Michigan native Mark Kroos has been announced as the winner of the 2011 Guitar Player Magazine Guitar Superstar Competition in Nashville.

Kroos impressed the judges, including Larry Carlton with his inspiring two-handed performance on his unusual Ovation double neck guitar.

Kroos didn't just step out of his basement and take the win. He's been playing since age 12 and has been touring the states for the last 18 months, after giving up his apartment and hitting the road with his guitar. He credits hard work and "going out and being a go-getter" for his success.

Kroos has modified the Ovation, originally a 12-string/6-string combo, so that both necks are 6-string. His two-handed style allows him to keep both hands "on deck" and create a lot more sound than one instrument has a right to.

To our ears, his sound, creativity and dexterity put him up there with contemporaries like Andy McKee and Kotaro Oshio. We're sure we're going to be hearing a lot more from him in the future.

Congratulations on the win, Mark!

Check out Mark's Speed Limit Enforced by Aircraft video here.