In episode #22 of Guitar Chat, we sit down with Juanjo Melero, legendary Spanish guitarist best known for his time in the iconic band Sangre Azul. Today, he’s not only an active musician but also a dedicated educator and a passionate advocate for the Vegatrem bridge system.
From Barón Rojo fan… to Armando’s guitar tech
Juanjo recalls discovering rock music in Madrid’s Parque de las Avenidas, listening to Rainbow, Whitesnake, and Spanish legends like Barón Rojo.
“At first, I thought it was AC/DC. When I realized they were singing in Spanish, my mind was blown.”
That revelation set him on a lifelong path—eventually leading him to become Armando de Castro’s roadie, tuning guitars and hauling gear.
Sangre Azul: Living the hard rock dream
After playing in several local bands, Juanjo joined Sangre Azul at age 20—just in time to make his debut in front of 40,000 people at the legendary Rocódromo in Madrid.
“I played with my favorite band, on my dream stage. It was a turning point in my life.”
He insisted on musical equality in the band, sharing solos with fellow guitarist Carlos Raya:
“I joined on one condition: that guitar parts would be 50/50. I didn’t want to just play rhythm.”
Beyond rock: evolution through versatility
After his hard rock years, Melero traveled to Los Angeles and came back transformed—forming Santa Fe, a genre-blending project. Since then, he’s played and recorded with artists like Nacho Cano, Rozalén, Dani Martín, Chenoa, and El Arrebato.
“Here, you can’t specialize. If you want to live off music, you need to play anything—funk, guapango, flamenco, whatever comes.”
Teaching the next generation
Juanjo founded Riff & Roll, his own music school in Parla, Madrid, which is about to celebrate its 10th anniversary. His goal: help students grow as musicians and as people.
“I used to believe talent was everything. Now I know effort is more important.”
He tailors his method to each student, focusing on motivation and real-world musical skills.
A musician who keeps creating
Melero stays active musically through multiple projects. Notably, his instrumental and solidarity-driven project Universo Violento, where albums are available via donation. He’s also working on a new band, Tinta China, with Pablo Perea and César Uña.
“I want my music to feel honest and grounded in real life.”
Discovering Vegatrem: new life for an old Strat
This past summer, Juanjo installed a Vegatrem VT1 on one of his Stratocasters—and immediately noticed a transformation:
“That guitar I hardly played became my main guitar overnight.”
He praises the stability, sustain, and expressive capabilities the bridge allows, especially when using vibrato and dive bombs.
“It’s super stable. Not only does it stay in tune—it inspires. Sometimes it feels like the guitar was built just for me.”