Alex Skolnick, an accomplished guitarist, is known for his ability to effortlessly switch between heavy metal and jazz. He is a member of the thrash metal band Testament and the leader of the jazz ensemble Alex Skolnick Trio.
ESP released a range of Alex Skolnick signature guitars. Each model in this series reflects Alex’s versatile playing style. These guitars feature a stylish appearance combined with careful attention to design details.
One of the outstanding features of these models is the emphasis on playability and comfort. Each guitar in this series is designed to feel natural and comfortable in the hands of the player.
Table of Contents
Who is Alex Skolnick?
Alex Skolnick was born on September 29, 1968 in Berkeley, California, USA. Alex’s parents, Jerome Skolnick and Arlene, earned PhDs from Yale and were faculty members at the University of California, Berkeley. His mother was a research psychologist and his father was a tenured professor of sociology.
Alex started playing guitar at the age of nine, inspired by Kiss and The Beatles. He initially dreamed of singing and playing guitar, but then he heard Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads and switched his attention to lead guitar.
He was later inspired by the works of the great rock and blues artists of the 60s and 70s, such as Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix, B.B. King, Eric Clapton, David Gilmour, Leslie West and others. He was also influenced by jazz improvisers such as Pat Metheny, Wes Montgomery and John Scofield, as well as world music artists such as Paco DeLucia, Al Di Meola and Strunz & Farah.
Alex’s parents disapproved of his choice. Alex learned the basics of playing an old acoustic guitar from Berkeley folk singer Gary Lapow. Then he moved on to local rock and blues teachers who played electric guitar.
By his teens, Alex had become a student of master virtuoso Joe Satriani, then a regular guitar teacher at Berkeley. Alex became one of many future Bay Area guitarists who studied with Satriani, including jazz guitarist Charlie Hunter, Primus’ Larry LeLonde, and Metallica’s Kirk Hammett.
In 1984, at the age of 15, Alex joined the local Bay Area thrash metal band Legacy. In 1987, shortly after graduating from high school, at the age of 18, he recorded his first album with his band, which changed its name to Testament. It received critical acclaim from music critics and fans.
Four more albums followed, and countless tours with, among others, Slayer, Megadeth, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, and White Zombie.
Their albums The New Order (1988), Practice What You Preach (1989), Souls of Black (1990), and The Ritual (1992), cemented Testament’s reputation as one of the leading bands in the thrash metal genre and brought them immense popularity.
Alex has received critical acclaim for his playing, and has also become a monthly columnist for Guitar World, Guitar Player, and Guitar for the Practicing Musician magazines.
In late 1992, after 7 years in the band, Skolnick decided to leave Testament, citing fatigue from playing thrash metal as the reasons for his departure.
Skolnick briefly returned to Testament, re-recording old material for their ninth album First Strike Still Deadly, as well as performing Thrash of the Titans in 2001. He officially rejoined the band in 2005 for a short European tour.
On July 27, 2012, Alex and Testament’s joint album Dark Roots of Earth was released. The album debuted at #12 on the Billboard Top 200 and #1 on the Billboard Hard Rock and Rock Albums. It peaked at #9 on the worldwide charts.
Back in 1991, during a break in Testament’s schedule, Alex was invited to tour the United States with instrumentalist Stu Hamm. That same year, Alex recorded a funk tune for a guitar magazine compilation, with Primus bassist Les Claypool and drummer Brain.
In 1994, after his departure from Testament, Skolnick joined the band Savatage to record Handful of Rain, as well as its subsequent live album.
Alex also briefly played guitar for Ozzy Osbourne in 1995, taking the place of his longtime idol Randy Rhoads.
During this time, Skolnick fronted several of his own projects, including Skol-Patrol (an electric jazz-funk band). He also recorded two albums with Attention Deficit, featuring Tim Alexander of Primus, as well as Manring.
In 1998, Skolnick moved to New York City and enrolled in the music department at The New School University, where he also studied creative writing and philosophy. After graduating, he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in jazz performance. His teachers included saxophonist George Garzon, bassist Cecil McBee, and pianist Richie Beirach. He also took lessons from Boston-based jazz pianist Charlie Banacos.
In 2002, he formed the Alex Skolnick Trio, a jazz group known for their fiery interpretations of classic rock and heavy metal tunes. The trio has performed at the Rochester International Jazz Festival, Musikmesse Frankfurt, Germany, the National Arts Center in Mexico, and the Iridium Jazz Club in New York City, among other venues around the world.
They have received high praise from critics. The trio’s fourth album, Veritas, entered the top ten of the iTunes jazz charts.
In October 2007, the Alex Skolnick Trio opened for popular Mexican guitarists Rodrigo y Gabriela on the East Coast of the United States.
In 2009, Skolnick contributed guitar solos to the song “Atman” for the duo’s studio album 11:11.
Prior to 2009, Skolnick also toured as lead guitarist with the East Coast set of the Trans-Siberian Orchestra during the winter months.
In 2010, Alex Skolnick became the producer for the Iraqi thrash metal band Acrassicauda.
