaster

AMP: Marshall

Instructional DVD/CD: TBA

Website: www.jimihendrix.com

Music style(s): Rock 

Jimi Hendrix was born in Seattle Washington in 1942 .He got his first guitar when he was around 15 years and taught himself to play. Following a troubled childhood, the early death of his mother and petty crimes he was given the choice to go into the army or to prison. He chose the army and served in the 101 airborne division.

After discharge, Jimi Hendrix and army friend Billy Cox formed a band and started making a living. By 1963, they were playing the “chitlin circuit” clubs that featured black artists that toured the southern states. Tiring of this, Jimi Hendrix moved to New York in 1964, joining bands and doing session work for established acts such as such the Isley brothers, Little Richard and Ike and Tina turner.

Jimi Hendrix got his big break when he met Linda Keith, Keith Richards then girlfriend. She introduced Jimi to wannabee impresario Chas Chandler who was looking for an act to manage. Liking what he saw, Chandler bought Jimi Hendrix to London where he became an almost overnight success. Chandler helped find fellow band members bass player Noel Spedding and drummer Mitch Mitchell and the Jimi Hendrix experience was born.

The Jimi Hendrix experience released their first album “Are you Experienced” in 1967 and toured Europe and the UK to great success.

Further albums followed: “Axis Bold as Love” and the final Experience album” Electric Ladyland” was released in 1969.

Jimi Hendrix returned to the USA in 1967 to appear at the Monterey pop festival in a celebrated performance to great acclaim. This was the concert where he first set his guitar alight! Following the festival, Jimi Hendrix played in the USA, supporting the Monkees before being thrown off the tour because of his suggestive stage act.

The Jimi Hendrix experience broke up in 1969 after a last appearance at Denver pop festival. However, Jimi Hendrix was booked to appear at Woodstock pop festival and his band now featured old friend Billy Cox on bass, Mitch Michell on drums, old friend Larry Lee on rhythm guitar and a precussion section. The band was introduced as the Jimi Hendrix experience but jimi corrected this to “Gypsy Sun and Rainbows, for short it's nothin’ but ‘A Band Of’ Gypsies”.

Jimi Hendrix made his final appearance at a UK festival at the Isle of Wight in August 1970, before the band started a European tour. The final gig was at a pop festival in Fehmahn Germany where Jimi was booed by fans for refusing to play in rain and risk the danger of electrocution.

Jimi Hendrix’s final public appearance was an impromptu jam session at Ronnie Scotts in London on the 17^th September 1970. He returned to his girlfriend Monika Dannemann’s flat in the early hours of the morning and was found dead next day. It was believed he had overdosed with sleeping tablets and subsequently choked on his own vomit. There has been much controversy about the series of events leading up to his death, and whether suicide or suspicious circumstances.

Jimi Hendrix continues to delight and fascinate each new generation of guitar players. His unmistakeable style and technical brilliance makes him widely regarded as the being the World’s best and most influential guitarist.

Eddie Van Halen

Name: Eddie Van Halen

Band(s): Van Halen

Guitar(s): Fender, EVH, Wolfgang

AMP: Marshall, Fender, Peavey,

Instructional DVD/CD: TBA

Website: www.eddievanhalen.com

Music style(s): Rock 

Eddie Van Halen was born in 1955 in Amsterdam, real name, Edward Lodewijk van Halen. The family moved to USA when Eddie was seven years old and settled in Pasadena, California.

Eddie Van Halen’s parents were musical and Eddie learned to play the piano at an early age. However, he later learned the guitar becoming influenced by Cream and the guitar, playing of Eric Clapton.

His first band called Mammoth, was formed in 1972 in Pasadena later changing the name to Van Halen because another local band was also called Mammoth. It included Eddie Van Halen on vocals and lead guitar, and his brother Alex on drums.

The band first met David Lee Roth when they rented a PA system from him and later invited Roth to join as a singer, partly to save the money he was charging for the rental of the PA.

