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Michael Angelo Batio
Michael Angelo Batio
Background information
Also known as Mike Batio, MAB
Born February 23, 1956 (age 58)
Chicago, Illinois, USA
Genres Instrumental rock, neo-classical metal, heavy metal, glam metal, hard
rock, progressive rock, jazz
Occupations Musician, songwriter, producer, columnist
Instruments Guitar, bass, keyboard, vocals, drums
Years active 1984�present
Labels M.A.C.E.
Associated acts Nitro, Holland, Jim Gillette, C4, The Michael Angelo Band,
Katrina Johansson, Bill Peck, Dave Reffett
Website www.angelo.com
Notable instruments
Dean MAB1 Armor Flame
Dean MAB1 Lazer
Dean MAB2 Aviator
Dean Dean MAB 3
Dean Dean MAB 4 Gauntlet
Dean Speed Of Light
Dean Dean MAB 7 Warrior
Double-Guitar
Quad Guitar
Michael Angelo Batio (/'be?ti.o?/;[1] born February 23, 1956)[2] also known as Mike
Batio or MAB, is an American instrumental rock guitarist and columnist from
Chicago, Illinois. He was the lead guitarist for the Los Angeles-based glam metal
band Nitro in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
Batio's work has encompassed many genres, but he is best known for playing heavy
metal and its subgenres such as neo-classical metal, and hard rock. Batio is known
for his technical mastery of the fretboard and his extremely fast picking and sweep
picked arpeggios. He is also known for his showmanship during performances,
particularly his use of the "Over-Under" technique, and for his ability to play a
double and quad guitar, using both hands to play. Batio is also noted for his
guitar instruction DVDs in the "Speed Kills" series which teach shred guitar
techniques and how to "master the art of playing lightning fast". Batio was voted
the "No. 1 Shredder of All Time" by Guitar One Magazine in 2003.[3][4]
Contents [hide]
1 Biography
1.1 Early life and career
1.2 Holland, the Michael Angelo Band and Nitro (1984�1993)
1.3 Solo career (1993�present)
1.4 Film appearance
2 Style
3 Equipment
3.1 Guitars
3.2 Effects
3.3 Amplification
3.4 Other equipment
4 Discography
5 References
6 External links
Biography[edit]
Early life and career[edit]
Michael Angelo Batio started playing the piano and composing music at the age of
five, and first played guitar at the age of ten. By twelve he was playing in bands
in youth clubs, churches, and shows, playing for 10�12 hours on the weekends.[5] By
the age of thirteen his guitar teacher told him, "I can't teach you any more.
You're faster at thirteen than I was at 22."[5] He started listening to and
watching professionals and sitting down and trying to work out riffs and tunes.[5]
Batio's younger sister teased him for being shorter than her as a kid, and he found
a way to get his own back by excessively practicing his fast picking over and over
with the amp turned up which helped hone his skills. Batio found that the faster he
played in public, the more excitable the crowds got, which spurred him on to
develop an even faster picking technique.
At the age of fourteen he started playing jazz guitar, and within two years he had
won the Chicago-based "All-State Jazz Solo Award". He attended Northeastern
Illinois University and achieved a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Theory and
Composition. After he had graduated, Batio looked to become a session guitarist in
his hometown. When he asked for a job at a nearby studio, he was given a piece of
music and simply asked to play it. He managed to play it adding his own
improvisations and fills, making him the studio's primary call-out guitarist.[6] As
a session player, Batio recorded music for such companies as Burger King, Pizza
Hut, Taco Bell, KFC, United Airlines, United Way, McDonalds, Beatrice Corp. and the
Chicago Wolves hockey team.
After the breakup of Holland, Batio started his own eponymous band with singer
Michael Cordet, bassist Allen Hearn and drummer Paul Cammarata. The Band did not
release any albums, though three of their songs appeared on the 1998 Nitro
compilation Gunnin' for Glory.[7]
In 1987, after the breakup of Holland, Batio joined glam metal artist Jim Gillette
on his solo album Proud to Be Loud, before founding the band Nitro with bassist
T.J. Racer and drummer Bobby Rock. In 1989 Nitro released their first studio album,
O.F.R., from which they released two singles, "Freight Train" and "Long Way From
Home". The music video for "Freight Train", which received much airplay on MTV, was
notable for featuring Batio playing his now famous 'Quad Guitar', a notion which
FHM magazine voted one of the "50 most outrageous moments in rock history".[8]
1987 was also the year Batio released his first instructional video with "Star
Licks Productions" as part of the "Masters Series" and was one of the first
recognized rock guitarists to record instructional videos. This video was the very
first "shred" instructional program showing many modern guitar concepts for the
first time.
By 1992, Comet and Racer had been replaced by Johnny Thunder and Ralph Carter
respectively, and it was in this year that they released their second studio album
entitled Nitro II: H.W.D.W.S.. Included on the album was a cover of Ted Nugent's
"Cat Scratch Fever", which the band also integrated into a music video. Nitro
disbanded shortly afterwards.
In 2001, Batio released a CD with his band "C4," covering songs from his Holland
years and including the original "Call to Arms." It was his 1st all vocal CD since
recording with Nitro.
Batio in 2010
In 2003, Batio released his first DVD, the title release in his Speed Kills series,
followed by the second, Speed Lives, in 2004. It was also in this year that Batio
released a compilation album, Lucid Intervals and Moments of Clarity Part 2, which
featured songs from Tradition and Lucid Intervals.
