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Twinfan

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Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« on: September 07, 2009, 08:44:58 PM »
Guitarist magazine has 10 questions they ask a guitar player every month, and I wondered what the folks on here would answer?  The questions are:

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?

I'll start off, and if you copy and paste the way I present it we won't forget what the questions are when we read the responses  ;)

1 - First:

I started playing classical guitar at the age of eight, so my first guitar would have been a nylon strung 3/4 model of some type.  I don't remember it.  My first electric guitar was a 1983 JV '62 reissue Squier Strat in Fiesta Red which I saved up my paper round money for.  I still own it.

2 - Memory:

I can remember sitting in a classroom at lunchtime with a bunch of other kids as some sort of group guitar lesson.  Soon after that I had one-to-one lessons with a teacher after school if I remember rightly.

3 - Burning:

It would have to be my Custom Shop '58 Heavy Relic Tele, "Ruby Tuesday".  Aside from being an amazing guitar, it has a huge amount of sentimental value to me.

4 - Practice:

Just tonight, and I was playing Sweet Child O' Mine.  I've given up learning the all the solo parts note for note, so for the end of song wig-outs I'm going to improvise it when we gig it!

5 -Onstage:

I fluffed the intro riff to Wanted Dead Or Alive.  Twice.  In the same gig.  Back to back.  It was a bad night.  I've also done 'DC solos in the wrong key in the very early days as well, mainly because I couldn't hear myself properly  :(

6 - Vintage:

I'd want to own Malcolm Young's Jet Firebird.  Just for the historical significance of it!

7 - Expensive:

My PRS Modern Eagle.  I can't see myself paying anything like that much for a guitar again.

8 - Oldest:

My 1983 JV Squier Strat mentioned in question 1.

9 - Record:

I've got loads of stuff that's embarassing, but I'll go with two Bros albums on cassette  :oops:

10 - Life:

Nothing really stands out, but I can remember learning Mr Cab Driver by Lenny Kravitz by ear to become the first song I played on my Squier Strat as a teenager.  I guess that kick started me into learning to play the electric guitar!

WezV

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #1 on: September 07, 2009, 09:20:28 PM »
1.  1st guitar like with so many people was a black squier strat in about 94 (14yo)

2. I remember my uncles 60's eko acoustic behind the sofa from when i was a very small child.  used to just pluck a string then run off.  Its a surprisingly nice example and i rebuilt the fretboard and refretted it a few years ago to get the playability back to where it should be

3. whichever is completed and next to be picked up by a customer - wouldnt want to cause a delay and they are usually the ones my mind is most focused one.  (it would have been la cabronita before saturday)

4. honestly cant remember - i should sort that out

5. N/A, so i will do the closest equivilent.  i did a floyd conversion on a flying cheap V for a mate, got it out to show him how good the floyd was.  slipped.  grabbed the trem arm and managed to break 3 strings at once.  doh

6. difficult one.  would have to be a 58 natural 335 , original d'angelico archtop or a zemaitis dragon

7. an epiphone LP which i still have, although i have spent much more than that on guitar builds!!  never have brought an expensive guitar really

8. my 50's framus archtop. 

9. no.  The first album i owned was the joseph soundtrack.  i was only 8, it was a gift.  i am nopt embarrased

10. hard to say really.  surely they have had an influence but i cant remember any one that created a turning point or created a major change

Will

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #2 on: September 07, 2009, 09:49:25 PM »
1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
Stagg V. Because I hate beginner strats

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Mates trying to teach me Smells like teen spirit...

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
Gibson LP XR1

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
I decided it may be a good idea to actually learn Sweet Child last night :?

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Realise that you don't want to be there, not enjoying the band

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
'59 LP standard, I guess. I really enjoy Les Pauls, but then the Feline mods almost put me off the original.
Maybe a Firebird III with the Johnny Winter tailpiece mod
or does a '76 Explorer count as vintage?

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
It isn't finished yet

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
Gibson XR1 that is a little bit cut up

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
The Corrs Greatest Hits. I really like them...

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
Stayin' Alive. Okay, seriously, I see myself more as a free thinker, take things into account etc rather than life changing event and quick change. So, things that changed my guitar life

1. Ozzy - Miracle Man. Love it, still do. Pentatonics can sounds great
2. Ozzy - Bark at the moon. More to guitar than pentatonics.
3. Def Leppard - Animal. The subtle layers which don't seem to be in the same key, or which seem to focus on different notes creating contrast.

ilÿti

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #3 on: September 07, 2009, 10:01:01 PM »
1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
11th birthday, in 1999, budget 3/4 size classical guitar.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Plucking strings after I got said guitar. I did have two ukulele's as a child which I can also remember, does that count?

