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ESP Guitar Company

Type	private company
Industry	musical instruments
Genre	All
Founded	Tokyo, Japan, 1975
Founder(s)	Hisatake Shibuya
Headquarters	10903 Vanowen Street Burbank, California 91605 United States
Area served	Worldwide
Key people	Makoto Suzuki president
Products	Custom Electric guitars Electric guitars Bass guitars
Owner(s)	Hisatake Shibuya
Subsidiaries	LTD Guitars Grassroots Guitars Edwards Guitars Xtone Guitars ESP Navigator
Website	www.espguitars.com

ESP Company, Limited (株式会社イーエスピー, Kabushiki Gaisha Ī Esu Pī^?), located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.

History[link]

In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products (ESP) in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation as a provider of high-quality replacement parts. At this time, ESP also began crafting guitars under the ESP and Navigator brand in the Japanese market.^{[citation needed]}

ESP replacement parts were first introduced into the US in 1983. ESP began crafting custom instruments for local New York artists between 1984 and 1985. Among these artists were Page Hamilton (Helmet), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Vinnie Vincent & Bruce Kulick (KISS), and Ronnie Wood (The Rolling Stones). At this time, ESP also introduced the 400 Series as the first production line distributed in the US.

During this same period of time, ESP began making the bodies and necks for Kramer Guitars. Other manufacturers using ESP as an OEM were Robin Guitars, Schecter Guitar Research and DiMarzio. Many traits of the Kramer line are still visible including neck construction and body bevels. ESP tooled up for Tom Anderson's shaved bolt on neck heel on the Schecter bodies, and has since become a feature of their house brand.

ESP Pointed Headstock.

In 1986, George Lynch discovered ESP while on tour in Tokyo. Lynch walked into an ESP shop looking for a replacement neck and learned that ESP also built custom guitars. As a result, his famous ESP Kamikaze was made. ESP soon introduced the M1 Standard, MI Custom, Horizon Custom, and the Surveyor bass into the market.^{[citation needed]}

At this time, ESP released George Lynch's Kamikaze as its first signature model. ESP based its headquarters in a loft in downtown New York City on 19th Street. In 1989, the headquarters were moved to 48th Street near the famous music stores.^{[citation needed]}

Between 1990 and 1992, ESP expanded its Signature Series as well as its standard product line. The US replacement parts business was discontinued in order to switch focus solely on the guitar and bass line as well as the custom shop.^{[citation needed]} There are about 41 signature series guitars.

In 1993, ESP moved its headquarters again but this time it was relocated to Los Angeles. There, ESP opened an office on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood. In 1995, LTD was created to produce ESP's high-quality products in a more affordable line of production. Soon after the introduction of the Korean and Indonesian-made LTD lines, ESP discontinued selling the majority of its Japanese-made flagship instruments in the United States due to the prices involved in exporting to the Americas. The lone exception was ESP's artist signature lines, which remained ESP (rather than LTD) models. In the early 2000s, ESP resumed shipping the standard Japanese-manufactured lines to the United States (where they are very popular among metal and hard rock players), albeit at greatly increased prices compared to the early 90s.^{[citation needed]}

Similarly to Ibanez, ESP's chief competitor in Japan, ESP was initially known for making high quality and customized replicas of famous American guitars, including hot rodded Fender Strats and Teles, as well as Gibson Explorers. The latter model (known as the EXP/MX) shot to fame when avid ESP user James Hetfield's band Metallica became extremely popular in the late 80s/early 90s. Models similar to Hetfield's black ESP even today sell for hundreds of dollars beyond the original retail price. However, just like Ibanez, when the Gibson company realized the extent to which ESP was denting into the sales of its own guitars, it filed a suit to prevent the sales of these guitars in the Americas and ESP redesigned its lines to be less similar to the American models.^{[citation needed]}

In 2002, ESP was ranked among the music industry's fastest growing companies.^{[citation needed]} This is largely due to the Fender buyout of Jackson Guitars, with whom ESP had struggled to compete throughout the 1980s and 1990s. After the buyout, many Jackson endorsers switched over to ESP (this has ignited a feud between players, with Jackson players pointing out that ESP became known for copying popular instruments - including Jackson's Soloist and Gibson's Explorer models famously used by James Hetfield - while ESP players cite the Fender buyout as casting a shadow on Jackson's metal image and hail ESP as the new king).^{[citation needed]} Some of these artists who left Jackson for ESP included Dave Mustaine (Megadeth, now of Dean Guitars, who at one point had expressed interest in buying out Jackson himself), Adam Darski (Behemoth), Alexi Laiho and Roope Latvala (Children of Bodom), Galder and Silenoz (Dimmu Borgir).

