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{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
{{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject_Musicians -->
| name = Tony MacAlpine
| name = Tony MacAlpine
| image = [[File:20121021-212108-770 Portnoy-Sheehan-Sherinian-MacAlpine Boerderij Zoetermeer.jpg|thumb]]
| image = 20121021-212108-770 Portnoy-Sheehan-Sherinian-MacAlpine Boerderij Zoetermeer.jpg |
| caption =
| caption = MacAlpine playing with Mike Potnoy, Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian |
| image_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels. Set the value as a number without "px". -->
| image_size = <!-- Only for images narrower than 220 pixels. Set the value as a number without "px". -->
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist
| background = non_vocal_instrumentalist

Revision as of 21:01, 31 October 2012

Tony MacAlpine
MacAlpine playing with Mike Potnoy, Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian
MacAlpine playing with Mike Potnoy, Billy Sheehan and Derek Sherinian
Background information
Born (1960-08-29) August 29, 1960 (age 64)
Springfield, Massachusetts, United States
GenresInstrumental rock, neo-classical metal, progressive metal, heavy metal, hard rock, jazz fusion
Occupation(s)Musician, composer, producer
Instrument(s)Guitar, keyboard, piano
Years active1984–present
LabelsShrapnel, PolyGram, Favored Nations
Websitetonymacalpine.com

Tony MacAlpine (born August 29, 1960) is an American musician and composer. In a career spanning more than two decades and eleven studio albums, he is best known as an instrumental rock solo guitarist, although he has worked with many different bands and musicians in guest appearances and collaborations.

Biography

Having started playing piano at the age of five[1] and guitar at twelve, MacAlpine studied classical music for a number of years at the Springfield Conservatory of Music in Massachusetts, as well as various music programs at the University of Hartford in Connecticut.[2][3] One of his musical influences is Frédéric Chopin, to whom he pays homage in his interpretations of the latter's études, which are featured on the majority of his studio albums.[1]

Together with his first studio releases, Edge of Insanity (1985) and Maximum Security (1987), he had a prominent role on other works during the popular shred era, including keyboard duties on the debut albums of fellow guitarists Vinnie Moore and Joey Tafolla, on Mind's Eye (1986) and Out of the Sun (1987) respectively. Soon after his own debut, he played guitar in a heavy metal supergroup named M.A.R.S. (an acronym for MacAlpine/Aldridge/Rock/Sarzo), which resulted in the 1986 album Project: Driver.

As part of a band effort named 'MacAlpine', Eyes of the World was released in 1990 as a more commercially-oriented attempt to emulate other hard rock acts at the time. The venture was short-lived, and his subsequent album Freedom to Fly (1992), was a return to his instrumental-based work. A further consecutive string of instrumental albums followed throughout the 1990s, most of them through the renowned Shrapnel Records label: Madness (1993), Premonition (1994), Evolution (1995) and Violent Machine (1996). For his last album of the decade, Master of Paradise (1999), MacAlpine briefly assumed singing duties in an effort to experiment with different styles.[3] After the release of Chromaticity in 2001, he took an extended hiatus from recording solo albums and worked with a variety of other musicians and bands, most notably with supergroups CAB and Ring of Fire. A decade later, he released his self-titled eleventh studio album through guitarist Steve Vai's Favored Nations label in 2011.

In the early to mid-2000s, MacAlpine took on a dual role playing both guitar and keyboards in Vai's touring band The Breed. He is featured on the band's DVD release Live at the Astoria London (2003), along with two DVDs of the G3 tour: G3: Live in Denver (2004) and G3: Live in Tokyo (2005). During that time, he was the guitarist for progressive metal supergroup Planet X, alongside keyboardist Derek Sherinian and drummer Virgil Donati. He played with them for three albums in the first part of the decade—Universe (2000), Live from Oz (2002) and MoonBabies (2002)—and rejoined them in 2009 for a string of live performances, and a possible new album.[4] His most recent collaborations have included Seven the Hardway, a progressive metal group with whom he released their self-titled album in 2010,[5] and a guest appearance on Sherinian's seventh studio album Oceana (2011). As of July 2012, MacAlpine is touring Europe and Asia as part of PSMS, an instrumental supergroup with Sherinian, drummer Mike Portnoy and bassist Billy Sheehan.[6][1] Additionally, in an October 2012 interview, he stated that he is currently working on new studio material (one of them being a "strictly classical record" recorded solely on piano), as well as a new album with Ring of Fire.[1]

