how long, what music, what guitar...

you are welcome daveadams. I know a dave adams but he only plays records not instruments.
strats are fun guitars. thanks for your post.

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how long, what music and what kind of guitar?

My Dad brought home a Harmony Bobkat solidbody with this tiny amp...in 1963. I can remember it as if it was yesterday.

Good thread. I'm a 51 model Earthling, too, Dogbite...so lots of the same influences were out there for me. And...my testosterone kicked in right along with "Love Me Do"...and The Stones. Dad liked the emerging Motown Sound thanks to his radio at work (weird, now that I think about it...seeing he's from Southern Italy) so I had heaps of Wilson Pickett that I can remember. He had a Dry Cleaning/Tailoring bizz in New Rochelle. When I got some "decent fingers happnin' ", he and a black employee (who's son played drums) took us to a "Sit-in Club" in Yonkers...I was 14. I was the only white kid there. Artie and I had jammed together heaps of times so we were somewhat "co-ordinated" and were invited back...over and over...and invited to play with lots of young groups in the NY metro area. We teamed together for years...starting with a few 45's when we were 15 and have been playing professionally ever since. (Sadly, but with pride and respect, Artie "made the wall" on DC's Vietnam Memorial.)

My youngest kid has learned on that Bobkat and he's aware of it's history. I PRAY that he ends up with a kid he can pass it on to. I'm ageing faster than I'd like...falling apart piece by piece...but more than content.

To all the young guys out there who's eyes are falling on these paragraphs:

Get it while you can. I did!

Cat

cat. great post. I do believe we are the geezers here. good thing we don't stand still for very long to gather dust or rust.
yes, those early influences on the radio and 45's were great. I never thought I'd be able to play some of them finally.

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I've gotta say that this has been a great topic to read.

Not only do you see the various equipment people are playing, but you get alot of good insight on who each poster is, from their stories to their influences and why they started to play.

Thanks for staring this topic dogbite!

same here Joe. I enjoy reading everyone's experieneces. it triggers more memories for me; I want to add them too, but I had my shot. maybe, I'll post a story.

..... it triggers more memories for me; I want to add them too, but I had my shot....

Who's stoppin' ya?

Add them!!!!Add them!!!!Add them!!!Add them!!!!!

I've been down so many roads that a reply to your question would likely span several pages! :lol: So, I will condense it as best I can.

Originally started out in county-gospel, that's where my roots are, with a family band. We played all over the country in the mid to late 80's. My main instrument is Pedal Steel guitar. Started w/ a lap steel at age 10 or so, moved on to Pedal Steel around age 12. Had a piece o' junk Emmons/single neck/3 pedals/1 knee. It was a really cheesy guitar, but stayed in tune fairly well, as long as you weren't in extreme temperatures!

Went thru a few steels, ended up with a Sierra Sessions Double Neck 10. 8 pedals/4 knees. Would like to add a few more knees, but time & money interfere with that idea. It is an excellent guitar, great quality, would not trade it for anything on the market. My initial plans were to go "pro" & move to Nashville as either a studio musician or join a pro band.

Well, as you all know, life happens, I got married, & basically settled down as a car mechanic. I put the pro plans on hold saying "someday", & here we are some 20 years later... :roll:

I have done local studio work, it is fun. I have also done studio work/gigged with bass/drums/dobro/banjo/6 string electric guitar. It has been a fun ride, but for some reason just doesn't seem as if I have accomplished all that I set out to do. Maybe because I didn't follow my initial dream.

Well, that's a very edited version of what I have done thus far; there is much more to it of course, as many of you active/traveling musicians can attest to. There were some wild & woolly moments that were very laughable...

I had no idea you played pedal steel. wow. I fell in love with pedal steel not long ago. found a 1971 ShoBud single neck. it had three pedals and two knee levers. another two were added by someone else. I loved the tone of that thing. I strove to learn it. then I gigged in a pick up back up band at a steel guitar showcase. man, those guiys sure could fly up and down those necks. beautiful pedal steel music came out. I realized I would never have the time needed to play. I have guitars electric and acoustic that give me all the chalenges that anyone needs. so I sold the pedal steel to a real gigging steel player.
he sent me a recording of it at a gig. I recognized the sound of that ShoBud. he could really play it well. so I am happy it has a good new home. I play lapsteels instead. plenty there to learn.

I would love to hear you play pedal steel.

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Those old Sho-Buds had the best tone, you are correct! I had a couple Sho-Buds. One was a real oddball. Single 10; 6 pedals, no knees. I added two knees buy disconnecting 2 of the pedals. It was a good guitar. MSA was another really smooth, classy guitar, I like those. I have intentions of posting some of my music, but it seems I can never find the time to do it.

It is funny; to me, I feel it is much easier to play the steel & adapt it to any song, much easier than actually fretting chords & playing leads with individual fingers! But then, maybe it is because I started at a young age, & it came relatively easy to me.

What is even funnier is that I have been going thru a burned out period for a few years, to where I can't stand to hear any "sappy" country music, even though that is what this instrument is primarily all about! :roll: I had done some experimenting with other styles, jazz, light rock, avant garde, etc. If you've heard anything by John Hughey, Weldon Myrick, Lloyd Green, Paul Franklin to name a few, then you've heard a mix of my style. When I get a chance, I will post some steel guitar stuff.