ESP introduced its Xtone line, beginning with the semi-hollow Paramount Series. In 2005, ESP celebrated its 30th Anniversary and released James Hetfield's "Truckster" into its Signature Series. In 2006, ESP showcased 22 of its newest Signature Series and Standard Series models at Winter NAMM 2006. The Standard Series models included such famous models as the ESP LTD EC-500 and the ESP LTD B-500. Among the signature artists showcasing their newest ESP models and signing autographs at the ESP booth were Dave Mustaine, George Lynch, Stephen Carpenter, Michael Wilton and Page Hamilton.^{[citation needed]}

Manufacturing operations[link]

ESP Eclipse/VIPER headstock

In 1996, ESP started a new brand, LTD. The LTD guitars are similar to the lower-end ESP guitars, but are more affordable and cater mainly for markets outside of Japan. The 1000 series LTDs are made on an assembly line in Korea whereas the 401 series and below are made in Indonesia. The LTD series are made out of cheaper materials and generally use cheaper hardware than the more upscale ESP models. The Custom Shop and Original Series ESPs are handcrafted in Japan while the Standard Series ESPs are made in the ESP factory in Japan.

Additionally, ESP has two separate Japan-only lines of guitars: the Grassroots (lower end), and Edwards (Mid-range). The Grassroots guitars are manufactured in Korea and are equivalent or better than Sub-400 series LTDs and can be considered a budget line. The Edwards guitars on the other hand are manufactured in Japan, and boast similar hardware and appointments as their higher-end ESP counterparts, but are not handcrafted. In terms of quality in contrast to the USA lines (i.e. ESP Standard & LTD), Edwards guitars generally lie in between the more upmarket LTDs and ESP Standards.

ESP's guitars overall cater for a wide range of players. There are a variety of models including superstrat-styled guitars, Les Paul-styled guitars, Flying V-styled, Star-styled, and others. As ESP technically has two lines, one for USA and Japan, there are slight differences: the ESP USA Line lacks guitars such as the Strat-like Snapper, Forest GT, and as well as some of the Japanese rock artist models. Their custom line however, has been known to produce some of the most unusual designs such as a Gundam Beam-rifle replica guitar, as well as the "ESP Machinegun" used, by the Japanese band Alfee.

ESP does not only manufacture guitars, but they also manufacture parts such as ESP Labs Pickups, the ESP Flicker tremolo, sustainers, equalizers, et cetera however, these are mainly for OEM use and not available to the consumer.

Popularity[link]

ESP found fame by providing guitars for guitarists who went on to become leading exponents of thrash metal music in the 1980s, along with Jackson Guitars and Dean Guitars, including Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth. As a result of these endorsements, ESP has become one of the most popular suppliers of guitars for heavy metal music. ESP instruments are endorsed by musicians numbering in the hundreds. A complete list of them can be found on the Artists section of ESP Guitars' website.

Guitars and bass series[link]

Dependent of target market (i.e. Asia, US, Europe) and brand (ESP, LTD or Xtone), various models are organized in marketing series.

The ESP Original series moreover has three other lines of Guitars, Edwards, Grassroots and Navigator and are mostly based on these models as well as some ESP Standard series Models. ESP Edwards Series produces mid-to-high range guitars, at a quality near the ESP Standard series, whilst ESP Grass Roots Series cater towards a more value-oriented segment of the market and are more akin to the 200s series of LTDs, however this varies. The ESP Navigator Series on the other hand is a line which produces replicas of Gibson and Fender guitars and basses.

ESP USA produces the ESP Standard line, as well as the lower end LTD, and Xtone series, and the latter two lines of guitars are roughly based on these models. ESP USA's standard series generally caters more towards to metal players, with characteristics such as active pickups common.

ESP custom series

ESP also cater for custom guitar and bass orders, made to the specifications of the customer, and the quality of such custom guitars exceed that of the Original series. Such guitars may be ordered from ESP USA, but they are manufactured in Japan. Generally speaking custom order guitars cost as much, or even more than Navigators depending on the choices of the consumer and are considered to cater for the top-end segment. There is flexibility with the orders, as the guitars produced do not have to be based on existing lines of guitars and basses.

ESP Artist series

The ESP Artist, or Signature series guitars are basically mass produced versions endorsing artist's personal guitars and basses. The quality of the ESP Artist/Signature models lie between Navigator/Custom Shop, and the ESP Original series.

Also, there exists the Edwards, Grassroots and LTD artist models, and such artist models lie in the higher-end segments of the respective lines of guitars and basses.

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: ESP guitars

• The ESP USA website
• The ESP UK website
• The ESP Japan website

Dio
Dio in 2005. From left to right: Rudy Sarzo, Craig Coldy, Ronnie James Dio, Scott Warren and Simon Wright.
Background information
Origin	Cortland, New York, Portsmouth, New Hampshire
Genres	Heavy metal, hard rock
Years active	1982–1991 1993–2010
Labels	Eagle, Warner Bros., Reprise, Universal, Vertigo, Phonogram, Spitfire, Sanctuary
Associated acts	Black Sabbath, Rainbow, Elf, Heaven & Hell, Wild Horses, Whitesnake, AC/DC, Giuffria, Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot, Clock, Def Leppard, Tenacious D
Website	www.ronniejamesdio.com
Past members
See: Dio band Chronology section

Dio was an American heavy metal band. Formed in 1982 and led by vocalist Ronnie James Dio, after he left Black Sabbath with intentions to form a new band with fellow former Black Sabbath member, drummer Vinny Appice. Naming the band Dio made sense from a commercial standpoint, as the name was already well-known at that time. Dio in Italian means "God".^[1]

The band released ten studio albums and had numerous line-up changes over the years with Ronnie James Dio having been the only constant member. Guitarists have included Craig Goldy (most recent guitarist), Doug Aldrich, Vivian Campbell, Tracy G, Jake E. Lee and Rowan Robertson.

