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AMAZING! MAB is untouchable! A master! The opening lineup was also stellar. James Gilmore, Alfie Lucky and 80 proof also have the guitar mastered! Oddbodys was also a great venue for it.

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Michael Angelo Batio

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About michael angelo batio.

Michael Angelo Batio (/ˈbeɪti.oʊ/; born February 23, 1956) also known as Mike Batio or MAB, is an American heavy metal guitarist and columnist from Chicago, Illinois. He was the lead guitarist for the Los Angeles-based glam metal band Nitro in the late 1980s and early 1990s. Batio's work has encompassed many genres, but he is best known for playing heavy metal and its subgenres such as neoclassical metal, and speed metal. Batio is known for his technical mastery of the fretboard and his extremely fast picking and sweep picked arpeggios. He is also known for his showmanship during performances, particularly his use of the "Over-Under" technique, and for his ability to play a double and quad guitar, using both hands to play. Batio is also noted for his guitar instruction DVDs in the "Speed Kills" series which teach shred guitar techniques and how to "master the art of playing lightning fast". Batio was voted the "No. 1 Fastest Guitar Shredder of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine in 2003.

• No Boundaries (1995)
• Holiday Strings (1996)
• Planet Gemini (1997)
• Tradition (1999)
• Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity (2000)
• Hands Without Shadows (2005)
• Hands Without Shadows 2: Voices (2009)
• Intermezzo (2013)
• More Machine than Man (2020)

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Michael Angelo Batio

Latest setlist, michael angelo batio on may 14, 2023.

Electric Guitarlands

Savino Live, Larnaca, Cyprus

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MICHAEL ANGELO BATIO: New Signature Products And Tour Announcement

World-renowned guitar-shredding phenom Michael Angelo Batio ( HOLLAND , N.I.T.R.O. , MICHAEL ANGELO , HANDS WITHOUT SHADOWS ) recently appeared at NAMM 2007 and unveiled his new "Quad" guitar ( photo ),designed in conjunction with Dean Zelinski . This guitar replaces the original Ritz "Quad" ( photo ) that was designed in conjunction with Wayne Charvel and which was subsequently stolen in 1989 while on tour in El Paso, TX. Only half of the original "Quad" guitar was ever recovered by Michael in 2004.

The new Michael Angelo Batio Signature Model Dean ( photo ),which was originally set for its unveiling at Winter NAMM 2007 , is now tentatively set to arrive at Dean retailers in April. Michael states: "The headstock that you saw is not the one that is going to be on the actual production model. I know that a lot of you didn't like it and frankly, it didn't turn out like we had anticipated from the original drawings. The real headstock will be the exact one that is on the Dave Mustaine model. Also, we are now developing a 'killer' graphic that just wasn't ready in time for NAMM . What I can say about the instrument is that the neck feels great and I chose EMGs because they sound fantastic with this guitar. The inlays will be slightly different on the production model as well."

Also recently unveiled is the new Michael Angelo Batio Overdrive Pedal ( photo ) produced by T-Rex Engineering . From T-Rex : "Guitar phenomenon Michael Angelo Batio was in a dilemma. He is twice the guitarist, and he plays twice the guitar. But he didn't have twice the overdrive he needed to keep up with his blistering licks and double-handed pyrotechnics. That's why he teamed up with Denmark's T-Rex Engineering — a producer of high-end and custom effects pedals — to create Michael Angelo Batio Overdrive . You only have to listen to Mr. Batio play to hear what this pedal can do — add an exquisite overdrive to your guitar sound. Heaven-sent overdrive: Michael Angelo wanted a pedal that would give him creamy, classic overdrive without clouding his unique touch and tone. T-Rex produced an overdrive unit with a sound sweet enough to make an angel cry — but with an earthy bite and punch! From a medium blues crunch to a rock guitar wail, Michael Angelo overdrive covers the full spectrum of overdrive distortion. Features: Gain, Tone and Level knobs, input and output jacks, 9-12 V DC or 9 V battery, industrial design with metal finish, Michael Angelo Batio 's logo and signature."