Alex released a 3-DVD set of jazz lessons with the Rock House Method in May 2010.
In 2011, he appeared as a guest guitarist on That Metal Show, hosted by Eddie Trunk, in episodes with Lars Ulrich and Sammy Hagar.
In 2012, he recorded the album What’s Next? with pianist Randy Klein.
On June 21, 2012, the summer solstice, Skolnick announced his world music album Planetary Coalition at the annual Make Music New York festival.
Planetary Coalition was released by ArtistShare on November 11, 2014, to commemorate the centennial of the end of World War I. The album brought together over twenty musicians from five continents, including Indo-Canadian ghazal singer Kiran Ahluwalia, Argentine bassist Pablo Aslan, and others. The project sought to integrate environmental, political, and social issues.
The album received high praise from many publications. Guitar World magazine chose Planetary Coalition as one of the 50 best albums of 2014 and among the 10 best acoustic guitar albums of the year.
In 2012, he was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Musicians Institute, Hollywood, California.
Skolnick composed music for the 2002 USA Network broadcast of the Westminster Dog Show and the MTV series Makin’ The Band.
He played one of the solos on the song “Ashes of the Wake” by Lamb of God.
Alex worked with composer Jim Steinman (Meat Loaf) and vocalist Bonnie Tyler on the Steinman retrospective “The Dream Engine.”
He performed with symphony orchestras in Seoul, Korea and elsewhere on a revival of the hit Broadway musical “Jekyll & Hyde.”
Alex is also known for his collaborations with artists. In 2007, he contributed to Egyptian artist Nader Sadek’s solo project “Faceless.” The song was performed exclusively at the Chelsea Art Gallery in Manhattan. In 2012, he performed live at Feature Inc Gallery on New York’s Lower East Side, presenting a musical interpretation of the works of visual artist Douglas Melini. He also worked on the spoken word musical project The Bestiary with author Bradford Morrow.
Gear
Skolnick plays ESP electric guitars and Godin hollowbody models with Seymour Duncan pickups. He has previously played Heritage and Ibanez guitars.
In his early years with Testament, he endorsed Ibanez guitars, primarily playing the second-generation Power 540P series and later the Saber 540SLTD.
Throughout his time with Savatage, he has used the RV470 Radius and the LA Custom Shop prototype based on the Ghostrider series.
In the mid-90s, Alex endorsed Charvel guitars.
For amplification, he uses Budda amps and Marshall amps, including the Marshall Mode Four hybrid amps.
In 2013, Budda released a signature amp for Skolnick called the Preceptor. That same year, Skolnick signed with ESP guitars.
ESP Signature Guitars
ESP Alex Skolnick
Alex’s original ESP Signature Series guitar, the ESP Alex Skolnick, is arguably one of the finest single-cutaway guitars ever made. It was handcrafted in the ESP Custom Shop in Japan by world-renowned luthiers.
The guitar features a set-in U-shaped three-piece maple neck for smooth access along the entire length of the neck.
It comes with Alex’s own Seymour Duncan AS Signature pickups, which provide excellent dynamic response.
Controls include individual volume knobs for each pickup, a tone control with push-pull access for splitting the pickup coils, and a pickup selector switch.
Also featured is a bone nut, TonePros TOM locking bridge and tailpiece, Dunlop strap lock, and Grover tuners.
The ESP Alex Skolnick guitar comes in a stunning Lemon Burst clear finish over figured flame maple.
Table of Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Brand | ESP |
| Configuration | HH |
| Strings | 6 |
| Made in | Japan |
| Series | Signature |
| Colors | Yellow Burst |
| Left-Handed Version | No |
| Body | |
| Top | Flamed Maple |
| Type | Solid Body |
| Body Material | Mahogany |
| Bridge | Tonepros Locking TOM & Tailpiece |
| Neck | |
| Neck Joint | Set |
| Tuners | Grover |
| Fretboard | Rosewood |
| Neck Material | 1Pc Mahogany |
| Decoration | Blocks |
| Scale Size | 24.75″ |
| Shape | Custom U |
| Frets | 22 XL Jumbo |
| Fretboard Radius | 12″ |
| Nut | Bone |
| Nut Width | 43mm (1.693”) |
| Electronics | |
| Switch | 3 Way |
| Knobs | Speed |
| Pickup Mods | Coil Split |
| Volume Controls | 2 |
| Tone Controls | 1 |
| Bridge Pickup | Seymour Duncan AS Signature (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Neck Pickup | Seymour Duncan AS Signature (Humbucker / Passive) |
ESP Alex Skolnick FR
The ESP Alex Skolnick FR is crafted by the ESP Custom Shop. Its traditional shape belies a modern instrument package that includes a set-in U-shaped three-piece maple neck for smooth access along the entire length of the neck.
It comes with Alex Seymour Duncan AS Signature pickups that deliver excellent dynamic response, so you can access a versatile range of tones with the twist of a volume knob.
Its flexible controls include individual volume knobs for each pickup, a tone control with push-pull access for splitting the pickup coils, and a pickup select switch.