Biography[link]

[edit] Origins and Holy Diver (1982–1983)

In 1982, disagreements originating over the mixing of Black Sabbath's Live Evil resulted in the departure of Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice from the band.^[2] Wanting to continue together as a band, the two formed Dio in October 1982 in the United States. The following May, the band released their debut album, Holy Diver. It featured two hit singles, "Rainbow in the Dark" and "Holy Diver", which gained popularity from MTV. Ronnie James Dio and Jimmy Bain played keyboards in the studio, but recruited keyboardist Claude Schnell for live shows in 1983 prior to the Holy Diver tour. Schnell played to the side of the stage on the first two tours before coming out front in 1985.^[3] Dio had this to say of the band's origins:

[edit] The Last in Line to Dream Evil (1984–1989)

Now a quintet with Claude Schnell on keyboards, the band released their second studio album, The Last in Line, on July 2, 1984. It was followed by their third album, Sacred Heart, which was released on August 15, 1985.

In 1985 Ronnie James Dio also wrote the song "Stars" for the Hear 'n Aid project, with Vivian Campbell contributing on guitar. Campbell became unhappy with the direction of the band^[5] and in 1987 was invited to join Whitesnake.^[6] Several songs were recorded live during the Sacred Heart tour for the 1986 Intermission EP with Campbell still on guitar, however the EP also contained the studio track "Time To Burn".^[7] which served to introduce fans to Craig Goldy as the new guitarist.

On July 21, 1987 their fourth album Dream Evil was released. After Dream Evil, Goldy, wanting to pursue solo projects, left the band.^[8] In June 1989 18 year-old Rowan Robertson was announced as Goldy's successor but further changes were to follow, with Schnell, Bain, and Appice leaving the band.

Changes (1990–1999)[link]

Schnell, Bain, and Appice were replaced, respectively, with Teddy Cook, Jens Johansson, and former AC/DC drummer Simon Wright. The new band released the album Lock up the Wolves in the spring of 1990. During the tour, Ronnie James Dio had a chance meeting with former Black Sabbath bandmate Geezer Butler which led to that band's short-lived reunion, producing one album, Dehumanizer. After this Ronnie James Dio reassembled Dio once again, retaining only Appice on the drums. By early 1993 guitarist Tracy G, keyboardist Scott Warren of Warrant and bassist Jeff Pilson had all joined. During this era, the band abandoned fantasy themed songs and focused on modern issues.^[9] As a result some fans regard the albums made during this period—1993's Strange Highways, 1996's Angry Machines and the live album Inferno - Last in Live—as the worst in Dio's catalogue, while others view them positively as a step away from the outdated sound of the 1980s. With disappointing record sales for Angry Machines management wanted the band to go back to their earlier style prompting the departure of Tracy G^[10] to be replaced by the returning Craig Goldy.

Comeback (2000–2004)[link]

Craig Goldy's return facilitated the release of Dio's eighth studio album in 2000, Magica, which was regarded by many as the band's "comeback album" and reached #13 on the Billboard independent charts. It featured the return not only of Goldy but of Simon Wright and Jimmy Bain, although on the European tour Chuck Garric played bass. A concept album, Magica features a return to the band's older, more successful sound, while increased use of keyboards gives it a modern feel.^[11] During the following tour, however, tensions rose between Goldy on the one hand and Bain and Ronnie James Dio on the other, as Goldy was dealing with the obligations of a family. Goldy left the band in January 2002 and was replaced with Doug Aldrich, whom Bain had met while recording a tribute album for Metallica. Because of his late arrival, Aldrich did not contribute much to Dio's ninth work, Killing the Dragon, which was written primarily by Ronnie James Dio and Bain. Killing The Dragon was released in 2002 through Spitfire Records and was well received in the metal community, making the Billboard top 200. Aldrich would stay in the band until April of the following year, when he, like Campbell before him, joined Whitesnake, prompting Goldy's return. Soon afterwards, Bain left the band.^[12]

[edit] Master of the Moon and Split (2004–2010)

Dio released their tenth studio album, Master of the Moon on August 30, 2004 in Europe through SPV Records and on September 7, 2004 in the United States through Sanctuary Records. The album features multi-instrumentalist Jeff Pilson (formerly of Dokken) on bass duties; however, because of prior obligations with Foreigner, he was only available for the recording sessions, and so was replaced by Rudy Sarzo on the tour.

2005 saw the release of the Dio live album Evil or Divine - Live In New York City, which featured the same show that was released on DVD in 2003. Dio has claimed he did not have much input on this release, as he had already left the label that released it. Dio toured South America, Japan, Europe, and Russia in 2005. Their autumn tour was titled "An Evening With Dio" and featured a regular set, and then a second set of the band playing his 1983 album Holy Diver in its entirety. The band was purportedly going to film a date from this show in Russia for future DVD release; however, the show on the DVD was actually filmed in London, England. The audio of this performance, a double CD named Holy Diver - Live was released in April 2006.

