Dale Burton

Hey Metal Heads! Welcome to my little corner of the world. My name is Dale Burton. Tykküs would like to thank everyone out there who has followed and supported the band. After nearly 5 years of headbanging, gigging and touring, we have decided to part ways.The Tykküs Myspace site will be maintained for the time being, perhaps we'll even post some of the new songs that we started recording in early 2007. Justin and Brian still maintain their personal Myspaces so be sure to add them as friends and say hi.Again, thanks to all the fans who made this band what it was. We had a blast.Justin, Steve, Brian, Dale & Will V. Tykküs
I'll be busy with LETTER 7 as I can now go full time with these rockers for Christ. We're very busy working on the new songs for next LETTER 7 CD and they are hot!!! Thanks for having me on board guys!
You can receive Christ right now by faith through prayer (Prayer is talking with God)
God knows your heart and is not so concerned with your words as He is with the attitude of your heart.
Below is a suggested prayer. Remember you must mean it from your heart.
"Lord Jesus, I need you. Thank You for dying on the cross for my sins. I open the door of my life and receive You as my Savior and Lord. Thank You for forgiving my sins and giving me eternal life. Take control of the throne of my life. Make me the kind of person You want me to be."
Does the above prayer express the desires of your heart? If it does, pray this prayer right now, and Jesus Christ will come into your life.
With Guitarist George Lynch Sam Ash Music Clinic
*FOR YOU GEAR HEADS, HERE'S MY CURRENT EQUIPMENT LIST*
MY RACK SYSTEM:
Peavey 50/50 tube power amp.
Two Peavey Rockmaster pre-amps with footswitch for lead, crunch, or clean guitar sound with hot Sovtek tubes.
Alesis Midiverb III.
BBE Sonic Maximizer.
Boss BCB 60 case with a Boss DD6 Digital Delay, Digitech Stereo Turbo Flanger, Boss CE-3 Chorus, a very old Boss OD-1 Overdrive "extra punch":), and a Boss TU-2 Tuner.
Nady Wirless that I don't use unless it's in a big stage area.
Two 4x12 Jackson Cabinets. These are the bomb! :)
*MY GUITARS*
1985 San Dimas Jackson Randy Rhoads Custom Ferrari Red, with Duncan Distortion pickups.
2005 Jackson Randy Rhoads w/ Floyd Rose whammy bar in metallic purple/black finish. Has these Duncan Invader type pickups and they sound killer.
1998 Dean European Flying V, Korina wood, gold hdwr, really hot Dean Humbucking pickups. This guitar screams and the craftsmanship is beautiful. I've had the honor and the pleasure to jam with Michael Schenker ala "Scorpions, UFO, and MSG" with the Dean V. Michael Schenker played the daylights out of the Dean V and really liked the guitar. He even broke the little "e" string and it's mine! LOL! What a great guitarist to hang with. Pics will be added soon. :)
1981 Gibson Explorer EX 2 Cherry sunburst, flame maple top, neck, and body maple. Velvet Brick/Dirty Fingers pickups.
1999 Fender Stratocaster 70's re-issue with ash body, Olympic White, rosewood fretboard, large CBS head stock and I totally dig this guitar! It is heavy! Duncan Hot Rails pickup in the treble position.
2006 Fender Squier Stratocaster Daphne Blue with maple fretboard. Large CBS type head stock. Great tone monster!
2006 Fender Squire Stratocaster with a rosewood fret board and large CBS type head stock in a cream finish with white pick guard. This guitar screams, I kid you not! I always had a soft spot for Jimi Hendrix, Gary Moore, Stevie Ray Vaughan, and Yngwie Malmsteen! :)
2000 Epiphone/Gibson Ace Frehley Signature Series Les Paul in rare trans black burst finish w/ three Dimarzio Super Distortion pickups.
ACE FREHLEY IS THE REASON WHY I TOOK UP A GUITAR BACK IN 1977! :)
*AND NOW THE AGILE GUITARS*
2006 Agile AL-2000 Tiger Eye flame top, mahogany body with stock pickups. Les Paul body style.
2005 Agile AL-2500 Black finish, mahogany body, three Razor Humbucking pickups. Les Paul body style.
I REALLY LIKE THESE AGILE GUITARS! THEY'RE TERRIFIC!
GHS Boomers guitar strings Custom lights 9-46. Guitar picks are a mixed bag of Jazz III hard pointed picks and those Dunlop Purple stubby picks!