I like to hang out here on the forums to get inspired by all you guys. I love the tech talk, etc., it kinda keeps me going thru the love/hate relationship I have with music. :lol:

Well, as you all know, life happens, I got married, & basically settled down as a car mechanic. I put the pro plans on hold saying "someday", & here we are some 20 years later... :roll:

I have done local studio work, it is fun. I have also done studio work/gigged with bass/drums/dobro/banjo/6 string electric guitar. It has been a fun ride, but for some reason just doesn't seem as if I have accomplished all that I set out to do. Maybe because I didn't follow my initial dream.

We're setting up quite the recording infrastructure over here...including a label with distribution. ONE THING FOR SURE is that I want to go over and try to market "lost songs" as written...even recorded as demos...by folks for...geez...the last 40 years. (I've gots heaps of my own collectin' dust somewheres.) Of course there's my commercial jingle mainstays...and some spec bands I'll be concentrating 99% of my time on...but this is (hopefully) gonna replace other aspects of music that are (sadly) passing me by. Life's been good...my brain still works...and I know the business. I do think this'll be more than fun, too!

This thread was a cool idea, Dogbite!

I've been playing since March 08, after a year stint playing the Guitar Hero and then Rock Band. It sounds corny, but I'd always wanted to shred like those 80's hair metal bands (Europe, Bon Jovi, Guns n Roses mainly). When the game came out I just had to have a go. At first it was just a rythmn game, but after I made it past Easy and Normal, suddenly it was actually shredding those solos, albeit with a plastic guitar. I loved it, and spent many an afternoon training my forearms to be able to play punishing tremelo songs. Eventually, after many a person had said why not pickup real guitar, I did! Why waste all that new found arm strength and finger dexterity. I wouldn't change it for the world though, it gave me a visual clue to how music is built up, and it even gave me all the backing tracks for the songs I'd come to love :)

I bought a Strat Richwood copy, lovely polished wood effect. I couldn't look at it without picking it up. I was hooked, and after learning to play the open chords I began trying to strum. Wow, another huge skill mountain to climb. After focussing on this for a week or so, I could finally play some basic open chord songs (minus the intros or little fills). After about 4 month practicing every day for at least 2 hours, I thought "I'm getting quite serious about this, time to get myself some quality...".

I bought myself an Ibanez Iceman, with floyd rose floating bridge and a locking nut. Now the bending practice wouldn't throw the guitar out of step. I also have a little Eukele, which rarely sees the light of day, but I love it none-the-less

My first real song was a bad version of 'Trouble' by Coldplay. My second song was probably "House of the Rising Sun", with arpeggiated rake and picking, just like the original! I was pumped. Every new thing I could do, I could incorporate into what I was learning. I used Metallicas One as a finger and rythmn exercise almost from the first few weeks. Same story with GnRs Sweet Child o Mine.

I guess after a year, I can play and sing Jack Johnsons "Banana Pancakes" at full speed. This really helped me co-ordinate myself and strengthen those barre chords. Where I used to see as a random string of numbers when I looked at tabs including barre chords, now I know what to look for to ascertain whether its an E or Am shape barre, and also where to place the barre. These little improvements mean I can pickup a new song much faster and with more confidence.

Now I keep my eyes open for those really excellent all guitar songs, and ones that favour a solo guitar and singer. My next year will be my year of cleaner playing, with stronger rythmn skills, and hopefully more theory so I can solo over a progression (whatever one of those is ;) ). so much to learn and so many hills to climb, but the views already looking mighty fine!

hey Kroikey, isn't great how just after playing a short time the ear is fine tuning itself and hearing guitar parts in songs. whereas before it just heard the songs.

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I started at the age of 25 - Last February..so it's almost been a year now.

My wife was a big fan of guitar hero and convinced me to buy it for us. The game was a blast - eventually I decided that I would rather play in real life. I'd played piano and a couple of brass instruments throughout college, so the theory background has helped.

Purchase an Epiphone Les Paul because it looked cool and cool people played them :-P. The thing never felt right in my hands so i returned it and got a H1 Fat Strat.. gone through some crazy gas as well since then (the Strat is officially my 1st instrument and never being sold).

Took lessons from my friend until he moved. I'm now taking lessons from a guy at my church who's been playing for 50 years - and he's all about the classic rock and blues. I've been into blues every since I've started. Worked through most of BYCU. I was originally using a rockband (video game) USB Mic to record myself, but am now using a Xenyx 1204 mixer w/ USB to do so. This is helping me work on playing cleaner.

My teacher has been having me work on leads mostly - but I told him yesterday i'd like to start working on rhythm. Transitions from chords with my left hand are pretty good, although my strumming w/ the right hand is poor. A few months ago, my teacher asked me how long I'd been playing. I told him 7 months and he was shocked and told me I'd progressed very quickly. My wife would probably complain it was because I spend too much time with the guitar,sarcastically (and our marriage is great!)

My friend recently purchased a bass and we're looking on craigslist for other musicians of our experience to start playing together - and we're getting some responses. Pretty exciting times!

hey Kroikey, isn't great how just after playing a short time the ear is fine tuning itself and hearing guitar parts in songs. whereas before it just heard the songs.I've always had a good musical ear, despite never playing an instrument and having major ear/nose/throat issues and glue ear lol. I've always been able to pick out duff notes and strange disonant melodies. I think its from knowing songs inside out and blasting them, yet still being able to hear the phone ring downstairs through all the noise because its spoiling my song lol. But whereas before I could only hear the guitar part, now I can hear when its more than one guitar.

The thing I find the most interesting is that my hand sometimes automatically goes to the correct chord or note when I don't even know the song. I guess the intervals and notes are becoming more like a language than musical theory. Of course I'm not talking about huge improvised leads straight from my head, but the little things you notice are great for spurring you on!