# Brian Welch
**Brian Welch** (born 1970), known by his nickname **Head**, is an American musician best known as a founding guitarist of the nu metal band Korn and as the frontman of the rock band [Love and Death](https://www.edgepedia.org/love-and-death). He co-founded Korn in 1993, left the band in 2005 after converting to Christianity, released a memoir and a solo album, and rejoined Korn in 2013 as a full-time member, a role he has held since.[1](https://www.espguitars.com/articles/2005006-welcome-to-the-esp-family-brian-head-welch) • [2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0001008384)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1970 in Torrance, California; grew up in Bakersfield[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0001008384) |
| Korn tenure | Founding guitarist from 1993; departed 2005; rejoined 2013[1](https://www.espguitars.com/articles/2005006-welcome-to-the-esp-family-brian-head-welch) |
| Korn albums with Welch | Korn (1994), Life Is Peachy (1996), [Follow the Leader](https://www.edgepedia.org/follow-the-leader-korn-album) (1998), [Issues](https://www.edgepedia.org/issues-korn-album) (1999), [Untouchables](https://www.edgepedia.org/untouchables-album) (2002), Take a Look in the Mirror (2003)[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0001008384) |
| Memoir | *Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story*, published July 1, 2007, 240 pages[3](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brian-head-welch/save-me-from-myself/) |
| Solo album | *Save Me from Myself*, released September 9, 2008, on his Driven Music Group label[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0001008384) |
| Love and Death | Debut album *Between Here & Lost*, released January 22, 2013, on Tooth & Nail[4](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/interview-former-korn-guitarist-brian-head-welch-love-and-death-discusses) |
| Signature gear | ESP LTD SH-7ET 7-string (2017); Ibanez K7YANG 7-string (2025)[1](https://www.espguitars.com/articles/2005006-welcome-to-the-esp-family-brian-head-welch) • [5](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/ibanez-korn-munky-head-k7yin-k7yang-signature-7-string-guitars) |
## Early life and Korn
Welch grew up in [Bakersfield, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/bakersfield-california), and began playing guitar at age 11.[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0001008384) In his own account, he started Korn in 1993 in [Huntington Beach, California](https://www.edgepedia.org/huntington-beach-california), with bandmates who had also grown up in Bakersfield before regrouping and heading to Los Angeles.[6](https://vision.tpcc.org/GetFile.ashx?guid=9044adbf-651b-4264-84e4-d717ace08561) As a guitarist in Korn, alongside James "Munky" Shaffer, he developed a style built on detuned seven-string guitars, adding elements of dissonance and sounds influenced by DJ and turntable effects.[1](https://www.espguitars.com/articles/2005006-welcome-to-the-esp-family-brian-head-welch) • [7](https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/brian-head-welch-talks-korn-drugs-guitars-and-new-band-love-and-death-571250) With Korn he recorded the band's first six albums, from the 1994 debut *Korn* through *Take a Look in the Mirror* (2003).[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0001008384) By the time of his memoir's publication, the band had sold over 30 million albums and received six Grammy nominations, with two wins.[8](https://www.challies.com/book-reviews/book-review-save-me-from-myself/)
## The 7-string and his playing posture
During Korn's early days, Shaffer's pair of 7-string models inspired Welch to buy his own, an Ibanez Universe. Adapting to the instrument seated at home came easily; he told Guitar Player in a 1998 interview that figuring out the neck "was really natural." Standing up at rehearsal was another matter: after a week of seated practice he found he "couldn't play anything standing up," because he had to reach around much more and the neck felt fat to him.[9](https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/korn-brian-head-welch-7-string)
The difficulty left a permanent mark on his style. To reach the chords in those first rehearsals he played bent far over the guitar, and although a further month of practice made the lean unnecessary, the posture became a habit. Guitar Player describes this unusual, bent-over stance as matching the band's bludgeoning low-end attack.[9](https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/korn-brian-head-welch-7-string) Welch and Shaffer were later named among [Guitar World](https://www.edgepedia.org/guitar-world)'s "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Guitarists of All Time," and few players have done more to popularize the Ibanez seven-string guitar.[1](https://www.espguitars.com/articles/2005006-welcome-to-the-esp-family-brian-head-welch) • [5](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/ibanez-korn-munky-head-k7yin-k7yang-signature-7-string-guitars)
## Departure, conversion, and solo work
In 2005 Welch left Korn to focus on his family life, work on his own music, and explore his devotion to spirituality.[1](https://www.espguitars.com/articles/2005006-welcome-to-the-esp-family-brian-head-welch) The turning point, as he recounts it, came on a day off in 2004 when he heard his five-year-old daughter Jennea singing the Korn song "A.D.I.D.A.S."; he concluded that harsh music and heavy substance abuse were not the influence he wanted for his child, swore off drugs, walked away from the band, and became a born-again Christian.[3](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brian-head-welch/save-me-from-myself/) He had struggled for years with substance abuse, including methamphetamine and alcohol, and has spoken about how his conversion and faith aided his recovery.[10](https://importantquote.com/authors/brian-welch)