VISIT MY FRIENDS AT
*ATOMIC GUITAR WORKS*
Click Here
www.myspace.com/stryper
*A VERY INTERESTING STORY ABOUT STRYPER*In 1984 I started working at Flagstaff Music Center in Flagstaff Arizona. Wouldn't you know it, the owners were Christians and big on anything that honored Christ in music.
In 1984 I was plugging along in a local metal band called "Iron Curtain". Not very original I know but we were playing metal covers of Judas Priest, Scorpions, Krokus, Iron Maiden...you know what I'm saying. Well, the Lord had an appointment made for little ole me here because I can not explain it any other way. I don't believe in fate, luck, or any of that stuff. I run on Faith! At the church I went to we had a young lady who worked at the local Christian radio station that is long gone. It was KSOJ and she would play Christian rock on the weekends. She came into the music store in mid November and gave me a new album she got in her mail. it was some band called "STRYPER". Holy cow! Hair! Spandex! Leather! Yellow and Black Attack! I couldn't wait to get home to play it. I slapped that wax on the turn table and I was just blown away! My heart just exploded in excitement and talk about emotion. I have never in my life had a record that made me laugh and cry at the same time. I taped it to cassette and took it into work and it just cranked! The guitars, vocals, drums, bass, production was just out standing. It was leaps and bound ahead of "Christian Rock". Well, I wrote a letter to the Stryper fan club back in California. It was short and just said things like "great album" and "how badly these guys were needed in the secular rock world". I mean these guys were on a secular record label and they turned Christian rock on its ear hard! I mailed it wondering if I would ever hear a peep from somebody. In the mean time a friend gave me a copy of the L.A. Times and it was a Stryper interview from 1984; I still have it! :) The Iron Cutain band members were really digging the Stryper tunes and the bass player Brian and myself shared with them our hearts desire. We believed the Lord wanted us to rock for Him.
December 1984 is a moment in my music life I'll never forget. I had that Monday off , so as I came into work Tuesday morning the owner of the music store told me that some lady called Monday late afternoon and asked to speak to me and that she was traveling with Stryper. I thought they were pulling my leg and I remember saying something like, "Yeah right! Ha Ha!" But he insisted on the call he got so I thought a bit about it and let it go. About an hour later I got a phone call from Lori at the radio station that gave me the Stryper album. To this day I remember what she said to me.
"Dale, Stryper is in Flagstaff! They arrived late Monday night and they want to meet you today! I don't know what you said in your fan letter but they're here staying at the Evergreen Inn. Can you go and pick up Robert Sweet from the motel and bring him down to the radio station for an interview?"
I was a bit surprised to say the least, first disbelief, then excitement! I looked at my boss and he said get out of here and go meet Stryper. I bolted out of the store, jumped into my car with my camera because I was taking pictures of some cool old Gibson guitars we took in on trade, and buzzed over to the motel. It was about 9:00 am and as I parked the car, I saw a white van and one of those rental moving trucks like a U-Haul. The van has "STRYPER 1" on the plates, cool! I got out and went to the room number and knocked. Robert opened the door and inside the room was Tim Gains lying on the bed with his bass, Oz Fox sitting on the edge, and then Daryn Hinton walked into the room with Michael Sweet and Janice Sweet from the room next door. It was a dream!
Needless to say, I took a lot of pictures, got autographs, and snagged some cool merch out of their van. Janice Sweet commented on my fan letter. I asked how they got it and she said that she called back to California every day at their headquaters and gets updates on shows and what not. The lady at the fan club mentioned my letter to Janice and since they were coming from Albuquerque to Phoenix to play, Flagstaff would be on the way. Cool! Well Robert and I got into my car and we headed of to the radio station. As we walked into the station, the young lady, "Lori" that gave me the Stryper album a few weeks ago, was all excited and jazzed. She put us in a sound room and taped the interview with Robert Sweet and myself. She had tons of questions and Robert was more than happy to talk. I still have that interview on cassette and it is nothing like the other interviews one could purchase from Stryper when they released EPs. After the session, Robert had to get back to the motel so they could split for Phoenix. They had a show booked that week. After more pics and autographs, we said our goodbys and I drove back to work on cloud nine.
I told the owners of the music store about the meeting and it was just a terrific day to say the least. I remembered thinking how was I going to top that on my list of things in life. Believe it or not, it was topped later that day.For reasons I'm not aware of to this day other than God's planning, at about 5:00 pm a white van pulled up in front of the music store and it was snowing lightly. I was putting new strings on a guitar and in walks Stryper! Their show was cancelled in Phoenix and they felt they should come back up to Flagstaff. They hung out and checked out some guitars and met the store owners. I was just amazing to see these guys in a music store in Flagstaff, a small town and just check stuff out. We closed at 5:30 pm and after work I hung out with them back at the Evergreen Inn. It was starting to snow a lot more and these guys were having a ball playing in it. It was dark by the time I got home and I phoned some of the band members that they were back in town.
