GUS G / FIREWIND

Gus G. has spent the past decade affirming his status as one of metal’s reigning guitar virtuosos. Personally handpicked by Ozzy Osbourne in August 2009, he served as the heavy metal legend’s lead guitarist through spring 2017, while also establishing himself as an acclaimed solo artist with more than a dozen studio albums to his credit. He’s also managed to find time to perform worldwide with acts as diverse as Arch Enemy, Dream Evil and his own band, Firewind. 

Real Name

Although he goes by the stage name of Gus G., his birth name is Konstantinos Karamitroudis. 

Hometown:

Thessaloniki, Greece

Guitar Roots:

Gus G. was bitten by the guitar bug after listening to his father's copy of Peter Frampton album Frampton Comes Alive and becoming captivated by Frampton’s use of the Talkbox. Although the 10-year-old Gus repeatedly begged for an electric guitar after that moment, his father felt it was best for him to start out on a classical acoustic guitar. A few years later, he finally got his first electric guitar.

FUN FACTS:

Fans who follow Gus G. on Instagram should expect to see lots of photos of his Jackson guitars and his precious cats — Valentino and Marquise. Gus G. is also a big fan of '80s cult classic films such as Mad Max, Conan the Barbarian and Highlander.