In 2007, it was announced that Black Sabbath would reunite with Ronnie James Dio and go under the name Heaven & Hell. The band released The Devil You Know in 2009. Dio said of the album:

Ronnie James Dio's involvement with Heaven & Hell delayed the recording of what was to be the follow-up to Master of the Moon, Magica II.^[14] The three-year hiatus was briefly interrupted for a 10 concert European mini-tour in May/June 2008, and was scheduled to be interrupted again in November/December 2009 with 22 concerts starting in the UK and ending in Germany.^[15] Doug Aldrich was to have filled in for Craig Goldy on guitar on these dates, who had other obligations. Dio intended to release a new single, entitled "Electra", to coincide with the tour. This would have been their first studio material in 5 years. The band also intended to record an album or two in 2010.^[16]

On November 18, 2009 the European tour was cancelled due to Ronnie James Dio's hospitalization. He had been diagnosed with stomach cancer, and was undergoing treatment. His manager Wendy Dio thanked well-wishers and said "After he kills this dragon, Ronnie will be back on stage, where he belongs, doing what he loves best, performing for his fans."^[17]

On February 19, 2010, it was announced on Dio's official website that he would release a box set, entitled the Tournado Box Set, for limited purchase. The set includes the Killing the Dragon CD, Evil or Divine DVD (PAL format only), DVD bonus material, interviews, photo gallery, never-before-seen behind the scenes footage, promo video for the Killing the Dragon track "Push", exclusive Dio cards, and the bonus CD single "Electra" (which is the last song the band recorded), from the unfinished album Magica II & Magica III.^[18]

Death of Ronnie James Dio[link]

Ronnie James Dio died on May 16, 2010, of stomach cancer. His wife, Wendy Dio, commented "Today my heart is broken. Ronnie passed away at 7:45am 16th May. Many, many friends and family were able to say their private good-byes before he peacefully passed away. Ronnie knew how much he was loved by all. We so appreciate the love and support that you have all given us. Please give us a few days of privacy to deal with this terrible loss. Please know he loved you all and his music will live on forever."

On November 9, 2010, a posthumous live album was released. Titled 'Dio at Donington UK: Live 1983 & 1987', it features Dio's 1983 and 1987 appearances at the Monsters of Rock festival and showcases several songs from the Ronnie James Dio era of both Rainbow and Black Sabbath, in addition to songs from Dio's own catalogue.^[19]

When being interviewed Classic Rock Magazine from the UK, Dio guitarist Craig Goldy stated "We were working on tracks for a new Dio album just before Ronnie died in May. And we did almost finish one song. Wendy [Dio, Ronnie's widow/manager] has been talking about reissuing [DIO's] 'Magica' album (originally released in 2000) with bonus tracks, including this one." Goldy goes on to say of the lyrics, that they were written by Dio when he was fighting cancer, and are "very emotional" and "hard to listen to without a lump at the back of your throat".^[20]

On March 18, It was announced that the surviving members of the final line-up of Dio would embark on a project with former Judas Priest front man Tim Owens under the moniker DIO Disciples. The project is set to tour Europe in 2011.

In May 2012, former Dio guitarist Vivian Campbell, despite his long established feud with Dio, announced his intent to reunite the original Dio band for a potential series of shows. This would include himself, drummer Vinny Appice, bassist Jimmy Bain, and keyboardist Claude Schnell. This announced lineup will feature former Lynch Mob vocalist and Offspring touring member Andrew Freeman stepping in for Ronnie^[21][22] and will perform under the name Last in Line.^[23]

Murray[link]

Murray is the demonic-looking mascot of Dio. Murray appears on some of the band's album covers, as well as in the sets for their live shows.^[24]

Murray appears on several of Dio's album covers, including Holy Diver, The Last in Line, Dream Evil, and in a slightly different form on the cover of Master of the Moon, as well as on some of their singles and compilation albums.

Holy Diver[link]

Dio's first studio album, Holy Diver, from 1983, was the first to feature Murray on its cover. Murray appears to be killing a cleric, but Ronnie James Dio said that it is not necessarily true.^[25]

The Last in Line[link]

Murray is also featured on Dio's second studio album, The Last in Line. On this cover, he is in the background of many people working hard, and it can be assumed that he is controlling them.

Dream Evil[link]

Murray is not featured on Dio's third studio album, Sacred Heart, but is, for the last time in his original form, featured on the cover of Dream Evil. He is shown in the window of a bedroom with a child sleeping in a bed, while being haunted by several different scary creatures. Murray's story is printed in the Dream Evil Tour book. The cover art of Dream Evil is a reference to one of the tracks on the album, "Faces in the Window" (the entire album's concept is fears and superstitions about the night and darkness).