MacAlpine currently resides in Pasadena, California.[2]

Style and influence

MacAlpine was highly influential in the neo-classical metal genre, becoming known for his instrumental rock style of playing that displayed highly advanced shred techniques.[7] He has incorporated elements of classical, jazz, fusion, hard rock and heavy metal on both guitar and keyboard, and has been described as a virtuoso by Jason Ankeny at AllMusic.[8]

Equipment

  • Edge of Insanity: Kramer guitars, DiMarzio pickups, Peavey amplification
  • Project: Driver: B.C. Rich guitars, DiMarzio pickups, GHS strings, Peavey and Rockman amplification
  • Maximum Security: B.C. Rich guitars, DiMarzio pickups, Peavey amplification, Ibanez effects
  • Eyes of the World: Mason Bernard guitars, DiMarzio pickups, Dean Markley strings, Peavey amplification, Baldwin keyboards
  • Freedom to Fly: Peavey guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, GHS strings, Peavey amplification, Baldwin pianos
  • Madness: Washburn Mercury series guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, Dean Markley strings, Hughes & Kettner amplification
  • Premonition: Washburn guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, Dean Markley strings, Hughes & Kettner amplification
  • Evolution: B.C. Rich guitars, Seymour Duncan pickups, Hughes & Kettner amplification
  • Chromaticity: Carvin guitars and amplification


MacAlpine became a prominent user of the seven string guitar after joining Planet X[9] and still plays them regularly, along with a recently acquired eight-string guitar. A long-time endorsee of Carvin guitars (notably the T-Mac and DC series), he switched to Ibanez in 2010. As of 2011 he plays a customized RG Prestige eight-string model with EMG pickups, whilst his seven- and six-string models use DiMarzios. For amplification, he uses the Hughes & Kettner TriAmp for studio recording and the Coreblade model for live touring. An Ernie Ball wah and volume pedal completes his live setup.[3][4][5] A detailed diagram of his 2011 gear can be found at Guitar Geek.[10]

Discography

Solo albums

M.A.R.S.

Planet X

Steve Vai

CAB

Ring of Fire

  • 2003: Dreamtower
  • 2004: Burning Live in Tokyo (live)
  • 2004: Lapse of Reality

Devil's Slingshot

  • 2007: Clinophobia

Seven the Hardway

Other appearances

References

  1. ^ a b c d Prokofiev, Dane (2012-10-06). An Interview with Tony MacAlpine (6th October, 2012)". YouTube. Retrieved 2012-10-19.
  2. ^ a b "Tony MacAlpine Biography". tonymacalpine.com. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  3. ^ a b c Reffett, Dave (2011-10-08). "Interview: Tony MacAlpine Discusses Gear and Tone and Answers Readers' Questions". Guitar World. NewBay Media. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  4. ^ a b Pavlichko, Matt (2011-07-07). "Interview: Tony MacAlpine on His New Self-Titled Solo Album". Guitar World. NewBay Media. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  5. ^ a b Hodgson, Peter (2010-08-10). "Interview: Tony MacAlpine of Seven The Hardway". I Heart Guitar. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  6. ^ "Portnoy, Sheehan, MacAlpine, Sherinian To Tour Europe and Asia, Fall 2012". tonymacalpine.com. 2012-07-27. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  7. ^ Ramirez, Carlos (2011-06-21). "Tony MacAlpine: Still Shredding After All These Years". Noisecreep. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  8. ^ Ankeny, Jason. "Tony MacAlpine". AllMusic. Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  9. ^ Sherinian, Derek. (2002-09-21). "Virgil & Derek AOL Chat". xplanetx.com. Retrieved 2012-10-11.
  10. ^ Cooper, Adam (2011-07-14). "Tony MacAlpine's 2011 Guitar Rig". Guitar Geek. Retrieved 2012-10-11.

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