Eddie Van Halen developed a superfast and aggressive guitar style, this coupled with stage jumps, and acrobatics made him a compelling guitarist to both watch and listen to.

Gene Simmonds of Kiss saw the band perform in 1976 and financed the first Van Halen demo tape. Van Halen went on to release their first album “Van Halen” in 1978 after winning a recording deal with Warner Bros.

Van Halen recorded six albums between 1978 and 1984, including the hit single “Jump” released in 1984. During this time, Eddie Van Halen also played on the Michael Jackson song “Beat It” after being invited by Quincy Jones.

The band went through subsequent changes after 1985 – featuring Sammy Hagar fronting the band until 1996, then a brief period with Gary Cherone as singer, the return of Sammy Hagar and finally the return of David Lee Roth in 2007.

Unfortunately, Eddie Van Halen has suffered with health issues gained from stage acrobatics and problems with drug and alcohol abuse and has spent time in rehab so a promised reunion tour with David Lee Roth has never materialised.

Eddie Van Halen’s guitar style is fast and uses tapping – technique that involves playing the strings with both left and right hand on the neck.

His energetic stage act and high octane playing has led to him being honoured in Guitar Hero 2 , where a player receives an” Eddie van Halen” for picking 500 notes in succession.

Alexi Laiho

Name: Alexi Laiho

Band(s): Children Of Bodom

Guitar(s): ESP, Jackson

AMP: Krank, Marshall

Instructional DVD/CD: Metal Guitar - Melodic Speed, Shred & Heavy Riffs

Website: www.cobhc.com

Music style(s): Metal 

Born as Markku Uula Aleksi Laiho on April 8^th, 1979 in Espoo, Finland, Alexi “WildChild” Laiho started Children of Bodom in 1993 with drummer and childhood friend Jaska Raatikainen under the name IneartheD, gaining influence from bands such as Entombed and Obituary. After four years, 3 demos, a self-financed album, and various lineup changes (including the introduction of keyboardist Janne Wirman and bassist Henkka Seppälä), IneartheD signed to Finnish record label Spinefarm Records. They were required to change their name upon signing, and after searching through a phone book for inspiration, the band settled on the name Children of Bodom, derived from the story of the Lake Bodom murders.

After opening for Dimmu Borgir to promote the re-release of Something Wild, Children of Bodom inked a European-wide distribution deal with well known metal label Nuclear Blast. Since that time, Children of Bodom have released five albums, adding rhythm guitarist Roope Latvala in 2004 and extending their fan base to the U.S. with the 2005 album Are You Dead Yet? and 2008 album Blooddrunk. With these releases, Children of Bodom ventured on major tours such as Slayer’s 2006 Unholy Alliance Tour, as well as headlining and landing mainstage slots on various large festivals.

Children of Bodom are known for performing a wide array of covers, ranging from traditional metal acts such as Iron Maiden and King Diamond, to punk bands such as The Ramones and Billy Idol, as well as venturing into more obscure territory with their popular cover of Brittany Spears’ Oops…I Did It Again, and classic artists such as Kenny Rogers and Creedence Clearwater Revival (both of which can be attributed to the bands mutual love for the film The Big Lebowski). The vast numbers of covers displays the band’s dedication to their diverse influences, as well as their quirky sense of humor, and were collected together on the 2009 album Skeletons in the Closet.

Alexi Laiho has gained notable recognition in the metal community for his advanced skill as a guitarist, being ranked as one of the 50 fastest guitarists of all time by Guitar World magazine; and gaining praise from legends such as Kirk Hammet of Metallica and John Petrucci of Dream Theater.

Throughout Children of Bodom’s career, Alexi Laiho has maintained a relationship with vocalist and Sinergy band mate Kimberly Goss, whom he previously dated, married, and subsequently split with, although the two are still good friends.

Children of Bodom recently finished a tour with Zakk Wylde’s Black Label Society, as well as the recording for their forthcoming album, titled Relentless Reckless Forever, which is set to be released in March of 2011.

