Greg Koch (born 1966) is an American guitarist from

Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Wauwatosa (; known informally as Tosa; originally Wau-wau-too-sa or Hart's Mill) is a city in Milwaukee County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 48,387 at the 2020 census. Wauwatosa is located immediately west of Milwaukee, and is a p ...

. In April 2012

Fender Musical Instruments Corporation The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC, or simply Fender) is an American manufacturer of instruments and amplifiers. Fender produces acoustic guitars, bass amplifiers and public address equipment, however it is best known for its ...

named Koch one of the top 10 unsung guitarists. In April 2023 The Wisconsin Area Music Industry announced that Koch would be inducted into the WAMI Hall of Fame

Early life

Koch grew up in the Milwaukee area and began playing guitar at the age of 12. He was influenced by the guitarist and singer-songwriter

Jimi Hendrix James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...

. Koch was the youngest of seven children. He attended college for jazz performance at the

University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point A university () is an institution of higher (or tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several academic disciplines. Universities typically offer both undergraduate and postgraduate programs. In the United States, th ...

Career

Koch won first place in the 1989 Bluesbreaker Guitar Showdown judged by singer/guitar player

Buddy Guy George "Buddy" Guy (born July 30, 1936) is an American blues guitarist and singer. He is an exponent of Chicago blues who has influenced generations of guitarists including Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, Keith Richards, Stevie Ray V ...

. Koch has also played with

Joe Bonamassa Joseph Leonard Bonamassa ( ; born May 8, 1977) is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age twelve, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released fifteen solo albums through his ind ...

. Greg Koch is currently a Martin Guitar clinician. In addition to playing guitar, Koch has authored many books on various guitar methods and styles. He also gives

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guitar lessons and in 2020

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 ...

called him one of the 15 best guitar teachers.

Greg Koch and the Tone Controls

The group was formed as a trio that included guitar, bass, and drums. The original band members include Journeyman drummer and vocalist Gary Koehler, bass and vocals Kevin Mushel, and Koch on six-string guitar and vocals. Other members of the band include John Calarco on drums and Tom Goode on bass. Koch and the Tone Controls won five Wisconsin Area Music Awards for Blues Artist of the Year (1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998).

Greg Koch and Other Bad Men

Koch recorded a live album (''Greg Koch and Other Bad Men Live on the Radio'') with bass player

Roscoe Beck Charles Roscoe Beck is an American bassist with a reputation as "a solid bottom-liner". Beck has played with artists like Robben Ford, Eric Johnson, Leonard Cohen, and The Dixie Chicks. He is also a successful record producer with two Grammy ...

and vocalist

Malford Milligan Malford Milligan (born March 29, 1959) is an American singer. He sings soul, blues and gospel songs and also writes music. He has won 8 Austin Music Awards for Best Vocalist. Career Storyville In 1994 Milligan became the singer for Storyville ...

and various musicians on the drums: John Calarco and Tom Brechtlein.

The Koch Marshall Trio

The

Koch Marshall Trio Koch Marshall Trio is a three piece band which formed in 2017 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The band consists of a guitar player, a drummer and a Hammond organ, B3 organ player. The guitar player is Greg Koch (musician), Greg Koch who grew up in the Mi ...

is the most successful band that Koch has assembled. The band has been well received and reviewed. In previous Koch bands there have been some vocals. The Koch Marshall Trio has not used a singer. The

is an instrumental organ/guitar trio established by Koch in 2017. The Trio includes Koch's son Dylan Koch on drums,

Toby Lee Marshall Koch Marshall Trio is a three piece band which formed in 2017 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The band consists of a guitar player, a drummer and a B3 organ player. The guitar player is Greg Koch who grew up in the Milwaukee area of Wisconsin. The drumme ...

Hammond organ The Hammond organ is an electric organ invented by Laurens Hammond and John M. Hanert and first manufactured in 1935. Multiple models have been produced, most of which use sliding drawbars to vary sounds. Until 1975, Hammond organs generated s ...

and Koch on guitar. The

has signed a contract with the

Mascot Label Group Mascot Label Group is an independently-owned record label. Founded in 1989 in The Netherlands under the name Mascot Records, the company was renamed Mascot-Provogue in 1999 and since 2010 has been known as the Mascot Label Group. The company is ba ...

. They released their debut studio album, ''Toby Arrives'', on February 23, 2018. The

's debut album "

Toby Arrives ''Toby arrives'' is the debut studio album by American instrumental band Koch Marshall Trio. Released on February 23, 2018, the album has received praise from many reviewers. Background The "Toby Arrives" album title is in reference to the Hamm ...

" was submitted for a Grammy nomination 2018.

