“When I recorded with Jason Becker, he was still able to speak… he articulated exactly what he wanted, down to every pinch harmonic, vibrato and out-of-tune note”: Shrapnel veteran Michael Lee Firkins reflects on the final days of shred

Coming in hot at the end of the ‘80s shred era and the beginning of the ‘90s virtuoso boom, Michael Lee Firkins was part of a stable of Shrapnel Records-signed guitarists who helped change the instrument forever.

Though he might not carry the cache of Vai, the bravado of Malmsteen or the notoriety of Satriani, Firkins was a revelation with his fusion of bluegrass, country, blues, jazz with heavy rock and eye-popping, high-speed hybrid picking.

You’ve caught the vibe if you’ve heard his 1990 self-titled debut (and you might recall his use of Yamaha’s utilitarian Pacifica in the ‘90s, and that he was the firm’s first endorsee). But there’s also 1994’s Howling Iguanas and Jason Becker's Perspective track, End of the Beginning, from 1996.

Since 1999 Firkins has drifted away from the scene, releasing just two albums, Blacklight Sonatas (2007) and Yep (2013). He’s not bothered, though: he’s doing his own thing and doesn’t overthink how he’s perceived when it comes to shred.

“I’m not into analyzing myself from that angle,” he tells Guitar World. “I think a lot of things that happened before the internet are now being interpreted on the internet, maybe inaccurately.

“I came after the shred heyday so I’m usually not included. Plus, I did more bluesy Van Halen-style licks. I think because I was on Shrapnel Records, it’s classified as shred anyway. I’m not into nostalgia for nostalgia’s sake – but I was there when it all happened. I saw it, felt it, and participated in it, and it was a lot of fun!”

Do any of those online reinterpretations mean the shred era is over-glorified? “I don't think so,” Firkins says. “There was about 10 years where things were crazy over-the-top. Shred guitar was in there with all the other excesses.

“Within all that there were definitely serious musicians trying to play serious music. It’s a good thing that deserves respect – even if there were too many notes sometimes.”

Your dad was a lap steel player. How did that impact you?

“It had a big impact. My father and his family moved from an Iowa farm to Los Angeles in 1950. He would go to The Ballroom on Saturday night with his parents, where he saw Speedy West play. Decades later, when I learned about Jimmy Bryant and Speedy West, it all made sense to me. But mainly, my father bought me my first acoustic guitar.”

Lap steel is a long way away from shred guitar. How did you make the journey?

“It happened backward – while my dad influenced me to play guitar, there was also teenage rebellion, so I didn’t think much of the lap steel at first because I was into Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd and AC/DC.

“Decades later, it was like a new beginning; that’s when I started playing slide. I went and pulled out his old Supro lap steel and Magnatone amp. It was kind of like, ‘It’s been under my nose my whole life!’”

Is it true that Gibson’s SG and Fender’s Princeton Reverb played a big role early on for you?

“Yes – my first electric guitar was a Gibson SG, and I had a Fender Princeton Reverb. No doubt I chose the SG because of Angus Young and Tony Iommi. I swear, with the distortion pedal, I felt like I was getting the exact AC/DC sound!”

You went from church to cover bands to showbusiness. How did that happen?

 “I was lucky in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s; I was able to be the guitarist for the church choir and the school choir. And although I’m not much of a chart reader, I could read those easy guitar charts and it helped my playing a lot. 

“In the mid-‘80s I spent a couple of years playing in cover bands that lived on the road. We played hard rock and heavy metal six nights a week. I would always get impatient playing covers, though; I’d want to play originals, so that would eventually lead me back home.

“I got a job as a telemarketer, then at the local music store to teach guitar, which was another great opportunity to improve my playing.

“Being at the music store kept me in touch with the new guitars coming out, which kept me excited about guitar music. Then, along came instrumental guitar through Yngwie Malmsteen, Steve Vai and Joe Satriani.

“Now I felt like I could compose my guitar music without waiting for a lead singer. So I did just that. I sent my tape to Mike Varney at Guitar Player Magazine. I got signed and made my first album.”

Did you feel at home in the heart of the shred era?

“Yes – although, keep in mind my first album didn't come out till 1990. The shred era had faded, and albums from Eric Johnson, Steve Morse, Satriani and Vai were taking the place of the neoclassical stuff.”

Your bluegrass background seemed to set you apart too.

“My love of Southern rock fueled my interest in players like Albert Lee, Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed. So on my first album, I was into that kind of guitar style. I consciously tried to put that type of stuff on my album. And yes, it was done to try to set myself apart. It definitely helped develop my style.”

In the ‘90s, Yamaha’s budget Pacifica model became synonymous with you. How did that happen?

“Rich Lasner was a guitar designer from Ibanez who started working at Yamaha. He designed the Pacifica, and I was their first endorsee. We are still great friends to this day.

“During the guitar heyday, it was all about getting an endorsement and having them advertise you. Yamaha was massive. They flew me all around the world doing guitar clinics. It was a whirlwind. Suddenly I found myself in all sorts of different countries playing my songs. Yamaha is a great company and treated me very well.”

What was it like working with Jason Becker on 1996’s Perspective?

“The song, End of the Beginning, was actually recorded in 1992. I believe he had it demoed from when he could still play guitar. The album didn’t came out a few years later, and then was re-released when Eddie Van Halen helped Jason.

“When I recorded with Jason, he was still able to speak. We spent 12 sessions on that song. It was an amazing experience, to say the least. It was very beautiful and heavy. Because Jason could still speak, he articulated exactly what he wanted, down to every pinch harmonic, vibrato and out-of-tune note.

“I played it exactly the way he wanted it. There was only one tapping arpeggio lick that I did in place of something that I didn’t think I could play the way he wanted. We recorded with the first Pro Tools 4-track system and we could punch in, but not like they do now.

“Keep in mind, people thought Jason wasn’t going to live much longer, so you felt like you were providing the last dying wish of an amazing guitarist who’d just lost the David Lee Roth gig because of his disease. Very intense.

“That being said, because he could still speak, we had a lot of fun and laughed, joked around when we took breaks, and told lots of stories. Jason and his parents are the most wonderful people you’ll ever meet. It’s 32 years later and he’s still here!”

And you worked with Jason again, on Valley of Fire for 2018’s Triumphant Hearts.

“Jason has always been very gracious in including me in his projects. I always take his music seriously and I’m very grateful to play on his music. I didn’t intend on playing slide at the beginning, but after many takes of different attempts, I played slide on it, and it seemed to be the right thing to do.”

Why has your recorded material fallen off since the late ‘90s?

“Many reasons. Evolving as a person and a player. Working on vocals. All the record stores closed. I think the music industry was in transition and was confused. It was an interesting time; there was no social media yet. I just faded out, enjoyed myself, and even, for a couple of years, played very little guitar.”

Are you working on new music?

“I have a lot of music I’ve written over the years and I’m currently recording all the instruments – guitar, drums, bass, vocals, B3. I write almost every day. I’ll be honest: I’m not that excited about the music business or even releasing music on Apple Music or Spotify for obvious reasons.

“But the creative process keeps me happy. I can usually pick up the guitar every day and come up with a new riff. When I do that, the world’s problems and the music business don’t exist.”

• Firkins is currently touring a Jeff Beck tribute show – find out more.