Michael Romeo
| Michael Romeo | |
|---|---|
Romeo performing in Novara, 2007
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| Background information | |
| Birth name | Michael James Romeo |
| Born |
March 6, 1968 New York, United States |
| Genres | Progressive metal, power metal, symphonic metal, neoclassical metal |
| Occupation(s) | Musician, songwriter |
| Instruments | Guitar, bass, keyboards, clarinet, programming |
| Years active | 1994 – present |
| Associated acts | Symphony X, Ayreon, Redemption, Kotipelto, Steve Walsh |
| Notable instruments | |
|
Caparison Dellinger II – Michael Romeo Custom ESP M-II Deluxe |
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| Manufacturer | Caparison Guitars |
|---|---|
| Period | 2005–present |
| Body type | Solid |
| Neck joint | Bolt-on |
| Body | Mahogany |
| Neck | Hard Maple |
| Fretboard | Maple |
| Bridge | Schaller S-FRT (Floyd Rose type) |
| Pickup(s) | 2 Humbuckers Neck: DiMarzio Tone Zone Bridge: DiMarzio X2N |
| White | |
Michael James Romeo (born March 6, 1968) is an American guitarist and a founding member of the progressive metal group Symphony X. He is one of two members to appear on every Symphony X release (the other being Michael Pinnella).
Romeo was ranked #91 out of 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time by Guitar World.
Michael Romeo's introduction to formal music training began with piano lessons when he was 10 years old. He also played clarinet. However, it wasn't until after hearing his first Kiss album that he seriously considered switching to the guitar. He ended up purchasing a cheap acoustic guitar at a garage sale.
Influenced by Kiss, Led Zeppelin, Rush, AC/DC, Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Deep Purple, and Emerson, Lake & Palmer, he became serious about the guitar after listening to the albums Blizzard of Ozz and Diary of a Madman from Ozzy Osbourne. He was also heavily influenced by the neoclassical technique and style of Randy Rhoads,Ritchie Blackmore,Yngwie Malmsteen, and Uli Jon Roth and guitar virtuosos like Shawn Lane; along with well-known composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig Van Beethoven and Igor Stravinsky. Romeo's own influence has rubbed off on younger players, including Dragonforce's Herman Li, who listed Romeo among his Top 10 favorite guitarists in 2011. Michael also loves Star Wars, as shown in his performance of "Star Wars Suite" on the album released by the band's fan club, "Rarities and Demos". He also says his favorite character is Darth Vader.
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Wikipedia