The Guitarists of the Past & Present: Yngwie Malmsteen

GADGETS

GUITARS

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN FENDER STRATOCASTER

Specifications:

Body: Alder
Neck: Maple, Modern "C" Shape
Fingerboard: Scalloped Rosewood or Scalloped Maple; 9.5" radius (241 mm)
Frets: 21 Dunlop 6000 Super-Jumbo Frets
Pickups: 2 Dimarzio YJM Pickups (Neck & Middle), 1 Dimarzio HS-3 Stack (Bridge)
Controls: Master volume, Tone. 1 No-load tone control (neck pickup), Tone. 2 No-load tone control (middle & bridge pickups)
Pickup Switching: 3-Way Pickup Switch
Bridge: American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo
Tuning Pegs: Fender Schaller Vintage "F" Style Tuning Machines
Hardware: Chrome
Pickguard: 3-ply Mint Green
Unique Features: Special '60s Shape Neck with Large Late '60s Styled Headstock, Brass Nut, Scalloped Fretboard, Dunlop 6000 Jumbo Fretwire, Aged Plastic Parts, Aged Pickup Covers

THE DUCK - 1972 "PLAY LOUD" STRAT

Yngwie's most well-known guitar is his 1972 blond Strat, known as "Play Loud" or "The Duck" (because of the stickers on the body). Bought in Sweden when he was a teenager, this guitar has been with Yngwie from the start of his career, and is the one he has used most onstage and in the studio.

It is his most photographed guitar, and was the subject of Guitar World magazine's poster feature [photo by Anne Petty] in their August 1994 issue.

MALMSTEEN DOUBLE NECK

Made by Fender of Japan, this specialty guitar features a twelve-string acoustic Malmsteen Signature top, with the Malmsteen Japanese Signature Strat on the bottom. The controls are separate for the two guitars.

MALMSTEEN SOLID BODY

This one of a kind guitar was made for Yngwie in the U.S. Fender Custom Shop. It has the standard Malmsteen Signature neck and body, but it is actually a nylon-string solid-body classical guitar. That's why you don't see any control knobs on the body! Yngwie describes the tone of this guitar as especially sweet, and it will replace the Chet Atkins Gibson classical that was stolen.

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