One of heavy metal’s greatest axe-slingers.
The one and only George Lynch has been a staple of the scene since 1977, giving us all his unique blend of heavy metal and rock, hitting the stage with Dokken, Lynch Mob, and his own solo work. Early days of George Lynch saw him dive into the Kramer / Charvel world, but since the late 80’s / early 90’s, catch George live, and you’ll see an ESP in hand.
Jump into the world of George Lynch today and see how much care he puts towards every element of the live process, constantly finding the best pedals, guitars and amps, which can all show us why he’s still got one of the best tones out there in 2024.
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Electric Guitars
ESP Kamikaze 1
George and ESP have been hand in hand since the 90s, which has seen a number of custom guitars to his belt. The Kamikaze came out of Lynch looking for a replacement neck at an ESP store in Tokyo.
The necks of Lynch’s ESP are wider than standard electrics, Lynch noting to ESP in 2021, “I wanted something similar to the nylon string classical guitars that i grew up with. Every note has its own kind of space”.
ESP Tiger
Another ESP makes its way onto George Lynch’s guitar stand, affectionately referred to as the Tiger. Much alike the Kamikaze, this was built from a variety of different parts too. To top it off, the ESP Tiger is topped with Tiger print too, just for that 80’s vibe.
LTD – GL 256
On the other end of the spectrum, is the LTD GL 256, less common in the hands of George, but a staple of his live shows for a number of years. The distressed look of the body gives the guitar an old-school vibe and has become a fan favourite, fans across the world trying to track one down.
Mr Scary Guitars
Mr. Lynch has his very own guitar company, Mr Scary, using his expert skills to shape a guitar that is perfectly suited to him, each axe hand designed and built by George himself. Fans can often see these guitars pop up on a live stage with George too.
Pickups
Mr Scary Guitar Pickup
These pickups have been an important part of George’s guitars for a number of years, stating in an interview with Mr Scary, “One thing I don’t have to worry about anymore is the pickup in my guitar. It does everything I want it to.” They sit around 13.5K, helping Lynch play everything from jazz to hard driving heavy metal.
Amplifiers
1968 Marshall 50 Watt Plexi
It’s one of the most revered amps of all time, and for good reason, it’s been on stages with guitarists like Eddie Van Halen. Take a quick gander on Google, and you’ll see these amps going for a few grand at a time. Lynch’s guitar tech noted that there’s no mods to his Plexi, it’s just “a straight up bone stock amp.” So, if you’ve got a few grand lying around jump onto this.
Soldano SLO 100 100-Watt Tube Guitar Amplifier
This was a staple of George’s work back in the day, used on the Lynch Mob record Wicked Sensation. The high gain amp isn’t just used in metal though, also loved by guitarists like Mark Knopfler, Gary Moore and Lou Reed.
Pedals
George Lynch loves himself a pedal deep dive, speaking to Boss Pedals a few years ago, “I’m on eBay, I’m talking to collectors, I’m picking up every old retro pedal that Hendrix, Beck, or Page ever used.”
Boss – DS 1 Distortion
There’s no question that all of us guitar nerds were introduced into the world of metal with a Boss pedal – so it’s somewhat surprising to see a metal god using it. About the pedal, too Boss, Lynch noted, “the DS-1 beats 95-percent of everything that’s current or ever made. I must have gone through ten overdrive pedals, and some of them are $1,000 pedals, but I always had my DS-1 right there onstage at every show.
“And I know a lot of players who use DS-1s — a lot of the big guys out there. You’d probably think, ‘I bet they’re using $1,200 vintage tube screamers or boutique pedals,’ but in a lot of cases we’re just using store-bought DS-1s.”
George Lynch G2G Pedal
If you want all George’s sounds in the palm of your hand, look no further than his multi effects G2G pedal. It’s got 40 presets and sounds that have featured on a bunch of George Lynch records over the years.
Cusack Screamer Fuzz Pedal
To give Lynch’s guitar that extra bit of oomph and create the sound we’ve all come to know and love over the years, a Fuzz Pedal is chucked in before the guitar hits the amp, usually used by George to help his solos stand out a little more.
George Lynch Morley Wah
There’s no pedal better for metal than the Morley Wah – with a preset literally called wow, this pedal gives Lynch’s solos that unique flavour and scorching hot vibe.
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