Five Yngwie Malmsteen Licks You Need to Know

(Image credit: Daniel Knighton/Getty Images)

Swedish-born guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen is the premier neoclassical shredder, known for his love of scalloped-fretboard Strats and walls of Marshall stacks. He's also known for coming up with extra-tasty, lightning-fast "blink and you'll miss them" licks.

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Damian is Editor-in-Chief of Guitar World magazine. In past lives, he was GW’s managing editor and online managing editor. He's written liner notes for major-label releases, including Stevie Ray Vaughan's 'The Complete Epic Recordings Collection' (Sony Legacy) and has interviewed everyone from Yngwie Malmsteen to Kevin Bacon (with a few memorable Eric Clapton chats thrown into the mix). Damian, a former member of Brooklyn's The Gas House Gorillas, was the sole guitarist in Mister Neutron, a trio that toured the U.S. and released three albums. He now plays in two NYC-area bands.

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