Gus G.

Kostas Karamitroudis (Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Καραμητρούδης) also known as Gus G, born September 12, 1980 in Thessaloniki, Greece is a heavy metal guitarist. He currently plays with his band Firewind and Ozzy Osbourne. He has also played in Mystic Prophecy, Nightrage, Arch Enemy and Dream Evil. As of 2012, he is working on a solo record.

Early life
Gus G. was born on September 12, 1980 in Thessaloniki, Greece. His father was a part-time singer who sang Greek folk music at bars and taverns. He was also a fan of rock music. He was introduced to bands like Pink Floyd, Santana and the Eagles by his father's album collections. Gus G. was inspired to start playing guitar after listening to the Peter Frampton record Frampton Comes Alive his dad had. He was drawn in particular by Frampton's use of the Talkbox. At the age of 10, Gus asked his dad for a guitar. His father bought him a classical guitar and he started to take lessons from a local music school. When he finally received his first electric guitar at the age of 14, he got heavily into practicing and took lessons from a rock guitar teacher at a local conservatory.

Career
At the age of 18 he left Greece to enroll in the Berklee College of Music, but left after only a few weeks and began working on making a name on the metal scene. During his brief time at Berklee Gus came into contact with Joe Stump, who he credits as a great influence on his career. In 1998, Gus G. decided to record a demo with some close musician friends in the United States. The project was entitled Firewind, and was used as a showcase for Gus' guitar skills in an attempt to earn a professional recording deal.The demo attracted the attention of Leviathan Records, but activity was put on hold when Gus was hired by Nightrage, Dream Evil, and Mystic Prophecy.

After the release of his other bands' debut albums, Gus' attention returned to the Firewind project. He was the only original member. The band has released 7 studio albums to date and has gone through many lineup changes.

On July 2005, he temporarily replaced Christopher Amott as guitarist of melodic death metal band Arch Enemy on their Ozzfest dates, and also contributed to their album Doomsday Machine by playing lead guitar on the song "Taking Back my Soul".

He has made guest appearances for various artists,including the title track song on the latest Rob Rock release "Garden of Chaos" as well as providing solos on the songs "Felonies of the Christian Art" and "Life Deprived" by Old Man's Child, from the album In Defiance of Existence, and a few solos on the album Gallows Gallery by the Japanese avant-garde black metal band Sigh).

Most recently Gus gave two guest solos for the new Nightrage album Wearing A Martyr's Crown marking a return to his former band. The solos appear on the instrumental Sting Of Remorse. He also appeared in In This Moment recent album A Star-Crossed Wasteland on "The Road".

The stage name "Gus G." has two sources of origin - "Gus" is a common Greek American English translation of the name "Kostas," and "G" was a nickname given to him by a friend during his time living in the U.S.

On 2005 he played some guest solos on Rock … Γυνή Και Θάλασσα,a record from a Greek rock band called Δυτικές Συνοικίες

Gus G was chosen as the third of the three best guitar players all over the world in 2003 by the Japanese magazine BURRN!.

In 2009, Gus was sent an email invitation from Ozzy Osbourne's management to learn 5 - 6 songs and fly down to Los Angeles to audition for the role of guitarist in Ozzy Osbourne's band. After jamming with Ozzy's band, Gus was "asked on the spot to come back and perform a concert with Ozzy a couple of months later".

Soon after it was announced that Gus G. would be taking the place of lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne. Ozzy decided to part ways with long time guitarist Zakk Wylde because he thought his music was beginning to sound too much like Black Label Society. Gus' first live appearance with Ozzy was at the BlizzCon 2009.

In 2010 Gus G appeared alongside Firewind in Issue 3 of the Eternal Descent Comic Book which is an epic comic series that features characters of several of ESP Guitars’ most popular artists. Gus G. also provided the guitar solo in the song "Hunter's Season" from the Kamelot album, Poetry for the Poisoned.

