Meet Greg Koch
Greg Koch has been called a "twisted guitar genius" to " an eclectic virtuoso" by guitar pundits but in fact, these are just descriptions of someone who loves what he does has found a way to make a living doing it on his own terms by being able to sound like just about anyone to just about no one, all delivered with the irreverence of a "plectrum-wielding skullduggarist" (to use his verbiage). As a result, he has successfully moved beyond his local hero status in the upper Midwest to becoming an internationally renowned recording artist and guitarist, session player heard on everything from car commercials to Nick Jr. soundtracks, author of some of the top-selling guitar instructional books, and DVD's in the world, magazine columnist in publications around the globe, radio personality, comedian and one of the most in-demand guitar clinicians in the world for Fender® Musical Instruments and Hal Leonard Publishing.
His fascination with the guitar started in the third grade when Greg started making Fender Stratocasters® cut out of cardboard, using his sister's sewing machine pedal as a makeshift wah-wah. He would pretend to rock along to Jimi Hendrix, whose music had become his obsession. When he finally got his first guitar at age twelve after failing to duplicate Mr. Hendrix on the cello, Greg quickly advanced by watching, listening, and copying what he heard on records. Early on, his own hybrid style of blues, rock, and country began to take form, and was able to develop further by playing in everything from show bands to Elvis impersonators, polka groups, and blues-rock ensembles of his own creation.