Sunday, May 19

“When I taped with Jason Becker, he was still able to speak … he articulated precisely what he desired, down to every pinch harmonic, vibrato and out-of-tune note”: Shrapnel veteran Michael Lee Firkins reviews the last days of shred

Can be found in hot at the end of the ’80s shred age and the start of the ’90s virtuoso boom, Michael Lee Firkins became part of a stable of Shrapnel Records-signed guitar players who assisted alter the instrument permanently.

He may not bring the cache of Vai, the blowing of Malmsteen or the prestige of Satriani, Firkins was a discovery with his combination of bluegrass, nation, blues, jazz with heavy rock and eye-popping, high-speed hybrid selecting.

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Andrew Daly is an iced-coffee-addicted, oddball Telecaster-playing, alfredo pasta-loving reporter from Long Island, NY, who, in addition to being a contributing author for Guitar World, scribes for Rock Candy, Bass Player, Total Guitar, and Classic Rock History. Andrew has actually spoken with favorites like Ace Frehley, Johnny Marr, Vito Bratta, Bruce Kulick, Joe Perry, Brad Whitford, Rich Robinson, and Paul Stanley, while his all-time favorite (rhythm gamer), Keith Richards, continues to avoid him.

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