Solo work

Koch works as a clinician for Fishman and

Martin Martin may refer to: Places * Martin City (disambiguation) * Martin County (disambiguation) * Martin Township (disambiguation) Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Austr ...

. In addition, Koch has his own signature amplifier ‘The Greg’, manufactured by the Koch Amplifier company. Koch also has a signature guitar which was released in 2019 by

Reverend Guitars Reverend Musical Instruments, commonly known as Reverend Guitars, is an American manufacturer of electric guitars and basses. The company was established in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan by noted guitar and amplifier technician Joe Naylor, a graduate ...

, named the ‘Greg Koch Signature Gristlemaster’. The guitar colors were given somewhat humorous names like: Kochwork Orange, and Blucifer. Since 2011, Koch has made monthly promotional videos for Wildwood Guitars in Colorado. He has made approximately 4000 videos which have over 50 million views. Koch released an acoustic album in December 2019. The 38-minute album has 14 songs. Also in 2019, Koch signed with True Grit Talent Agency.

Style

Koch has developed his own style of chicken picking on the guitar and has taught his method, referred to as

hybrid picking Hybrid picking is a guitar-playing technique that involves picking with a pick (plectrum) and one or more fingers alternately or simultaneously. Hybrid picking allows guitar players who use a pick to perform music which would normally require ...

. Koch uses a guitar pick held with the index finger and thumb of his right hand to pick the bass notes; he uses his other three fingers to pick the treble strings.

Legacy

In April 2012

named Koch one of the top 10 unsung guitarists. Koch's ability on the guitar has been admired by other guitarists. When guitar pioneer

Les Paul Lester William Polsfuss (June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009), known as Les Paul, was an American jazz, country, and blues guitarist, songwriter, luthier, and inventor. He was one of the pioneers of the solid-body electric guitar, and his prototype ...

had his 100th birthday celebration Koch was invited to play.

and

Steve Vai Steven Siro Vai (; born June 6, 1960) is an American guitarist, composer, songwriter, and producer. A three-time Grammy Award winner and fifteen-time nominee, Vai started his music career in 1978 at the age of eighteen as a transcriptionist f ...

praised his mastery over guitar and versatility in style. In April 2023 The Wisconsin Area Music Industry announced that Koch would be inducted into the WAMI Hall of Fame.

Personal life

Koch met his wife Sarah while he was attending college and together they have four children, two boys and two girls. Koch and his wife have been married since 1993. Their oldest son (Dylan Koch) is the drummer for Koch's band, The

. Koch stands 6 feet 7 inches tall.

Musical equipment

Guitars

* 1953

Fender Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bo ...

* Wildwood Spec #10

with Fishman Fluence pickups *

Fender Stratocaster The Fender Stratocaster, colloquially known as the Strat, is a model of electric guitar designed from 1952 into 1954 by Leo Fender, Bill Carson, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation has continuously ...

* Fender Custom Shop Greg Koch GSK Stratocaster *

Greg Koch Signature Gristlemaster

Accessories

* Fishman Fluence Signature Series Greg Koch Gristle-Tone™ Pickups * T Jauernig Electronics, Greg Koch The Gristle King V3 effect pedal

Amplifiers

* Koch Amplifier signature amp "The Greg"

Books authored by Koch

* Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 1: Book/CD Pack By will Schmid and Greg Koch January 1995 * Hal Leonard Guitar Method - Blues Guitar by Greg Koch January 2002 * Hal Leonard Guitar Method, Complete Edition: Books 1, 2 and 3 By Will Schmid and Greg Koch May 2002 * Rhythm Riffs: Over 200 Riffs in All Styles Hal Leonard Guitar Method (Hal Leonard Guitar Method (Songbooks)) by Greg Koch May 2003 * Lead Licks: Over 200 Licks in All Styles Hal Leonard Guitar Method (Hal Leonard Guitar Method (Songbooks)) by Greg Koch January 2003 * Hal Leonard Country Guitar Method (Hal Leonard Guitar Method) by Greg Koch January 2004 * Hal Leonard Guitar Method Book 2: Spanish Language Book Only (Spanish Edition) by Will Schmid and Greg Koch December 2004 * Greg Koch (Guitar Play-Along, Vol. 28 by Greg Koch February 2005 * Hal Leonard Metodo Para Guitarra - Libro 2: Spanish Edition Book/CD Pack by Will Schmid and Greg Koch January 2005 * Hal Leonard Guitar Method, Book 1 - Left-Handed Edition (Hal Leonard Guitar Method Books) by Greg Koch August 2009 * Guitar Gumbo: Savory Licks, Tips & Quips for Serious Players by Greg Koch June 2012 * Slide Guitar In Standard Tuning by Greg Koch March 2016 * Hal Leonard Guitar Method - Book 1, Deluxe Beginner Edition: Includes Audio & Video on Discs and Online Plus Guitar Chord Poster by will Schmid and Greg Koch January 2016 * Guitar Clues: Operation Pentatonic by Greg Koch 2017 * Brave New Blues Guitar: Classic Styles, Techniques & Licks Reimagined with a Modern Feel by Greg Koch May 2018

