“The thing is that when we went to LA, where the videos were shot, I forgot my guitar at home so I had to run to the nearest local guitar store to buy an ESP Eclipse.” This is Emppu Vuorinen answering a fan question — via the Nightmail fan platform — about whether he had switched from his signature ESP instruments to a Les Paul to match vocalist Anette Olzon’s heavier voice. The answer is definitively not. He had simply left his guitar in Finland when Nightwish flew to Los Angeles to film the Amaranth and Bye Bye Beautiful videos. He bought an ESP Eclipse Vintage Black at the nearest guitar store. He filmed the videos with it. He did not change his guitar approach to suit a vocalist’s voice. He is, of all the guitarists in this section of the guide, the one whose role is most specifically defined by the music he serves rather than by individual expression: Emppu Vuorinen is primarily a rhythm player, often supporting the keyboard or orchestral parts of Nightwish songs. He is not the compositional center of Nightwish — that is Tuomas Holopainen’s keyboard-driven world. He is the guitarist who makes the orchestral and keyboard arrangements feel like rock music, who provides the specific heavy, physical foundation that symphonic metal requires beneath Nightwish’s considerable production grandeur. His ESP EV-1 in purple. His Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier since 2002. His Marshall JCM800 4×12 cabinets. His D tuning since Century Child. These are the tools. The music is what they serve.
Erno Matti Juhani “Emppu” Vuorinen was born on June 24, 1978, in Kitee, Finland. He is the oldest of five children, with a twin brother and three younger sisters. He is the only founding member of Nightwish’s current lineup who has never contributed any vocals. He started playing guitar as a private study at age twelve. He is a founding member of Nightwish, having been present at the band’s formation in 1996 by Tuomas Holopainen. He has co-written songs with Holopainen from Oceanborn until Dark Passion Play, and “Whoever Brings the Night” on Dark Passion Play is written by Vuorinen alone. He is 5’5″ (165cm) tall — “often referred to as ‘The Short One’ when amongst Nightwish members.” He plays primarily rhythm guitar, occasionally lead melodies and solos; his solo techniques include alternate picking, short-range tapping, sliding, legato, and minor to extreme whammy bar use. He has been a consistent presence through all the lineup changes and personnel shifts of Nightwish’s history. He tuned his studio guitars in D tuning from Century Child (2002) onward. He used Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifiers regularly since 2002. And when he forgot his guitar in Finland before the LA video shoot, he bought an ESP Eclipse at the nearest store and carried on.
Background: Kitee Finland, Nightwish 1996, Symphonic Metal as Context, Rhythm Guitarist in an Orchestral Band
Nightwish’s specific position in symphonic metal — as Finland’s most commercially successful metal band internationally, with over ten million albums sold — places Vuorinen’s guitar work in a specific orchestral context that differs fundamentally from the guitar-centered approach of most other bands in this guide. In Nightwish, Tuomas Holopainen’s keyboards and the orchestral arrangements that Holopainen writes are the primary compositional voices; the guitar’s role is to provide the rock energy and the heavy rhythmic foundation that prevents the orchestral arrangements from floating free of the physical grounding that makes the music metal rather than classical. Vuorinen’s specific skill — providing this grounding consistently, at high quality, across decades of studio albums and live performances, without either overwhelming the orchestral dimension or being overwhelmed by it — is the central technical achievement of his career.
His role as “primarily a rhythm player, often supporting the keyboard or orchestral parts of Nightwish songs” is not a limitation but a specific creative contribution. The relationship between his rhythm guitar and Holopainen’s keyboards is the defining characteristic of Nightwish’s sound: the guitar is the rock instrument that gives the keyboards their physical weight, and the keyboards are the orchestral instrument that gives the guitar’s rhythmic patterns their melodic and harmonic context. The two instruments need each other, and Vuorinen’s specific understanding of his guitar’s role within that partnership — not as the primary melodic voice but as the physical foundation of the orchestral arrangement — is what makes the partnership work.
The D tuning decision (from Century Child, 2002 onward) is one of the more specific technical decisions documented in this section: a decision to lower the entire guitar one full tone from standard tuning, providing a heavier, darker sonic character appropriate for the increasingly ambitious and dramatically epic nature of Nightwish’s Century Child and subsequent albums. The decision was made simultaneously with the musical evolution of the band — the shift from the more standard heavy metal approach of the Oceanborn and Wishmaster albums to the full orchestral production of Century Child. Darker tuning suited darker, more dramatically ambitious music.
