Listen to High Spirit

Felix Martin, a left-handed Venezuelan-born guitar prodigy, moved to America after winning a scholarship to attend the prestigious Berklee School of Music. Instead of merely adding an extra string to his instrument, Martin took things several steps further and added an entire second set of strings. His self-designed 14-string custom guitar features two seven-string guitars on one wide neck which allows him to play both guitars simultaneously. In this manner, he is able to employ his unique system of techniques, including eight-fingered chords and slap-tapping techniques.

Soon after signing with Prosthetic in 2012 and releasing the live album “Live in Boston” — hailed by Noisecreep as “a masterclass in forward-thinking guitar” —, Martin embarked on his first-ever American tour following a successful seven-week tour throughout Europe. Earlier this year, the Venezuelan innovator was seen performing at the annual NAMM Convention in Southern California at the booth of Seymour Duncan pickups, who praised his “incredible level of skill, musicality, dexterity and dedication.”

On his sophomore studio recording "The Scenic Album," which features fellow Berklee alum Nathan Navarro on bass and drummer extraordinaire Marco Minnemann (Necrophagist, Steven Wilson, The Aristocrats), Martin plays an eclectic, exhilarating hybrid of instrumental prog-metal, jazz and fusion. Clearly, sometimes it's better to be strung out.