“Someone sent me a picture and was like, ‘Isn’t this your guitar?’” That time Diamond Rowe saw her signature guitar on stage with one of her biggest influences

Since Diamond Rowe became a history-maker with her Jackson Monarkh signature guitar, her career has been launched into the stratosphere. She’s had Slipknot’s Jim Root ask for guitar lessons, and a Rowe-ified Monarkh has also ended up in the hands of her hero, Korn’s Brian “Head” Welch, all while her band, Tetrach, continues to reach new heights.

Gojira’s versatile riffer, Christian Andreu, can be added to the growing list of Monarkh fans. Amusingly, Rowe only found out about how he was putting it to use after her friend saw pictures from their recent U.S tour online.

“It’s nuts!” she says, her excitement palpable through the pages of Guitar World’s new print issue. “I’ve always said that if I was ever lucky enough to get a signature model, it would be a dream to be able to go and gift them to a handful of players that inspired me beyond belief, from the time I was in middle school to now.”

Rowe – who previously told GW that she has always been drawn to “guitar players that had a very big guitar presence,” most of whom bound onto stage with a signature guitar over their shoulder – has stayed true to her word. Andreu was, alongside Head, right at the top of that list.

When Korn’s monolithic 2024 U.S tour with Gojira and Spiritbox in support rolled into LA in August, she was able to kill two birds with one stone.

“We found out that Korn was doing their 30th anniversary show here [at Los Angeles’ BMO Stadium] and Gojira was on the show as well,” she remembers. “I was like, ‘I have to go give Christian a guitar, and I have to give Head a guitar.’ My guitar tech happens to know Christian’s tech, so I hit him up.

“I was able to give the guitars to both of those guys, and they were so appreciative and awesome about it,” she continues.

Still, there’s a difference between being gifted an electric guitar and deeming it worthy of taking on the stage.

“I think it was in Portland, Oregon,” she adds, “but someone sent me a picture [of Christian on stage] and was like, ‘Isn’t this your guitar?’ and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh.’

“Not long after that, my tech sent me a picture from the side-stage, and he told me which songs Christian played it on. The kid in me got super excited. I love Gojira! To see one of your guitar heroes playing a guitar that you built from the ground up — and that has my name on it – is awesome.”

Rowe has just released The Ugly Side of Me, her third album with Tetrach, to great acclaim. On the record, she continues to pepper the band’s modernized nu-metal schtick with guitar solos that find her wearing her heart firmly on her sleeve.

“I just think you can hear my mixture of influences,” she says. “My favorite players coming up were everyone from Kirk Hammett and Dave Mustaine, to Head [Brian Welch] from Korn, to Dimebag Darrell and Zakk Wylde, to Mark Morton of Lamb of God.

“They span over generations, and they all have different ways of playing leads. I wasn’t a metal elitist; I liked everything metal. I didn’t discriminate. So I learned a lot from a lot of different players.”

To read Diamon Rowe’s full interview, alongside her Tetrach bandmate Josh Fore, pick up a copy of Guitar World. It also features a bumper preview of Black Sabbath’s final show from the players involved – there are many – and a candid chat with Martin Barre.

Head to Magazines Direct to pick up an issue.