An anecdote from yesterday that my fellow guitarists might appreciate...
...I was in Guitar Showcase on Bascom. I used to own a "Heavy Metal Strat"...an 80s Fender guitar that had two single coils, a humbucker, a coil tap, and a Floyd Rose.
Apparently, Floyd Rose tremolos have completely dropped out of fashion.
So I spoke with one of the guitar specialists who told me that unless you want to be Eddie Van Halen and do dive bombs and make elephant noises, you can get a Fender Strat with two single coils, a humbucker, a standard Fender tremolo and you're good to go.
I told him "I never wanted to be Eddie...I lean more toward David Gilmour and Ronnie Montrose."
He smiled, lowered his head, and said softly, "Yeah...Ronnie."
There's a sense of community among musicians that is keenly felt by walking into a local guitar shop. Until I can afford that Strat, I still have my Les Paul, and I'll be playing it tonight.
= new reply since forum marked as read
OK, I have absolutely no idea what you just said.
But you DID qualify it for 'fellow guitarists'.
Is there a music forum?
...I've learned to live with it. To be great is to be misunderstood!
Misunderstood implies I didn't hear you right.
I heard you right enough.
I just don't understand what you're talking about.
It's beyond my realm of knowledge.
That's not your fault.
It's mine (if there's ANY 'fault')
All of which doesn't negate the possibility that you may be, in fact, 'great'.
What a load off my mind!
...we were all around the same age, had the same influences...one of which was the first Montrose album from 1973.
So we were at work one night, after hours, with all of our stuff set up in the cafeteria. We were noodling around with some of our favorite songs and then all of a sudden, out of nowhere, I started playing "Make It Last" from that album. I'd never played it before. I had not "learned" it. But somehow, my fingers knew exactly where to go. And one by one, eachof the guys joined in and we played a mighty, roaring version of that song.
That's really what it's all about, moments where it "all comes together." Life is sadly deficient of those moments. Music balances the scales.
music takes me to another place. For the time I get to make those notes come together, nothing else matters. I don't dwell on work or relationship issues, all my mind sees are the notes. 'Course it is best playing out, that's when I really lose myself, but it's all good.
I'm about ready to head down to the studio. Time to get lost for a little while.
