Tom Hess is an electric guitar virtuoso known for his immense musical talent not only in the United States but internationally as well. He is part of the rock band HESS along with Mike Walsh, Mark Carozza and Scott Hess. Tom also has another band called HolyHell where he plays alongside Joe Stump, another guitar virtuoso.

Tom is likewise a composer, he produced the HESS debut album titled Opus 1, followed by Opus 2 which he produced in 2004.

Aside from performing and composing, Tom offers private and correspondence lessons, improvisation training classes and a mentoring program for those who want to become professional musicians. He has co-authored The Beginning Guitarist's Book and is an endorser of Randall Amplifiers and Seymour Duncan Pickups.

Have you always wanted to be a musician? What age did you realize that this was your calling?

When I was 11 years old I heard Def Leppard’s Pyromania album. At the same time MTV was becoming popular (and at that time MTV was actually cool).

Is the guitar always your first choice or did you try another instrument before switching to the guitar?

I wanted to be a guitarist or singer. It didn't take long (about 1 minute) to realize I couldn't sing well, so guitar was it.

In your opinion what makes the guitar stand out compared to other instruments?

With the exception of the harp and the piano, I generally do not enjoy listening much to solo instruments. I prefer the sound of ensembles, chamber music, orchestral music (my favorite musical genre is the piano concerto), rock band (which of course contains guitars).

The guitar is expressive in that there is much we can do with the pitches, but we are limited to how many can be played at once and there are no natural sustaining possibilities.

Did you take any formal lessons? What is your advice for those who want to learn how to play the guitar?

Yes I studied formally from both good and bad teachers. I earned two music degrees (a B.M. in Music Composition from Roosevelt University and an A.A. in Music Theory from Harper College). My advice for others is to find a great teacher.

Are there any guitar brands you're personally fond of?

I play Carvin Guitars exclusively. I love them, although my main model is the V220 which was made only between 1984-1989. As far as other gears, I also have endorsement deals with Randall Amps and Seymour Duncan pickups (love the Metal Live Wires!).