Nuno Bettencourt

Nuno Bettencourt is a Portuguese-American guitarist, songwriter, and producer best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Extreme. Celebrated for his dazzling technique, inventive riffs, and rhythmic precision, he rose to prominence in the late 1980s and early ’90s with hits like More Than Words and Get the Funk Out. Beyond Extreme, Bettencourt has toured and recorded with artists such as Rihanna, Steve Perry, and Robert Palmer, while also releasing solo work and projects like Mourning Widows. Widely regarded as one of the most innovative rock guitarists of his generation, he continues to influence players with his unique blend of technical mastery and groove-driven style.

Rick Beato

Richard John Beato is an American YouTube personality, multi-instrumentalist, music producer, and educator. Since the early 1980s, he has worked variously as a musician, songwriter, audio engineer, and record producer; he has lectured on music at several universities.

Beato owns and operates Black Dog Sound Studios in Stone Mountain, Georgia; he has produced for and worked with bands such as Needtobreathe, Parmalee, and Shinedown in the studio. He is known for his YouTube channel on which he covers different aspects of rock, jazz, blues, techno, rap, and popular music as well as interviews with well-known musicians and producers.

Eric Gales

Eric Gales is an American blues-rock guitarist, singer, and songwriter celebrated for his fiery playing, soulful vocals, and left-handed, upside-down guitar technique. Often hailed as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation, Gales released his first record at just 16 and has since built a career spanning more than three decades. Blending blues, rock, funk, and fusion, he has earned worldwide respect for his improvisational brilliance and raw emotional power on stage. His acclaimed 2022 album, Crown, produced by Joe Bonamassa and Josh Smith, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Blues chart, cementing his place as a modern torchbearer of the blues.

Richie Kotzen

Richie Kotzen is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist known for his soulful blend of rock, blues, jazz, and funk. Rising to prominence in the late 1980s with his virtuosic guitar work, Kotzen went on to join bands such as Poison and Mr. Big, earning recognition for both his technical ability and expressive style. Over his decades-long solo career, he has released more than 20 albums, showcasing his versatility as a musician, vocalist, and composer. In addition to his solo work, Kotzen co-founded The Winery Dogs, a power trio with bassist Billy Sheehan and drummer Mike Portnoy, further solidifying his reputation as one of rock’s most dynamic and versatile guitarists.

Mateus Asato

Mateus Asato is a Brazilian guitarist and composer admired for his expressive phrasing, melodic sensibility, and soulful blend of pop, rock, and R&B influences. Rising to prominence through his viral social media performances, he has since toured with artists such as Tori Kelly and Jessie J, earning recognition as one of the most inspiring guitarists of his generation. With a signature sound that balances technical mastery and emotional depth, Asato has become a leading voice among modern guitarists.

Taj Farrant

Taj Farrant is an Australian guitarist, singer, and songwriter who has quickly gained international attention as a prodigy of modern blues-rock. Picking up the guitar at a young age, he has shared the stage with legends like Carlos Santana and Rob Thomas, earning praise for his expressive playing well beyond his years. With a growing solo career, Taj is building a reputation as one of the most exciting young guitarists on the scene today.

Steve Vai

Steve Vai is a virtuoso guitarist, visionary composer, and consummate producer who sculpts musical sound with infinite creativity and technical mastery. At 18 he began his professional musical career transcribing for, and then playing with, the legendary Frank Zappa. More than three decades, 15-million in album sales, and three GRAMMY Awards later, Vai has proven himself, in his own right, one of music’s true originals. While many artists fit easily into a single category, Steve Vai remains unclassifiable. He is a musical alchemist of the highest order. Throughout the years, Steve Vai has awed fans of all genres with his exceptional guitar skills and musicianship. He boasts career sales of over 15 million records, 13 Grammy nominations, and three Grammy wins and has toured the world as a solo artist, as a member of G3, and with Frank Zappa and bands such as Alcatrazz, The David Lee Roth Band, and Whitesnake. As an accomplished audio producer, Vai has written, produced, and engineered all of his solo albums, released via Favored Nations, his own independent record label that has released over 70 albums by legendary musicians such as Tommy Emmanuel, Steve Lukather, Eric Johnson, Billy Sheehan, Larry Carlton and much more. For Vai, virtuosity and versatility are not mutually exclusive. He has created music for blockbuster films, bestselling video games, national sports franchises, and corporate brand initiatives. His career accomplishments have earned him honorary doctorates from Berklee College of Music and Musicians Institute.

Derek Sherinian

Derek Sherinian is an American keyboardist, composer, and producer renowned for his powerful playing and genre-bending style that blends rock, metal, fusion, and jazz. A former member of Dream Theater, he has also toured and recorded with artists such as Alice Cooper, Billy Idol, and Black Country Communion, showcasing his versatility across styles. As a solo artist, Sherinian has released a series of acclaimed albums featuring collaborations with world-class guitarists and drummers, earning him recognition as one of the most innovative keyboardists in modern rock and fusion.