Merchandise[link]

The Official Ronnie James Dio Webstore has created and is selling a baseball cap featuring a red embroidery of Murray on the front of the hat, and the DIO logo, in the same red embroidering, on the back side.^[26]

Popular culture[link]

The main villain of the Japanese anime series JoJo's Bizarre Adventure is named Dio Brando, in tribute to both Ronnie James Dio and movie star Marlon Brando.

A video game released in Japan for the Famicom (Japanese version of the Nintendo Entertainment System) in 1989 was titled Holy Diver. The gothic and medieval theme of the game is very similar to Dio's music video of Holy Diver.

In 1999, an animated spoof of Dio appeared in an episode of South Park titled "Hooked on Monkey Fonics". The band appears performing "Holy Diver" at an elementary school dance. Although Ronnie James Dio's appearance is somewhat like himself in reality, the rest of the band just appears as a stereotypical heavy metal band with no reference to the real band members.

Throughout his stint with the Philadelphia Phillies, outfielder Pat Burrell was known to use a clip of Dio's Holy Diver as his walk up music. It normally pumped up the crowd.

The song "Holy Diver" is on the video games Guitar Hero Encore: Rocks the 80s and Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. It also appears as Download-able content for the Rock Band Series, along with "Stand Up and Shout". . The song Rainbow in the Dark appears in "Rock Band 3."

Band members[link]

• Ronnie James Dio – vocals (1982–1991, 1993–2010; died 2010)
• Vinny Appice – drums (1982–1989, 1993–1999)
• Jimmy Bain – bass (1982–1989, 1999–2004)
• Jake E. Lee - guitar (1982)
• Vivian Campbell – guitar (1982–1986)
• Claude Schnell – keyboards (1984–1989)
• Craig Goldy – guitar (1986–1989, 1999–2001, 2004–2005, 2006–2010)
• Simon Wright – drums (1989–1991, 1999–2010)
• Rowan Robertson – guitar (1989–1991)
• Teddy Cook – bass (1989–1991)
• Jens Johansson – keyboards (1989–1991)
• Scott Warren – keyboards (1993–2010)
• Tracy G – guitar (1993–1999)
• Jeff Pilson – bass (1993–1997, 2004–2005)
• Larry Dennison – bass (1997–1999)
• Doug Aldrich – guitar (2001–2004, 2005–2006)
• Rudy Sarzo – bass (2005–2010)

Touring members

• Chuck Garric – bass (2000–2001)
• Jerry Best (1995)
• Bob Daisley (1998)

Timeline

<timeline> ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:25 PlotArea = left:100 bottom:60 top:10 right:70 Alignbars = justify DateFormat = dd/mm/yyyy Period = from:01/10/1982 till:01/12/2009 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors =

 id:vocals value:red    legend:Vocals
 id:guitar value:green  legend:Guitar
 id:bass   value:purple legend:Bass
 id:drums  value:blue   legend:Drums
 id:keys   value:orange legend:Keyboards
 id:Lines  value:black  legend:Studio Albums

Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom

ScaleMajor = unit:year increment:3 start:1983

BarData =

 bar:Ronnie text:"Ronnie James Dio"

 bar:Vivian text:"Vivian Campbell"
 bar:Craig  text:"Craig Goldy"
 bar:Rowan  text:"Rowan Robertson"
 bar:Tracy  text:"Tracy G"
 bar:Doug   text:"Doug Aldrich"

 bar:Jimmy  text:"Jimmy Bain"
 bar:Teddy  text:"Teddy Cook"
 bar:Jeff   text:"Jeff Pilson"
 bar:Larry  text:"Larry Dennison"
 bar:Rudy   text:"Rudy Sarzo"

 bar:Vinny  text:"Vinny Appice"
 bar:Simon  text:"Simon Wright"

 bar:Claude text:"Claude Schnell"
 bar:Jens   text:"Jens Johansson"
 bar:Scott  text:"Scott Warren"

PlotData=

 width:10 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)
 bar:Ronnie from:01/10/1982 till:01/01/1991 color:vocals
 bar:Ronnie from:01/01/1993 till:end        color:vocals

 bar:Vivian from:01/12/1982 till:01/03/1986 color:guitar
 bar:Craig  from:01/03/1986 till:01/06/1989 color:guitar
 bar:Rowan  from:01/06/1989 till:01/01/1991 color:guitar
 bar:Tracy  from:01/03/1993 till:01/04/1999 color:guitar
 bar:Craig  from:01/04/1999 till:01/06/2001 color:guitar
 bar:Doug   from:01/06/2001 till:01/02/2004 color:guitar
 bar:Craig  from:01/02/2004 till:01/06/2005 color:guitar
 bar:Doug   from:01/06/2005 till:01/06/2006 color:guitar
 bar:Craig  from:01/06/2006 till:end        color:guitar
 
 bar:Jimmy  from:01/10/1982 till:01/06/1989 color:bass
 bar:Teddy  from:01/06/1989 till:01/01/1991 color:bass
 bar:Jeff   from:01/03/1993 till:01/06/1997 color:bass
 bar:Larry  from:01/06/1997 till:01/04/1999 color:bass
 bar:Jimmy  from:01/04/1999 till:01/02/2004 color:bass
 bar:Jeff   from:01/02/2004 till:01/06/2005 color:bass
 bar:Rudy   from:01/06/2005 till:end        color:bass
 

 bar:Vinny  from:01/10/1982 till:01/06/1989 color:drums
 bar:Simon  from:01/06/1989 till:01/01/1991 color:drums
 bar:Vinny  from:01/03/1993 till:01/04/1999 color:drums
 bar:Simon  from:01/04/1999 till:end        color:drums

 bar:Claude from:01/02/1984 till:01/06/1989 color:keys
 bar:Jens   from:01/06/1989 till:01/01/1991 color:keys
 bar:Scott  from:01/03/1993 till:end        color:keys