Michael Angelo Batio 's new DVD, titled "Performance" is in stock and shipping now. "Performance" is an in-depth look at Michael Angelo Batio the man, the artist, the entertainer, performing live at "Monster Mix" studio. Included are his versions of "Burn" , "Tribute to Randy" , "Hands Without Shadows" , "China" , "The Finish Line" , plus a beautiful unaccompanied acoustic guitar piece titled "A New Day" , his double-guitar solo and more!

For detailed information, go to this location .

Michael has announced the first leg of his 2007 "HWS (Hands Without Shadows) World Tour" . Michael has been scheduled to perform at Day Jams ( web site ) and the National Guitar Workshop ( web site ) in over a dozen major USA cities this summer, including Atlanta, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Baltimore, to name a few!

For detailed show information, go to this location .

Michael Angelo Batio will be continuing his "Time to Burn" column for Guitar World magazine, taping new lessons and a performance for the GW Comcast cable show to be aired later this year.

(Thanks: Fullshred )

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Michael Angelo Batio 2022 European Tour – Dates – Italy, France, Belgium, Poland, Germany, Finland, Austria

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Michael Angelo Batio: "This new generation of guitarists is the best I’ve seen. They're where I was in my 20s but at the ages of 10 or even 5!"

The thousand-notes-a-minute shred hero talks competing with younger players, effects pedal minimalism and his face-melting new album, More Machine Than Man

When it comes to one-liner quips and bite-size pearls of wisdom, Michael Angelo Batio certainly has a way of explaining his approach to guitar. The man who famously - and quite rightly - appropriated Kafka to explain sweep-picking (“It’s better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it”) has long been revered as one of the fastest guitar players in history . 

Though he grins when we list some of our favorites in his long list of catchphrases, he also explains they are very much still to this day the essence of his life code...

“I must have a gift for those quotes,” he laughs, talking to Guitar World via video chat from his home studio. “I have a habit of coming up with soundbites like ‘I’m going to give you the keys to my Lamborghini!’ but, you know, I live by them. 

"The way I look at it, I’m still a student myself. Even [Grammy-winning cellist] Yo-Yo Ma said that at one point, admitting he’s only ever making progress. Nobody is so good they can’t learn something new...

“That’s one of the main things about being a good teacher. In my humble opinion, it’s about showing someone things in a way they can grasp and understand rather than trying to impress someone with how much you know and how wonderful you are.”

The American guitar legend has a new album out, More Machine Than Man - a title which playfully celebrates a life dedicated to mind-boggling dexterity and mechanical precision. Its cover art depicts the musician in cyborg form, wielding his famous dual guitar an arm made of human tissue and another forged from metal. 

Musically, it follows a similar concept, with down-tuned seven-string guitars warring with drum machines and a handful of guest contributions from ex-Lamb Of God drummer Chris Adler, bass virtuoso Victor Wooten and Arthemis’s Andrea Martongelli...

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“It was actually Guitar World who gave me the quote that became the title,” smiles MAB. “There was an article on me a while ago and it was written that I was more machine than man. I know it might also be a Star Wars reference. But the idea stuck with me and I wanted to make a different kind of album. 

I didn’t want a lot of other players - this time I felt like I had something to say and I was the guy to say it

"Whenever people say they’ve learned something in the style of MAB and they nail it, I say those are the riffs I will no longer play on my new album. I really tried to mix it up and make this one raw and powerful. "

“I’ve always played keys on my albums and layered them out. But this time I wanted just two rhythm guitars, sometimes leads moving in and out, yet you can hear everything really well. 

"I didn’t want a lot of other players either - I’ve had so many greats over the years, like Guthrie Govan, Jeff Loomis and Michael Romeo. This time I felt like I had something to say and I was the guy to say it. It had to be heavy in ways unlike anything I’d done before…”

Given what you said about software, did you track using amps or through plug-ins?