The next day Lori from the radio station showed them around town and they went out and rented tubes to go tubing down the slopes. I took some time off and went out to join in on the fun. After words we had some BBQ at a local eatery and by that time the other band members from the group I was playing in, Iron Curtain, got to meet them and have some lunch. Later that day I headed back to the music store and Michael Sweet, Oz Fox, and Robert Sweet, along with some of their road crew stopped by the store again. Michael saw this cream Les Paul Custom and he wanted to buy it. He traded in a Marshall 4x12 slant cab and an Aria Pro Head plus some cash and the guitar was his. I took pictures of that back at the motel and brought over a few more guitars from my collection so they could play on them, theirs were packed away. Anyway right around closing time I asked Michael if he and the band would like to come over to our band rehersal space at the drummers garage. I thought that if they could share their hearts with the other band members it would make a big difference in Iron Curtain. He looked at me and said yes. I was shocked. He said that if you like we'll all come over. My heart did leaps and I called our band manager to let the other band members know that we were going to have Stryper over tonight.
www.stryper.com
We cleaned up our practice place and fired up the wood stove inside the converted garage, it was free standing from the main house and it had insulation, carpet and a big sofa. We had our music gear set up and while we were warming up on a song in comes our manager with Stryper in tow since they followed him over from their motel. Tim Gains stayed back at the room because he was feeling a bit ill from a cold. We had Janice Sweet, Robert, Oz, Michael, Steve Valdez who was one of the roadies, and Daryn Hinton. They all grouped around the wood stove for warmth and made themselves at home. Well Oz said play something and we were scared to death! We played one of our original tunes and then played a cover of Judas Priest's Free Wheel Burning! They got the biggest kick out of seeing us play and after the jitters calmed down they shared their hearts and told us what the Lord had done for them. Robert said that, "God will use you greatly if you let Him lead and put your trust in him." They prayed with us before they left, signed more autographs, and wished us the best. The bass player and I, who were the only Christians in Iron Curtain knew what God was doing to us. I told the other band members that God is calling us. I told the guys that Christ was going to change their lives once and for all if they would just pray and recieve Him. As I lead the band in the sinners prayers, I was no mor than half way through when our drummer startyed to cry. He recieved Christ before I could finish the prayer. Two of our roadies recieved Christ as well that night and our bass player and myself rededicated our lives to Christ. It was just a mind blowing night with spiritual warfare unlike anything I have ever seen or been in.
Now let me tell you what Stryper went though that same night in the snow on the way back to their motel rooms. Michael and Robert shared this with me the next morning when I came into work. They came into the store and said that their mom Janice was getting out of the van and slipped on the ice and broke her ankle really bad. She had pins and rods in place in a cast up at the Flagstaff Hospital. On top of that, when Stryper was on their way over to visit our practice place, thet picked up two hitch hickers walking in the snow on Santa Fe Ave. It's the main drag through town. As soon as the two got into the van the woman started to get weirded out and then started to scream that she wanted out of the van. Her male friend was quiet but then she changed her screaming to "these men are from God"! All the guys said to her was need a ride and nothing else. Well she was ranting wildly about being surrounded by men of God and the guys in Stryper, the roadies, Janice Sweet and Daryn Hinton laid hands on her and prayed over her. They prayed and whatever she had in her got out of her in a split second and she recieved Christ in the van. Her male friend was a back slider who rededicated his life back to Christ, in the van. That same night one of our other roadies thought of blowing his brains out. He was into witchcraft and was tired of living. He felt he needed to check out Stryper at our practice place. He left before the band did that night and the next day while at the local BBQ eatery. He accepted Christ in the men's restroom. Oz Fox and Robert lead him in the sinner's prayer and he was saved.
By this time it was Friday and Stryper had to get back to L.A. to get ready to play a concert Saturday night. They filled me in on Janice and we said our goodbys. Talk about memories.
Janice Sweet
That morning the music store bought Janice a dozen roses and a get well card. She was stuck for another week in the hospital. Iron Curtain was no more. The roadie who recieved Christ in the restroom gave us a new name for the band, Rizer. It stuck big time. Well we went to the hospital Friday afternoon and here we were standing around the bed where she's got her leg elevated, and she was so pleased to see us. She wanted to hug every one of us and she wanted to pray for us on the spot. We wanted to do the same for her. She was so over whelmed at what the old Iron Cutain went through on top of her boys with the hitch hikers and her ankle. She told us that she had never seen spiritual warfare that intense. She believes to this day that God had planned for Stryper to come to Flagstaff. Robert said in the radio interview that the letter that I sent was meant to get to us. Janice was tended to everyday by us and on the following Friday her husband drove out to get her and take her home.