It also features a Floyd Rose Original bridge for ultra-expressive playing capabilities. Other components include a Dunlop strap lock and Grover tuners.
The Alex Skolnick FR comes in a translucent Black Aqua Sunburst finish with a figured flame maple top.
Table of Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Brand | ESP |
| Configuration | HH |
| Strings | 6 |
| Made in | Japan |
| Series | Signature |
| Colors | Black Aqua Sunburst |
| Left-Handed Version | No |
| Body | |
| Top | Flamed Maple |
| Type | Solid Body |
| Body Material | Mahogany |
| Bridge | Floyd Rose Original |
| Neck | |
| Neck Joint | Set |
| Tuners | Grover |
| Fretboard | Rosewood |
| Neck Material | 3pc Maple |
| Decoration | Blocks |
| Scale Size | 24.75″ |
| Shape | Custom U |
| Frets | 22 XL Jumbo |
| Fretboard Radius | 12″ |
| Nut | Locking |
| Nut Width | 43mm (1.693”) |
| Electronics | |
| Switch | 3 Way |
| Knobs | Speed |
| Pickup Mods | Coil Split |
| Volume Controls | 2 |
| Tone Controls | 1 |
| Bridge Pickup | Seymour Duncan AS Signature (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Neck Pickup | Seymour Duncan AS Signature (Humbucker / Passive) |
ESP LTD AS-1
Guitarists of all styles will appreciate the single cutaway design of the LTD AS-1. The instrument is surprisingly affordable considering its feature set, designed for professional players.
The guitar has a set-in U-shaped three-piece mahogany neck for easy access up and down the fingerboard. The body is a full-thickness Eclipse mahogany with a maple top.
It comes with a set of Seymour Duncan ’59 (neck) and JB (bridge) pickups.
Its controls include individual volume knobs for each pickup, a tone control with push-pull access to split the neck pickup coil, and a pickup selector toggle.
Its components include a bone nut, TonePros locking TOM bridge and tailpiece, Dunlop straplok, and Grover tuners.
The LTD AS-1 comes with a stunning translucent Lemon Burst finish over a figured flamed maple top.
Table of Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Brand | ESP LTD |
| Configuration | HH |
| Strings | 6 |
| Made in | Indonesia |
| Series | Signature |
| Colors | Yellow Burst |
| Left-Handed Version | No |
| Body | |
| Top | Flamed Maple |
| Type | Solid Body |
| Body Material | Mahogany |
| Bridge | Tonepros Locking TOM & Tailpiece |
| Neck | |
| Neck Joint | Set |
| Tuners | Grover |
| Fretboard | Pau Ferro |
| Neck Material | 3Pc Mahogany |
| Decoration | Blocks |
| Scale Size | 24.75″ |
| Shape | Custom U |
| Frets | 22 XL Jumbo |
| Fretboard Radius | 12″ |
| Nut | Bone |
| Nut Width | 43mm (1.693”) |
| Electronics | |
| Switch | 3 Way |
| Knobs | Speed |
| Pickup Mods | Coil Split |
| Volume Controls | 2 |
| Tone Controls | 1 |
| Bridge Pickup | Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Neck Pickup | Seymour Duncan ’59 SH-1N (Humbucker / Passive) |
ESP LTD AS-1 FR
The AS-1FR takes Alex’s original design and adds a Floyd Rose bridge.
It features a set-in U-shaped mahogany neck for smooth access all the way up and down the neck.
Its tone is enhanced by a superb set of Seymour Duncan ’59 (neck) and JB (bridge) pickups.
Its controls include individual volume knobs for each pickup, a tone control with push-pull access for splitting the neck pickup coil, and a pickup selector switch.
Other components include a Dunlop strap lock and Grover tuners.
The Alex Skolnick LTD AS-1 comes with a translucent Black Aqua Sunburst finish over a figured flame maple top.
Table of Specifications
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| General | |
| Brand | ESP LTD |
| Year | 2016 |
| Configuration | HH |
| Strings | 6 |
| Made in | Indonesia |
| Series | Signature |
| Colors | Black Aqua Sunburst |
| Left-Handed Version | No |
| Body | |
| Top | Flamed Maple |
| Type | Solid Body |
| Body Material | Full Thickness Mahogany |
| Bridge | Floyd Rose 1000 |
| Neck | |
| Neck Joint | Set |
| Tuners | Grover |
| Fretboard | Pau Ferro |
| Neck Material | 3pc Maple |
| Decoration | Blocks |
| Scale Size | 24.75″ |
| Shape | Custom U |
| Frets | 22 XL Jumbo |
| Fretboard Radius | 12″ |
| Nut | Locking |
| Nut Width | 43mm (1.693”) |
| Electronics | |
| Switch | 3 Way |
| Knobs | Speed |
| Pickup Mods | Coil Split |
| Volume Controls | 2 |
| Tone Controls | 1 |
| Bridge Pickup | Seymour Duncan JB SH-4 (Humbucker / Passive) |
| Neck Pickup | Seymour Duncan ’59 SH-1N (Humbucker / Passive) |