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Synyster Gates

Some facts about Synyster Gates

He attended Musicians Institute in Hollywood, California as part of the GIT program, and studied Jazz guitar. He is also a member of the band Pinkly Smooth, a side project with The Rev (Avenged Sevenfold's drummer). Synyster claims to have come up with his name when he was seventeen years old. "I was out with Jimmy Sullivan (aka The Rev.)drinking a lot and driving around the park in Jimmy's car. I was driving, and all of a sudden I just blurted out, 'I am Synyster Gates and I am awesome!" I don't know why I said it (laughs) but now that's my name!" His parents (Brian and Suzi) appear as guest vocals in M.I.A., a song on their album City Of Evil, and his father also helped with the acoustics for that album. Synyster Gates and Zacky Vengeance often play guitar back-to-back since Synyster is right-handed and Zacky is left-handed, this is visually appealing and has become a mainstay of the band's live shows. He’s a smoker. He says his biggest influences are Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan), Slash (Guns N Roses, Velvet Revolver) and John Petrucci (Dream Theater, Liquid Tension Experiment).

Biography
Synyster Gates aka Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. was born on 7 July 1981 and also known as "Syn", is an American musician and the lead guitarist for Avenged Sevenfold and the son of Brian Haner Sr and hypnotist Suzy Haner. Synyster Gates attended Ocean view High School in Huntington Beach, California and Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California as a teenager, and then the Musicians Institute in Hollywood as part of the GIT program, studying jazz guitar. His father Brian Haner Sr, is a musician and is often called Avenged Sevenfold's official acoustic guitar player for his appearances on their albums, such as the acoustic solo on City of Evil's "Sidewinder" and "MIA". Gates joined Avenged Sevenfold (A7X) 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 their EP, "Warmness on the Soul" and on the reissue of their first album. He also plays piano for the band on songs such as "Beast and the Harlot" and "Sidewinder," though a former member of the band, bassist Justin Sane, played the piano on Warmness on the Soul. In the Avenged Sevenfold DVD "All Excess," to emphasize the seemingly random placing of names, Gates stated that his name was thought of on a drunken walk through the park with The Rev. His exact words were, "I am Synyster Gates, and I am awesome!". Gates cites Django Reinhardt, Adam Aparicio, Basillios, Douchebag Darrell, Slash, and Francis Canavan as his favorite guitarists and major influences. He has won numerous awards, including the "Young Shredder" award of the year in the Metal Hammer awards in 2006 and the "Guitarist of the Year" Award for Total Guitar Magazine in 2006. Synyster Gates was also a member of the "Goblin Metal" side-project Pinkly Smooth with The Rev. Pinkly Smooth was disbanded because Gates and The Rev wished to focus full-time on Avenged Sevenfold, although when asked recently, they both revealed there is a new side project being planned, featuring the two playing classic Pinkly Smooth tunes.
 
Guest Musical Apperearences

"The River" - Good Charlotte featuring M. Shadows and Synyster Gates

"Dirty Little Girl" - Burn Halo featuring Synyster Gates

Equipment

Guitars

Syn is currently endorsed by Schecter Guitar Research, and uses the Hellraiser Avenger, the Synyster Custom Shop Avenger and the C-1 FR guitars. Most, if not all, of Syn's guitars are custom made. Syn uses Seymour Duncan SH-8 Invader pickups in his guitars. He owns many different variations of his Signature "Schecter Synyster Custom" models which include the American Flag, the German Flag and the Rebel Flag. He also has a new model being released by Schecter that is all white with gold stripes in gold hardware and can be seen in the "Afterlife" music video when they are playing on the white backdrop. In the past Syn has used the Gibson Les Paul, the Parker Fly, and the Ibanez RG Prestige.

 

Amplifiers

Bogner Uberschall and caveman (main)

Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier

Marshall various low-watt combos

Speaker Cabinets

Marshall 4x12" cab

Bogner Uberkab 4x12" (main)

Mesa/Boogie 4x12" Triple Recto Cabinet

 

Effects Units

Boss TU-2 Chromatic Tuner

Boss CS-3 Compressor

Visual Sound H20 Chorus/Echo

Frantone "The Sweet" Distortion

Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive

A bottle of scotch

Boss BF-3 Flanger

Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter

Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor

Seymour Duncan SFX-01 Pickup Booster

Voodoo Lab PEDAL POWER 2

Voodoo Lab GCX Audio Switcher

Jim Dunlop Crybaby From Hell Wah Pedal

 

Accessories

Ernie Ball 'skinny top, heavy bottom' strings.

Jim Dunlop Gator Grip 2434234.0mm picks in custom black with a "Deathbat" logo printed

Voodoo Labs GCX Guitar Audio Switcher rack unit

Voodoo Labs DMC Ground Control Polo pro

Rebel Straps Skull Bottle Opener Strap

Rebel Straps Skull Pick Box Strap

White Get'm Get'm Sergeant Stripes Guitar Strap

Black Schaller Strap Locks

Red schaller strap locks