The Rig: Emppu Vuorinen’s Guitars, Amps, and Effects
Guitars
ESP EV-1 Custom (Purple and White, Primary Signature Guitar, Seymour Duncan Pickups): Emppu Vuorinen’s primary signature guitar is the ESP EV-1 — a custom-configured ESP instrument in two colors (purple and white) with specific Seymour Duncan pickup configuration. The Nightwish Ever Dream blog documentation provides the complete spec: “The ESP EV-1 with Seymour Duncan pickups (TB-5 in the bridge, SHR-1n in the middle and an SH-2n in the neck), 1 in purple and 1 in white.” The Seymour Duncan TB-5 (Duncan Custom in the bridge) provides the high-output, aggressive attack character appropriate for the rhythm guitar role in symphonic metal’s high-gain contexts. The SHR-1n (Hot Rails for humbucker-sized middle position) provides the single-coil bite in the middle position, and the SH-2n (Jazz in the neck) provides the warm, clear neck pickup tone for cleaner passages. The purple finish has become his most specifically identified visual characteristic — his distinctive purple guitar was the subject of fan concern when he temporarily appeared without it (hence the “ran to the nearest guitar store to buy an ESP Eclipse” story).
ESP Horizon Custom (Custom Japan-Built, Documented): The Nightwish Ever Dream documentation confirms: “a custom made ESP Horizon” as part of his current guitar collection. The ESP Horizon is ESP’s arch-top semi-hollow-adjacent model — a guitar with a slightly different tonal character from the solid-body EV-1, providing additional warmth and resonance for specific applications. Custom Japan-built ESP instruments carry the highest production quality in the ESP lineup, built to individual specifications at the ESP Custom Shop in Tokyo.
ESP Eclipse Vintage Black (LA Guitar Store Purchase, Amaranth/Bye Bye Beautiful Video): The specifically documented ESP Eclipse Vintage Black was purchased at a Los Angeles guitar store when Vuorinen forgot his primary guitars in Finland before the Amaranth and Bye Bye Beautiful video shoot. The ESP Eclipse is ESP’s Les Paul-inspired model — a set-neck, humbucker-equipped guitar with a resonant, warm tone character different from the bolt-neck superstrat character of the EV-1. His anecdote clarifying the purchase: “I forgot my guitar at home so I had to run to the nearest local guitar store to buy an ESP Eclipse. So the answer is: No! [I did not change to a Les Paul to suit Anette’s voice].”
Washburn CS-780 (Early Nightwish Albums, Purple and White with Golden Hardware): Before his ESP endorsement, Vuorinen used Washburn CS-780 guitars for the early Nightwish albums — “WASHBURN CS-780: white and purple guitars with golden hardware.” The Washburn CS-780 is a neck-through superstrat with Floyd Rose tremolo and the specific Washburn character of the late 1990s production. The purple finish that characterizes his ESP instruments was already present in the early Washburn guitars — a consistent color preference across his entire career.
D Tuning (From Century Child, 2002 — Full Band Drop): “Vuorinen has tuned his studio guitars in D tuning since the release of Century Child — until then, his guitars were tuned in standard. During concerts, he has two guitars – one for each tuning.” The two-guitar live approach — one in standard tuning for early Nightwish material, one in D tuning for Century Child onward — documents the practical challenge of performing a catalog that spans different tuning requirements. Having dedicated instruments for each tuning avoids the real-time retuning that would disrupt live performance flow.
The Forgotten Guitar Story (LA, Nearest Guitar Store, ESP Eclipse): The specific story of the forgotten guitar — flying to Los Angeles for a major music video shoot and discovering the guitar was still in Finland — is one of the more endearing gear stories in symphonic metal. The solution: go to the nearest guitar store, buy an ESP Eclipse Vintage Black, film the videos, carry on. This is the professional musician’s approach to gear crisis: identify what you need, obtain it, use it. The Eclipse worked perfectly well for the video shoot. The story demonstrates both his pragmatism and the consistency of his ESP preference even under emergency conditions.
