Robert Alan Deal famously known as Mick Mars, is an American musician and the former lead guitarist and co-founder of the heavy metal band Mötley Crüe.
Advertisement
Born in Terre Haute, Indiana, Mars dropped out of high school and began playing guitar in a series of unsuccessful blues-based rock bands throughout the 1970s, sometimes using the name Zorky Charlemagne and occasionally taking on menial day jobs.
After nearly a decade of frustration with the California music scene, he reinvented himself, changing his name from Robert Deal to Mick Mars.
What is Mick Mars favorite guitar?
In his early career, Mars used guitars that were popular at the time: Kramer, and other Superstrats.
Advertisement
On occasions, he used a black Gibson Les Paul, and sometimes a B.C. Rich.
According to an interview published in September 2009, Mars’ main stage guitar was the Fender Stratocasters with an “HSH” (humbucker, single coil, humbucker) configuration.
He frequently used a Stratocaster modified from components of 1963, 1964, and 1965 models with J.M. Rolph pickups and a licensed Floyd Rose bridge system turning it in to a Superstrat.
What tuning does Mick Mars use?
Mars often tunes his guitar down to D (rather than the standard E) to get a stronger and crunchier rhythm sound.
The altered tuning also increases string slack to get his characteristic hammer-on trills, pitch bending and pinch harmonics during soloing.
Leave a Reply