“I made a radical career change a few years ago and switched amp companies. I’d never actually endorsed anyone until a few years ago, it wasn’t in my best interest doing workshops all over the world. You have to go to different stores and venues, playing their amps. But I knew Jim Marshall personally and used to use his amps. I got taken on a tour of the factory a long time ago and we were friends.

“I still love Marshalls, but I’ve been using a new company called Sawtooth who make tube amps. I just want to play real amps. Kemper and Fractal systems are amazing, I like them. But I ask myself ‘Does Joe Bonamassa play a Fractal? Does Mark Tremonti? Does Brad Paisley?’ All my favorite guitar players use real amps.”

What else felt different about the new recordings?

But I ask myself ‘Does Joe Bonamassa play a Fractal? Does Mark Tremonti? Does Brad Paisley?’ All my favorite guitar players use real amps

“This time, the rhythms are right in your face. Before, I used to track a live amp on each side and then use a direct sound underneath so there would always be four rhythm tracks. It can blend together and make its own chorus. I didn’t do that this time. 

"Working with Chris Adler was amazing, he’s a great drummer – the king of that super fast drum style, a bit like Dave Lombardo. He only got to play on a couple of songs because he was in a really bad motorcycle accident…

“I had Victor Wooten guesting too, though I ended up playing five-string bass on a lot of songs. My friend Andrea Martongelli from Arthemis played on a track too, The Countdown Is On. I really liked his solo, he’s very technical but he’s wild. 

"Then there’s Josh Wilbur, who is an amazing producer - he won a Grammy for Megadeth’s last album, he’s done Trivium, a lot of Lamb Of God’s stuff. He ended up arranging the two longest songs on the record.”

What ended up being your main pedals?

“I’ve been kind of a minimalist for the most of my career with pedals. That started back in my Nitro days. I guess I made career choices that were a lot different to other artists. I’ve been signed to Warner Bros Records twice, which is two times more than most people, and I’m very grateful. 

"Gene Simmons told me many years ago, ‘If you didn’t know who you are, no-one will!’ I asked myself what kind of guitar player I wanted to be and decided the effects are right here in my hands. So I would only use an amp, a cable and one overdrive. 

“In my new rig, I use these nano pedals made by Tom’sline Engineering, who make my signature overdrive and delay . And more recently, I’ve started using a wah - though I’m not endorsed by anyone. I like it more for tonality, scooping back and forth rather than flapping away. It’s a Morley mini one. 

"I’m a pretty tall guy but I have a pedalboard full of little mini things! My setup hasn’t changed too much, I have a delay around 20ms in the loop, a chorus I don’t use too much and occasional wah and overdrive. It’s more organic, just me playing.”

As we’ve grown to expect, there are some truly blazing runs all over the album. It must be almost comical to think that such serious musicianship was born out of faking illness to skip school…

Gene Simmons told me many years ago, ‘If you didn’t know who you are, no-one will!’

“It’s a funny story. We had old-fashioned heaters, like a strip along the floor across the whole wall. It didn’t heat the room much but it was massive. So I was working on alternate picking and I wasn’t quite getting it down. I later realized I had been using a mix of that with economy picking, but I didn’t know at the time, I was teaching myself.

“So it was winter and I went up to the heater and heated up my face until it was all sweaty. I ended up literally grilling my face, it looked red and barbecued. I said, “I’m sick, mom, I can’t go to school today!’ and she was like, ‘Oh my god, son, you have a fever!’ So she left to go to work and I was like, ‘Thank you, mother!’ shredding away with a grin on my face.”

Now, of course, you’re considered a world authority on picking. What have you learned in all these years answering questions about pick slanting, anchoring and raking?

“You need to divide your energy through your arm. I have a very strange picking technique because I wasn’t tall as a boy - my younger sister was much taller. I only started to grow around 16 and my arm stretched out. 

"I got lucky, I can move my wrist very naturally, while a lot of players go from side-to-side and look very rigid. I never tell people to pick like me, but if they want to understand how it works, there are two methodologies of it...