Discography

* Greg Koch and the Tone Controls (1993) * Double the Gristle (1997) * Defenestrator (1998) * The Grip (2001) * Radio Free Gristle (2003) * 13 X 12 (2003) * 4 Days in the South (2005) * Mixed Feelings (2005) * Live on the Radio (Greg Koch and Other Bad Men) (2007) * Nation Sack - Greg Koch and

* From the Attic - Greg Koch Trio (2010) * Strat's Got Your Tongue (2012) * Plays Well with Others (2013) * Vivid Gristle (Greg Koch and the Tone Controls) (2015) * Unrepentant (2017) *

(

) (2018) * ''Acoustic Gristle Soup'' (2019) * ''From the Up'Nuh'' (

) (2021) * ''Orange Roominations'' (2023)

DVDs

* Guitar Gristle (2004) * Guitar Signature Licks: Blues With Greg Koch (2004) * Guitar Licks: Lead Lines & Phrases In The Style Of 25 Great Guitarists (2009) * Vivid Gristle Greg Koch and the Tone Controls (2015)

Other Contributions

* Xpensive Dogs - Xpensive Dogs/Wat Tyler plit CDGreg Koch: Group Member, Guitar (1996) *

Sigmund Snopek III Sigmund Snopek III (born 1950) is an American musician and composer. Career Snopek began his career in the late 1960s with a prog-rock band called Bloomsbury People. He has since created concept albums, pop songs, and classical compositions. A ...

- Beer - Greg Koch: guitar (1998) *

Willy Porter Willy Porter is a contemporary American rock musician and singer-songwriter from Mequon, Wisconsin. He is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Career Porter's professional career as a musician began in 1990 with his album ''Th ...

Falling Forward (1999) * Discover Wisconsin Music: Art-Of-The-State - Track 1 Ila Rose (2000) * Various Artists - Where Blues Meets Rock, Vol. 5 - Track 10 Ain't Got Problems (2003) * Xpensive Dogs - Dog Eat Dog (2004) * Lisa Lauren - It Is What It Is Greg Koch: Guitar, Guitar (Electric), Dobro (2004) * Joy Jackson - To Be With You Greg Koch: Audio Production, Drums, Engineer, Mixing, Producer, backing vocals (2004) * Alaria Taylor - Unfinished Business Greg Koch: slide guitar (2004) * Various Artists - Acoustic Christmas

Favored Nations Favored Nations Entertainment is a record label founded in 1999 by guitarist Steve Vai and Ray Scherr, former owner of Guitar Center. The first album released by the label was ''Coming to Your Senses'' by guitarist Frank Gambale in 2000. Soon af ...

- Track 5 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (2004) * Various Artists - Where Blues Meets Rock, Vol. 6. Track 4 Bored to Tears (2005) * Roger Powell - Fossil Poets - Greg Koch: Bass, Effects, Guitar (2006) * Lisa Lauren - Lisa Lauren Loves the Beatles - Greg Koch: guitar, Dobro (2006) * Blues Power - Track 13 Change Is Gonna Come (2009) * Ray Riendeau - Atmospheres - Track 4 Alias (2010) * Various Artists - Pepper Shakers: Pepper Cake Label Sampler 3 Greg Koch Trio: Agree To Disagree (2011) * Various Artists - Grooveyard Records: Best of, Vol. One (The Sound of Guitar Rock) Track 15 Foolish Mortals (2012) * Carmen Grillo - A Different World - Track 1 Come and Gone (2013) * John Sieger - A Walk in the Park - Greg Koch: Composer, Featured Artist (2013) * Various Artists - Blues Essentials epper CakeDisc 2 track 7, Disc 3 track 13, Disc 5 track 6 (2014) * Various Artists - Blues from a Smoky Bar, Vol. 2 Greg Koch: Track 3 Sleep Tight (2015)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Koch, Greg 1966 births Living people American male guitarists University of Wisconsin–Stevens Point alumni American blues singers Progressive rock guitarists Guitarists from Wisconsin Musicians from Milwaukee People from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin American blues guitarists 20th-century American guitarists 21st-century American male singers 21st-century American singers 21st-century American guitarists American country musicians Favored Nations artists Provogue Records artists