Marco Minnemann

Marco Minnemann is a German drummer, composer, and multi-instrumentalist acclaimed for his technical mastery, creativity, and versatility across genres. Known for his pioneering work with complex time signatures and polyrhythms, he has recorded and performed with artists including The Aristocrats, Steven Wilson, Joe Satriani, and Tony Levin. Alongside an extensive solo catalog, Minnemann continues to push the boundaries of modern drumming, earning recognition as one of the most innovative percussionists of his generation.

Vincen García

The Spanish artist Vincen García is considered one of the most prestigious bassists in the current modern jazz and funk scene worldwide. He is among the most listened-to bassists globally in terms of streaming, amassing hundreds of thousands of followers and millions of views and reactions. Additionally, he has been one of the most impactful artists in the genre, performing at festivals such as the Montreux Jazz Festival (Switzerland), the North Sea Jazz Festival (Netherlands), or the Pori Jazz Festival (Finland). His first album, titled *Ventura*, is receiving an overwhelmingly positive reception in cities around the world. Vincen García also collaborates on tours with international artists like Cory Wong and Jesús Molina. With all of this, he has become one of the most important and influential Spanish artists on an international level.

Kyle Brian

Kyle Brian is a professional drummer and recording engineer based in Los Angeles. He’s played with a range of artists including Phil X & The Drills, Vigil of War, Grace Kelly and 2Saxy, Mia Asano, and Dead Posey, known for his drumming primarily in rock, metal, and pop.

On YouTube, Kyle has built a solid following with over 170,000 subscribers and 31 million views, sharing drum performances, covers, and other music content.

Chris Cisneros

Chris Cisneros is a guitarist and composer who loves the magic of turning musical ideas into living, breathing songs. From the first spark of inspiration to the stage or the studio, he finds joy in creating music and sharing it through recordings, videos, and live performances.


As a teacher and mentor, Chris is passionate about helping guitarists, songwriters, and musicians discover their own voice. Whether it’s a focused one-on-one lesson, a hands-on clinic, or a creative mentoring session, he creates a space where students feel inspired, supported, and encouraged to grow. His goal is simple: to help others unlock their creativity and bring their own music to life.

Doug Doppler

In his teens, Doug Doppler studied with Joe Satriani in Berkeley, CA teaching studio where Joe also taught the likes of Metallica’s Kirk Hammett, Counting Crows’ Dave Bryson, and Third Eye Blind’s Kevin Cadogan. When Satch went out on the road for ‘Surfing’ he asked Doug to take over teaching duties. In the decades since, Doppler has continued sharing his passion for teaching with his Guitar 411 DVD series, which grossed into the multiple six figures. Thanks to an invitation from Joe to teach at one of his camps, Doug has become an instructor at Dreamcatcher Events’ guitar camps for the likes of Steve Vai, John Petrucci, and Paul Gilbert.

NEW FOR 2025 // In the fall of 2025, Doppler will start dropping singles for two new albums! SWAGGER is a collection of Classic Rock fueled instrumentals with guest artists including Joe Satriani, Jared James Nichols, and Larry Mitchell. JOYRIDE is also steeped in Classic Rock vibes and features American Idol winner Caleb Johnson on vocals.

The rhythm sections for both albums features the Peter Keys (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Zoro the Drummer (Lenny Kravitz), and Angeline Saris (Narada Michael Walden). The tracking and video sessions happened at 25^th Street Recording in Oakland, CA, with John Cuniberti (SURFING WITH THE ALIEN) at the helm. Cuniberti is also the mix engineer for both releases.

ROAD TRIPS // Doppler’s NU INSTRUMENTAL was released on Steve Vai’s Favored Nations label in 2005. In support of that disc, Doug toured as direct support for Michael Schenker across the U.S. and Gilby Clarke in Europe.

GUITAR HERO // A chance encounter led to meeting Will Littlejohn, the musical mastermind behind the Guitar Hero video game series. Doppler’s contributions to this blockbuster series include remakes of Extreme’s “Play with Me”, Winger’s “Seventeen”, The Scorpions’ “No One Like You”, and Iron Maiden’s “Wrathchild”.

O.G. YOUTUBER // Doppler is also one of the founding fathers of the YouTube gear demo, largely thanks to his work for Orange Amplifiers. Doppler’s client list is a virtual who of brands including Audio-Technica, Ernie Ball Music Man, Gretsch, Ibanez, Line 6, Universal Audio and many others. Doppler’s current endorsements include Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer, Mesa/Boogie, DiMarzio, and Dunlop.

GEAR GARAGE // Also an avid gear collector, Doug’s vintage Ibanez collection was featured as the cover story for Vintage Guitar magazine. Doug and his vintage wah-wah collection were part of Cry Baby – The Pedal that Rocks the World, featuring Eddie Van Halen, Slash, Kirk Hammett, Steve Lukather, Buddy Guy, Paul Gilbert, and Eddie Kramer. You can catch the Doppler’s Gear Garage livestream every Saturday at 9am pacific on YouTube and Facebook.