LineData =

 at:25/05/1983 color:black layer:back
 at:13/07/1984 color:black layer:back
 at:01/08/1985 color:black layer:back
 at:21/07/1987 color:black layer:back
 at:15/05/1990 color:black layer:back
 at:25/10/1993 color:black layer:back
 at:15/10/1996 color:black layer:back
 at:21/03/2000 color:black layer:back
 at:21/05/2002 color:black layer:back
 at:07/09/2004 color:black layer:back

</timeline>

DIO Disciples[link]

• Tim Owens – vocals
• Craig Goldy – guitar
• James Lomenzo – bass
• Simon Wright – drums
• Scott Warren – keyboards

With:

• Toby Jepson - Additional vocals

Discography[link]

• Holy Diver (1983)
• The Last in Line (1984)
• Sacred Heart (1985)
• Dream Evil (1987)
• Lock Up the Wolves (1990)
• Strange Highways (1993)
• Angry Machines (1996)
• Magica (2000)
• Killing the Dragon (2002)
• Master of the Moon (2004)

Videography[link]

• A Special From The Spectrum (VHS, 1983)
• Sacred Heart "The Video" (VHS, 1986 – DVD, 2004)
• Time Machine (VHS, 1990)
• Evil or Divine (DVD, 2003)
• We Rock (DVD) (DVD, 2005)
• Holy Diver – Live (DVD, 2006)
• Tenacious D: The Pick of Destiny (DVD, 2006)

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official website

Jeff Hanneman
Jeff Hanneman of Slayer performing at Sonisphere Knebworth, August 2010
Background information
Birth name	Jeffrey John Hanneman
Born	(1964-01-31) January 31, 1964 (age 48) Oakland, California, USA
Genres	Thrash metal, speed metal,
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1981–present
Labels	American
Associated acts	Slayer
Notable instruments
ESP Jeff Hanneman Signature model Jackson Soloist BC Rich guitars Gibson Les Paul

Jeffrey John "Jeff" Hanneman (born January 31, 1964) is a rhythm/lead guitarist and founding member of the American thrash metal band Slayer. Hanneman grew up in Los Angeles in a family of war veterans, and his fascination with warfare is attributed to his upbringing. His interest in the subject of war pertains to much of his lyrical material including the song "Angel of Death".

Influenced by punk music growing up, Hanneman stated that the genre influenced Slayer's sound to create a faster and more aggressive approach. His links to punk are also evident through his placement of a "DK" symbol from the California punk band the Dead Kennedys on at least one of his guitars. Hanneman has contributed both lyrical and musical material to every Slayer album and wrote the songs "Raining Blood", "War Ensemble" "South of Heaven" "Seasons in the Abyss" and "Angel of Death", which are played at almost every live Slayer show. He has his own signature guitar, the ESP Jeff Hanneman Signature model.

Biography[link]

Hanneman was born January 31, 1964 in Oakland, California and grew up in Long Beach, California, in a family containing several war veterans: his father fought in Normandy during World War II and his brothers in Vietnam; so warfare was a common conversation topic at the dinner table. War films were popular on TV at the time, and Hanneman often joined his brothers in constructing and coloring tank and plane models. His interest in warfare and military history is attributed to his upbringing.^[1] In a 2009 interview with Decibel Magazine, he states his father is German, but fought for the ally side of World War Two. In the same interview, he also goes into detail of what district of Germany his father and grandparents hail from. His grandfather was fluent in German.^[2]

Hanneman approached Kerry King in 1981, when King was auditioning for a band. After the try-out session, the two guitarists started talking and playing Iron Maiden and Judas Priest songs. Slayer was born when Hanneman asked "Why don't we start our own band?", to which King replied "...Fuck yeah!".^[1] In 1984, Hanneman, Dave Lombardo and Suicidal Tendencies's guitarist Rocky George had a brief punk side project called "Pap Smear" - the band was due to start recording when Hanneman was advised to avoid the side project by Slayer's producer, Rick Rubin, who is quoted as saying "Ahhhh, don’t do it, man — this is the kind of thing that breaks bands up!"^[1] Hanneman took Rubin's advice, and later used two of the songs on Slayer's 1996 album Undisputed Attitude.^[1]

In 1997 Hanneman married Kathryn ,^[3] whom he had met in the early 1980s. The couple have no children and live in Los Angeles, forty minutes away from King.^[1] Kathryn stays at home when Slayer tours; Hanneman claims to prefer this, saying that when he comes home, she is "all brand new again". Kathryn has toured with the band twice in twenty years.^[3]

Hanneman and Slayer vocalist/bassist Tom Araya are reformed cocaine and pill abusers.^[3] They decided to quit when they realised "this can lead to only death or something, this is going too far".^[3] Hanneman is a long-time fan of the Oakland Raiders.

