BallBuster Contributor

Name: Alex Gomez Playing (years): 20 Style: Electric SlideGuitar Gear: Dan Electro and Teisco guitars, Silvertone 2×12 amp. Endorsements: Dean Markley, Hohner, Epiphone. Past accomplishments: Blues Slide Guitar Workshop TV series (PBS), Tape & Slide instruction series (Latch Lake), Survived 2 record deals, 3 ex-wives and countless one-nighters. Current and upcoming projects: Summer Euro Tour. Favorite guitarist: Blind Willie Johnson Most underrated […]

Name: Taz Taylor Playing (years): 26 Style: Hard Rock Instrumental Gear: Gibson Flying V (in studio) Gibson Explorer (stage), Peavey 5150 head, Marshall cabs, Boss RV 5 digital reverb pedal. Endorsements: None……I guess it would be nice to have a deal as a conversation piece, but I actually have all the gear I need!! Current and upcoming projects: I am currently […]

Spector Debuts New ARC6 Electric Guitars Stuart Spector Design has debuted the new ARC6 electric guitars at Winter NAMM 2005. These are handcrafted USA made instruments featuring the finest woods and components. The 22 fret, 25″ scale length set necks are available in either mahogany or solid Honduran rosewood. The carved mahogany bodies have hidden […]

Name: Randy Ellefson Playing (years): 20 Style: hard rock and traditional metal, like a cross between Scorpions, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, old Metallica, with the upbeat vibe and energy of old Van Halen. Gear: two home-made electric guitars with Floyd Rose tremolo, Schaller tuners, Seymour Duncan Custom and STK-S1 Classic Stack pickups, and a maple neck with maple fingerboard; […]

Name: Charles Brown Playing (years): 30 years! Style: Progressive, Instrumental Guitar music, with Guitar synth solos & textures, Hard Rock riffs, and Acoustic & Classical elements. Gear: Roland GR-30 Guitar synth, Fender Stratocaster, Les Paul Standard, Marshall MkII 50 Watt Lead amp w/ custom ported 2/12″ cabinet, Various Classical & Acoustic Guitars. Endorsements: None. Past accomplishments: Spent 15 years in Bands […]

DTC: You have recorded quite a few Cds over the last few years, which one song are you most proud of and why? Gus G: From the FIREWIND albums I’m really proud of the song “I Am the Anger” cause it’s just the perfect heavy metal sound to my ears! I’m glad I accomplished that. […]

Name: James D. Gilmore Playing (years): 28 Years Style: Progressive Metal Guitar Gear: Gibson Flying V’s “Jerid” Custom Built Amps, and Boss-Morley- Ross-ADA-BBE-Aria-Yamaha, and various other effects. Endorsements: None Currently. I’ve always had a problem with kissing ass. Past accomplishments: My CDs! Method 2 Madness, Return II Madness, and Resurrection. These are the most important. Current and upcoming projects: Currently promoting Resurrection, […]

Name: Tony Koretz Playing (years): 25 years Style: I play alot of different styles when I write music for television or other productions. But my favourite style and indeed my solo and band efforts tend to fit into the melodic rock category. Gear: Lots ! I have a project studio with a good range of stuff. As for guitars, […]

Name: Victor Samalot Playing (years): 25 Yrs Style: Jazz , fusion, rock, funk, progressive, new age, latin, etc.. Gear: Ibanez & Charvel Electric Guitars Bently & Alvarez Acoustic Guitars Yamaha Acoustic / Electric SLG -100S Silent Guitar Line 6 Pod 2.0 Line 6 Flextone Cabinet Stewart World 250 Power Amp D’Addario Strings XL 009-042 Morley Bad Horsie Wah […]

Name: Tom Kopyto Playing (years): 13 years Style: Instrumental shred guitar Gear: ESP and Ibanez baritone 7-strings DiMarzio pickups SIT Strings Endorsements: DiMarzio Past accomplishments: 1999: MACE Music releases my first instrumental CD “YTK”. Executive produced by world famous guitarist Michael Angelo, “YTK” received critical acclaim from the progressive metal and shred guitar press and helped me to build […]

