MIKE ORLANDO

When Mike was gearing up for the last Adrenaline Mob tour in 2017, a handful of new Jackson guitars arrived and needed “the treatment”. We have worked on many guitars together over the years, experimenting with different upgrades and materials on every guitar so the tone and the sound that Mike needs from it is there and the performance aspect is so that it corners like a Ferrari.

Mike came to the FU-Tone Lab with his new guitars and we dug right in, outfitting them with the usual Big Blocks, titanium saddle inserts, stainless hardware, brass claws, noiseless springs and EVH D-Tuna’s. Mike was now armed for battle with his new Jackson guitars and off he went.

A few weeks later at The Music Zoo on Long Island, Mike is there with the orange Jackson and asked me to route a small channel under the EVH D-Tuna for added clearance. No problem! However, Mike was visibly nervous about this minor surgery “dude, don’t scratch my guitar!” He was freaking out as I laid into it with a small router – freehand! I mocked him every step of the way.

Our next meeting was at Webster Hall in New York City where Adrenaline Mob was playing that night. I filmed some clips during sound check and shot photos.