Amps
Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier (Primary Amplifier Since 2002, Most Associated Amp): The Alchetron documentation is explicit: “Emppu has used Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifiers regularly since 2002 and it is the amp most associated with him.” The Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier — the three-channel, three-rectifier 150-watt version of the Dual Rectifier — provides the specific tight, aggressive American high-gain character that the Nightwish rhythm guitar role requires. At 150 watts with three rectifier stages, the Triple Rectifier provides more headroom and more consistent response at high volumes than the 100-watt Dual Rectifier — important for the consistent, precise rhythm work that Nightwish’s complex orchestral arrangements demand from the guitar. Timo Tolkki (Series 2 #177) used the Dual Rectifier for Visions at the same period; Vuorinen uses the Triple Rectifier from approximately the same period onward — the Mesa Rectifier family as the foundational Finnish metal amplifier of the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Marshall JCM800 4×12 Cabinets (Speaker Cabinets with Mesa Heads): The Nightwish Ever Dream documentation confirms: “His current main amplifiers are Mesa Boogie Dual Rectifiers with Marshall JCM 800 4×12 speaker cabinets.” Running Mesa Boogie amplifier heads through Marshall 4×12 cabinets is a standard professional metal approach — combining the American preamp character of the Mesa with the specific speaker character of Marshall’s 4×12 cabinets (loaded with either Celestion G12T-75s or Vintage 30s). The Marshall 1960A 4×12 cabinet is additionally confirmed in the “GEAR GODS RIGGED — Nightwish” video documentation on Equipboard.
Kemper Profiler (Brother Firetribe, Current Digital Approach): The Brother Firetribe official tour diary video documents Vuorinen using a Kemper Profiler Remote Foot Controller — the control interface for the Kemper Profiling Amplifier. The Kemper Profiler, which captures (“profiles”) the complete sonic character of a physical amplifier and reproduces it digitally, represents his most recent documented amplification approach for the Brother Firetribe project. Whether the Kemper has replaced or supplements the Triple Rectifier in his current Nightwish setup is not definitively documented, but its presence in his documented live rigs reflects the same digital modeling trend visible across this section of the guide.
Red Preamp (Wishmaster and Century Child Tours, 2000-2003): The Equipboard documentation mentions “the red preamp seen in his rack during Wishmaster and Century Child tours 2000-2003” — a specific red-colored rack preamp visible at 1:22 in tour documentation. The specific model is not identified in available sources, but its presence documents the rack-based approach he used in the early 2000s before settling on the Mesa Triple Rectifier as his primary amp.
Effects and Signal Processing
Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier’s Three Channels (Primary Tonal Variety): The Triple Rectifier’s three independent channels — Clean, Pushed (medium gain), and Vintage/Modern (high gain, two modes) — provide the tonal variety that Nightwish’s compositional range requires within a single amplifier. The Clean channel for the gentle, acoustic-adjacent passages of Nightwish’s more delicate compositions; the Pushed channel for medium-gain rhythm work; the high-gain channel for the aggressive, heavy riff sections. Within the Triple Rectifier’s architecture, much of the tonal management that other guitarists achieve through pedals or effects switching is accomplished through channel selection.
Whammy Bar (Minor to Extreme Use, Documented Technique): The Alchetron and Metal Storm documentation both confirm “minor to extreme whammy bar use for vibrato” as a documented Vuorinen technique. Floyd Rose tremolos (on the ESP EV-1 and earlier Washburn models) allow both controlled vibrato and more extreme dive-bomb and pull-up effects — and Vuorinen’s “minor to extreme” characterization documents the full range of his Floyd Rose use, from subtle vibrato on sustained notes to the more dramatic pitch effects available at extreme arm movements.
Alternate Picking, Tapping, Sliding, Legato (Technique Portfolio): The Metal Storm documentation provides the complete technique list: “alternate picking, tapping, sliding, legato, and minor to extreme whammy bar use for vibrato.” Sweep picking is also mentioned as used “although very rarely.” This technique portfolio — comprehensive but not displayed for its own sake — reflects the rhythm guitarist’s pragmatic approach: use whatever technique the specific musical passage requires, but don’t display technique beyond what the music needs.
Megadeth “Symphony of Destruction” Live Pedal (Crownless Song Context): The Equipboard documentation notes “this pedal is seen in his Pedalboard, most notably used in the song Crownless and live performances of Symphony of Destruction” — referencing a specific pedal used for covering Megadeth material in live performance contexts. The specific pedal is not identified in available sources, but its presence for specific cover song material documents the adaptability of his live setup for material beyond the Nightwish catalog.