Name: Tom Hess Playing (years): 18 Style: Progressive, neo-classical, shred. Gear: Angelo “Tom Hess’ signature model guitars, Carvin V220 guitars, Sanamp PSA-1, the list goes on and on and on. Endorsements: Angelo Guitars, Dean Markley strings, Clayton guitar picks Past accomplishments: released: Opus 1 and Opus 2. Taught hundreds of guitarists from all over the world. Current and upcoming projects: HESS Opus […]

Name: Ken Steiger Playing (years): 20 Style: Instrumental / Metal (Instra-METAL) Gear: Ibanez & Gibson Guitars Mesa Boogie amplifiers (TriAxis & Dual Rectifier) T.C. Electronics EFX (G-Force) V.H.T. Power Amps Endorsements: I am currently seeking endorsements with Ibanez, Ernie Ball, D’Addario, and any amp good company I can find. Past accomplishments: Some of the things I have accomplished are: […]

Name: Corbin King Playing (years): 17 Style: Metal, Neo Classical, Rock, Blues Gear: 5 Custom Strats Marshall JMP1 rack preamp 2 Marshall 9100 power amps Digital Music Corp. Audio Switcher Ground Control Midi Controller Crybaby Wah Overdrive 250 NS2 Noise Supressor CH1 Super Chorus DL4 Delay 4 Marshall 1960 Cabs George L’s Cables D’Addario XL 10-52 Custom Dunlop […]

JACK STARR: How long have you been playing and what made you start in the first place? BERNIE TORME: Far too long. Almost 40 years actually. I started when I was 11 and I’m, oh, Gawd, you’ve just made me feel very sad and old Jack, where did I put that zimmer frame. I started cause I […]

Name: Kevin M. Buck Playing (years): 15 years (in this life) Style: Hard Rock/Heavy Metal instrumental classical blues psychedelic shred with an occult overtone that will evolve the state of the guitar. The next in the lineage of the true rock guitarists (Sor, Tarrega, Segovia, Jimi, Ritchie, Uli, Eddie, Randy, Yngwie, Vai, Becker) …Buck Gear:1991 U.S.A. Jackson Randy […]

Name: Dave Martone Playing (years): Way to many! Style: All of them Rock Country Classical Flamenco Jazz Metal Jazz Electronic Gear: Dave Martone-Guitars and Gear Guitars Electric Parker Fly Deluxe Parker Fly Classic Spanish Fly Parker Midi Fly Fender Stratocaster Japan Washburn RB 2000 4 string Bass Ibanez RG 540 Guitars Acoustic Handbuilt Classical from my father […]

Name: Bruce Kulick Playing (years): forever! Style: Rock Gear: ESP guitars, Gibson guitars, Marshall Amps. Endorsements: ESP GUITARS, SIT STRINGS, MARSHALL AMPS, DUNCAN PICKUPS Past accomplishments: KISS, MEATLOAF, MICHAEL BOLTON, BILLY SQUIER. Current and upcoming projects: GRAND FUNK RAILROAD is my current band, and have been supporting my solo disc, TRANSFORMER. Favorite guitarist: Jimi Hendrix Most underrated players: Leslie West, George Harrison Best musician […]

Jimmy Bryant is a Professional illustrator & specialize’s in editorial illustration. He has been published and he’s always looking forward to his next job. If you like his work and would like to make contact email scratchmyback@juno.com.

Scott Stearns has made a pact with sinister forces. He works mostly in black and white pen and ink, in a raw, brutal, uncomercial style. He has recently done work for the Swedish death metal band Centinex, and has also worked with Nun Slaughter, Fistula, Keelhaul, and Shifty Records. He can be contacted at wizardfool@yahoo.com Examples of […]

Guitarist Pete Wadeson talks guitars with Judas Priest guitarist Glenn Tipton. Here he looks around his seriously cool guitar collection and reckons that the metal god has one very desirable tool kit? Im definitely not a collector of guitars. Guitars for me are a tool – they do a job and that’s it. Even though […]

Name: Jim Dofka Playing (years): Over 20 – Forever Style: Primarily \m/ METAL \m/ West Virginia Redneck Hillbilly Metal, Classical, Rock, Blues. Music is Music it’s all based on the same fundamentals! Gear:Main guitars – Gibson Victory, Warmoth Custom Built Thing, ESP Vintage Plus Strat, Some old Ibanez Pieces, *All loaded with DUNCAN PICK-UPS.Amps – Main heads – […]

