GUITAR HEROES: JASON BECKER

Jason Becker, (born July 22, 1969) is an American neo-classical metal guitarist and composer. At the age of 16, he became part of the Mike Varney-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman. They released Speed Metal Symphony in 1987 and Go Off! in 1988. Cacophony broke up in 1989 and Becker began doing solo work, having released his first album Perpetual Burn in 1988. He later joined David Lee Roth's band and recorded one album with him. However, Becker's success was hampered by his then-diagnosed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Lou Gehrig's Disease) and was given three to five years to live. In 1996, Becker eventually lost the ability to speak and now communicates with his eyes via a system developed by his father. Despite his disability, he continues composing by using a computer.

Jason Becker studied the works of violinist Niccolò Paganini and was a playing partner with Marty Friedman. He later arranged Paganini's 5th Caprice, performing it during an instructional guitar video. Becker's compositions often include high speed scalar and arpeggio passages, both of which are trademarks of his 'shred' style of guitar playing. He demonstrated the arpeggio sequence during a clinic at the Atlanta Institute of Music. A video of this performance first appeared on his Hot Licks guitar instructional video.

Becker started out playing alongside Marty Friedman in the Mike Varney produced-duo, Cacophony. Becker and Friedman toured together with Cacophony in Japan and across the United States. In 1989 Becker left to pursue a solo career, having released his first solo album titled 'Perpetual Burn' in 1988, and has since released 'Perspective' and 'Collection' , as well as two albums of demos, entitled 'The Raspberry Jams' and 'The Blackberry Jams'.

In the early days of Cacophony, Jason used Hurricane Guitars. The first Cacophony album was recorded with a white Hurricane EX Series model [apparently a Limited Edition] with a DiMarzio Steve Morse model humbucker pickup in the bridge position and a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard with 22 frets. For Perpetual Burn he used another Hurricane EX Series model with unknown model DiMarzio pickups, maple neck with maple fretboard and 24 frets. For the 2nd Cacophony album, Jason switched over to Carvin gear, utilizing 2 DC200 models, one in a trans blue finish and maple body, one in a burgundy finish. Both have double cutaway bodies, Kahler locking tremolo systems, 6 in line headstocks and 2 active Carvin humbucker pickups. He used these up until he was diagnosed with ALS in 1989. During the period of 1989-1991, Jason used various guitars, most notably a Peavey custom model with the numbered fretboard markers. There are a few of these around. Also used were an Ibanez unknown model [probably an RG], a custom from Performance Guitars, a couple of unknown Strat style guitars and a black Hurricane EX Series with 3 pickups. As of very recently, Jason has allowed Paradise Guitars USA to release a Jason Becker signature guitar. It is similar in appearance to the numbered Peavey but with a different headstock shape. In his earliest days of playing, Jason used an unknown model acoustic and a black stratocaster type guitar [possibly a MIJ Fender]. Amp wise, Jason used various pieces. In his pre Cacophony days, he used a small Peavey practice amp [possibly a backstage or an audition with the older style Peavey stripes]. For the first Cacophony album, Jason used an ADAMP1 preamp. Perpetual Burn was a 70s Marshall half stack and a BOSS Super Overdrive and Cacophony second album was a Carvin X100B stack. He also used the SX300H head at some point during that era. After Cacophony Jason used various amps, including a "Fender M80", an unknown Marshall amp, an ADA Preamp and possibly the aforementioned Peavey combo.

TUTORIAL:

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