Steve Lynch , also known as The Two-Handed Guitarist, is an American hard rock/heavy metal guitarist, as well as an instructor for the Guitar Institute of Technology, the famous guitar department in the Musician's Institute of Los Angeles. He decided to commit himself to music and the guitarthe day of Jimi Hendrix's passing on September 18, 1970. In addition to Jimi Hendrix, Lynch's early musical influences came from late-1960s and early-1970s British musicians, such as Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Beatles. He originally played bass guitar, and Jimi's death influenced him to switch. Lynch gradually developed his trademark two-handed guitar shredding technique throughout the 1970s and into the mid-1980s. He finally reached national acclaim in the mid-1980s, when his then-current band, Autograph, scored a hit with "Turn Up the Radio," which reached 29 on the Billboard Hot 100. Lynch's work on this track helped earn him "Guitar Solo of the Year" honors from Guitar Magazine. He formed another band, Network 23, in 1990, shortly after Autograph had disbanded. He recently has started to release some of his instrumental guitar work. And to the delight of his fans worldwide has returned to touring with Autograph which has also just released a new song and album. Autograph is scheduled to play the 2016 Monsters of RockCruise West Coast. Lynch has published several books and instructional videos on his guitar style throughout his career. He also works as a guitar teacher, teaching: the art of composition and his tapping technique. When Autograph was offered the opening spot for Van Halen on their 1984 tour, Eddie Van Halen said that Lynch was not allowed to do his two-handed shredding during performances because it was "Eddie's thing." Steve Lynch said in an interview that he had perfected his "hammering" technique long before he ever heard of Eddie Van Halen, and he also said that touring with Van Halen was one of his least favorite experiences. Lynch currently resides in Florida. He currently is endorsed by Dean guitars.
Technique
Lynch is generally considered a highly skilled and innovative guitarist. His multi-fingered tapping technique, which he still teaches today, incorporates a complex approach to music theory and often requires the use of all four picking-hand fingers as well as those on the fretting hand. This approach means that Lynch's solos are often highly technically challenging. Perhaps the most elaborate recorded example of the technique is the unaccompanied instrumental track "Hammerhead," from Autograph's second albumThat's the Stuff. In 1985, Lynch won the "Guitar Solo of the Year" award from Guitar Player magazine for his solo on "Turn Up The Radio," Autograph's biggest hit.