Rizer was born, we scrapped all the old lyrics and wrote new ones in a heart beat. Our drummer Danny turned out to be our new vocalist since our old one decided to split. The pastor at our church took a big interest in Rizer. I kept in touch with Stryper and Janice during 1985 and 1986 while Rizer was out and about playing. Janice even invited Rizer out to the California Theater in San Diego to surprise Stryper. Bible Black was on the bill as well that night. Well, Janice sure did surprise the daylights out of Stryper and they were so shocked and yet so glad to see us again, we had a blast.
In early 1987 Rizer broke up. We put out a six song cassette which was quite good. I prayed to God for direction which lead me to Phoenix Arizona. I've been here ever since. Along the way I played in local Christian rock bands, got married in 1990 and I'm still serving God in this music style. The bands that come to mind that had some miner success that I played in were Vessell, and a Christian metal band called the Cave Band which was the church house band at David's Cave Rock Church in Phoenix. Vessell came from I think Knoxville Tenn. and they relocated out to Phoenix. They were more like Night Ranger/ Bon Jovi style Christian rock and I had the joy of playing with them. That band did very well locally. They opened for Stryper, Petra, Mylon Lefevre, Margaret Becker and some other well known Christian artists.
Well, here it is 2007. In October of 2003 I saw Stryper at the Marquee Theater on their official reunion tour. What a blast. After the show I got to catch up on times a bit with Stryper; thank you Janice! I've been with Tykküs nonstop since 2003. The name came to me back in 1995 at a recording studio located at a church in Phoenix. The past few years for Tykküs has been a blessing. We have been blessed to play and share the stage with Ultimatum, Neon Cross, Holy Soldier, Saint, Stricken, Laudamas, Seven System, I mean a great bunch of fellow Christian rockers. The biggest thrill so far has been opening for Dokken, playing at "Bless Fest", and playing at "Up From the Ashes I" and "UFTA II" over in California.:)
Success? It's been a mixed bag to say the least. Now that I'm more mature, I find success in Christ and His calling. Don't get me wrong, who wouldn't want a few hits and a full tour record deal under their belts. Christian or non Christian, if you're in a band let's face it, it's hard. It's a laber of love. If it was so easy, then everybody would be doing it. All I know is this my friends, I trust God with Tykküs and it's His band. I pray we are good stewards. He is faithful and it's in God through Christ, that I have success. New music is on the way and I'm really excited to get it out. Whatever happens, we'll be ready, willing and able. We'll be taking our message of hope to the clubs and wherever God leads. And as of October 25th 2007 Tykkus is finished and I now go full time with LETTER 7.
PAST SHOWS:7/13/07 - Jugheads, Phoenix, AZ - with Ultimatum! 4/6/07 - Jugheads, Phoenix, AZ 10/31/06 - Castles & Coasters Halloween Party 9/23/06 - BulldogZ 9/2/06 - Up From The Ashes II - Los Angeles, CA 7/22/06 - The Golden West - Albuquerque, NM - Playing with the mighty ULTIMATUM! 3/31/06 - The Refuge 2/25/06 - BulldogZ 2/17/06 - BulldogZ 2/4/06 - BulldogZ 12/3/05 - Marquee Theater - 6:30pm - OPENING FOR DOKKEN! 11/5/05 - The Warehouse - 7:30pm 10/29/05 - The Warehouse - 7:00pm - Salvation Army Hurricane Relief show 10/16/05 - 2005 Arizona State Fair 10/15/05 - Jugheads 10/8/05 - Eternal Books & Music 9/23/05 - Famous Sam's 8/27/05 - Up From The Ashes Festival - Anaheim, CA 8/20/05 - ACME Roadhouse 8/19/05 - The Warehouse 8/13/05 - ACME Roadhouse 6/22/05 - Joe's Grotto 4/16/05 - Blessfest III - Wildomar, CA 11/5/04 - Boston's 10/24/04 - 2004 Arizona State Fair 7/8/04 - 2004 North American Christian Convention 6/23/04 - Joe's Grotto 6/14/04 - Boston's 5/28/04 - Boston's 5/24/04 - Boston's 3/20/04 - Central Phoenix Vineyard Fellowship Youth Outreach