In a time when the term guitar virtuoso is used often, few players stand out from the pack. Guitarist Bill Peck manages to do so with lightning fast guitar riffs, 8 finger tapping acrobatics, his rock band Exit The Ride, and some big name players talking him up.  Metalmonthly caught up with Bill recently to find out what he’s up to these days.

Mo:  It’s a pleasure to be interviewing you Bill ~ thanks for talking with me today.
Bill:  No problem! My pleasure.

Mo:  Bill, you are considered to be one of the best 8 finger tapping guitarists in the world…and personally speaking, one of the most gifted guitarists I’ve ever seen. Tell us about your background.
Bill:  Thanks! I am flattered people feel that I am doing unique and amazing guitar techniques. I began playing as a teenager just trying to play the popular songs of the day like Pearl Jam, Soundgarden, Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica when I was 15. I had a pawn shop Washburn guitar with a Crate amp! So I had the beginner gear and made the most out of it. I would play everyday and just kept improving. I got into Rage Against the Machine which seemed a bit harder for me. Then I realized just how hard to play Van Halen and Ozzy was compared to the basic stuff and never looked back! I practiced all of the time and eventually I got better and better. I started playing in local bars in Orlando and eventually did an instrumental album in 2000 called "Internal Flames." It was a good first effort and got me noticed by some local music people. That led to playing in some bands and touring. I played some stadium shows on the NSYNC Pop Oddessey tour with an opening group and just worked at it. I met Mark Tremonti around that time in 2001 and we became really good friends. That was really the turning point in me getting my name out there.

Mo: Speaking of Tremonti…you know I’m a huge Alter Bridge fan! Mark has described you as “a legato, tapping, and whammy bar master”. He’s also credited you with teaching him a thing or two. Tell us more about your relationship with Mark
…and also Michael Angelo Batio…
Bill:  Yes I do know that and for the readers, you & I go back to the Creed days! I am very lucky to be friends with Mark and to have had him say things like that. I showed him stuff that was just different then what he was doing at the time in 2002-2004. I think fans noticed he was a lot more of a lead guitarist on the first Alter Bridge album than the previous Creed records. I am a very legato style player and he was more of a picker then. Now he is everything! He is the coolest Rock Star there is because he takes his playing so serious and is always improving. Michael Angelo Batio has been so cool to me! I met him at NAMM in 2004 with Mark and we became good friends. Mark and I appeared on MAB’s CD "Hands Without Shadows" in 2005 and he helped me get going with Dean Guitars. Michael is such an amazing player that I am honored to know him so well and play with him.

Mo:  I couldn’t agree more ~ they are both amazing talents and great guys.  I recently spoke with Toshi Iseda who made a similar comment about Mark…that he is constantly improving!  As for Dean Guitars, give us the rundown on what you are currently using.
Bill:  I am playing Dean Guitars and very happy to be involved with them. Elliot Rubinson has really helped me a lot and believes in his people. I use Morley pedals and Dean Markley strings and straps. Lately most of the gigs I have been doing have been shows with Michael Angelo Batio and we use whatever amps they have at the clinics. It can be a little scary but it always seems to work out. I love his new overdrive pedal from T-Rex.

Mo:  MAB is a monster guitar player!  Moving right along…what single album or artist has inspired you the most and why?
Bill:  Well that is a two part answer for me! I saw Guns N' Roses on MTV when I was about 9 and I just had to get a guitar. My parents would not let me so I kept playing sports. Finally when I was 14 they started caving in and I got an electric guitar at 15. Steve Vai was so unbelievable to me when I was developing my chops and "Passion and Warfare" was so inspiring. I got the guitar book and learned a lot of the guitar parts.

Mo:  That’s so awesome – sounds like a real turning point in your life.  Bill, I love your band ‘Exit the Ride’ – give us the line-up and what you’re doing these days.
Bill:  Thanks! Unfortunately we are on a break. As hard as it is to make any money playing music, sometimes people have to regroup to prepare for their future. Sam Stone the singer and co-songwriter is in his hometown in Maine right now. We are hoping to be back at it later this year. He was down in March and we performed for Dean Guitars at there annual Dean Owners of America. It was fun!

Mo:  Hope to hear more from ‘Exit the Ride’.  I saw some of the DOA pics on your myspace – looks like you had a great time!  Bill, tell me about how you got started writing instruction for magazines like Guitar One?
Bill:  Actually the Guitar One ‘Return of the Shred’ was set up by Troy Stetina and Mark. The magazine knew how tight I was with Mark and that was an angle that made sense for the magazine since we all jammed together. It was the coolest feeling other than maybe playing in front of 40,000 in the Superdome that I have had in my guitar career. My hands were shaking when I first saw the article in a Public supermarket. I had developed the harmony legato technique in 2000 and it was always my dream to get it published and get it out there.

Mo:  That must have been a great feeling to get published - awesome!  Describe yourself in a short sentence?
Bill:  I am a very competitive person that always wants to learn and improve my skills at anything that is important to me.

Mo:  That is obvious in the way you play guitar Bill!  Hey, I know you are quite good at woodworking…tell us more about that.
Bill:  I actually really just learned how to do the stuff when the Real Estate market in Florida was going crazy. It helped me make some money on a place with my girlfriend. I enjoyed the challenge and the creative aspect. I am a perfectionist and redid all of the trim in my new place. My father was a carpenter many years ago and he showed me how to do stuff. I had a close call with a miter saw that freaked me out though! Doing projects with Travertine, Marble, Granite or Onyx is my favorite.

Mo:  Saws can be very scary ~ watch those fingers Bill!  On that note…tell us about an embarrassing moment – either personally or professionally.
Bill:  I would say there have been a few bad things happen for sure. Having my whammy pedal accidentally turned on at the House of Blues in 2001 during a showcase or when my guitar strap came loose at the Florida Music Festival one year were pretty bad.

Mo:  Yikes!  Bill, what do you want from the music industry?
Bill:  I really do not know actually. I have tried to do it full time and it is just so difficult without a label sending you money. My dream is to one day be known as one of the guys that was innovating stuff when shred guitar returned in the 2000's.

Mo:  I have no doubt that will be the case!  How important do you think networking sites like myspace are to the music industry today?
Bill:  I think they are good and enjoy having one, but I think they actually devalue the concept of an album. It levels the playing field and floods the market with music.

Mo:  Very well said Bill…never really thought of it that way.  Tell me…what motivates you to get out of bed every morning?
Bill:  Making money to keep a roof over my head, to have electricity to play guitar, put gas in my SUV, and to feel worthwhile. I work a day job and use vacation days to play shows and do promotional stuff. I haven't given up on music at all but am realistic that I need to be able to eat.

Mo:  We have something in common then – working during the day and rockin’ at night!  Any final comments for our readers Bill?
Bill:  Be on the look out for the Mark Tremonti instructional DVD that I will appear on along with MAB, Rusty Cooley, Myles Kennedy, and Troy Stetina.

Mo:  I can’t wait – that will be one kick-ass DVD!  Where can our readers find out more about Bill Peck?
Bill:  www. bill-peck. com and www. myspace. com/billpeck, search youtube

Mo:  Bill, you know I’m a big fan and I look forward to hearing more great things from you. Thank you for taking time to talk with metal monthly. Keep rockin’ our world!
Bill:  Thanks a lot for having me and I appreciate all of the support you have had for my music.

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