Playing Style & Tone Philosophy
Emppu Vuorinen’s playing style is the most self-effacingly service-oriented in the symphonic metal tradition — the approach of a guitarist who has completely internalized the specific role that the guitar plays within Nightwish’s orchestral context and executes that role with absolute consistency and professionalism across three decades of albums and tours. He is not trying to be the most prominent voice in the music; he is trying to be the right voice in the music at the right moment, providing the heavy rhythmic foundation when the orchestral arrangement needs it and stepping back when the keyboards and strings need space to develop their own momentum.
His tone philosophy is the Mesa Triple Rectifier’s American high-gain character in D tuning, running through Marshall 4×12 cabinets — a specific combination that produces the precise, tight, heavy rhythm tone that symphonic metal requires from its guitar. The “since 2002” consistency of the Mesa Rectifier reflects the same philosophy that Dean DeLeo’s “same rig since 1990” and Dave Navarro’s “same setup since 1990” document in this guide: a musician who found the right tool for the specific musical context and maintained it. Where those guitarists found their rigs in 1990, Vuorinen found his in 2002 — the Mesa Triple Rectifier that he has used at every Nightwish recording and touring context since Century Child.
The Nightwish Ever Dream description of his role — “primarily a rhythm player, often supporting the keyboard or orchestral parts” — is the most accurate and most concise characterization available. He is not the musical architect of Nightwish (that is Holopainen), not the primary melodic voice (that is the vocalist), not the compositional visionary (Holopainen again). He is the guitarist — the rock musician who keeps the symphonic band’s feet on the ground. He is essential. He is consistent. He is The Short One with the purple guitar.
How to Sound Like Emppu Vuorinen
Guitar: ESP EV-1 (purple, obviously) or comparable superstrat with Seymour Duncan TB-5 bridge humbucker and SH-2n neck humbucker. Floyd Rose tremolo for the “minor to extreme” whammy bar range. Tune to D (one full tone below standard, from low to high: D-G-C-F-A-D) for the Century Child onward Nightwish material; standard for the earlier albums.
Amp: Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifier (150W, three-channel, three-rectifier), through Marshall 4×12 cabinet (1960A or 1960B with Celestion Vintage 30s or G12T-75s).
Amp Settings (Mesa Boogie Triple Rectifier — Modern High Gain Channel):
| Control | Setting (0–10) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Gain | 7–9 | High — symphonic metal rhythm guitar needs full saturation |
| Bass | 5 | Natural — D tuning provides additional low-end weight already |
| Mid | 5–6 | Present — the guitar needs to support the keyboard’s frequency space |
| Treble | 6 | Bright but musical — attack clarity for rhythm patterns |
| Presence | 5 | Moderate — definition without conflict with the orchestral arrangements |
Context: The most important “effect” for the Nightwish guitar sound is the orchestral and keyboard arrangement that surrounds it. Solo, the Mesa Triple Rectifier through Marshall 4×12 is a perfectly capable high-gain metal rig. In the context of full orchestration, choir, and Nightwish’s specific production approach, the guitar’s role shifts from foreground to foundation. Understanding this shift — and playing accordingly — is as important as any specific gear choice.
Influence & Legacy
Emppu Vuorinen’s influence on symphonic metal guitar is the most specifically contextual in this guide — not an influence on technique or tone in isolation, but an influence on the specific understanding of what the guitar’s role within a symphonic metal band should be. His three decades of providing the heavy rock foundation that allows Nightwish’s orchestral ambitions to remain grounded in metal have provided the model for every subsequent symphonic metal guitarist who has had to navigate the same challenge: how to be a metal guitarist in an orchestral band without either drowning the orchestration or being swallowed by it.
His connection to Timo Tolkki (Series 2 #177) as a fellow Finnish metal guitarist of the same generation who also used Mesa Boogie Rectifiers in the same period reflects the specific shared tonal vocabulary of Finnish metal in the early 2000s. His connection to Alexi Laiho (Series 2 #176) as the other primary Finnish guitarist of his generation in an internationally successful band reflects the specific richness of the Finnish metal tradition. His connection to Jari Mäenpää (Series 2 #179) of Wintersun — whose symphonic approach builds on the Nightwish tradition — reflects the generational transmission of Finnish symphonic metal.
