Who Is Synister Gates ??

Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. (born July 7, 1981), better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn or "Gates", is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist and backup vocalist for American hard rock band Avenged Sevenfold.

Guitar World magazine has ranked him as one of the top 50 fastest guitar players of all-time




Brian has a younger half-sister named McKenna, brother named Brent, stepbrother Robert C. Eldred. Nickname is Johnny. His father, Brian Haner Sr., is a musician and comedian known as "Guitar Guy" or "Papa Gates" and is currently on tour with Jeff Dunham.

Brian cites Django Reinhardt, Dimebag Darrell, Eddie Van Halen, Slash and John Petrucci as his favorite guitarists and major influences. In June 2008, Guitar World magazine interviewed Brian, reader Shawn Butterfield asked "You're one hell of a guitarist. But who do you really look up to?" to which he responded "Definitely Slash, the Ozzy guitar dudes, Alexi Laiho from Children of Bodom, Jimi Hendrix of course, Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin Matt Spiller, a lot man!".

Brian went to Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California and also Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, California.

He graduated from the Musicians Institute in Hollywood as part of the GIT program, studying jazz guitar. Up until that time he was primarily self taught by watching music videos and reading books, which is surprising because his father was/is a songwriter and guitar player, having played with Frank Zappa during his career. After six or so months of being there, he got a phone call from The Rev (and the rest of the current line up of Avenged Sevenfold barre Johnny Christ) asking him if he wanted to join the band as lead guitarist. Brian joined up with them rather than continuing his education and becoming a studio musician.

Brian joined Avenged Sevenfold when he was 18 at the end of 1999, right before the recording of the band's first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. He was featured on their EP, "Warmness on the Soul", and on the reissue of their first album.

In the Avenged Sevenfold DVD All Excess, to emphasize the seemingly random placing of names, Brian stated that his name was thought of on a drunken drive through the park with The Rev. Also, his band members claim that he originally thought that he was too good to play for the band. He corrects them by saying he said no such thing.

He has won numerous awards, including the "Young Shredder" award of the year in the Metal Hammer awards in 2006 and the "Guitarist of the Year" Award for Total Guitar Magazine in 2006.