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
My Les Paul.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
I practice scales and boring stuff every day almost.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Having no sound in front of approx. 1000 people. Took a few minutes to determine one of the cables were dead, during which I changed the batteries in my pedals, checked every cable, had to convince the sound guy I needed to use that wah pedal and other things. Then the same thing happens the second night, only this time it kind of sorted itself out but imagine the terror of everyone in the band plus the incompetent sound tech.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
Vox AC30

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
My Les Paul

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
I don't know how old my 12-string is but probably about 20 years.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
Yes. Many.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
"changed my life" is a bit drastic but Bad Craziness by D-A-D was the first rock song I liked. I was 3.
Crawlers, Mule-7s
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Brow

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #4 on: September 07, 2009, 10:03:54 PM »
1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?

My 1st guitar was a single humbucker Encore 'Strat' from Argos when I was about 9 or 10. I only used it a few times and put it aside till I was 14. I sold it with the original strings on to buy a hardcase for the Tobacco Sunburst Rikter LP I'd just had for Christmas :D

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?

Trying the Rikter LP mentioned above in the shop and it having a playable action so not having to shred my fingers on the 2" action the Encore had!


3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?

This would be a 3 way tie between my 98 LP Standard (my dream guitar from when I 1st started playing guitar), my 93/94 Jap Squier Strat I got with money after my Grandma died or my custom ordered Gordon Smith Graduate 60 I got after my Grandad died.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?

It's been a while since I've 'practiced' to improve (something I really need to do more of) so the last thing would probably have been learning some cover songs.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?

Would probably be when I was playing a fairly big charity gig at Donnington Park a few years ago for a Maddie McCann charity and my 74' Carlsbro amp head went screwy and kept cutting out. I've been pretty lucky for the most part.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?

Easy answer; 'no burst' 58 LP :D

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?

My 98 Gibby LP Standard for just over 800 quid

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?

I have a japanese strat copy that s'pposed to be 70s (according to the guy who had it before me), but apart from that'd it'd be my E serial Jap Strat which I believe dates it to between 84 - 87?

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?

I have alot of stuff that various people would find embarrassing so that depends on the person.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?

There's been alot, but none that come to mind atm strangely enough  :lol:
Selling lots of gear, enquire within!......

TheIronBeast

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #5 on: September 07, 2009, 10:06:39 PM »
1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?

My first guitar was a black Blue Ridge Strat copy. I saved up money from my paper round to buy it. Can't remember how long ago it was but I still have it in the house.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?

I remember sitting in my bedroom with a 3/4 size acoustic guitar listening to 'The X Factor' album by Iron Maiden and trying to work out the intro to 'Sign Of The Cross'

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?

Probaby my 1982 Fender Fullerton Strat as it's my main gigging guitar. Either that or my Rory strat as I've started to grow very fond of it recently.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?

At band practice tonight the last song we practiced was Rory Gallagher - Shadow Play, so I guess that was the last thing I practiced.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?

At a small pub gig in Inverness about a year ago some guy kicked the mic stand which whacked me in the mouth, my lip was bleeding quite a bit, however I still kept playing and singing!

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?

Ah tough question! Probably a 1954 Fender Stratocaster, seen a few in Vintage guitar stores but all have been about £25,000 - £30,000. I can still dream though, can't I?

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?

Fender Custom Shop Rory Gallagher Strat. I will most likely never pay anything like that for a guitar again though!

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?

1978 Gibson The Paul. Great guitar with great sounding T Top vintage humbuckers!

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?

I still have albums that I got for Christmas when I was a kid. Like Now 41 and other 'pop' compilations. Other than that I don't think I'm ashamed to admit owning any album in my collection.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?

