I am fortunate to live in a town where music stores and guitar shops are located by how many feet apart they are and not miles or blocks. As you can imagine, in the many years I have been in and out of these wonderful establishments purchasing drum and guitar gear I have seen and heard just about everything - from the embarassingly ridiculous to the incredible. Thursday was one of those days.
There was no special purpose for me being there - sometimes just being so close to so many guitars is enough - so I was just looking around at the LP's, Strats and amps. All veterens of guitar stores have suffered through legions of "Guitar Shop Rock Stars" - as in Wayne's World, Please No 'Stairway to Heaven'! Typically they are loud and bad at playing speed metal twice as fast and twice as bad as it unjustly deserves. Thursday was no different....with one exception.
I was standing by the used amps looking over a Fender Twin Reverb that I thought had possibilities. Two gentlemen standing next to me asked what I thought of the condition and we had a brief conversation about the amp. They asked if I was serious about buying the amp and stated that if I was not interested one of them wanted to buy it because his hobbies was restoring vintage gear. It was then that I noticed a certain confidence and and manor in these to well behaved and spoken men. About that time a noisy and bad rendition of, Welcome to the Jungle, was being butchered and a salesman stopped by and offered assistance. One of the guys asked for a very specific Les Paul and to hook-up the Fender amp for a test drive. After a few adjustment made to amp and LP I witnessed the most incredible playing I have ever heard. Every head in the store turned towards us....I sat down on a Marshall 2x12 and just tried to take it all in. Incredible.... I was total awe-land. What talent. I wish I had the words to tell you how emotionally powerful his playing was.....but I don't. Wow.
No names were given - they were super nice to me - but one did say the guitarist was a sessions man and has played on albums and live with every major blues, rock, jazz and country star in the world. My God, what talent!
Sorry to bore you with this but I wanted...needed...to share this with folks who would appreciate it.
Oh well, off to burn my guitar. :lol:
" I'm not sure what happened, it was tuned when I bought it."
I am a semi sort of a wanna be psychologist/sociologist and I have noticed one thing about your post. A side note first: You make very well thought out, very interesting post. However, you seem to lack the confidence that you TOO will someday be like the sessions guy you talk about. Sure, its true that you may not be as "good" as he is, but if you gave a full on effort then that possibility increases. Be the star.. LOL Be the guitarist.. You'll get there. With practice.. you WILL get there.
Now, that was a really cool story. I feel that way about my ex teacher. I would love it when he would play my gear. He is just so entertaining and interesting in his play.
Jim
“The hardest thing in life is to know which bridge to cross and which to burn” - David Russell (Scottish classical Guitarist. b.1942)
A young friend of mine from Texas (age 15 at the time) was in a music store plugged in playing some ZZ Top song, when he looked up and saw Billy Gibbons watching him! Billy plugged a guitar in and jammed with him! Then he said "You're not bad, kid!" and left.
:D
"A cheerful heart is good medicine."
A young friend of mine from Texas (age 15 at the time) was in a music store plugged in playing some ZZ Top song, when he looked up and saw Billy Gibbons watching him! Billy plugged a guitar in and jammed with him! Then he said "You're not bad, kid!" and left.
:D
How cool would that be?
This thread makes me happy
Both stories were very interesting. You never know who you will meet or see at the guitar shop. I have watched guys that look homeless, playing like Eric Clapton at the local store. What a pleasant change from the usual wanna-be shredders playing WAY to loud! :D
Wow! Nice to be in the right place at the right time once in a while.
Margaret
When my mind is free, you know a melody can move me
And when I'm feelin' blue, the guitar's comin' through to soothe me ~
Great story, but you left out the most important part... did you buy the amp!!? :P
Dan
"The only way I know that guarantees no mistakes is not to play and that's simply not an option". David Hodge
I have watched guys that look homeless, playing like Eric Clapton at the local store.
You sure that wasn't Eric Clapton during his 'less-lucky' periods? ;)
Great stories, y'all! If I may, I have a similar one to share that touches on geoo's observations as well.
In February of this year, I got to play for a local musical based upon the life and music of Patsy Cline. Most of the guitar work wasn't technically very difficult, but it was a challenge for me in a psychological way. I have often struggled with feeling that my playing wasn't "good enough" although I never could exactly say by whose standards. I've always felt strongest when I've been pushed to my limits, knowing that I was giving everything I had. So the challenge was to feel OK just plinking out little clean off-beat chords while some of the other folks were playing their tails off. I just kept reminding myself that my job is always to serve the music and sometimes that just means keepin' the motor runnin'. I also kept reminding myself that although there are a number of better guitarists around here, this was my gig and I was supposed to be here.
A month later, I was in a Guitar Center in the DC area, surrounded by out-of-tune wannabe shredders all apparently trying to out-testosterone each other, when in walked one of my personal guitar heroes - John Jennings, long time collaborator with Mary Chapin Carpenter. We exchanged nods as he walked past - I guess he saw the look on my face that said "Nah, it can't be..." - and he stepped into one of the "quiet rooms" to check out a Gretsch. I walked in and stood behind him, listening for a moment to confirm that it was him. Then I politely asked if his name was John. "Yes," he said and motioned for me to sit down and join him.
After a few minutes, another "adult" player came in to escape the racket so he could try out a couple of LP goldtops. The three of us talked for maybe twenty minutes in between those two trying out their prospective purchases and a great feeling of serenity came over me that right there, in that place and in that moment, I was exactly where I belonged. I felt like I was among peers and it was only when my drummer buddy walked in and I introduced him to John that I felt a brief flash of hero-worship return.
It never even occurred to me to pick up a guitar. I guess it would have been rude anyway to interrupt his shopping just so I could brag later that I jammed with him, but the truth is it never even crossed my mind. And in the relative quiet of that little room, the three of us talked more music than the guys outside were playing.
I bid them farewell and my buddy showed me some things he was thinking about buying. As we were leaving, John stepped out of the little room, en route to the cashier with his new Gretsch, and said to me "I just wanted you to know that you're part of the reason I bought this guitar."
That still gives me a rush.
Nice thread, 6was9. Thanks. Never lose the joy. :)
If the dude woke up this mornin', he's playin'.
oh man these stories are awesome!
Rare moments indeed.....Thanks to all.
He did buy the amp. :D
" I'm not sure what happened, it was tuned when I bought it."