“One is to rest a finger or multiple fingers on the guitar, like I do, and two is to use a free-floating system, like Al Di Meola. Even watch Joe Bonamassa, he might start off with his fingers fanned out but when he kicks into gear, he closes his right hand and his fingers don’t touch the guitar. 

"So the two disciplines are hands on or hands off! I like hands on and there are equally great players on each side. You have to find out for yourself which is best, that’s why I talk about the PPS (potential picking speed) to gauge what feels right for you. I made a real science of it!”

A lot of players feel they can easily tremolo pick on one string but hit serious hurdles and inconsistencies when crossing. Was it the same for you?

Think of patterns as technical tools to help you make music...

“I’m sure every player feels like that at some point. I would say start with two strings, you need to master a two-string pattern before applying it to more. Some people are against pattern playing but I disagree. When you learn piano, you are visualizing patterns. Think of patterns as technical tools to help you make music...

“Try any typical Paul Gilbert or MAB lick and see how far you go with alternate. It might be a case of needing to switch to the same, or slightly different, pattern in economy. 

"You might be able to find combinations of alternate and economy that work for you. Memorize them and go up chromatically. That’s how you build the dexterity. You’ll find a way of making it musical later.”

Much like Frank Gambale, your instructionals inspired players to think more mathematically about their runs - using odd and even numbers to strike through or change direction...

“I know Frank Gambale... I’d be lying if I said we were best friends but we know each other by name. He said one thing that I found very interesting - and I truly believe this - he said that economy is like a fifth gear. I’m faster with economy than alternate, which feels more like fourth gear. So I worked on those techniques from the late '80s, when I knew Frank, but I didn’t get them down in the way I have now. It took years of working on it. 

“And you’re right, it’s kind of mathematical. Frank doesn’t like alternate at all, but I think part of the reason was because he didn’t like Al Di Meola maybe, both of them were in Chick Corea and Al was usually very strict alternate. What I like about having both is that it adds to what you can play. 

"If I told Frank to play my song No Boundaries using only alternate picking, he would say no. But the point is, there is no way of playing it with economy picking. That style means writing to find ways of moving around, it has to lend itself to the upstroke or downstroke for that next sweep. Alternate picking does not, it can go any way whenever you want.”

Frank Gambale said that economy is like a fifth gear. I’m faster with economy than alternate, which feels more like fourth gear

As you’ve so often pointed out, different techniques will feel easier for each player...

“You want the least resistance to play what you want to play, why make it harder when it could be easier? That’s the beauty of not sticking with one discipline or technique. I make jokes sometimes, because Marty Friedman was really into sweeping during his days with Jason Becker but he doesn’t really like it now. 

"And a lot of people are down on those kinds of arpeggios, so I always ask them, ‘What did a sweep ever do to you? Were a dating a sweep and then it broke up with you?!’

“At the end of the day, I realized economy was everything that it claimed to be – economical. I use it more and more, especially live, because it’s ridiculously fast. Frank was right. But alternate also has its place!”

You get a lot of mileage out of harmonic minor and more outside scales. How do you think of it all theoretically?

“I’m going to defer to a lot of the younger players now. This new generation is the best I’ve seen, they seem to love wider intervals - it’s like everyone is trying to find that lost arpeggio through tapping. They are starting where I was when I was in my 20s but at the ages of 10 or even five. 

"They have the benefit of watching players up-close. I didn’t have that, I had to go to concerts and watch guys like Al Di Meola or George Benson. I feel music theory has changed drastically in the last 20 years. I learned the church modes of classical music - from Ionian through to Locrian...

“Today there’s thousands of scales out there, while when I was growing up I was told there were only 30 or so. Now you can learn a Hungarian minor that’s exclusive to only one tiny part of Hungary or the Spanish Phrygian from the South of Spain. Pretty soon we’ll have the Guinness Beer mode. 

"Everyone has got a new scale! I think of it simplistically, every scale resolves. The five wants to go to the one, they call it the dominant chord because it forces you to go back to the start...”

So you look at the fretboard more like church modes with added chromatics?