Name: Martin Behr Playing (years): 19 Style: Shred, Rock, Fusion Gear: Mainly Ibanez Guitars, Fender Strats, ADA Preamp, Rocktron Effects, Marshall PwrAmp, Marshall Cabinets, Mesa Rectifier, V-Twin, Laney 30W Combo, Ibanez Pedals, Takamine, Aria, and Ovation Acoustics Endorsements: Local Music Store Past accomplishments: Two Solo CDs available on GuitarNine, Various CDs with different Band / Projects, 2 Soundtracks, Regular Columnist for […]

Name: Jonathan Wilson Playing (years): (Woah, I have to think here…) 28 years Style: Extemporary/Abstract GuitarViol (bowed guitar) music that contains elements of classical, new age, Jazz, Latin, and hard rock. Pink Floyd meets Paganini. Gear: TogaMan GuitarViol (bowed guitar–I build these things (http://www.bowedguitar.com), Pedalboard with Boss TU-2 tuner, Digitech stompboxes: Hot Rod distortion, HyperPhase, Digiverb & Digidelay. Line […]

NAME: ROB JOHNSON PLAYING (YEARS): SINCE I WAS 12 STYLE: HEAVY SHRED GUITAR [ 7 STRING ] MELODIC PROGRESSIVE METAL GEAR: IBANEZ CUSTOM 7 STRINGS ROCKTRON AMPLIFICATION ENDORSEMENTS: IBANEZ GUITARS DIMARZIO PICKUPS ROCKTRON AMPS SIT STRINGS PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I HAVE 3 SOLO INSTRUMENTAL GUITAR CDS RELEASED IN JAPAN & EUROPE, MY BEST BEING: ROB JOHNSON – ” GUITARCHITECTURE ” SOLD AT: http://www.guitar9.com/guitarchitecture.html MY […]

NAME: Marty Friedman PLAYING (YEARS): A few STYLE: hopefully aggressive and gorgeous GEAR: Crate bv 300 amp D’Addario Strings 010-052 Roland gt-6 Roland vg-88 Ibanez AR Ibanez SZ ENDORSEMENTS: all of the above PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: Guitarist for Megadeth during their greatest period of popularity including Albums, tours, videos, music & Grammy nomination CURRENT & UPCOMING PROJECTS: Tour of Japan with Aikawa Nanase […]

NAME: – Bernie Torme PLAYING (YEARS): – 39 years(jeez!) STYLE: very loud, my own way GEAR: – marshall 100 watt superlead(s), hiwatt 4X12 cabinet(s), electro harmonix big muff (sometimes), fender stratocaster guitar(s). ENDORSEMENTS: – none on my current driving license. I totally endorse everything I play on and everyone I’ve played with. PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: – In Music: releasing three albums with […]

NAME: Benji LeePLAYING (YEARS): 14 STYLE: 70’s Rock and Roll ala Angus, Malcolm, Jimmy Page, etc… GEAR: 1972 SG-Pro, Modified Marshall JCM 800 dual-channel, D’Addario 52 gauge, no pedals, they’re for pussies. ENDORSEMENTS: Gibson? Marshall? anyone listening? I will be your whore! PAST ACCOMPLISHMENTS: I’d say our (Supagroup’s) biggest accomplishment started when we turned down three major label deals because there […]

After graduating from high school, Rainer Kalwitz (born 27th December 1970) worked for three years as an illustrator for the FORD-Company in Cologne. While being there he perfected the technique of precise drawing, which is important for technical presentations and is still visible in his works. In 1991 he received a certificate for extraordinary artistic […]

Brixton Academy, London. A rare chance to see the now side projects, (albeit these were their original bands), of members of the now hugely influential ‘Slipknot’ in Corey Taylor, (Stone Sour), and Joey Jordison, (Murderdolls), unmasked and in the flesh. Strange but I thought Stone Sour would be headlining tonight but fans here to see […]

NAME: Jack Frost PLAYING (YEARS): Since I was 13; I’ll be 35 STYLE: any type of metal and rock GEAR: 4 and 5 are the sameI endorse all I ownGuitars – tons of Jacksons – I love their Firebirds Blade ismaking me my own model– a 77 Gibson Les Paul Custom – my baby– a killer Custom Shop PRS […]