Tetrarch riffsmith Diamond Rowe is a hellishly inventive player whose merging of thick modern metal riffs with stark leads and nu metal nostalgia make you think, “I wish I’d written that!”
She and her band have shared stages with Guns N’ Roses, Slipknot, Avenged Sevenfold and others. Moreover, she has a personality to match the planet-smashing riffs she creates – and she made history this month with Jackson as she became the first black female metal player to be honored with a signature guitar.
Featuring a fresh take on the Monarkh shape, with a standout custom headstock and brutality-primed hardware, Rowe’s new instruments represents every facet of her personality.
You’ve stuck with the Les Paul shape you’re known for. Was that a must for you?
“I started playing guitar when I was 12, and other than my very first guitar, which was a Telecaster knockoff, I’ve always had single-cuts. They’re what’s most comfortable, and I’ve always felt looked the best on me.”
But you’ve made some choice tweaks, especially with that poplar burl top and finish.
“Everyone expects a flame or a quilt maple top; I wanted to do something different. And the finish – I’ve called it dark rose because my middle name’s Rose – is just subtly different than what you would usually see on others.
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“It’s kind of like me: you see me on the street and you probably think you know so much about me. Most people would probably be completely wrong. The guitar has small details that single-cuts don’t usually have.”
Were there any must-have specs?
“All my touring guitars have EverTune bridges, and I’ve played EMG 81/85s since I was about 16 because of Metallica and Zakk Wylde. I’m a high gain freak. I love super heavy, high-gain guitar tones, and I get that tone consistently and easily with EMGs.
“But there were some things we messed around with. The scale length is 25.5” and most single-cuts are 24.75”. We tune to Drop A, which is technically low for a six string. That extra length feels really good – you can totally hear the difference.”
And there’s a brand-new headstock design.
“The first thing I told Jackson was, ‘I’ve gotta have a different headstock!’ The single-cut is such a classic shape that you don’t want to deviate too much. I wanted it to be three-and-three and kind of square it off a little bit. We also added a little divet on the top for a nod to the Jackson pointy headstock.”
What do you pair the guitar with?
“I play an EVH EL34 100-watt head, which I love, and I have a pretty big pedalboard. A lot of people ask, ‘Why haven’t you gone digital?’ but I love feeling an amp and feeling the air and the energy on stage.
“The DigiTech Whammy is a huge staple for me; I have a Kirk Hammett wah pedal, a Strymon Blue Sky and an ISP Technologies Decimator X G-String noise suppressor – that’s my favorite piece of gear in the world. It’s the most non-sexy thing ever, but it cleans up all the extra sound in my rig. I'm obsessed with it.
“I also have this creepy modulated tone that’s very Korn-esque and it takes like four or five pedals to achieve that.”
That tone is fantastic – was it something you were chasing?
“It was a happy accident. When we were working on 2017 LP Freak, we needed a creepy effected tone for the title track. We ended up using the sine wave chorus on the Pod Farm, and that’s become the basis for most of our effects. Finding it in pedal form has been such a journey.
“Live, I use a Univibe, a Boss chorus, a Boss DD-7 delay and a tube screamer. The Univibe is a big part of it, and it sounds cool with a flanger too. It’s our sacred tone so I keep it in my rack.”
What’s your approach to guitar solos?
“We started out as a thrash band, so writing solos was pretty linear. As we’ve evolved to what Tetrarch is today, when not many bands of that nature play guitar solos, I've had to learn how to fit our style and not just play some dad-rock solo.
“It was a mental thing first, where I stopped worrying about how everyone else was doing things, and thought more about being Diamond in the best way that I can. I utilize use the whammy with wah a lot, and I might throw an octave on when I’m tapping. I want my solos to sound uncomfortable, weird and creepy – but still be melodic and catchy.”
You're the first female African American artist in heavy music to get a signature guitar; how does that feel?
“It feels amazing! When I started I never focused on the fact that I was different in any way in this space at all. It didn’t matter; I just wanted to shred. I think what’s cool is me getting to this point by just being genuine to myself and doing what I love.”
I think I was so focused on following my passion that I drowned out anything negative
Were you aware of a lack of representation growing up?
“I think I was so focused on following my passion that I drowned out anything negative. I’m grateful that I wasn’t conscious of it. Heavy music has literally changed my life. I’ve loved it since I was 11 with such a fiery passion that I just know I was put on this earth to do this.
“So if there’s anyone else who has that same feeling, and they see someone like me doing this, I hope it lets them know to not ignore that feeling. I hope it inspires people to go after what they love, and do it with conviction.”
- The Pro Series Signature Diamond Rowe DR12MG EVTN6 is available now from Jackson Guitars.
