Michael Wilton
Encyclopedia
Michael Wilton is an American
guitarist
for the progressive metal
band Queensrÿche
. Wilton attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where he met future Queensrÿche
drummer Scott Rockenfield
and began recording in 1981. As a progressive metal
musician, he has quite a number of influences from metal bands, for instance, Judas Priest
, Iron Maiden
, UFO
and Van Halen
.
accident. He started to learn bass by learning some songs by bands from his father's collections, such as The Beatles
, Jimi Hendrix
, The Rolling Stones
and Bob Dylan
. Later, he also got a nylon string acoustic from his aunt and accidentally blew his father's speaker. He convinced his father to give him his uncle's equipment, a Fender Bassman and speaker
cabinet. In junior high school, Wilton changed his mind and chose to play guitar
rather than bass, when he bought his first guitar, a Les Paul copy and a fuzzbox. At school, he also joined some garage
bands with his school-mates, including Chris DeGarmo
, Queensrÿche's former guitarist. He began to explore the guitar world further in high school
, where he started to listen to hard rock and heavy metal music such as Judas Priest
, UFO
, Iron Maiden
, and Van Halen
and began practicing seriously, for 2 hours per day.
and classical music
. This was a big step in his life as he began to appreciate more ethnic and improvisational music, which later gave him influences as a progressive rock
musician. At college, he also met Eddie Jackson
and Scott Rockenfield
, who are still active members of Queensrÿche. With three friends, he began to play at some parties and called themselves The Mob. In 1982, Wilton met Geoff Tate, Queensrÿche's singer, and started recording four songs in the late summer that year. In 1983, Queensrÿche released their self titled debut album.
In 2002 he started a side band with former Alice N' Chains guitarist and My Sister's Machine
vocalist Nick Pollock
called Soulbender
, which has released one album
thus far and played various shows around the northwest.
After Degarmo left Queensrÿche in 1998, Wilton gradually began performing most of the songs that previously featured DeGarmo doing the main solo live, including "Silent Lucidity", "The Mission", "En Force", "I Am I", "Take Hold of the Flame", "Best I Can", "The Killing Words", "Bridge", "The Lady Wore Black" and "Anybody Listening?", amongst others. Parker Lundgren joined the band in February 2009 as a touring guitarist but mainly as a rhythm guitarist only joining in for dual guitar solos in songs like "Neue Regel" and "London". After the band's tour for its 10th album American Soldier started on April 16, 2009, Wilton took over all of the solos.
guitars and Fender
guitars. He then began endorsing ESP guitars
in 1989. He also has had two signature series from ESP, which are the 2004 ESP Signature Eclipse
(comes in three different colors) and the 2004 ESP Signature Skull. In 2010, ESP Released a new Michael Wilton signature, the LTD MW-Demon. Everything about the guitar is much like his previous MW-600, except it has a heavily distressed black finish with a custom demon graphic in the center of the guitar.
As for the amplifiers, he has acquired Marshall
, Fender, Roland, and Orange amplifiers. In 2006 he signed a deal with Hughes and Kettner endorsing the Switchblade and MKII amplifiers. As of 2009, he has switch from a Hughes and Kettner endorsement to a Krank Amplification
endorsement. He uses the Rev+ and Nineteen80 heads with Rev+ Cabs, Nineteen80 Cabs, and Rev Jr cabs.
Wilton, mostly on stage, uses a VOX
V847 Wah pedal. Wilton is endorsed by Planet Waves, as well as Digitech.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
for the progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
band Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
. Wilton attended Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle where he met future Queensrÿche
Queensrÿche
thumb|250px|right|Queensrÿche's classic line-up performing at the [[Sauna Open Air Metal Festival]] 2011 in [[Tampere]], [[Finland]]. Left to right: bass Eddie Jackson, lead vocals Geoff Tate, drums Scott Rockenfield and guitars Michael Wilton....
drummer Scott Rockenfield
Scott Rockenfield
Scott Rockenfield is the drummer for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche and the band Slave to the System....
and began recording in 1981. As a progressive metal
Progressive metal
Progressive metal is a subgenre of heavy metal originating in the United Kingdom and North America in the late 1980s...
musician, he has quite a number of influences from metal bands, for instance, Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
and Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
.
