Stephen Carpenter

Stephen Carpenter is the co-founding guitarist of Deftones. He formed the band in Sacramento, California, in 1988 alongside Chino Moreno and Abe Cunningham, remaining its principal guitarist throughout every documented era of the band’s history.

Carpenter has played a central role in shaping Deftones’ guitar sound, adopting seven-, eight- and nine-string guitars across successive studio releases as the band’s music evolved. Outside Deftones, he is also a founding member of the instrumental project Sol Invicto.