Synyster Gates

Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. (July 7, 1981), better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician, best known for being the lead guitarist of the heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.

Haner attended Mayfair High School in Lakewood, but he later transferred and graduated from Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, California.

He studied at the Musicians Institute in Hollywood as part of the Guitar Institute of Technology program, studying jazz guitar. After six or so months of being there, he got a phone call from The Rev asking him if he

wanted to join his band, Avenged Sevenfold, as lead guitarist. Haner joined rather than continuing his education and becoming a studio musician. Up until that time he was primarily self-taught by watching music videos and reading books. His father, Brian Haner, Sr., is a comedian, songwriter, and guitarist.

Gates joined Avenged Sevenfold when he was 18 at the end of 1999, right before the recording of the band's first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. He was featured on the EP Warmness on the Soul, and on the reissue of the band's first album.

Gates became the band's official lead guitarist. After Sounding the Seventh Trumpet, the band has released 4 studio albums: Waking the Fallen, City of Evil, Avenged Sevenfold, Nightmare and a live DVD/CD Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough.

On the Avenged Sevenfold DVD All Excess, Gates claimed that his name was created on a drunken drive through the park with The Rev.

He has won numerous awards, including the 2006 Metal Hammer "Young Shredder" award and the 2006 Total Guitar Magazine "Guitarist of the Year."

In Revolver magazine, the Avenged Sevenfold special edition that was released the same day as the Nightmare album, Gates stated that he originally started out writing the song "So Far Away" in honor of his grandfather, it later on became to also honor his late bandmate The Rev as well.

Synyster Gates uses mainly Schecter Guitars. Schecter Guitar Research has been sponsoring him and he has signature Avenger models. He has also been seen using ESP guitars when A7X were recording Waking The Fallen and City Of Evil

• Schecter Synyster Gates Signature Custom models with Seymour Duncan SH-8 Invaders and Sustainiac neck pickup sustainer
• Schecters custom models with Rebel flag, American flag, German flag, Black with Red Stripes, Red with Black Stripes, and one with Tune-O-Matic Bridge.
• Schecter Avenger
• Schecter C-1 Classic - Transparent Blue
• Schecter Custom C-1 FR
• Schecter Hellraiser C-1 FR
• Schecter PT Fastback
• Schecter S-1 loaded with Seymour Duncan JBs
• Gibson Les Paul in arctic white, this was used in the video for Unholy Confessions
• Parker Fly (not sure exact model/color)
• Ibanez - S Prestige

Kirk Hammett

Kirk Lee Hammett (born November 18, 1962) is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stone's list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time. In 2009, Hammett was ranked number 5 in Joel McIver's book The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists.

In 1983, Hammett was invited to join Metallica following the dismissal of the band's original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine. This was just prior to the recording of Kill 'Em All. At the time Hammett, was taking private guitar lessons from the now-famous touring guitarist Joe Satriani.

Kirk Hammett in 2008

Hammett has written and contributed riffs for Metallica songs since the mid-1980s (particularly in the 1990s during the Load album era). One of these riffs, used in "Enter Sandman", became one of Metallica's most popular songs. It was the first track and first single on Metallica's self-titled Black Album and was ranked 399th on Rolling Stone's list of the greatest songs of all time.

The bridge for "Creeping Death" was originally an Exodus riff that Hammett used for Metallica.

Hammett is also known for always having his picking hand taped up. During the course of a full tour, due to constantly palm muting and fast picking, the palm of his hand takes sizable abuse.

Hammett's playing style is noted for his extensive use of the wah-wah pedal in his solos. Hammett says, "The wah-wah is an extension of my personality." Hammett's use of the wah-wah pedal hadn't been featured in recent Metallica solos, but has seen a resurgence in his solos on the band's ninth album, Death Magnetic, including in the song "The Unforgiven III".

Hammett initially wanted to have guitar solos on Metallica's 2003 album, St. Anger, but drummer Lars Ulrich and producer Bob Rock thought that the solos did not sound right in the songs. Hammett later admitted himself, "We tried to put in solos, but they sounded like an afterthought, so we left them out".

On April 4, 2009, Hammett, along with current Metallica bandmates Lars Ulrich, James Hetfield, and Robert Trujillo and former Metallica bandmates Jason Newsted and the deceased Cliff Burton, were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. In 2009, Hammett wrote the foreword for British author Joel McIver's book To Live Is to Die: The Life and Death of Metallica's Cliff Burton.