Yngwie Johann Malmsteen

Yngwie Johann Malmsteen (pronounced /ˈɪŋveɪ ˈmɑːlmstiːn/, ING-vay MAALM-steen in English) (born Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck on June 30, 1963) is a Swedish guitarist, composer, multi-instrumentalist and bandleader. Malmsteen became notable in the mid-1980s for his technical fluency and neo-classical metal compositions, often incorporating high speed picking with harmonic minor scales, diminished scales and sweep picked arpeggios. Four of his albums, from 1984 to 1988, Rising Force, Marching Out, Trilogy, and Odyssey, ranked in the top 100 for sales.

Equipment

Malmsteen uses Fender Stratocasters, especially vintage instruments from 1968 through 1972. His Strats tend to feature scalloped fingerboards. In the 1980s Malmsteen briefly used Schecter Guitars, who built him Stratocaster-style guitars similar to his Fenders. One particular guitar of his, nicknamed the "The Duck" has been used since the start of his career and is the instrument that he has been most photographed.
For his acoustic sets, Malmsteen uses a nylon strung electro-acoustic black or white Ovation Viper. Prior to the Ovations, Malmsteen used Aria, Alvarez and Gibson classical acoustics on stage. Malmsteen regularly performs onstage with a Dean Markley custom light top, heavy bottom string gauge ranging from .008 through .048 gauge. Malmsteen's picks are Jim Dunlop Delrin 1.5 white.
Malmsteen uses vintage Marshall amplifiers (esp. 1972 Marshall MK II 50-watt heads) for his live performances, connected to vintage 4x12 cabinets with Celestion G12T-75 (75 watt) speakers. His effect pedals include a Dunlop Cry Baby, DOD 250 and YJM308 Overdrive Preamp, BOSS NS-2 Noise Suppressor (which he claims has "saved his life, many times"), BOSS CH-1 Super Chorus, BOSS PS-5 Super Shifter, and Roland DC-10 Echo.