Often, shred-style guitar players use high- gain vacuum tube amplifiers such as Carvin, Krank, Peavey, Mesa Boogie, Laney, Hughes & Kettner, and Randall. Most shred guitar players use a range of effects such as distortion and compression to facilitate the performance of shred techniques such as tapping, hammer-ons, and pull-offs, and to create a unique tone. Some shred guitar players use guitars with seven, eight or 12 strings to add more range of notes. Double-cutaway superstrat style guitars tend give performers easier access to the higher frets. Rich or Dean, as well as modern versions of classic radical designs like Gibson's Flying V and Explorer models. Some shred guitarists use elaborately-shaped models by B.C. These guitars are commonly referred to as ' superstrats', and are generally high-end, expensive instruments. Shred style guitarists often use locking tremolo systems, which stay more in tune when used for 'dive bombing'-style sound effects. Shred guitar players often use electric solidbody guitars such as Ibanez, Kramer, Carvin, Jackson, B.C. By the 2000s, its mainstream appeal had diminished since the rise of grunge and nu metal. This association has become less common now that modern, evolved forms of metal have adopted shredding as well. In general, however, the phrase 'shred guitar' has been traditionally associated with instrumental rock and heavy metal guitarists.

Progressive rock, heavy metal, hard rock and jazz fusion have all made use of and adapted the style successfully over the past two and a half decades. This fast playing style combined with the heavily distorted tone of heavy metal music resulted in a new nickname, 'shred'.

Randy Rhoads and Swedish guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen incorporated classical influences with complex guitar compositions. In 1978, Eddie Van Halen merged fusion elements used by jazz fusion guitarists such as Allan Holdsworth with the 1970s-era hard rock. Some performers make complex combinations of tapping and sweep picking.Д«y the early 1960s, rock guitar had distanced itself from its blues roots, and began to embrace a more jazz-based approach.Д«y the early 1970s, many guitarists began experimenting with a new fusion of jazz, rock and world music. Various techniques are used to perform passages with wide intervals, and to create a flowing legato sound. The tapping technique is used to play rapid flourishes of notes or to play arpeggios or scalar patterns using pure legato with no picking. Sweep picking is used to play extremely rapid arpeggios across the fretboard (sometimes on all strings). Alternatively, the lick can be played by multiple-picking notes ( tremolo picking), or picking just the first or second note of a string followed by a rapid succession of hammer-ons and/or pull-offs (legato). This run or lick can be played by individually picking all, or a selection, of the notes, using techniques such as alternate picking, or economy picking. The most basic form of shred guitar are based on a two- or three-octave scale or mode, played ascending and descending at a fast tempo.

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