Some people say all I do is play scales up and down, but if you listen that’s not true. I use a lot of chromaticism to create flourishes that sound close together

“Yeah, I’m definitely thinking of chromatic passing tones rather than the hexatonic flatted fourth diminished third secondary dominant of the fifth entity! Even when I studied jazz, we looked at it as chromatic passages through the church modes. 

“Some people say all I do is play scales up and down, but if you listen that’s not true. I use a lot of chromaticism to create flourishes that sound close together. I like that - it’s four notes per-string and I can use economy picking. Instead of just playing D and then B on the 15th and 12th frets of my B-string, I’ll play the notes in between, and then again on a different string.”

Jazz players like George Benson were the masters of that. Did you study his music much?

“George Benson was and still is one of the all-time greats. And he can sing equally as good he plays too. I’ve met him before and we ended up having a really nice talk about music. I love aggressive music like metal, but I listen to everything. I’m a fan of good music in general. 

“I play the way I play because I know what I want to sound like, from listening to so much other music. Even listening to younger players like Andy James, Jason Richardson and Angel Vivaldi - I could name a whole bunch of them - reinforces that. It reminds me I have to be the best version of myself. I can’t be a 20 year-old. I can only be me.”

Do you find yourself needing to warm up any differently these days?

I have to warm up a little longer now but 20 minutes into it, the engine goes just as fast

“I have to warm up a little longer now but 20 minutes into it, the engine goes just as fast. One of the great things about guitar is that your fingers have fast twitch muscles. Playing guitar is like typing on a word processor, imagine going super-fast, banging your head and screaming, ‘Shred!’ 

"It’s just a matter of skills. It’s not like European football, or what we call soccer, where they have to run around for two hours. That’s not something I’d care to do at my age.

"My picking has been analyzed so much over the years, for one it looks strange, plus I’ve never been hurt and thirdly I can still play just as fast as I did when I was younger...

“The playing field for guitar is more level, someone my age can compete with someone younger because the arena of competition is all within your grasp. I practiced my technique and it served me well. I’m living proof that when you get older you have a lot to look forward to. 

"You don’t have to lose your skill like an athlete, ruling the world at 20 and then adjusting their game before 30. By the time they’re 40, it’s like ‘Whoa, I give up!’ It’s a hard thing. I don’t have much to worry about, I just need to keep my fingers in good shape.”

Finally, do you find much time for the quad and dual guitars these days or are they mainly just for live shows?

“I don’t play the quad anymore because I had to put it on a stand, but I play the double a lot, which I find more fun anyway. I use it live and it’s my version of KISS wearing makeup or Slipknot wearing masks. 

"I have this solo where I play Bach’s Invention in D Minor, fretting the bass notes with one hand, a pattern that goes one five three five on the fretboard and on the other hand I play my own riff. It sounds very Mozart-like but it’s mine.

People don’t always see the nuances in my playing. Thankfully, others do and that’s why I’m still here today

“People can say what they want but I always think inventing it and having someone like Steve Vai give me credit or The Pick Of Destiny film where Jack Black gave me credit is pretty cool. I created something that was realistically just a gimmick and used for live shows, but I’m really doing it and I’m good at it! 

"I use all sorts of mixed meters and I think it’s really cool music. Some people can’t get passed what they see with their eyes. People ask me, ‘Don’t you ever change your clothes, man?’ I own 30 black jackets, sorry I just like to wear them and they’re not all the same. The same goes for my chromatics, people don’t always see the nuances. Thankfully, others do and that’s why I’m still here today.”

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Amit has been writing for titles like  Total Guitar ,  MusicRadar  and  Guitar World  for over a decade and counts Richie Kotzen, Guthrie Govan and Jeff Beck among his primary influences as a guitar player. He's worked for magazines like  Kerrang! ,  Metal Hammer ,  Classic Rock ,  Prog ,  Record Collector ,  Planet Rock ,  Rhythm  and  Bass Player , as well as newspapers like  Metro  and  The Independent , interviewing everyone from Ozzy Osbourne and Lemmy to Slash and Jimmy Page, and once even traded solos with a member of Slayer on a track released internationally. As a session guitarist, he's played alongside members of Judas Priest and Uriah Heep in London ensemble Metalworks, as well as handled lead guitars for legends like Glen Matlock (Sex Pistols, The Faces) and Stu Hamm (Steve Vai, Joe Satriani, G3).

