Chris Letchford (born October 7, 1984) is an American guitarist. He is the lead guitarist in the

instrumental An instrumental is a recording normally without any vocals, although it might include some inarticulate vocals, such as shouted backup vocals in a big band setting. Through semantic widening, a broader sense of the word song may refer to instru ...

progressive metal Progressive metal (sometimes shortened to prog metal) is a broad :Fusion music genres, fusion music genre melding heavy metal music, heavy metal and progressive rock, combining the loud "aggression" and amplified electric guitar, guitar-driven s ...

band

Scale the Summit Scale the Summit is an American instrumental progressive metal band based out of Houston, Texas. It formed in 2004 and signed to Prosthetic Records. The band is influenced by other progressive acts such as Cynic and Dream Theater. The band gain ...

. His technical ability has been recognized in magazines such as ''

Guitar World ''Guitar World'' is a monthly music magazine for guitarists – and fans of guitar-based music and trends – that has been published since July 1980. ''Guitar World'', the best-selling guitar magazine in the United States, contains original art ...

'',Guitar World video on "The Great Plains" (hosted by ''Guitar World'')
/ref> ''

Revolver A revolver (also called a wheel gun) is a repeating handgun that has at least one barrel and uses a revolving cylinder containing multiple chambers (each holding a single cartridge) for firing. Because most revolver models hold up to six roun ...

'',''Revolver'' magazine article featuring Scale the Summit
/ref> and All Metal Resource.

Background

Letchford began playing guitar when he was 8 years old. He had over 6 years of private guitar lessons before applying to the

Musicians Institute Musicians Institute (MI) is a private for-profit music school in Los Angeles, California. MI students can earn Certificates and – with transfer of coursework taken at Los Angeles City College – Associate of Arts Degrees, as well as Bachelor ...

in Los Angeles, majoring in the Guitar Craft program and then the Guitar Performance program, GIT. Along with this education, he also attended

Berklee College of Music Berklee College of Music is a private music college in Boston, Massachusetts. It is the largest independent college of contemporary music in the world. Known for the study of jazz and modern American music, it also offers college-level cours ...

with a major in music. While at the Musicians Institute, he formed Scale the Summit with his friend and fellow guitarist Travis Levrier, and drummer Pat Skeffington, whom they met there in 2004. They added bass guitarist Jordan Eberhardt to complete the line-up.

Equipment

Letchford endorses several guitar and

amplifier An amplifier, electronic amplifier or (informally) amp is an electronic device that can increase the magnitude of a signal (a time-varying voltage or current). It may increase the power significantly, or its main effect may be to boost the v ...

companies. Recently in late 2016 Chris has collaborated with

Kiesel Guitars Kiesel Guitars is an American manufacturer of custom electric guitars and electric bass guitars located in Southern California, with a heritage dating back to 1946. In 2015, Kiesel Guitars split from Carvin Corporation, taking the guitar and bas ...

and came out with his first Kiesel signature model the CL6/7/8, a headless guitar with a fender strat sort of body, using

Seymour Duncan Seymour Duncan is an American company best known for manufacturing guitar and bass pickups. They also manufacture effects pedals which are designed and assembled in America. Guitarist and luthier Seymour W. Duncan and Cathy Carter Duncan foun ...

Sentient, Nazgul pick ups. For recording and playing live, he uses his custom Matt Artinger 7 string, as well as guitars he makes himself. He also plays a headless 7-string guitar with fanned frets, which was made for him by the Swedish company Strandberg Guitarworks, and currently has a signature Strandberg Boden CL7, which is built in partnership with Washburn Guitars' USA Custom Shop. His main amp was an Axe Fx Ultra until he upgraded to the Axe Fx II, through Mackie HD1221 wedges, Ernie Ball volume pedal, Ernie Ball strings, InTune Guitar Picks. As of their most recent 2013 tours he was seen with a Mesa Boogie Cabinet, Carvin Pre Amp, Axe FX II, Ernie Ball Volume Pedal and Mission Expression Pedal. Chris also uses EMG pickups, 57-7 and 66-7. Chris also uses Dunlop Strings (10-56), Dunlop Signature Chris Letchford Jazz III Picks (1 mm) and sometimes he uses Seymour Duncan Pegasus/Sentient pickup set in some of his newer guitars. According to an interview he did with Gear Gods in 2016 he has switched from the AxFX II and has moved to the Line 6 Helix.

Personal life

Letchford identifies as a dog person and owned a brindle

Great Dane The Great Dane is a large sized dog breed originating from Germany. The Great Dane descends from hunting dogs from the Middle Ages used to hunt wild boar and deer, and as guardians of German nobility. It is one of the largest breeds in the world ...

in 2010; he later stated he had two Great Danes. Letchford announced in June 2014 via Facebook that he was engaged to his girlfriend of 9 years, author Mariana Zapata.

Discography

With Scale the Summit

* ''Monument'' (2007) * ''Carving Desert Canyons'' (2009) * ''The Collective'' (2011) * ''The Migration'' (2013) * ''V'' (2015) * ''In a World of Fear'' (2017) * ''Subjects'' (2021)

With

* ''History of Robots'' (2016)

Solo career

* ''Lightbox'' (2014)

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Letchford, Chris Progressive metal guitarists Eight-string guitarists Seven-string guitarists Musicians from Houston Living people 1984 births Guitarists from Los Angeles Musicians Institute alumni Guitarists from Texas American male guitarists 21st-century American guitarists 21st-century American male musicians