Michael Angelo Batio

 

Name: Michael Angelo Batio

Band(s): Micheal Angelo Band Nitro

Guitar(s): Dean, Fender

AMP: Marshall

Instructional DVD/CD: Speed Kills, Speed Kills 2010

Website: www.angelo.com

Music style(s): Metal 

Michael Angelo Batio, or “MAB,” as he is commonly known, was born in Chicago in 1956. Batio is a notable heavy metal guitarist, who also invented the “Quad Guitar”: a guitar with four necks. His guitar instructional DVD’s entitled, “Speed Kills” and “Speed Kills 2010,” are a must-have for any serious would-be shredder. Michael Angelo is also a frequent contributor to various guitar magazines, including Guitar World. At the age of five, Batio began studying piano; he was composing music at age ten, and at six, won the Chicago “All State Solo” Jazz Award. In college, Batio earned a degree in Music Theory and Composition, and upon graduating, began a career as a session player. Michael Angelo’s music can be heard on advertisements for such companies as McDonald’s, Taco Bell, Kentucky Fried Chicken, and United Airlines, just to name a few.

In 1984, Batio switched gears and joined the band, Holland, which was put together by Steppenwolf’s Tommy Holland.  The following year, Holland released their debut album, “Little Monsters,” and was able to garner some success in the United States, prior to disbanding. Michael Angelo’s career really began to take off in 1987, when he formed the band, Nitro. Within two years, MTV began playing the video for Nitro’s hit single, “Freight Train.” It was in this video that Batio showed off his impressive and astonishing skills on his “Quad Guitar. “ In fact, this feat was even voted “One of the Most Outrageous Moments in Rock,” by FHM Magazine. In 1993, Michael Angelo pioneered one of the first online record labels, MACE Music. Through this label, Batio has released six albums as a solo recording artist. All of his work has really paid off, for in 2008, Batio was named one of the “Top 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time,” by Guitar World Magazine. This same year, Total Guitar Magazine named him one of the “20 Greatest Shredders of All Time.” In 2009, Michael Angelo’s fans had their say, placing him at the top on the “Best Shredder” category in Guitar World Magazine’s Reader’s Choice Awards.

Prior to the “Quad Guitar,” Batio invented a very unique double guitar. Instead of the double-necks that consisted of one neck above another, such as those favored by artists like Jimmy Page, Batio’s design featured a twin-necked flying V with necks jutting out in both the right and left hand positions. With this guitar, Michael Angelo was able to show off his ambidextrous skills, playing both necks simultaneously! For an even greater challenge, Batio then went on to develop his “Quad Guitar.” The original version of this guitar was made by Gibson, and it featured two top necks with seven strings each, and two bottom necks with six strings each. The entire guitar is arranged as a star shape. In 2009, Dean Guitars, which also put out the phenomenal MAB-1 (Michael Angelo Batio Signature Guitar), began manufacturing the latest incarnation of the “Quad Guitar.” This incredible piece of equipment can be purchased through Batio’s MACE Music.

Steve Vai

Name: Steve Vai

Band(s): Frank Zappa Steve Vai

Guitar(s): Ibanez JEM Series

AMP: Carvin

Instructional DVD/CD: TBA

Website: www.vai.com

Music style(s): Rock 

Steve Vai is a guitar virtuoso with a complex and distinctive playing style. He is best known as a solo performer but has worked with countless other musicians including Whitesnake, Public Image Ltd, Alice Cooper, David Lee Roth and Frank Zappa.

Steve Vai was born in New York in 1960 as Steven Siro Vai and is an Italian American. He first started playing the guitar when he was 13 years old, later taking guitar lessons from Joe Satriani in 1974.

He played in local bands and attended Berklee College of music in Boston where he learned the musical theory that complemented his technical ability. .His early influences included Jimmy Page, Jeff Beck and fusion jazz guitarist Allan Holdsworth.