In early 2011, Hanneman contracted necrotizing fasciitis. According to the band, doctors say that it likely originated from a spider bite. In the light of this situation and Slayer's upcoming participation in the Australian Soundwave Festival tour that was set to kick off on February 26, the band made the tough decision to play the dates without Hanneman, and on February 16, 2011 brought on Gary Holt (guitarist of the band Exodus) to fill in for him until he has fully recuperated and is ready to return to the lineup.^[4] Pat O'Brien will act as Slayer's second guitarist when Holt leaves the tour to play with Exodus at the Estadio Nacional in Santiago, Chile on April 10, 2011.^[5] On April 1, 2011 metalunderground posted an April Fools' Day joke that Jeff Hanneman would be leaving Slayer permanently, citing health concerns and set backs in his recovery.^[6]

Interest in National Socialist History[link]

The Knight's Cross

Hanneman's interest in German war medals and Nazi Germany is illustrated by many of his lyrics. Those interests in the National Socialists began with medals given to him by his father, including some taken from a dead German soldier.^[7] His most prized medal is his Knight's Cross, which he bought from a Slayer fan for $1000.^[7] While touring with Motörhead, Hanneman discovered Motörhead vocalist Lemmy's interest in medals, and the two discussed medal designs, weapons and tactics used by the Wehrmacht.^[1]

Hanneman's lyrics for the song "Angel of Death" led to accusations of Slayer being Nazi sympathizers.^[8] Hanneman has defended himself with "nothing I put in the lyrics that says necessarily he (Josef Mengele) was a bad man, because to me - well, isn't that obvious? I shouldn't have to tell you that."^[1] The band have stated numerous times that they do not condone Nazism and are merely interested in the subject.^[9]

Style and influences[link]

Hanneman's musical influences include early heavy metal and punk rock,^[1] which led to Slayer's 1996 album Undisputed Attitude. Hanneman's and King's dual guitar solos have been called "wildly chaotic",^[10] and "twisted genius".^[11] Early albums, such as Hell Awaits and Reign in Blood, featured a "wailing style" and "demented soloing often mimicking the screams of the song's victims".^[10][12] South of Heaven featured "more technical" guitar riffs, utilizing the aforementioned tremolo picking and down-picked notes, improving musicianship while retaining a melodic sense. Both Hanneman and King were ranked #10 on Guitar Worlds "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time". Hanneman's soloing style is distinguished from King's due to his frequent use of the neck pickup on his solos and being slightly more melodic than King, while still maintaining a chaotic vibe.

Lyrics and music[link]

Hanneman wrote the music for most of the band's fan favorites, songs such as "South of Heaven", "War Ensemble", "Raining Blood", "Angel of Death", "Mandatory Suicide", and "Seasons in the Abyss", which have all become staples for live performance at Slayer shows. Hanneman's favorite album is Reign in Blood, and he enjoys performing the songs "Raining Blood" and "Angel of Death."^[1] He has contributed lyrics and music to every Slayer album, forming a music and lyric writing partnership with Araya, which sometimes overshadows King's creative input.^[8]

When writing new material, the band writes the music before the lyrics.^[1] Hanneman often composes riffs at his house, using a 24-track and a drum machine and then gathers opinions from the other band members; King and Lombardo make suggestions of alterations. The band will play the riff to get the basic song structure, and then figure out where the lyrics and solos go.^[1] Hanneman has stated that writing lyrics and music is a "free for all"; "It's all just whoever comes up with what. Sometimes I’ll be more on a roll and I’ll have more stuff, same with Kerry — it's whoever's hot, really. Anybody can write anything; if it's good we use it, if not we don’t."^[1]

Equipment[link]

In Slayer's early days, Hanneman used a black Gibson Les Paul during the Show No Mercy and Hell Awaits era. In 1986 he began playing B.C. Rich, notably a Rich Bich model with various graphics on it. By the end of the 80's he was seen using a BC Rich Assassin. In 1990 he began playing the famous Jackson Soloist that he would use constantly over the next decade. Around 2000/2001 Jeff switched to ESP guitars and had his own signature model made, based on his Jackson Soloist. When touring, Hanneman carries six guitars due to the different tunings required. Most albums such as Haunting the Chapel - Divine Intervention and World Painted Blood have E-flat tuning. However, albums such as Diabolus in Musica - Christ Illusion feature alternate tunings and the first album Show No Mercy was recorded in standard tuning, while live performances of the respective songs are being played in E-flat since about 1984. Extra guitars are also brought in case a string snaps or a guitar sustains damage.^[3]

Jeff Hanneman's 3 x 6 stack of Marshall ModeFour dummy guitar cabinets on stage at the Tuska Open Air Metal Festival in 2008.

