One of the most influential and respected guitar players in the world, Marty Friedman’s impactful and game-changing contributions to heavy metal and guitar in general continue to inspire generations of musicians and music fans to this day.
Friedman defined modern guitar playing with Jason Becker in Cacophony, was a key element in the wildly successful rise of thrash pioneers Megadeth, and with his “Marty-esque” improvisations and exotic fusion of Eastern and Western music, has achieved global success with his 13 solo albums.
Since also embracing Japanese music and eventually relocating to Japan, Friedman has cemented his image as a unique and unpredictable solo artist while further solidifying his celebrity rock star status. He has earned several top 10 spots on the Japanese charts and has performed in Japan’s largest venues— from the Tokyo Dome to Budokan. He has also guested on over 700 television programs, acted in four motion pictures and appeared in several commercials and TV ad campaigns. On Nov. 4, 2016, the Japanese government named Friedman an “Ambassador of Japanese Heritage.”
Marty enjoyed his first signature model with Jackson guitars in 1996 with the release of his signature Kelly model. In 2017, Marty’s all-new Jackson MF-1 signature model was unveiled. More recently, Marty has endorsed Jackson’s new rage of American Series Virtuoso guitars.
Australian Musician editor Greg Phillips sat down with Marty Friedman over zoom call to chat about the Jackson American Series Virtuoso guitars, his time with Megadeth, his recording regime and asked his thoughts on AI in music.
Check out the Jackson American Series Virtuoso promotional clip featuring Marty Friedman, Dave Davidson, Misha Mansoor, Debbie Gough, and Clint Tustin