Session Gitarrist & Bassist

Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?

A: Professionalism and reliability. I will stay on the job until you are completely happy with what I deliver.

Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?

A: A very good friend of mine who is a very reliable and professional guitarist. His name is Diego Pires.

Q: Can you share one music production tip?

A: Serve the song

Q: Tell us about your studio setup.

A: I have an 4x5m acoustically treated room where I record all guitars for my bands or jobs. I usually use a Kemper profiler but also have a couple of amps (Laney) that I mic up every now and then depending on what the job requires. I record and mix with Logic Pro X.

Q: How would you describe your style?

A: Steve Lukather meets Kiko Loureiro after drinking a beer with Michael Romeo

Q: Analog or digital and why?

A: Depends but I lean towards digital only because it's way more practical. Digital sounds nowadays extremely good. It might not match an analog sound 100% but it does the job extremely well for a fraction of the cost and without having to carry pounds of stuff.

Q: What do you bring to a song?

A: Whatever the song needs. I don't force my style onto your music unless I'm asked to do so. If your song needs a soft acoustic rhythm guitar with some nice melody lines, you got it. If your song needs a brutal, heavy rhythm guitar and some shred, you got it.

Q: What's your typical work process?

A: If you want me to write some guitar parts, the first thing I do is to listen to the music you sent me for a while. I leave it on repeat for about 30min. After that I sit down and start recording some basic ideas for each part of the song. I develop those ideas until I'm satisfied and then record the final tracks. If you want me to record something exactly as you composed it, I sit down and learn your parts until I can play them fluently without thinking, then it's time to record them.

Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?

A: Two Albums: 1. Free Spirit Soar - Warlord (coming in 2024) It’s a huge honor for me have recorded guitars for that album. Bill Tsamis was such a monumental musician. It’s really humbling and I feel really honored to have been chosen by his former bandmates to continue his legacy. 2. Center Mass - Bangalore Choir (Live CD) Although I didn’t record the studio album here, I was part of the live album that Bangalore Choir/David Reece did. Working with David was pure joy and it opened my eyes in a lot of ways. David and I have become really good friends since. This album is really personal for me.

Q: What do you like most about your job?

A: I make music! What's not to like!?

Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?

A: - What are your expectations? - Can you send me any references of the sound you're looking for? - Do you want me to play in the style of a specific famous Guitarist?

Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?

A: Look for active musicians that have a good track record but don't be afraid to give newcomers a chance. Most importantly, follow your gut.

Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?

A: Accoustic Guitar, set of new strings, multitool, knife & lighter.

Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?

A: I studied Jazz Guitar & Composition in Ecuador (UDLA), Guitar Performance in LA (LACM) and Sound Engineering & Music Production in Germany (HOFA). I've been working as a Session & Touring Guitarist and Guitar Teacher/Coach for over 15 years.

Q: What type of music do you usually work on?

A: Rock & Metal

Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?

A: Kiko Loureiro, John Petrucci, Sting, Toto

Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.

A: When I’m not on tour, session guitar work and guitar teaching/coaching 90% of the time. I also get hired to mix every now and then.