His first work as a professional musician was with Frank Zappa who was impressed with Steve Vai’s ability after receiving a transcription of his song ”Black Page” and a tape of Vai’s guitar playing that Steve Vai sent to him in the post.

Steve Vai joined Zappa’s band in 1980 and went on tour with them. Zappa called Steve Vai his” little Italian guitar virtuoso” getting him to play impossible sounding guitar parts or “stunt guitar” as he called it as part of the show.

After leaving Zappa in 1982, Steve Vai moved to California, recorded his first album “Flexible” which was well received by critics. Throughout the 1980s, he performed with many notable bands and musicians.

Since the 1990s, Steve Vai has toured and released albums with his own band, often working in collaboration with his one time guitar teacher Joe Satriani. He has completed many projects as a composer, including performances with leading national orchestras throughout the world.

Steve Vai is noted for playing double and triple neck guitars as well as a seven-string Ibanez Universe that he helped design in 1989. A distinctive feature of his sound is his use of the floating vibrato (tremolo).

In 1999 Steve Vai started his own record label Favoured Nations to show case artists that “have reached the highest level of performance on their instruments” and he is a supporter of many charitable music organisations, giving master classes in some of the world’s most prestigious music schools.

Steve Vai has released 19 solo albums – the latest being “Where the Wild Things Are” released in 2010. He has also won three Grammy awards and has appeared on numerous other albums with other artists.

Today Steve Vai is married to Pia Maicco– the bass player of the Vixens. They have two children and he keeps bees as a hobby.

Joe Satriani

Name: Joe Satriani

Band(s): Chickenfoot Solo Artist

Guitar(s): Ibanez JS

AMP: Marshall, Peavy JSX

Instructional DVD/CD: TBA

Website: www.satriani.com

Music style(s): Rock 

Joe Satriani was born in Westbury, New York on July 15^th 1956. He first became inspired to learn the guitar at the age of 14 after learning of the death of Jimi Hendrix. Satriani said he learnt of Hendrix's death during a football training session at which point he confronted his coach and told him he was quitting to become a guitarist. In 1974 Satriani studied music with Billy Bauer and the technically demanding Jazz pianist Lennie Tristano, who greatly influenced Satriani's playing style.

Satriani began teaching while in New York, his most notable student being Steve Vai. In 1978 Satriani moved to Berkeley, California to purse a career in music. He resumed teaching soon after and has taught some of the top players to date, including Kirk Hammet of Metallica and Alex Skolnick of Testament.

During the 1980's Satriani carried on making connections within the industry. He was invited to join the Grag Kihn band, who helped to pay the bill for Satriani's first album. In 1987 Satriani's second album Surfing With The Alien was released and proved a hit and chart highly, the first instrumental album to do so in many years.

In 1992 Satriani released his 4^th album, The Extremist, which became his most successful album to date.

In 1993 Satriani joined Deep Purple for the bands Japanese tour as a replacement for Ritchie Blackmore. After the tour Satriani was asked to join permanently but declined due to a Multi-Album deal with Sony.

In 1996 Satriani set up the G3, a tour intended to feature a trio of the top instrumental guitarists. The original line up was Satriani, Vai and Eric Johnson. Since the first tour the has been others with guitarists such as Yngwie Malmsteen, John Petrucci and Paul Gilbert.

Through out the rest of the 90's and into the new Millenium Satriani carried on regularly recording and releasing music which evolved over time.

In 2008 he revealed his new band Chickenfoot which involved former Van Halen members Sammy Hagar and Michael Anthony and Red Hot Chilli Peppers drummmer Chad Smith. They released their self titled album in 2009

In 2010 Satriani took part in the Experience Hendrix Tribute Tour playing music inspired and written by Hendrix.

Satriani's style includes many techniques such as legato, two-handed tapping, arpeggio tapping, volume swells, harmonics, and extreme use of the whammy bar. During faster passages Satriani favours legato but is also capable of sweep picking and rapid alternate picking.