Childhood
Wilton's musician life began when he was eight years old, when he inherited a bass guitar from his uncle, who died in a motorcycleMotorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
accident. He started to learn bass by learning some songs by bands from his father's collections, such as The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
, Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix was an American guitarist and singer-songwriter...
, The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band, formed in London in April 1962 by Brian Jones , Ian Stewart , Mick Jagger , and Keith Richards . Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early line-up...
and Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
. Later, he also got a nylon string acoustic from his aunt and accidentally blew his father's speaker. He convinced his father to give him his uncle's equipment, a Fender Bassman and speaker
Loudspeaker
A loudspeaker is an electroacoustic transducer that produces sound in response to an electrical audio signal input. Non-electrical loudspeakers were developed as accessories to telephone systems, but electronic amplification by vacuum tube made loudspeakers more generally useful...
cabinet. In junior high school, Wilton changed his mind and chose to play guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
rather than bass, when he bought his first guitar, a Les Paul copy and a fuzzbox. At school, he also joined some garage
Garage (house)
A residential garage is part of a home, or an associated building, designed or used for storing a vehicle or vehicles. In some places the term is used synonymously with "carport", though that term normally describes a structure that is not completely enclosed.- British residential garages:Those...
bands with his school-mates, including Chris DeGarmo
Chris DeGarmo
Chris DeGarmo is an American heavy metal and hard rock guitarist. He co-founded Queensrÿche in 1981 and played with the group during their most commercially successful period. Since departing from the band, DeGarmo has continued his involvement in the music business in a much smaller capacity...
, Queensrÿche's former guitarist. He began to explore the guitar world further in high school
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
, where he started to listen to hard rock and heavy metal music such as Judas Priest
Judas Priest
Judas Priest are an English heavy metal band from Birmingham, England, formed in 1969. The current line-up consists of lead vocalist Rob Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill, and drummer Scott Travis. The band has gone through several drummers over the years,...
, UFO
UFO (band)
UFO are an English heavy metal and hard rock band, who were formed in 1969. UFO became a transitional group between early hard rock and heavy metal and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, and Van Halen
Van Halen
Van Halen is an American hard rock band formed in Pasadena, California, in 1972. The band has enjoyed success since the release of its debut album, Van Halen, . As of 2007 Van Halen has sold 80 million albums worldwide and has had the most #1 hits on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart...
and began practicing seriously, for 2 hours per day.
Career
After high school, Wilton attended the Cornish Institute of Allied Arts in Seattle where he studied jazzJazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
and classical music
Classical music
Classical music is the art music produced in, or rooted in, the traditions of Western liturgical and secular music, encompassing a broad period from roughly the 11th century to present times...
. This was a big step in his life as he began to appreciate more ethnic and improvisational music, which later gave him influences as a progressive rock
Progressive rock
Progressive rock is a subgenre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s as part of a "mostly British attempt to elevate rock music to new levels of artistic credibility." John Covach, in Contemporary Music Review, says that many thought it would not just "succeed the pop of...
musician. At college, he also met Eddie Jackson
Eddie Jackson (musician)
Eddie Jackson is the bass guitarist for the progressive metal band, Queensrÿche. He has been with the group since 1981, when they were known as The Mob....
and Scott Rockenfield
Scott Rockenfield
Scott Rockenfield is the drummer for the progressive metal band Queensrÿche and the band Slave to the System....
, who are still active members of Queensrÿche. With three friends, he began to play at some parties and called themselves The Mob. In 1982, Wilton met Geoff Tate, Queensrÿche's singer, and started recording four songs in the late summer that year. In 1983, Queensrÿche released their self titled debut album.
