Brian Elwin Haner, Jr., Better Known By His Stage Name Synyster Gates Or Simply Syn Is An American Musician. He Is Currently The Lead Guitarist For Hard Rock Band Avenged Sevenfold. He Attended Mayfair High School In Lakewood, California.
Haner Attended, But Did Not Graduate From, The Musicians Institute In Hollywood As Part Of The GIT Program, Studying Jazz Guitar. Up Until That Time He Was Primarily Self Taught By Watching Music Videos & Reading Books, Which Is Surprising Because His Father Was/Is A Songwriter & Guitar Player, Having Played With Frank Zappa During His Career. After Six Or So Months Of Being There, He Got A Phone Call From The Rev (And The Rest Of The Current Line Up Of Avenged Sevenfold) Asking Him If He Wanted To Join The Band As Lead Guitarist. Haner Joined Up With Them Rather Than Continuing His Education And Becoming A Studio Musician.
Haner 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 Friend Of The Band, Bassist Justin Meacham, Played The Piano On Warmness On The Soul.
In The Avenged Sevenfold DVD All Excess, To Emphasize The Seemingly Random Placing Of Names, Haner Stated That His Name Was Thought Of On A Drunken Drive Through The Park With The Rev. His Exact Words Were: "I Am Synyster Gates, And I Am Awesome!"
Haner Cites Django Reinhardt, Dimebag Darell, Slash, John Petrucci, Adam Aparicio 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. In June 2008 Guitar World Magazine Interviewed Haner, Reader Shawn Butterfield Asked "You're One Hell Of A Guitarist. But Who Do You Really Look Up To?" To Which He Responded "Definitely Slash, The Ozzy Guitar Dudes, Alexi Laiho From Children Of Bodom, Jimi Hendrix Of Course, Dimebag Darrell From Pantera, Jimmy Page From Led Zeppelin, A Lot Man!"
Haner Was Also A Member Of The "Goblin Metal" Side-Project Pinky Smooth With The Rev And Justin Meacham. Pinkly Smooth Was Disbanded Because Haner 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 Older Pinkly Smooth Tunes.
Haner Has A Younger Brother Brent And A Younger Sister McKenna. His Father, Brian Haner Sr., Is A Musician And Comedian Known As "Guitar Guy", And Was Recently On Tour With Jeff Dunham.
Haner Is Endorsed By Schecter Guitars, As Is Zacky Vengeance, Almost All Of His Guitars Are Customised And Fitted With Seymour Duncan Invader Pickups. He Has Also Used A White 2003 Schecter C1-FR Which Specifications Are As Follows Per Schecter Guitars.
White 2003 Schecter C1-FR
- Mahogany Body
- Set Maple Neck
- Rosewood Fingerboard
- Black Hardware
- Original Made In Germany Floyd Rose Recessed Bridge
- Master Volume Master Tone (Push/Pull Pot On Time Control For Tap On Both Pick Ups)
- 3 Way Toggle Switch
- Side Football Jack Plate
- Schaller Strap Locking System
- Floyd Rose R2 Locking Nut
- Grover Tuning Peg
- Gray Pearl Binding On Body
- Dot Inlays
- USA Duncan Invader Pickup’s In White
- Black Pickup Mounting Ring
- Black Head Stock
- Solid White Body
- Black Dome Knobs On Control
- 10 To 52 Ernie Ball Strings Drop D Tuning.
Synyster Normally Uses Seymour Duncan SH-8 Invader Pickups In His Guitars.
Guitars:
In The Past, Syn Has Used A Number Of Different Guitars
- Schecter - C-1 FR, Custom Avenger Models
- Gibson - Les Paul
- Parker Guitars
- Ibanez - RG Prestige
- Krank Revolution Head (Main)
- Bogner Uberschall And Caveman
- Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier
- Marshall 4x12 cab
- Bogner Uberkab 4"x12" And Standard Bogner 4"x12"
- Mesa/Boogie 4"x12" Dual Recto Cabinet
- Krank Revolution 4x12" Cabinet (Main)
- Krank Distortus Maximus
- Frantone "The Sweet"
- Boss RV-5 Digital Reverb
- Boss SD-1 Super Overdrive
- Boss PH-3 Phase Shifter
- Boss CS-3 Compressor
- Visual Sound H20 Chorus/Echo
- Digitech Whammy Pedal
- Jim Dunlop Dimebag Crybaby From Hell Wah-wah pedal
- Electro-Harmonix Big Muff Π Fuzz Pedal
- Ernie Ball Skinny Top, Heavy Bottom' Strings
- Jim Dunlop Gator Grip 2.00mm Plectrums-Custom Black With "Deathbat" Logo Printed
- Voodoo Labs GCX Guitar Audio Switcher Rack Unit
- Voodoo Labs DMC Ground Control Pro
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