About
A guitarist who learned to play fast, then learned to do it without getting hurt.
Racer X and the harmonized-lead era
Bruce joined Racer X in 1986 alongside Paul Gilbert, trading and harmonizing the fast, precise dual-guitar leads the band became known for. He appears on Second Heat and the Extreme Volume live records.
He had studied at GIT in Hollywood, with Gilbert as his private instructor, and went on to become a sought-after GIT instructor himself. Teaching has been part of the job from the start.
Into the studio: a Grammy and six gold records
Bruce built a second career as a producer and engineer. He won a Grammy in 2005 for producing and mixing Motörhead's cover of "Whiplash," and produced the gold-certified WWE Triple H theme "The Game."
He is credited on six gold albums and has worked with players like Steve Lukather, Vinnie Colaiuta, Zakk Wylde, and Simon Phillips. Knowing how a guitar sits in a mix is part of how he teaches tone.
The injury, and the eight years away
A serious hand injury, carpal tunnel along with tinnitus, pulled Bruce away from playing for roughly eight years. He stayed in music as a producer and engineer, but the instrument was off the table.
That stretch is the part most teachers cannot speak to. He knows what it is like to lose the thing you do, and what it takes to get it back.
The comeback
Bruce recovered and returned to playing at full strength, releasing the solo instrumental album The Order of Control in 2013. Coming back meant rebuilding his technique deliberately, with staying healthy in mind.
That is the lens he brings to teaching: how to play fast and clean without grinding your hands down. It is a real concern for adult and returning players, and one most shred instruction ignores.
Teaching all of it
Bruce teaches more than licks. Playing, theory, tone, the rig, recording, and songwriting, from a player who has done every part of it for a living.
The goal stays the same. In his own words: "take the mystery out of it."
Hear it
The Racer X live records, with Bruce trading leads alongside Paul Gilbert.
Extreme Volume (Live)Racer X · live