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Greece Gus G has established himself as a prominent heavy metal guitarist, recognized globally for his work with Firewind and his tenure as lead guitarist for Ozzy Osbourne.
Gus G's long-standing partnership with Red Monkey guitar straps exemplifies the importance of quality gear in a musician's career.
Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist and Firewind mastermind Gus G. has signed a worldwide deal with AFM Records for his solo band. Firewind also signed a worldwide record deal with German metal label AFM Records.
In 2005, 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'. In March 2010 ESP announced a new Gus G guitar the EC Revolver. Before using ESP, he was endorsed by Washburn, playing a Culprit, and before using a Fender Floyd Stratocaster.
In January 2010, Gus G was featured on the Blackstar Amplification website using the Series One 200 head and matching cab. In June 2010, Blackstar Amplification launched a Gus G. signature pedal HT-BLACKFIRE. In September 2011, Blackstar announced they were working on a Gus G signature Series One amplifier, released in 2012 as BLACKFIRE 200.
2016 saw Gus G switching to Jackson Guitars shortly before heading out on his North American tour with Angel Vivaldi. A signature guitar line with Jackson was revealed at NAMM 2016.
Gus G used Elixir Strings early in Firewind.
After Elixir Strings, Gus G switched to DR Handmade Strings, using 10-56. Currently he uses DR Dragon Skins 10-14-18-32-42-56.
Gus G currently uses Dunlop Jazz III XL 1.5mm guitar picks.
Gus G has used various amps in the past including Randall T2 and V2 Amplifiers. Gus briefly had a signature Randall amp designed by him and based on the T2 head named Heaven and Hell. Gus G performs with Ozzy using 10 of his Signature Randall T2HH amps and cabs.
Konstantinos Karamitroudis, known professionally as Gus G, was born on September 12, 1980, in Thessaloniki, Greece. His early exposure to rock music through his father’s record collection, particularly Peter Frampton’s ‘Frampton Comes Alive,’ sparked his interest in the guitar. At the age of 10, he began classical guitar lessons, later moving to electric guitar at 14 and focusing on rock instruction. After a brief period at Berklee College of Music, Gus G began to build his career in the metal scene, forming his band Firewind in 1998 as a showcase for his guitar skills.
Gus G’s career rapidly progressed through the early 2000s. He gained international recognition by joining and performing with various bands including Mystic Prophecy, Nightrage, Dream Evil, and Arch Enemy. In 2003, Japanese magazine BURRN! recognized him as one of the top three guitar players globally. A significant turning point in his career came in 2009 when he successfully auditioned for Ozzy Osbourne’s band, stepping in as lead guitarist following Zakk Wylde’s departure. He performed with Ozzy Osbourne from 2009 to 2017, playing on the ‘Scream’ album and touring globally, including appearances at BlizzCon and the Ozzy & Friends European Tour.
Simultaneously maintaining his involvement with Firewind, Gus G continued to release new material and tour. After an indefinite hiatus for Firewind in 2013, he launched his solo career with “I Am The Fire” in 2014, followed by “Brand New Revolution” in 2015, and “Fearless” in 2018. His fourth solo album, the instrumental “Quantum Leap” (2021), was recognized by Guitar World Magazine as the number 2 guitar album of the year. In 2016, Jackson Guitars partnered with Gus G, releasing two new signature models. He was honored with the ‘God of Riffs’ award at the German Metal Hammer Awards in 2017. In February 2025, Gus G performed with a classical orchestra at Megaron Athens Concert Hall, showcasing his versatility and dedication to his craft.
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