In 2011, Michael debuted his multi media show "Hands Without Shadows - A Tribute to
Rock Guitar" in Las Vegas. In 2012 Michael toured the world with this show. It is a
chronological tribute to rock guitar. Michael is touring the world with his tribute
to rock guitar show in 2013 as well.
Batio has been listed as one of the "Top 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists of All Time"
by Guitar World Magazine, for which he wrote the column Time to Burn, and one of
the "20 Greatest Shredders of All Time" by Total Guitar Magazine, both in April
2008. Batio also won the 2009 Guitar World Magazine Readers Choice award in the
"Best Shredder" category. In November 2011, Michael won the Guitar World Magazine
Readers Choice Award and was voted the "Fastest Guitarist of All Time." Over
440,000 votes were cast.
Film appearance[edit]
In 1991, Batio's guitar work appeared in the low budget horror film Shock 'Em Dead,
recording tracks for the soundtrack as well as playing the guitar parts of the
demonically possessed main character Angel Martin in close ups.[10]
Style[edit]
Batio gave lessons to guitarist Tom Morello (of Rage Against the Machine and
Audioslave fame) while at college. Morello has credited MAB with teaching him in a
feature article in Guitar World Magazine in 2005. Michael also gave lessons to
guitarist Mark Tremonti after Creed broke up and Tremonti wanted to learn more
techniques.
Batio has a deep interest in European medieval history, castles and architecture,
and is often seen wearing an all-black outfit with chains and other designs related
to the medieval period. Many of his guitars have been designed to feature chainmail
and flames in the artwork.[11]
Equipment[edit]
Guitars[edit]
Two of Batio's signature guitars: The MAB 2 Aviator, and the MAB 1 Armorflame. The
guitars sold in stores are no different than the ones he uses in the studio, his
instructional DVDs, and in formal concert situations.
Batio has an extensive collection of around 100 guitars, which he has accumulated
since the 1980s. Among his instruments are a Dave Bunker "Touch guitar" (double
neck with both bass and guitar, similar to the Chapman Stick), a mint condition
1968 Fender Mustang, a 1986 Fender Stratocaster 1962 re-issue and several other
vintage and custom built guitars. Among his custom made guitars is a 29 fret guitar
made of military grade Aluminium, which makes the guitar very light. For live
performances Batio is an exclusive user of Dean Guitars, both electric and
acoustic.[12] In 2007 he designed and developed a signature guitar with Dean, known
as the MAB1 Armor Flame.[13] Another signature piece of equipment Batio developed
is the "MAB Hands Without Shadows" pickup, which he uses in his Double Guitar when
touring. The pickup is specially designed for shred guitar, and provides the clean
tone Batio is accustomed to. The Armor Flame, Batio's signature guitar, uses EMG
81, 85 and SA pickups, as his signature DMT pickups were still being developed at
that time.
Earlier on in his career when he was first endorsed by Dean guitars he also
embraced Dean's tradition of popularising Dimarzio pickups and had used Dimarzios
in his guitars. These include the Dimarzio PAF, Super Distortion (sometimes using
the Super Distortion both in the neck and bridge position, as he did in his Gibson
Charvel Circuit Board double guitar. This was the main setup during the recording
of No Boundaries). Batio has also used pickups of other brands including Seymour
Duncan, namely the Pearly Gates and JB models and also Bill Lawrence pickups.
Currently other than using EMGs in his signature guitar he also has a collection of
the other brand pickups in his Dean limited edition collectors' models, such as
Dimarzio Custom Super Distortions (based on the Super 2 and Super Distortion) in
his USA Dean Time capsule Blue Burst ML and the Seymour Duncan pair he used (refer
to above) in his USA Dean Collectors edition Hardtail.[14]
The Double-Guitar
When the Double Guitar was first used in concert, Batio noticed that the guitars
created a lot of feedback when played together. He decided that he needed to invent
a way to 'dampen' the strings when both guitars were played at the same time, hence
the invention of the "MAB String Dampener", which is now available to buy from
M.A.C.E. Music.[16]
The Double Guitar was recently named as the 8th "coolest guitar in rock" by online
music magazine Gigwise.[17] His iconic Dean 'Jet' Double-Guitar has been inducted
into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Museum and was put on permanent display in
February 2012. This guitar was built by Mike Lipe for Dean Guitars.[15]
The Quad Guitar was recently named as the 2nd "coolest guitar in rock" by online
music magazine Gigwise.[19]
Effects[edit]
In his years with Nitro, Batio used Boss overdrive (DS-1, SD-1) pedals. In his
later years, beginning with his first solo album "No Boundaries," Batio used and
still uses the original TS-9 Tube Screamer. He has vintage TS-9 pedals in his
studio, that are only for recording and newer ones that he uses on tour.
Other equipment[edit]
Strings
Batio uses Ernie Ball guitar strings, favouring the .009 to .042 models for soloing
and most rhythm guitar parts while thicker gauge strings are used for detuned
guitars. The acoustic gauge is normally .010 to .047 or .011 to .052.
Picks
Michael uses black Dunlop Jazz IIIs as his guitar pick of choice, and has used the
'teardrop' shape of pick since he first started playing. Different picks are
sometimes used for acoustic work.