Internal Links:
- Timo Tolkki of Stratovarius, a fellow Finnish metal guitarist of the same generation who also used Mesa Rectifiers at #177
- Alexi Laiho of Children of Bodom, the other primary Finnish guitarist of his generation in a major international band at #176
- Jari Mäenpää of Wintersun, whose symphonic approach builds on the Nightwish tradition at #179
- Ihsahn of Emperor, representing the broader Scandinavian metal tradition within which Finnish metal developed at #169
Frequently Asked Questions: Emppu Vuorinen Nightwish Guitars & Gear
What guitar does Emppu Vuorinen play?
Vuorinen’s primary signature guitar is the ESP EV-1 — a custom ESP instrument available in purple and white, with Seymour Duncan pickups (TB-5 in the bridge, SHR-1n in the middle, SH-2n in the neck) and Floyd Rose tremolo. He also plays a custom-made ESP Horizon (Japan Custom Shop), the ESP Eclipse Vintage Black (purchased in LA when he forgot his guitars at home), and earlier used Washburn CS-780 guitars for Nightwish’s first several albums. His purple guitar is his most visually distinctive characteristic.
What amplifier does Emppu Vuorinen use?
Vuorinen has used Mesa/Boogie Triple Rectifiers regularly since 2002 — “it is the amp most associated with him,” per the Alchetron documentation. He runs the Triple Rectifier heads through Marshall JCM800 4×12 cabinets and Marshall 1960A 4×12 cabinets. For his Brother Firetribe side project, he uses a Kemper Profiling Amplifier with the Kemper Profiler Remote Foot Controller. Earlier gear includes a red rack preamp seen on the Wishmaster and Century Child tours (2000-2003).
When did Emppu Vuorinen switch to D tuning and why?
“Vuorinen has tuned his studio guitars in D tuning since the release of Century Child — until then, his guitars were tuned in standard.” Century Child (2002) was the album on which Nightwish made their most ambitious orchestral and production jump, featuring full symphony orchestra arrangements. The lower D tuning suited the darker, more dramatically epic character of the post-Century Child material. During concerts, he uses two guitars — one in standard tuning for earlier Nightwish material and one in D tuning for the Century Child onward catalog.
What is the story of Emppu Vuorinen’s ESP Eclipse purchase?
When Nightwish traveled to Los Angeles to film the music videos for Amaranth and Bye Bye Beautiful, Vuorinen discovered he had left his guitars in Finland. Rather than delaying the video shoot, he went to the nearest local guitar store and bought an ESP Eclipse Vintage Black. He filmed both videos with this store-bought Eclipse. The story clarifies a fan rumor that he had switched to a Les Paul-style guitar to suit vocalist Anette Olzon’s heavier voice — the Eclipse (a Les Paul-inspired ESP model) was simply the nearest available guitar, not a stylistic choice.
What is Emppu Vuorinen’s role within Nightwish?
Vuorinen is primarily a rhythm player in Nightwish, “often supporting the keyboard or orchestral parts of Nightwish songs.” He is not the compositional center (Tuomas Holopainen is) or the primary melodic voice (the vocalist), but the guitarist who provides the heavy rock foundation that gives the orchestral arrangements their metal energy. He does play lead melodies and solos as well — most extensively on the first three Nightwish albums; less prominently on the later, more orchestrally dense records. He is the only current lineup member who has never contributed vocals.
What are Emppu Vuorinen’s guitar influences and technique?
Vuorinen started guitar at age twelve as a private study. His documented solo techniques include alternate picking, short-range tapping, sliding, legato, and minor-to-extreme whammy bar use for vibrato; sweep picking appears “although very rarely.” He has co-written songs with Tuomas Holopainen from Oceanborn through Dark Passion Play, and “Whoever Brings the Night” on Dark Passion Play is written by Vuorinen alone. His guitar influences are not extensively documented in primary sources, reflecting his consistent identification with the band rather than with individual guitar-focused media.
What are Emppu Vuorinen’s projects outside Nightwish?
Vuorinen has participated in several projects alongside Nightwish: Brother Firetribe (an AOR/hard rock band whose debut “False Metal” was released in Finland in 2006), Altaria, Almah (a Brazilian metal band with former Angra vocalist Edu Falaschi — he helped with guitar parts as a favor but didn’t stay due to Nightwish obligations), and Barilari. His participation in these projects documents his range beyond the symphonic metal context of Nightwish — particularly Brother Firetribe’s more straightforward hard rock approach, which is a different musical context from the orchestral complexity of Nightwish.
