Sheptone welcomes multi-platinum guitarist, producer, and songwriter Mike Krompass to its family of artists endorsing Sheptone products. “Mike K” is a musician’s producer, having engineered, mixed, written, and played on many top-charting Billboard hits, in excess of millions of units worldwide. With his incredible work ethic matched by a resume many working musicians could only dream of, Mike K has met his ideal match with Sheptone’s handcrafted strings that deliver his dream tone.
Born in Toronto and now residing in the U.K. by way of Los Angeles and Nashville, Mike K’s journey began as a member of GRAMMY® Award-winning artist Nelly Furtado’s touring band. His credits include Steven Tyler, Smash Mouth, Theory of a Deadman, Meghan Trainor, David Archuleta, Jordan Knight, Cassadee Pope, and Natasha Bedingfield, just to name a few. He has shared the stage with the likes of Elton John, U2, Destiny’s Child, Cheap Trick, Boyz II Men, Bruno Mars, and others. In 2018, he founded ”Merica Records, distributed by Sony Orchard. Countless hours on the road and in the studio may have led Mike K to be quite particular about his gear, but his selections are less about style and more about tone.
Mike K’s recent social media content features his Iconic 62S vintage custom guitar with a fresh set of Sheptone strings—a combo he’s been using to cook up some new tunes while in lockdown. Whether he’s behind a guitar or behind a control board, it’s not about the frills; it’s about the feeling. It comes down to a player’s ability to lock in rhythmically and achieve the tone that reflects the passion and excitement behind the music.
“The most important thing in the studio is not how well you can play solos; it’s your rhythm,” Mike K added, explaining how important it is to learn different styles and put in the 10,000 hours needed to learn the craft. “People always try to fast-track it, but it’s important to learn music, even if you’re not a sight-reader or a theory guy, to study music and how it moves.”
Simply put, there is no fast-tracking the highest-quality performance, whether that’s from the player or from their strings. It’s why Sheptone does not believe in rushing or mass producing guitar strings as quickly and as cheaply as possible. Instead, Sheptone meticulously sources materials and applies the time and effort needed, one string at a time, to help players achieve the tone of their dreams. Each Sheptone string is made by hand with nickel-plated steel carefully wrapped around a treated hex steel core. The handcrafted difference is sonically apparent in long-lasting strings destined for creators like Mike Krompass, who honor tone, feel, and durability. Just like a session player called in to lay down the track, Sheptone strings deliver reliably every single time, right out of the package.
Sheptone Premium Nickel Wound Electric Guitar Strings are available in 4 sets of varying gauges, for players of various genres and styles. They are sold through retailers and directly online at www.sheptone.com.