Dan Spitz

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Dan Spitz bigraphy, stories - American musician

Dan Spitz : biography

January 28, 1963 –

Daniel Alan Spitz (born January 28, 1963) is an American musician and watchmaker, best known for his work as the lead guitarist of the American heavy metal band Anthrax from 1983–1995 and from 2005 to 2007. More recently, Spitz has performed with Megadeth guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine in the heavy metal group Red Lamb.RED LAMB: DAN SPITZ/DAVE MUSTAINE SUPERGROUP RELEASES DEBUT ALBUM WITHOUT FANFARE OR, UH, DAVE MUSTAINE http://www.metalsucks.net/2012/02/06/red-lamb-dan-spitzdave-mustaine-supergroup-releases-debut-album-to-zero-fanfare-or-uh-dave-mustaine/

Equipment

Spitz was originally known for his use of Jackson Guitars (he was famous for his custom Jackson Randy Rhoads model with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles painted on them). But most recently during the Anthrax Reunion tour he has been an endorser of Paul Reed Smith Guitars. Paul Reed Smith has created a special "Spitz" head stock (a first for PRS) and a new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles rendering was painted on this new guitar by tattoo artist and lowbrow painter JR Linton. He possibly terminated his endorsement with PRS after leaving Anthrax in 2007. According to his main website, Dan also uses other brands of guitars; custom built ones by Cyan Guitars and Decibel Guitars, and an 8 string built by Jaden Rose Guitars. All of his 6 strings are now loaded with pickups by DiMarzio that were made to his specifications.

In the early days of Anthrax, Dan used Marshall amplifiers, using a JCM800. Later on around the time of Among the Living, he switched to Mesa/Boogie, using their Mark III heads. He could also be seen using a Mark III combo amp on top of a Mesa/Boogie 4×12 cabinet on the music video for Got the Time. It’s unknown what amplifiers he used before he left Anthrax in 1995, he was possibly still using Mesa/Boogie Mark heads. During the Anthrax Reunion in 2005 – 2007, Dan used Matchless heads and Marshall Plexi-style heads he hand-built himself that were pushed by a Keeley-modded Boss DS-1. According to his official website, Dan is now an endorsee of Carol-Anne Amplifiers, having his own custom amp built by them.

Personal life

Spitz was born in a small town in Rockland County, New York as the second son of a lawyer and a high school substitute teacher. His parents were interested in music, his father liked the music of Dizzy Gillespie, his mother was into classical music. In the early 1980 David Spitz, the five years older brother of Dan, played bass and guitar. Dan got his brother’s guitar and started playing. When he reached seventh grade his mother bought him his first guitar. Spitz reached twelfth grade, went to college but left it after a few weeks without graduating and started his musical career with Anthrax.

Spitz comes from a Jewish family and converted to Christianity from Messianic Judaism in 2000. and is married to Candi. Their 2007 born twins are autistic. Dan and his wife support the organization Autism Speaks because they desire a cure for the twins. He also has two daughters from a previous marriage.

In June 2009, Spitz had a massive heart attack, causing him to undergo an emergency triple bypass, in which he fully recovered.

Notes

Category:Anthrax members Category:Living people Category:American heavy metal guitarists Category:1963 births Category:American Jews Category:Jewish musicians

Personal

Spitz is the brother of former White Lion and Black Sabbath bassist Dave Spitz.

Career

Dan Spitz was the lead guitarist and occasionally backing vocalist of the thrash metal band Anthrax (band) from 1983–1995, appearing on albums Fistful of Metal, Armed and Dangerous (Anthrax album), Spreading the Disease, Among the Living, State of Euphoria, Persistence of Time and Sound of White Noise. Spitz was also in the band from 2005 to 2007 during the reunion of the Among the Living line-up.

Before playing in Anthrax, Spitz was a lead guitarist for local thrash metal band Overkill, and also Thrasher, at which time he shared the stage with bassist Billy Sheehan.

In 1995, Spitz left Anthrax, due to a severe disinterest in playing guitar. In the meantime, he attended WOSTEP on a full scholarship and opened his own watch repair shop. On April 1, 2005, Anthrax announced an Among the Living reunion, and Spitz was reunited with the band. They embarked on a world tour and released Alive 2, a DVD with footage from those performances. Following the end of the reunion tour, Spitz again left Anthrax to concentrate on his watch designs. He was replaced by Rob Caggiano, who had previously served as Anthrax’s lead guitarist prior to the 2005 reunion.

Discography