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Michael Angelo Batio to help Manowar “Crush the Enemies of Metal” as shred icon joins anniversary tour

The Mozart of the double-necked electric guitar teams up with the men who play on 10 as Evandro “EV” Martel steps down for personal reasons

In what is one of the crossover pop-cultural events of 2022, arch shredder Michael Angelo Batio has officially joined Manowar for the New York metal institution’s Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour 2023.

It is the sort of news that should have been announced at Comic Con. In one corner, we have the band who brought us Hail To England and Sign Of The Hammer – the latter an album and a gesture, a raised-hand-on-wrist alternative salute for metal fans to use an alternative to the devil horns popularised by Ronnie James Dio. 

In the other, we have the shredder who took the double-necked electric guitar to new angles, disregarding the practicality of necks in parallel, as per the Gibson EDS-1275, in favour of a splayed-necked neo-V from Dean that allowed the Chicago-born shredder to showcase some of the most fearsome chops on the planet – chops that made his Speed Kills instructional required viewing for many an aspirant shredder. Nay, a way of life.

Batio will hook up with bassist Joey DeMaio, vocalist Eric Adams, and drummer Dave Chedrick in the new year as the Crushing The Enemies Of Metal Anniversary Tour kicks off under winter darkness in Tallinn, Estonia, on 30 January before making the ferry ride across the Gulf of Finland to Espoo.

He replaces Evandro “E.V.” Martel, who has been playing with Manowar since 2019 and is standing down for personal reasons. 

“Manowar, their crew, along with all the Manowarriors around the world have been really great to me from the first moment I came onboard,” wrote Martel on social media. “I could not be more thankful for the good times we have shared.”

Then, remembering the Manowar style guide, Martel duly signed off with a “Hail and Kill!” Time will tell as to whether Martel will return to the fold. Batio was only announced for the tour. 

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His style should add extra flamboyance to the Manowar stage show, not that is required. The official Manowar Instagram account noted Batio’s abilities with a double-neck – and quadruple-neck – guitar, and of course, his speed and “MAB Over Under” technique. 

“We’ve known Michael for many years and have always admired his work,” wrote DeMaio. “His technique is astounding, When we invited him to come and jam with us we played together at the speed of light. Everything fell into place immediately. We’re ready for a killer tour!”

As for Batio, he could not be more excited.

“I love metal more than anything, and it doesn’t get more metal than MANOWAR!” he wrote. “I can’t wait to get on stage and play for the MANOWAR fans!”

This is a union made in Valhalla. See Manowar for full dates.

A post shared by Manowar (@manowarband_official) A photo posted by on

Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.

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Michael Angelo Batio Interview

IC: With the recent release of the new album “Hands Without Shadows,” what are your plans for 2006?

MAB: I am going to tour all over the World in 2006 to promote the new CD. I am already scheduled to perform in Los Angeles here in the USA, Europe and South America. We just shot an MTV style video for the song “Dream On” (from the “HWS” CD). The new video will start getting airplay very soon. The reviews of “HWS” have been really positive so I think we should have a lot of success with this CD.

IC: This new album contains, without a doubt, some of your best playing to-date. Do you believe that there’s any more room for improvement?

MAB: Thank you. I am always learning new things on the guitar. I will practice 14 hours a day if my schedule can accommodate it. Mark Tremonti (guitarist for Creed, now Alter Bridge) and I are very good friends. We get together and play for 6 or 7 hours at a time. Jamming, trading riffs,song ideas and lately, doing insane, legato finger exercises in unison! We are both forever “students of the guitar”. That is the quest- to find new ways of getting better on your instrument- to constantly learn more- to find better ways of expressing yourself through your instrument.

