I've been playing since I was about 12, so that makes it...38 yrs. Just got my AARP card in the mail :eek:
Into classic rock: Zep, Hendrix, Dire Straits, Cream,Santana. But I like to play all kinds of stuff; ragtime (still trying to work out Clap), classical, and I first discovered the term "shredding" here. But I always go back to the blues.
Attended the Berklee college of Music in the late 70's when it was a "be-bop" school- was a performance major. Dropped out because during that time, they insisted on picking with a floating hand (hand balled up in a fist, picking hand not touching the guitar.) I'm a hybrid picker, so the floating hand really changed the way I played. For you jazz players, Lenny Breau gave me some lessons- he could barely read a note of music, but he could play just about anything, and he introduced me to artificial harmonics, and it's because of him, I still have long nails on my picking hand. He talked me into going to Berklee. He meant well, but over the last 30 yrs. I've been trying to forget all the theory I learned there. Ironically, I'm now going back to basics, and looking at the fretboard in a different way, and looking at modal stuff.
My 9 yr. old son love Guitar Hero, so I'm learning some metal stuff because I'm now teaching him guitar. Bought him an Epiphone SG Deluxe for Christmas, and I have to say, for $150, it's a cool little beginner's guitar. Not going to sound like Leslie West, but still a cool cheapie guitar.
Some of the newer players I've discovered over the last couple of years I'm impressed with are Zakk Wylde, Marty Fridman, and I particularly like the lead player for Los Lonely Boys- he sounds like a mix of SRV, & Dickie Betts to me. I discovered LLB through my 14 (then 12ish) daughter when "Heaven" was a pop hit. I saw them open for Santana at Madison Sq. Garden and he blew Santana off the stage. Santana used to be my favorite player because of his tone, but no longer; he's gotten redundant, but I still love his tone.
I love Gary Moore; seems he can play anything. And Roy Buchanan- it was because of him that I bought a Tele. I stood out at Berklee as the "idiot with a solid body." LOL. What elitists the teachers and students were back then. Just to piss-off my arranging teacher, I'd arrange jazz standards to a disco beat or raggae, pissed the hell out of everyone, but I was harmonically correct, so I still got an "A" for the class, lol.
My guitars: stock American made Tele w/blonde finish. I was told by a collector it's worth quite a lot, but I'm never selling it; sounds great still.
Stock American Strat made in 1984- a Strat Standard series 2 I just learned after doing a serial number search. Bought it over 20 yrs. ago for $200 but only just started playing it. Put 12's on it, and the tone is incredible. I've worked my way through half of SRV's "Lenny" on it. What makes this guitar particularly strange/unique is the guitar jack is flush with the body, and to get to the trem springs, you have to take off the scratch plate. It was a real bitch setting it up after I put the 12's on. I'm now in the market for another Strat.
A Jackson Dinky MG, A Brian Moore i91, an Ibanez RG 320 or 321- all bout from Ebay. The Floyd on the RG can be a real PITA, but the neck is so fast, you can't help wanting to put the pedal to the metal on it. Have 3 or 4 acoustics- an Ovation AE-28 I bought off of craigslist for $90; overall, it sounds kind of crappy, but I always wanted an Ovation. A 30 yr. old Yamaha that I've treated like an abusive parent to a poor child- with a good overhaul, I'm sure it would sound great, but I don't want to screw up a decent acoustic doing the setup myself. Then I have a cheap "NY Pro" which sounds amazingly good; great overall sound, action and intonation great right out of the box.
I'm a total dunce when it comes to gear and stuff. But I just bought a Behringer TO800 Vintage Overdrive pedal after seeing a demo of it on youtube. It's a great sounding pedal (to me). I'm looking for a compressor, maybe I'll post in the gear section for suggestions. Have a number of other pedals too; still trying to find a way to chain them to my liking. Still have my first amp, a Fender Champ- my then girl-friend bought it for me, and I'm keeping it forever, like my Tele and Strat. I play mostly through Crate Cube, but in the market for another more powerful amp.
Speed playing seems to be big with the young players today- well, in my day also. Technically, I'm a speed monster; I can play Flight of the Bumblebee as fast as Petrucci, but, overall, I still sound like crap. Can't get the hang of tapping though.
Yeah, this has been a long (re) intro, but I figure I'll get this all out of the way, since I looked at some of my original posts and made reference to some of the above.
One story I like to tell is my first rock concert. Zep's first appearance at Madison Sq. Garden before the release of the Stairway to Heaven album (do kids today refer to music discs as "albums"?). They did Stairway in their encore, and blew the roof off. The fans rushed the stage, and security was pushing them back or off the stage. Page came over and kicked one security guy in the butt and off the stage, lol. 7th row orchestra seats that cost $7.50 I think. Love telling this story to kids I run into at places like Guitar Center. It's like me when my 'bro in law tells me when he saw Hendrix in some small venue. I also saw SRV's last concert at MSG; Jeff Beck opened for him, and quite frankly, Beck blew him off the stage. I've seen SRV live a number of times, and he's always had sound problems for some reason. He's sorely missed by us rockers. I didn't know until recently he wrote Lenny for his wife and the story behind it. Beautiful tune with "jazz" chords. SRV, we miss ya.
I rediscovered this forum while viewing a youtube vid, and I'm glad I did. So hello again all. Hope to be able to contribute, but I'll probably be asking more questions than being helpful. I intend to become a full subscriber by this evening. The lessons here seem to be awesome. To anyone who made it this far- you have too much time on your hands- go play your guitar!
Silimtao-The Way of the Little Idea
I want to die peacefully like my grandfather. Unlike the other passengers in the car, screaming and crying. (unknown)
I want to die peacefully like my grandfather. Unlike the other passengers in the car, screaming and crying. (unknown)
