André Olbrich

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André Olbrich
Andre at Gods of Metal fest, 2007
Background information
Born	3 May 1967 (1967-05-03) (age 44), Düsseldorf, Germany
Genres	Power metal, Thrash metal, heavy metal
Occupations	Musician, songwriter
Instruments	Guitar
Years active	1984–present
Associated acts	Blind Guardian

André Olbrich (born 3 May 1967, in Düsseldorf, Germany) is the lead guitarist of the German power metal band Blind Guardian. He is one of the band's founders together with vocalist Hansi Kürsch, and serves as one of its main songwriters.

Olbrich was ranked #76 out of 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time by Guitar World.^[1]

Personal

Olbrich has a Greek wife and two sons. He was a school friend of Hansi Kürsch's. He is known to be sociable with fans, often chatting with them after concerts.

Olbrich's favorite books are The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion, both by J. R. R. Tolkien; he has stated that his dream is to create an orchestral rock-opera for these epics. His favorite games are alternately listed as Baldur's Gate II and World of Warcraft.

Professional

Olbrich's style is influenced by his favourite bands, which include Judas Priest, Metallica and Black Sabbath. Additionally Olbrich relies heavily on staccato technique. He is listed on Guitar World's list of the "100 Greatest Metal Guitarists" at #76. He is also ranked #64 in Joel McIver's The 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists. André's guitar work often reflect's vocalist Hansi Kursch's singing. Many discredit his guitar playing for the lack of shredding in the solos, however, like many other guitarists (in particular Slayer guitarist Jeff Hanneman) he believes having his own style is more important than being good at what someone else already has done.

Equipment

André's gear^[2]

• ESP Guitars Original Series Horizon Custom

1. Body: Alder
2. Neck: Maple (Neck-thru)
3. Pickups: 2x EMG 81
4. Floyd Rose Tremolo System
5. 24 Jumbo Frets
6. Original Jackson-style pointed headstock

• ESP Guitars Original Series M-II Neck Thru

1. Body: Alder with Maple Top
2. Neck: Maple (Neck-thru)
3. Pickups: 1x EMG 81 (bridge) 1x EMG SA (neck)
4. Floyd Rose Tremolo System
5. 24 Jumbo Frets

• ESP Guitars Original Series Explorer Custom

1. Body: Mahogany
2. Neck: Maple (Neck-thru)
3. Pickups: 2x EMG 81
4. Floyd Rose Tremolo System
5. 24 Jumbo Frets

• Ovation Guitar Legend

1. Strings: D'Addario .010 - .046
2. Picks: Jim Dunlop Nylon 1 MM
3. Amp: Engl Straight
4. Cabinets: 2x Marshall 1960 ( A & B )

• Amplification

He is believed to use Marshall amps for his distortion/lead riffs:

1. Marshall JCM 900 Dual Reverb
2. Marshall TSL 60 (Triple Super Lead)
3. Marshall cabinets 4x12 (with Celestion V30 speakers)

• Rack

1. ENGL savage
2. Furman Powerconditioner
3. Shure LX Wireless System
4. Rocktron Patchmate
5. Yamaha SPX 990
6. Ibanez Tubescreamer
7. Hughes & Kettner "Red Box" Pro
8. Morley Power Wah
9. Dunlop crybaby 535q (used during A Twist In The Myth tour)
10. Boss AC2 Acoustic Simulator

References

External links

• Blind Guardian Official Homepage