Who made you pick up a guitar?

  • I started in the early 70s so predictably the opening salvo was Jimmy Page, Ritchie Blackmore, Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton.


    I had a really cheap turntable that was apparently a little hard on records. Everyone else was learning Little Wing, so I decided to learn Castles Made of Sand. I went over and over the song so many times trying to learn it that I killed the groove between it and the next song. Castles Made of Sand would finish and then it would just endlessly stay in the gap between songs. Clearly Jimi's way of saying, "Yeah, okay, maybe just one more time..."


    And of course Eddie Van Halen when he came along, though I'm not really the flamethrower lead guy. Lost 20 bucks when I first heard Eruption because I swore that was a keyboard. Tapping is obvious these days but it was a new sound on the radio back then. I played an SG at the time so I had to simulate the dive bombs with the tuner pegs. I actually find Eddie's songwriting / rhythm playing to be as inspirational as the solos.


    I feel like I came up when rock guitar was still being discovered and explored, with people making it up as they go along to see what the instrument could do. These days the guitar has matured as an art form, and while the genre is not my frequency what the metal guys can do with 6 (or more) strings just blows me away. Certainly sets the bar high for modern beginners.


    In my case it was Eddie Van Halen's smile in the 'Jump' music video.


    When I was 14 years old, I watched that music video for the first time and I thought to myself 'I wanna be happy like that guy. Can I be happy if I play the guitar? '


    Still i think so.

    That's one of the things I noticed as well. There's a joyous nature to Eddie's performances that I find inspiring. While there are many styles of rock, to me it's "good time" music, and he always looked like he was having the time of his life.


    Steve Lukather. :pinch:

    I didn't really appreciate him until it was way past obvious (Toto). Then I started hearing his work everywhere, because it was.

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    Edited once, last by Chris Duncan ().

  • Great thread .....but I'm so sorry but I think the Edge is so overrated....just don't get it. Like so many people, good songwriter but mediocre guitarist in my eyes...I was into Big Country and Stuart Adamson for me was way better.


    I was into indie and goth so it was Danny Ash from Bauhaus, Geordie from Killing Joke, Will Sargent from Echo and the Bunnymen and the aforementioned Stuart Adamson...Then I found Billy Duffy ( hence The Cult tribute I now play in). I also used to mime to Tunnel of Love by Mark Knopfler!


    Then Rory and SRV as I took it more seriously and was told I had to listen to the blues...Then I heard Badlands with Jake E Lee, which led to an Ozzy obsession and where I learnt to play solos.


    Bought a live video of Yngwie in the 80's and made me feel sick and want to give up forever. Still admire his playing and much of his playing does have taste....when he holds back!


    Was never an Eddie or Hendrix fan but totally understand what they did for guitar playing! Its about what sends shivers down your spine...


    My real heroes now are still Nuno and any of the Ozzy guitarists. Rory and SRV still have a place in my heart for their passion and fire.


    Now to upset others, my overated guitarists are Slash, Eric Clapton ( post Cream - defo and innovator!!) and Richie Sambora. Fantastic songwriters, but don't inspire me..

  • Nope. Won't bite :)

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  • Great post.


    I know the Edge is not everyones cup of tea but he did make me pick up the guitar. When I first heard Rattle and Hum which was basically an extension of the Joshua Tree, that was it for me.

    I love Slash, but was never into the shredders, (I do admire them somewhat though), but perhaps that could be that my little fingers don't move as fast as I'd like.


    My late dad was the original singer in the Groundhogs who started out as a blues outfit in the 60's and I suppose I'm following suit as blues/rock is what I tend to listen and play now...... sort of.

    'You can lead a horse to water, but a pencil must be lead' - Stan Laurel

  • My dad....he had a country rock band back in the mid 70's to early 80's. We had guitars around the house and the band practiced at my house so I naturally took to it. I started on his 74 Jazz bass(which I have now) when I was in 2nd grade. Could barely reach the first fret! Then later on started playing his 78 strat (which had a horribly large neck!). It was hearing KISS at the age of 9 that made me want to play rock.


    I wrote a song about playing music with my dad, who is now passed. If not allowed in this thread, please delete.

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  • My dad....he had a country rock band back in the mid 70's to early 80's. We had guitars around the house

    There was an interview with Ronnie Van Zant of Skynyrd where he was asked if he would want his children to grow up to be musicians. His response:


    Hell, yeah! I'd leave guitars all around the house and whenever he touched one I'd slap him upside the head and tell him not to touch them. That way when I wasn't around he'd say, "Hey, the old man ain't looking..."

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  • Chris Duncan LMAO.....Maybe that's what I should have done with my kids as none of them showed an interest in playing my guitars. And like my dad, I did not try to force it on them at all. My dad was my hero. I thought he was a rock star up there on the stage with his 70's cowboy hat and big collars on his paisley shirt. I wanted to be him so that meant playing guitar. Apparently my kids didn't see me the same way!! lol

  • Dude its what inspires you thats important...ironically I'm not massively into shredders either.


    I really like U2 music and GnR, but the elevation of the guitarists to me is more about the success of those bands than their greatness - yes of course they palyed their part, hence fab songwriters but..."best" guitarist is an irrelevence anyway. Is it best technican, best feel ( totally subjective), most popular, most influencial....I come back to is who is best in our own eyes :)


    I did find that playing guiatr corrupted my view of music and for quite some time I had to re learn listening to music and not just the guitar :).


    I do admire great technicians like Tosin Abasi, Jon Gomm and Guthrie Govan but can;t necessaily listen to their music :)