His memoir, *Save Me from Myself: How I Found God, Quit Korn, Kicked Drugs, and Lived to Tell My Story*, appeared on July 1, 2007.[3](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brian-head-welch/save-me-from-myself/) His debut solo album, also titled *Save Me from Myself*, followed on September 9, 2008, on his Driven Music Group label; AllMusic characterizes it as a [Christian metal](https://www.edgepedia.org/christian-metal) project that retained his nu-metal center, on which he handled most instruments and vocals with session support including drummer [Josh Freese](https://www.edgepedia.org/josh-freese).[2](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0001008384) • [11](https://notablepeopleproject.org/brian_welch)
## Love and Death and the return to Korn
The solo project evolved into a band, Love and Death, which released its debut album *Between Here & Lost* on January 22, 2013, on Tooth & Nail. On it Welch moved into the role of lead vocalist, joined by guitarist J.R. Bareis, bassist Michael Valentine, and drummer Dan Johnson.[4](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/interview-former-korn-guitarist-brian-head-welch-love-and-death-discusses) The band's second album, *Perfectly Preserved*, was released in 2021 after the members used their respective lockdowns to write it.[12](https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/brian-head-welch-love-and-death-korn-justin-bieber-2881678)
In May 2012 Welch made a surprise on-stage guest appearance with Korn at the Carolina Rebellion festival, his first performance with the band since his departure.[10](https://importantquote.com/authors/brian-welch) In 2013 he rejoined Korn as a full-time member, a role he has held since, while Love and Death has remained active alongside it.[1](https://www.espguitars.com/articles/2005006-welcome-to-the-esp-family-brian-head-welch) • [12](https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/brian-head-welch-love-and-death-korn-justin-bieber-2881678)
## Signature instruments
Welch's signature gear has tracked his career. In 2017 he joined the ESP artist roster with the LTD SH-7ET, a 7-string based on the ESP Horizon body with thinned horns, an EverTune bridge for constant string tension, and Fishman Fluence Modern humbuckers; the "SH" on the headstock stands for his nickname "Sir Headly."[1](https://www.espguitars.com/articles/2005006-welcome-to-the-esp-family-brian-head-welch) In 2025 he and Shaffer unveiled Yin and Yang-themed Ibanez signature 7-strings, with Welch's K7YANG in matte white with natural back and sides, gold hardware, and a debuting EverTune 7 bridge; both models carry DiMarzio Blaze humbuckers and draw on the design lineage of [Steve Vai](https://www.edgepedia.org/steve-vai)'s Ibanez Universe.[5](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/ibanez-korn-munky-head-k7yin-k7yang-signature-7-string-guitars)
## References
1. [Welcome to the ESP Family: Brian "Head" Welch, The ESP Guitar Company](https://www.espguitars.com/articles/2005006-welcome-to-the-esp-family-brian-head-welch)
2. [Brian Welch Biography, AllMusic](https://www.allmusic.com/artist/mn0001008384)
3. [Save Me From Myself review, Kirkus Reviews](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/brian-head-welch/save-me-from-myself/)
4. [Interview: Former Korn Guitarist Brian "Head" Welch of Love and Death, Guitar World](https://www.guitarworld.com/features/interview-former-korn-guitarist-brian-head-welch-love-and-death-discusses)
5. [Korn's Brian 'Head' Welch and James 'Munky' Shaffer on their Yin and Yang signature Ibanez 7-strings, MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/artists/ibanez-korn-munky-head-k7yin-k7yang-signature-7-string-guitars)
6. [Brian and Jennea Welch Interview, Trinity Park Church](https://vision.tpcc.org/GetFile.ashx?guid=9044adbf-651b-4264-84e4-d717ace08561)
7. [Brian "Head" Welch talks Korn, drugs, guitars and new band, Love And Death, MusicRadar](https://www.musicradar.com/news/guitars/brian-head-welch-talks-korn-drugs-guitars-and-new-band-love-and-death-571250)
8. [Book Review – Save Me From Myself, Tim Challies](https://www.challies.com/book-reviews/book-review-save-me-from-myself/)
9. [Brian Welch on his 7-string journey, and his unusual playing posture, GuitarPlayer](https://www.guitarplayer.com/news/korn-brian-head-welch-7-string)
10. [Brian Welch – Life, Career & Contributions, ImportantQuote](https://importantquote.com/authors/brian-welch)
11. [Brian Welch, Notable People Project](https://notablepeopleproject.org/brian_welch)
12. [Five things we learned from our In Conversation video chat with Brian 'Head' Welch, NME](https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/brian-head-welch-love-and-death-korn-justin-bieber-2881678)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Music › Musicians and ensembles › Individual musical biographies › Rock, metal, and popular-band musicians › Hard rock and glam metal › Hard rock guitarists*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 25, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license