Biography Synyster Gates

Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. (born July 7, 1981), better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician. He is currently the lead guitarist for Heavy Metal band Avenged Sevenfold.

Early

Haner went to Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California and also Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, California.

Haner attended, but did not graduate from, the Musicians Institute in Hollywood as part of the GIT program, studying jazz guitar. Up until that time he was primarily self taught by watching music videos and reading books, which is surprising because his father was/is a songwriter and guitar player, having played with Frank Zappa during his career. After six or so months of being there, he got a phone call from The Rev (and the rest of the current line up of Avenged Sevenfold) asking him if he wanted to join the band as lead guitarist. Haner joined up with them rather than continuing his education and becoming a studio musician.

Avenged Sevenfold

Brian joined Avenged Sevenfold when he was 18 at the end of 1999, right before the recording of the band's first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. He was featured on their EP, "Warmness on the Soul", and on the reissue of their first album. He also plays piano for the band on songs such as "Beast and the Harlot" and "Sidewinder", though a friend of the band, bassist Justin Meacham, played the piano on Warmness on the Soul.

In the Avenged Sevenfold DVD All Excess, to emphasize the seemingly random placing of names, Brian stated that his name was thought of on a drunken drive through the park with The Rev. His exact words were: "I am Synyster Gates, and I am awesome!"

He has won numerous awards, including the "Young Shredder" award of the year in the Metal Hammer awards in 2006 and the "Guitarist of the Year" Award for Total Guitar Magazine in 2006.

Pinkly Smooth

Haner was also a member of the "Avant-garde Metal" band Pinkly Smooth with The Rev and Justin Meacham. Pinkly Smooth was disbanded because Haner and The Rev wished to focus full-time on Avenged Sevenfold, although when asked recently, they both revealed there is a new side project being planned, featuring the two playing older Pinkly Smooth tunes.

Personal Life

Brian has a younger brother Brent and a younger sister McKenna. His father, Brian Haner Sr., is a musician and comedian known as "Guitar Guy", and is currently on tour with Jeff Dunham. He has a fiance named Michelle DiBenedetto, Valary DiBenedetto's twin sister and M Shadows wife.

Haner cites Django Reinhardt, Dimebag Darrell, Eddie Van Halen, Slash, John Petrucci, Adam Aparicio and Francis Canavan as his favorite guitarists and major influences[citation needed]. In June 2008 Guitar World magazine interviewed Brian, reader Shawn Butterfield asked "You're one hell of a guitarist. But who do you really look up to?" to which he responded "Definitely Slash, the Ozzy guitar dudes, Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom, Jimi Hendrix of course, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin, a lot man!".

Equipment

Gates is endorsed by Schecter Guitars, as is Zacky Vengeance, almost all of his guitars are customised and fitted with Seymour Duncan Invader pickups. He has his own custom, The Schecter Synyster Custom and Schecter Synyster Standard, both of which are avalible for sale to the public. Also through his time with Schecter Guitars he has had made several variations of his custom model that are not available to the public but can be seen on music videos, the A7X dvds, and in youtube videos as well. He has also used a White 2003 Schecter C1-FR which specifications are as follows per Schecter Guitars. In the Unholy Confessions video he is seen playing a white Gibson Les Paul. Synyster Gates and Zacky Vangeance use Marshall amps on tour.

Aside from his guitar he plays onstage, here is the list of the variations of his custom model.

• The Original Synyster Custom (Black with Silver Pimp Stripes)
• The Afterlife Synyster Custom (White with Gold Pimp Stripes: As seen in the Afterlife Music Video.)
• The American Flag Synyster Custom (American Flag on the Body with no pimp stripes and a white headstock)
• The German Flag Synyster Custom (The German Flag on the body with no pimp stripes and a matching headstock)
• The First Synyster Custom (Not released to the public, Black with Red Pimp Stripes: As seen in the Beast And The Harlot video)
• The Rebel Flag Synyster Custom (Rebel Flag without pimp stripes with a matching headstock)
• The Red Synyster Custom (This guitar is very rare to see, theres a video on youtube with it, Synyster Gates - Let Me Be Your Wings Video, it is completely red with black pimp stripes and a matching headstock.)

White 2003 Schecter C1-FR

• Ernie Ball Skinny Top Heavy Bottom strings
• Mahogany body
• Set Maple Neck
• Rosewood Fingerboard
• Black Hardware
• Original Made in Germany Floyd Rose Recessed bridge
• Master Volume Master Tone (push/pull pot on time control for tap on both pick ups)
• 3 Way Toggle Switch
• Side football jack plate
• Schaller Strap locking System
• Floyd Rose R2 locking Nut
• Grover Tuning peg
• Gray Pearl Binding on body
• Dot inlays
• USA Duncan Invader pickups in white
• Black pickup mounting ring
• Black head stock
• Solid White body
• Black Dome knobs on Control