Born and raised in Berkeley, CA on September 29, 1968, Alex Skolnick is one of the most influential guitarists of the early 1980s. Having joined Testament in 1983, he quickly established himself as one of the premier metal guitarists of his time with his unique sweep picking style of lead guitar on albums such as Testament’s “The Legacy” and “The New Order.” The beginning of the song “Trial by Fire” is a perfect example of his style.
When he was nine years old, young Alex wanted to learn how to play guitar because of his fascination with the rock group KISS. Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhodes are two other guitarists that inspired Alex to learn the art of shredding. By the time he was sixteen, he auditioned for a local Bay Area group called Legacy. He made the cut and joined the band, and by the time he was ready to record his first album with Legacy, the band changed their name to Testament. Alex is among a handful of famous musicians who studied under Joe Satriani in the early 1980s.
Having received high rankings in guitar magazine polls in categories such as “Best Thrash Guitarist” and “Most Underrated Guitarist,” Alex went on to record five albums with Testament, up to 1992’s “The Ritual.” It was shortly after the release of this album that Alex left the band due to creative differences with fellow Testament guitarist Eric Peterson and the rest of the band, who wanted to keep the thrash sound, whereas Alex wanted to use his “melodic” style of playing. A short time later after leaving Testament, Alex temporarily joined Savatage and recorded “Handful of Rain.” He was even a part of Ozzy Osbourne’s touring band in 1995.
It was during this time that Alex left heavy metal and pursued his new musical love, jazz guitar. In 1988 during the time he recorded Testament’s “The New Order”, he happened to see a Miles Davis electric band performance on television, which helped start his adoration of jazz. He formed several jazz and experimental groups, including Exhibit-A, Skol Patrol, and The Alex Skolnick Trio, the latter of which he went on to record three albums with. Alex’s love of jazz eventually led him to move to New York City, where he went to school at The New School University and earned a BFA in their jazz program in 2001. This is also where the Alex Skolnick Trio got its start.
In addition to being involved with jazz, Alex started playing with Trans-Siberian Orchestra (TSO). He is one of the touring guitarists alongside Chris Caffery in the East Coast tour group of the band during the winter months.
In 2005, Alex rejoined his former band, Testament, for a classic reunion tour called “10 Days of May Tour.” It was so successful with fans, that Alex stayed on with Testament, and in 2008, recorded their successful album “The Formation of Damnation.” Alex and the rest of Testament are set to release their next album sometime in 2011.
Alex plays electric and hollow-bodied Heritage guitars with Seymour Duncan pickups; Alex had his first signature guitar released by Heritage in 2009. The solid body guitar is a custom H 150/157. In the early Testament years, Alex mostly played the Ibanez 540SLTD guitar.
Alex Skolnick is one of today’s premier guitarists. His love for music has carried him further than any metal guitarist could ever imagine. Having started with the Bay Area’s Testament, Alex forged a new direction for himself with his love for jazz. He is even in the touring edition of Broadway’s “Jekyll and Hyde,” and is a main contributor to the show’s soundtrack. Luckily for heavy metal fans worldwide, Alex is still also in Testament, and is back recording with them, shredding his unique style again for the world to hear.
In addition, here is a list of other guitars and equipment Alex uses.
Guitars & Pickups
Ibanez 540 PII
DiMarzio or Seymour Duncan pickups
Seymour Duncan: 59 and JB. On Ibanez: DiMarzio PAF
Gibson L5 Hollowbody
Les Paul Classic and a PRS
Amps
ADA preamps into a JCM 900
Marshall DSL 2000 with a Keeley modded tube screamer
Marshall Mode 4 for live shows
Rivera 212 combo
Effects
Jim Dunlop volume pedal
Prescription Electronics Experience pedal
ADA Flange
Lexicon JamMan for loops
Eventide harmonizer for delay
Tube Screamer