Guitars

• ESP Jeff Hanneman Signature model.^[13]
• Jackson Custom Shop Soloist with 2 EMG Pickups
• EMG 81/85 Pick-ups with EMG SPC Mid-Boost circuit
• Kahler bridges
• D'Addario .009-.042 Strings

Effects

• Shure Wireless System,
• Dunlop Crybaby From Hell Wah-Wah Pedal
• Eventide H3000S Harmonizer
• MXR Super Comp
• MXR Smart Gate
• BOSS RGE-10 (10 band EQ)
• Monster cable

Amplification

• Marshall JCM-800 amplifiers
• Marshall ModeFour Speaker Cabinets (Either 280 or 400 Watt Models)

Beverage

• Heineken Pilsener endorsement

Discography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Jeff Hanneman

Sam Bell (born 6 February 1909 in Burnhope–died 1982) was a professional footballer who played for Burnhope Institution, Norwich City, Luton Town, Tottenham Hotspur, Southend United, Millwall and Tonbridge.^[1]

Football career[link]

Bell played for local club Burnhope Institution before signing for Norwich City. The forward played 76 matches and scored on 26 occasions for the Canaries between 1930–33. In 1933 he joined Luton Town where he made a further 30 appearances and scoring 20 goals. Bell moved to White Hart Lane club Tottenham Hotspur where he participated in 16 games and scoring six goals in all competitions between 1934–36.^[2] He signed for Southend United in 1937 and featured in 71 matches and found the net on 17 occasions. After the hostilities of World War II had ended he went on to play for Millwall and finally Tonbridge.

References[link]

Rob Caggiano
Background information
Also known as	Scrap 60 Productions
Born	(1976-11-07) November 7, 1976 (age 35) Bronx, New York
Genres	Heavy metal, thrash metal, groove metal, hard rock
Instruments	Guitar, bass, keyboards, vocals, percussion, drums
Years active	1990s–present
Labels	Nuclear Blast, Roadrunner, Island Records
Associated acts	Anthrax, The Damned Things, The Devils of Loudun, Boiler Room
Notable instruments
ESP Guitars Custom Shop Horizons and EX model Fryette Pitbull

Robert Caggiano (born November 7, 1976) is an American guitarist and producer best known as the lead guitarist of the Heavy Metal band Anthrax. His first professional band was Boiler Room that formed in 1996. The band caught the attention of Roadrunner Records after an opening slot for the band Orgy in 1999. After several delays, the band eventually got Tommy Boy Records to release their debut album 'Can't Breathe'. Soon after the release, the band broke up in summer 2001.

Biography[link]

He initially played with Anthrax from 2001 until 2005, exiting when their Among the Living lineup reunited, and later returning in 2007 following the end of that reunion.^[1] He appears on the albums We've Come for You All and Worship Music, as well as the Greater of Two Evils compilation (a live-in-the-studio recording of older material) and the live album Music of Mass Destruction. Rob was also part of "The Big 4" tour recently^[when?] which featured Anthrax, Slayer, Megadeth and Metallica. The Bulgaria show was streamed and broadcasted to movie theaters all over the world and the entire "Big 4" show (Anthrax, Megadeth, Slayer and Metallica) came out on DVD Nov. 2, 2010. Rob Caggiano is also known as a record producer/mixer under the alias of Scrap 60 Productions most notably for producing Cradle of Filth, Anthrax, and Jesse Malin along with many other prominent metal/hard rock bands. Rob is also the guitarist/songwriter for a band called The Damned Things along with Scott Ian (Anthrax), Joe Trohman and Andy Hurley (Fall Out Boy), and Keith Buckley (Everytime I Die). The debut album for The Damned Things which was also produced and recorded by Rob Caggiano was released through Island Records on December 13, 2010.

Anthrax albums[link]

Boiler Room albums[link]

The Damned Things albums[link]

Anthrax compilation albums[link]

• The Greater of Two Evils (2004)

Anthrax live albums[link]

• Music of Mass Destruction (2004)

Production discography (Not complete)[link]

• Cradle of Filth Nymphetamine (Grammy Nominated)
• Cradle of Filth "Thornography"
• Cradle of Filth Damnation and a Day
• Sahg "Sahg 2"
• Bleeding Through The Truth
• Jesse Malin "Glitter in The Gutter" (featuring Bruce Springsteen and Ryan Adams)
• Ill Niño One Nation Underground
• Ill Niño Revolution Revolución
• Machine Head "Supercharger Remix"
• Anthrax We've Come for You All
• Anthrax "The Greater Of Two Evils"
• Prong "Remix 2010"
• H20 "H20"
• The Agony Scene The Darkest Red
• A Life Once Lost Hunter
• Dry Kill Logic The Darker Side of Nonsense
• 36 Crazyfists Bitterness the Star
• Straight Line Stitch When Skies Wash Ashore
• Chthonic Mirror of Retribution
• Muzzy "Boathouse Sessions"
• The Drama Club "The Drama Club" EP 2008
• Anthrax Worship Music

References[link]

Metal Antix Interview [1]