Gus

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Gus G's musical journey began at age 10 when he asked his father for a guitar after being amazed by Peter Frampton's talkbox effects on 'Do You Feel Like We Do.' He stated, 'I was like 8 or 9 years old and my dad had the vinyl at home... I somehow thought it was a robot talking... I was just amazed by it. It was one of those epiphanies we get in life.' His father bought him a classical guitar, and he started lessons at a local music school. At 14, he received his first electric guitar and began studying with a rock guitar teacher at a local conservatory. At 18, he left Greece to enroll at Berklee College of Music but left after only a few weeks to pursue the metal scene. During his brief time at Berklee, he met Joe Stump, whom he credits as a great influence. In 1998, he recorded a demo with musician friends in the United States under the project name Firewind, which attracted the attention of Leviathan Records. In 2003, Japanese magazine BURRN! declared Gus G third of the three best guitar players in the world. In 2009, he received an email invitation from Ozzy Osbourne's management to audition, and after jamming with the band, he was asked on the spot to perform a concert with Ozzy a couple of months later. His first live appearance with Ozzy was at BlizzCon 2009. Gus is the second longest serving guitarist in Ozzy's career after Zakk Wylde. On September 15, 2017, he received the 'God of Riffs' award at the German Metal Hammer Awards in Berlin. During the pandemic, he recorded and released his fourth solo album, 'Quantum Leap,' which was ranked number 2 guitar album of the year by Guitar World Magazine readers. On February 19, 2025, he performed with a classical orchestra for the first time at Megaron Athens Concert Hall, performing Jon Lord's Sarabande album with the Camerata Friends of Music Orchestra.

In Their Own Story

Gus G's career took a pivotal turn in 2009 when an email from Ozzy Osbourne's management arrived, asking him to learn several songs and fly to Los Angeles for an audition. After jamming with the band, he was 'asked on the spot to come back and perform a concert with Ozzy a couple of months later.' Ozzy had decided to part ways with longtime guitarist Zakk Wylde because he thought his music was beginning to sound too much like Zakk's band Black Label Society. Gus's first live appearance with Ozzy was at BlizzCon 2009. In the summer of 2012, he toured with Ozzy as part of the Ozzy & Friends European Tour, with a line-up featuring special guests Slash, Zakk Wylde, and Geezer Butler. After returning to Firewind, they released their seventh studio album 'Few Against Many' and embarked on a world tour across Europe, UK, North America, Asia and Australia. During the tour, Firewind's longtime singer Apollo Papathanasio quit, and the band vowed to continue with a replacement. At the end of the world tour in December 2013, Firewind went on an indefinite hiatus, and Gus launched his solo career with the debut album 'I Am The Fire' in March 2014, featuring guest musicians including Jacob Bunton, Mats Levén, Jeff Scott Soto, Michael Starr of Steel Panther, Alexia Rodriguez of Eyes Set To Kill, and Devour the Day. In April 2017, Gus exited Ozzy Osbourne's band after Ozzy announced a farewell tour and reunion with former guitarist Zakk Wylde.

Reader's Guide

Gus G's discography includes seven studio albums with Firewind, three solo studio albums ('I Am The Fire' 2014, 'Brand New Revolution' 2015, 'Fearless' 2018), and one all-instrumental solo album ('Quantum Leap' during the pandemic). He has also played on debut albums with Nightrage, Dream Evil, and Mystic Prophecy. His equipment history includes a partnership with ESP Guitars starting in 2005, producing two custom models: the 'Gus G. FR' and the 'Gus G. NT.' Before ESP, he was endorsed by Washburn, playing a Culprit with a chrome pickguard, and before that used a Fender Floyd Stratocaster. In March 2010, ESP announced a new Gus G guitar, the EC Revolver, with a custom graphic finish, 22 frets, a 25.5-inch scale, and Seymour Duncan Blackouts active pickups. He has used various amps including Randall T2 and V2 Amplifiers, and briefly had a signature Randall amp named Heaven and Hell based on the T2 head. In January 2010, he was featured on the Blackstar Amplification website using the Series One 200 head and matching cab. In June 2010, Blackstar launched a Gus G signature pedal, the HT-BLACKFIRE, a two-channel, valve-driven metal distortion pedal. In 2012, Blackstar released his signature amplifier, the BLACKFIRE 200. On June 22, 2016, Gus announced a partnership with Jackson Guitars, resulting in two new signature models unveiled at the NAMM Show 2017. He currently uses DR Dragon Skins strings (10-14-18-32-42-56) and Dunlop Jazz III XL 1.5mm guitar picks.

Did You Know?

• Gus G was declared third of the three best guitar players in the world in 2003 by Japanese magazine BURRN!.
• He is the second longest serving guitarist in Ozzy Osbourne's career after Zakk Wylde.
• His band name Firewind was taken from Uli Jon Roth, whom Gus calls 'a mentor, a friend, and a guitar idol.'
• On September 15, 2017, Gus received the 'God of Riffs' award at the German Metal Hammer Awards in Berlin.
• His first live appearance with Ozzy Osbourne was at BlizzCon 2009.