2011 will also see Gus once again playing on the new Nightrage album Insidious. The album is set to come out September 26.

2014 Gus collaborated with Jeff Scott Soto for his upcoming new band/album 'SOTO' on a song entitled 'Wrath'. Gus plays on the album version as well as writing on the song, it is a blistering as Soto is heading back to a much anticipated heavier direction on this release.

Musical Influences
Gus G's first influences began with Frampton and his work "Frampton Comes Alive". He also cites Al Di Meola, Joe Stump, John Norum, Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Yngwie Malmsteen, Uli Roth, Michael Schenker, Paul Gilbert, Marty Friedman, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Gary Moore, The Beatles, The Doors, Black Sabbath, Metallica, Iron Maiden, Joe Satriani and many others as his influences.

Equipment
Gus teamed up with ESP Guitars to make two custom model guitars to his specifications, the "Gus. G FR" and the "Gus G. NT". The 'NT' was used in the videos for "Falling to Pieces", "Breaking the Silence" and "Tyranny". The 'FR' is featured along with the NT model in the video for "Falling to Pieces" and was discontinued in 2009 for North America, being replaced by the 'NT'. In a 2009 video of Gus playing backstage at Musikmesse Frankfurt with his new T2 amplifier, he is seen with a white ESP Gus model with a black Firewind logo on the front. Before using ESP, he was endorsed by Washburn, playing a Culprit with a chrome pickguard, and before using a Fender Floyd Stratocaster. Recently Gus has released 2 new signature series guitars in Japan the ESP GUS G. NT-II which is a white version of his normal signature guitars with the Firewind symbol on the neck at 1-15 frets, and also in black on the body. And ESP GUS G. FM-NT which is the same as the GUS G. NT ESP, the only change made is to the frets who are now the same as at the ESP GUS G. NT-II. In March 2010 ESP announced a new Gus G guitar the EC Revolver, it has a custom graphic finish, 22 frets, a 25.5" scale, and Seymour Duncan Blackouts active pickups.

While playing with Ozzy Osbourne during the Blizzcon 2009 closing ceremony, he could be seen playing two ESP Eclipse II guitars, one in Amber Cherry Sunburst tuned to Standard D, and another one in Vintage Black, tuned to Dropped C.

In terms of picks and strings, he used GHS strings early in Firewind,then switched to DR, using 9-50. Currently he uses Elixir 10-14-18-32-42-56. He uses Dunlop 1.5mm delrin picks.

Gus has used Marshall Amplifiers in the past as well as Krank, however more recently, he uses Randall T2 and V2 Amplifiers. Gus has a signature Randall amp designed by him and based on the T2 head named Heaven and Hell. It features 2 channels, each using independent gain and tone controls. The head has a 400 watt output. Gus G here performs with Ozzy using 10 of his Signature Randall T2HH amps and cabs.

In January 2010 he was featured on the Blackstar Amplification website to be using the Series One 200 head and matching cab.

In June 2010 Blackstar Amplification launched a Gus G. signature pedal HT-BLACKFIRE at Summer NAMM. The HT-BLACKFIRE is a two channel, valve-driven, metal distortion pedal and was launched at Summer NAMM in Nashville on the 18th June 2010. However live he does not play this he uses a BBE Green Screamer.

In September 2011 Blackstar announced they are working on a Gus G signature Series One amplifier. This was announced at a Blackstar, Andertons and Gus G masterclass session at The Boileroom in Guildford.

In a post for the guitarist's forum Gear Talk, Gus says the only effects he uses are a BBE Green Screamer overdrive pedal, Morley Bad Horsie Steve Vai signature Wah pedal, Providence Anadime Chorus pedal, TC Electronic PolyTune tuner pedal, and a Rocktron Banshee Talk box.

Guitar Rig & Signal Flow
A detailed gear diagram of Gus G's 2011 Ozzy Osbourne guitar rig is well-documented. Based on a 2011 interview with Gus G's guitar tech, Chet Haun.