IC: In 2003, Guitar One Magazine named you the “No.1 Shredder of all time” What do you believe was the key for you in attaining such incredible technique and virtuosity?

IC: How old were you when you started playing?

MAB: I started playing the guitar at 10 years old.

IC: Who are your biggest influences?

MAB: Mozart is my all time favorite composer. After that, there are so many influences that it would be impossible for me to name them all. A few of my favorite bands and guitarists at the moment are Yngwie Malmsteen, Alan Holdsworth, Jason Becker, Eric Johnson, Joe Satriani, Gary Moore, George Benson, Children of Bodom, Shadows Fall and Dream Theater. I could name many more.

IC: What is a typical practice session is like for you?

MAB: I start with legato finger exercises. This IMHO is the best way to “warm up” one’s fingers. After that I will start working on Alternate picking exercise, scales, modes, etc…, then Economy picking sequences and arpeggios.

After that it varies. Sometimes I will work on a song, other times I will work on new “riffs”. It just depends on what I want to accomplish at that practice session.

IC: What kind of equipment did you use on the new album?

MAB: I used a Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifier amp head with a Marshall 4×12, slanted half stack for all of the distortion rhythm tracks and various Marshall Amplifiers for all of the lead guitar tracks. I am a Dean Guitars FANATIC, so every guitar used on “Hands Without Shadows ” was a Dean Guitar.

IC: You are the inventor of the double guitar. Can you tell us a little about this instrument? How did you come upon the idea of creating it?

MAB: I wanted to do something that no guitarist had ever done before and I did it. Not to be “better” or “cooler” than other players, just to be different. Here is an excerpt from my website about the Double-Guitar:

Michael’s first version of the Double-Guitar was actually two separate guitars. He took a Gibson “Flying V” guitar and fastened it to a snare drum stand. This was a right-handed guitar faced in a left-handed playing position. Another Gibson “V” was strapped (right-handed) around his shoulder. He played the left side first, then the right side, then both at the same time. The Double-Guitar has come a long way since then.

Dean guitars built the first “factory” custom Double-Guitar. Dean Zelinsky himself designed the bodies and made the first one pictured at the bottom of the page. Next, Michael came up with a new way to attach the two guitars. They took a flight case latch and retrofitted it to the back of each instrument. Now it took about 5 seconds to put the Double-Guitar together.

When Michael first performed the Double-Guitar “in concert” it started to “feed back” when he began to play both guitars at once. Immediately after that show he started thinking about some way to dampen the strings (when he played both guitars at the same time). Something that could stop noise at high volumes and be moved out of way when it wasn’t being used. Michael invented the String Dampener. It is adjustable and fits any guitar. The “String Dampener” has gone through several new modifications and is available through M.A.C.E. Music. Michael has a patent on “The String Dampener”.

IC: Is there anything you would like to say to the aspiring musicians around the world?

MAB: I have a degree in Music Theory and Composition from North Eastern University. I am a huge proponent of education.

I also feel like I have a second music degree. A degree from Rock and Roll University! I got this one by moving to Los Angeles, being the proverbial struggling, starving musician, then getting a Major Record deal and “making it” in music. My advice to any aspiring musician is to “finish what you start”. I finished College. I release CDs and DVDs, meaning I have finished them. I did not stop working until I got signed to a MAJOR record company. To me, it is about a strong work ethic. I hope this helps.

Be sure to go to www.angelo.com and get more info on MAB, as well as check out his legendary instructional DVD’s: SPEED KILLS 1, 2, 3 & SPEED LIVES.

About Ivan Chopik

Ivan Chopik founded Guitar Messenger in the Fall of 2007 and is currently running the online magazine as Editor-in-Chief, webmaster, and writer. He is also a guitarist, composer, and audio engineer who graduated from Berklee College of Music in May 2012 with a Bachelor of Music degree in Guitar Performance, Music Business & Management, and Music Production/Engineering.

View other posts by Ivan Chopik

Visit Ivan Chopik's Website: http://www.ivanchopik.com

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