CONTACT // For more information please visit DougDopplerMusic.com, @DougDopplerMusic on Faceboook, Instagram, and YouTube, or message DougDoppler@GMail.com

Luís Kalil

Hailing from Brazil, the 25 year-old LA based Luís Kalil is the guitarist of RED DEVIL VORTEX.

Throughout his career, Kalil has recorded/performed with artists such as Steve Vai, Corey Taylor (Slipknot), Stone Sour, Enuff Z’ Nuff, Tony MacAlpine, Marco Minnemann, Kenny Aronoff and Dirk Verbeuren, drummer of Megadeth on his solo career.

Praised by Guitar World Magazine, Luis has become the face of the Reverse Tapping technique, expanding horizons of guitar sounds through his unique way of playing the guitar.

In 2023, Red Devil Vortex made it to the top 3 guitar solos on Guitar World’s “Best of the year” poll with the song “MORE LUCK THAN BRAINS”, alongside Nuno Bettencourt of Extreme and Wolfgang Van Halen.

Besides Red Devil Vortex, Kalil has a successful history hosting guitar clinic tours around the world with sold out events in Argentina, USA, Brazil and Austria.

Larry Mitchell

Larry Mitchell has toured the world playing guitar with well-known artists including Tracy Chapman, Billy Squier, Ric Ocasek and Miguel Bosé. He’s won a Grammy Award and 26 New Mexico Music Awards for producing, engineering and performing in pop, adult contemporary, rap, rock, country World music and Native American music. Larry also picked up a 1999 San Diego Music award for best Pop Jazz artist. 2021 his acoustic guitar based release “the Light within” won a Global music award for Best Instrumental

As a producer-engineer, He’s won a Grammy Award for producing, engineering and performing on “Totemic Flute Chants” by Native American artist Johnny Whitehorse, who is better known as Robert Mirabal. As well as 26 New Mexico Music Awards in various categories from pop, adult contemporary, rap, rock, country World music and Native American music with celebrated artists such as Dawn Avery, Joy Harjo and Shelley Morningsong.

The last few years has seen Larry traveling Across the USA and Australia playing various music events such as (30A Songwriters festival and Word of South festival in Florida, the Opelika Songwriters festival in Alabama, Guitars

Under the Stars in Oregon festival and the Dallas International Guitar Festival in Texas to Music festivals in Australia ( Gympie Muster, Mitchell Creek, OZ Fest and Yowie festival as well as Headlining the West Australian Guitar festival in 2019 and 2023 Toured opening select shows for Steve Vai 2023 and 2025 returned to Australia to take part in 100 guitars as part of the Brisbane Festival and independent fractal audio night with Brett Garsed, Leon Todd and Michael Dolce.

Currently touring, performing from Festivals and theaters to Listening rooms across the globe.

“In his original compositions, Mr. Mitchell skillfully weaves guitar textures that showcase his virtuosity as a solo artist and ensemble player. “

Jason Shadrick

Jason Shadrick is a guitarist, writer, and educator known for his work as a senior editor at Premier Guitar. Through interviews, lessons, and in-depth features, he has documented and shared the stories of some of the world’s most influential musicians. As a player, Shadrick blends blues, jazz, and roots influences, bringing both insight and authenticity to his music and writing.

Teresa Topaz

Teresa Topaz is a rock artist and guitar luthier, and the owner/operator of Topaz Guitar Repair, based in Las Vegas, Nevada. As a performing musician, Teresa first encountered the critical need for on-the-spot guitar repairs right before gigs-an experience that ignited a passion to become her own mechanic. What began as curiosity evolved into a full-blown obsession with the craft of guitar repair, ultimately leading her to establish one of the most in-demand guitar repair businesses in Las Vegas over the past five years.

Topaz Guitar Repair is not just a shop-it’s a reflection of Teresa’s deep dedication to both music and the craft of luthiery.

Dave Weiner

Guitarist, engineer, producer and four-time Grammy nominee, Dave Weiner, has been playing guitar and writing music for nearly three decades. Starting at age 10, within three years, Dave had an original band and released a full-length record; another one at age 16. After high school, Dave went to college where his cover band played countless gigs and upon graduating (with an Accounting degree!), he moved to Hollywood to attend Musician’s Institute: Guitar Institute of Technology. While at school, Dave interned for Vai’s manager. Through this work, Dave met Vai and eventually Steve heard a demo Dave had recorded and, impressed, invited him to join his band. That was 1999. 16 years, seven world tours, multiple live DVD and CD releases and Dave is still Steve’s go-to guitarist. Dave also has multiple records of his own released (Daveweiner.com), created and hosts the internet’s longest-running guitar education video series (Guitopia.com), and started the Philly Guitar Club (phillyguitarclub.com).