Pushing the limits of instrumental progressive metal

Adam Rafowitz

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Adam Rafowitz is an up-and-coming guitarist in the progressive and fusion community. Born in 1992 in Minneapolis, Minnesota, he picked up the guitar at the age of six and hasn’t looked back. He attended the Berklee College of Music and graduated in 2015 as a Guitar Performance major. His influences include artists such as Allan Holdsworth, Guthrie Govan, Return to Forever, The Yellowjackets, and many more.

In 2014, Adam gained notoriety in the music community after winning the first .strandberg* Guitars competition, having submitted his original composition, “Perpetual Motion”. He has since been endorsed as a .strandberg* Artist and has played their guitars almost exclusively since. Working with .strandberg* has been one of the highlights of his career thus far. His current main guitar is a Custom Boden 7 Trem, a beautiful instrument that he’s played daily since taking ownership.

In 2016, Adam co-founded Arch Echo, an instrumental prog-fusion band that has seen two album releases, an EP release, and great touring success worldwide. Since releasing their debut album in 2017, the band has gained a great deal of attention from the music community and began touring in early November 2017. They have has since toured with notable acts such as Plini, Vola, Tony MacAlpine, Mestis, and Periphery. Adam plans to continue working with the band and continue to grow musically with his bandmates.

When not working on Arch Echo material, Adam has been honing his craft, gigging, and educating guitar students interested in his use of legato in improvisation, tapping, hybrid picking, and beyond. Adam has also performed on several albums, including a guest solo on “Who Bit the Moon”, a track by one of his favorite artists, David Maxim Micic.

In 2015, Adam was lucky enough to meet guitar legend George Benson and even jam with him in his living room. George took an interest in Adam and his playing and has since been a musical mentor and source of advice to him. He was kind enough to offer some words regarding Adam’s playing and Arch Echo:

“Talk about fresh, energetic, and exciting music — you have to experience Adam Rafowitz’s guitar playing. He is definitely worthy of your ears. His group, Arch Echo, will knock your socks off and make you glad at the same time. Trust me!” – George Benson

Aggressive and sophisticated with the distinctive .strandberg* sonic character

Boden Prog NX 7 Twilight Purple

Aggressive and sophisticated, the Prog NX models are an extension of the Original model design with the new EGS Pro Rev7 Tremolo System and the smooth and slick-playing Richlite fretboard. With a more cutting tone than the Original, the Prog models are ideal for modern progressive and metal players using high-gain amplification systems. The versatile Fishman pickups and switching system provide a wide range of sounds for virtually any playing style and musical genre.

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".strandberg* Guitars have been invaluable to me as a musician. I can’t imagine a better vessel to channel my musical voice. .strandbergs* are comfortable, tonally beautiful, and incredibly practical. Intelligent design is at work, and you truly feel it in your fingers. The company has been a pleasure to work with, and has a very bright future!"

Adam Rafowitz