In 2002 he started a side band with former Alice N' Chains guitarist and My Sister's Machine
My Sister's Machine
My Sister's Machine was a grunge band from Seattle, Washington, formed in 1989. Its members were Nick Pollock , Owen Wright , Chris Ivanovich , and Chris Gohde ....
vocalist Nick Pollock
Nick Pollock
Nick Pollock is a Seattle-based guitarist, singer, and songwriter best known for his work with the grunge/metal band My Sister's Machine. He has also played in various bands with other notable musicians, including Alice in Chains singer Layne Staley and Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton...
called Soulbender
Soulbender
Soulbender is a heavy metal band formed in Seattle, Washington, by musicians hailing from both Seattle and Vancouver, including Queensrÿche guitarist Michael Wilton and My Sister's Machine vocalist Nick Pollock. Other founding members were guitarist Dave Groves and drummer Wes Hallam, both of whom...
, which has released one album
Soulbender (album)
Soulbender is the only album released thus far by the American heavy metal group of the same name. The album has been made available through CDBaby.-Background and recording:...
thus far and played various shows around the northwest.
After Degarmo left Queensrÿche in 1998, Wilton gradually began performing most of the songs that previously featured DeGarmo doing the main solo live, including "Silent Lucidity", "The Mission", "En Force", "I Am I", "Take Hold of the Flame", "Best I Can", "The Killing Words", "Bridge", "The Lady Wore Black" and "Anybody Listening?", amongst others. Parker Lundgren joined the band in February 2009 as a touring guitarist but mainly as a rhythm guitarist only joining in for dual guitar solos in songs like "Neue Regel" and "London". After the band's tour for its 10th album American Soldier started on April 16, 2009, Wilton took over all of the solos.
Equipment
Wilton has used many different guitars throughout his 24 year career, mostly GibsonGibson Guitar Corporation
The Gibson Guitar Corporation, formerly of Kalamazoo, Michigan and currently of Nashville, Tennessee, manufactures guitars and other instruments which sell under a variety of brand names...
guitars and Fender
Fender
Fender Musical Instruments Corporation, commonly referred to as simply Fender, of Scottsdale, Arizona is a manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, such as solid-body electric guitars, including the Stratocaster and the Telecaster...
guitars. He then began endorsing ESP guitars
ESP Guitars
, located in North Hollywood, California, is an American-based, Japanese-owned manufacturer of electric guitars and basses.- History :In 1975, Hisatake Shibuya opened a shop called Electric Sound Products in Tokyo. It provided custom replacement parts for guitars. In 1976, ESP gained a reputation...
in 1989. He also has had two signature series from ESP, which are the 2004 ESP Signature Eclipse
ESP Eclipse
ESP Eclipse is an electric guitar model distributed by ESP.There are many different variations of the Eclipse, including the Eclipse-I, Eclipse-I CTM, Eclipse-I CTM , Eclipse-II, Eclipse-II, and Eclipse Custom. ESP also makes several models under its LTD brand that are based on the Eclipse...
(comes in three different colors) and the 2004 ESP Signature Skull. In 2010, ESP Released a new Michael Wilton signature, the LTD MW-Demon. Everything about the guitar is much like his previous MW-600, except it has a heavily distressed black finish with a custom demon graphic in the center of the guitar.
As for the amplifiers, he has acquired Marshall
Marshall Amplification
Marshall Amplification is a British company, founded by drummer Jim Marshall, that designs and manufactures music amplifiers, brands personal headphones/earphones , and, after acquiring Natal Drums, drums and bongos. Marshall amplifiers, and specifically their guitar amplifiers, are among the most...
, Fender, Roland, and Orange amplifiers. In 2006 he signed a deal with Hughes and Kettner endorsing the Switchblade and MKII amplifiers. As of 2009, he has switch from a Hughes and Kettner endorsement to a Krank Amplification
Krank Amplification
Krank Amplification is an American company based in Arizona that designs and manufactures guitar amplifiers. Krank manufactures tube amplifiers and recently a hybrid amplifier.- Amplifiers :...
endorsement. He uses the Rev+ and Nineteen80 heads with Rev+ Cabs, Nineteen80 Cabs, and Rev Jr cabs.
Wilton, mostly on stage, uses a VOX
Vox (musical equipment)
Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
V847 Wah pedal. Wilton is endorsed by Planet Waves, as well as Digitech.