Not really changed my life but it was after my dad let me hear Bullfrog Blues by Rory Gallagher that I knew I wanted to play guitar. I remember hearing the song and 'air-guitaring' during the solo, it's just one of these kind of songs!
« Last Edit: September 07, 2009, 11:24:48 PM by TheIronBeast »
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FernandoDuarte

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #6 on: September 07, 2009, 10:09:51 PM »
1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
Condor RX30 - a korean strat/ibanez alike HSS, bought in 2000
2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
My first class, learning the funeral march to play in a "radio thing" homework at school
3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
Hummm here I got the guitar I've built and the Nonsense Tele, would be hard to choose
4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
Not sure, long while ago
5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Never played alive, was only a roadie for an year... Think was on one concert where I couldn't just make the things sounds good, the guitars didn't cut, the bass was weird, the drums loud and the voice didn't appeard...
6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
Probably a '59 Les Paul standard
7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
The Nonsense Tele - Warmoth Alder body with spalted maple and wenge neck with macassar ebony fingerboard, BKP Piledriver pickups, Glendale bridge....
8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
The one I've built - ended it in 2003 if I'm not wrong
9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
Record I'm not sure, just some mp3 I downloaded to see what was the bands about
10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
First is Pantera - War Nerve, this made me really "get" into music, also GnR - sweet child o' mine and BB King & Eric Clapton - Riding with the king - the one that made me discover that not only heavy metal was cool (I was 15 and so stupid :lol:)

(added some information and changed the layout, but kept what I've said before)
« Last Edit: September 08, 2009, 02:17:25 PM by FernandoEsteves »

Philly Q

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #7 on: September 07, 2009, 11:09:33 PM »
1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?

Rubbish Arbiter Les Paul copy with a bolt-on neck and weird "humbuckers" which were really single-coils.  Got it for Christmas in 1980.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?

Trying to play "Smoke On The Water" on my sister's classical guitar (the top was so warped that several strings didn't even touch the saddle).

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?

Hmmm, probably still my green SG-X.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?

Can't remember!  Haven't picked up a guitar in the last couple of weeks.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?

Not applicable.... unless you count a very reluctant appearance in a school play in 1973....

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?

Either: Late-'50s singlecut Les Paul Junior
Or: 1958 Flying V

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?

PRS McCarty Korina.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?

1965 Gibson Melody Maker.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?

I have Stick It To Ya by Slaughter and All Systems Go by the Vinnie Vincent Invasion, so I should be ashamed... but I'm not.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?

"Cum On Feel the Noize" by Slade, because it's the first pop song I remember liking.
"Sultans Of Swing" by Dire Straits, because it was the first time I realised "that sound" was a Guitar
"Lost Horizons" by MSG, because it made me want to play guitar.
"Boogie Nights" by Heatwave, because it's the best song ever.  :D


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BKPs I Had:  RY+Abraxas, Crawlers, BD+SM

gwEm

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #8 on: September 07, 2009, 11:30:02 PM »
Great thread idea Dave, but I'm sure the regulars here will know each others answers, but maybe not!

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
First electric was an Epiphone '58 copy. Had a classical before that. Got them both in 2001 I think.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Drunkenly playing bass extremely loudly in my mate's student room

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
The '84 Johnny Winter V

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
Yesterday evening 'Angel In The Night' by Basshunter (true!)

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
So much has happened - I remember once the batteries in my minidisc ran out mid set. Snapped a string on the white Steinberger which was a bitch to replace mid set. I also totally misjudged the setlist and alienated the crowd (this only happened once though early on, not the sort of mistake you make twice)

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
A '58, '67 or Medallion Flying V - I'm not fussy which of those 3 ;)

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
Gibson Flying V90

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
Oldest complete guitar is a Greco '81 Flying V.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
No, I'm happy for people to know the cheesiest songs in my collection :)

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
So many... But the first was 'Out Of Space', by The Prodigy. It changed me because suddenly I heard underground music I liked, and could identify myself with a scene. Guitar-wise Motorhead 'Ace Of Spades' opened my idea to hard rock. 'Paranoid' pushed me over the edge to wanting to play.
« Last Edit: September 07, 2009, 11:34:41 PM by gwEm »
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CJ

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #9 on: September 08, 2009, 04:27:40 AM »

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?

first guitar i played was my dad's classical guitar. first guitar i technically bought was a Axe guitar from my friend for like $30 about 6 years ago. the first i bought from a store was some type of yamaha superstrat for $120.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?

my brother teaching me brain stew on my dad's classical. neither of us knew how to actually play, but it was fun.

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?

my '79 Dean Z signed by Dime. it's irreplaceable.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?

yesterday. currently working on Rhoads' spotlight solo from the tribute album.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?

i've played on stage once in my life. it was for a school project in 8th grade, me and a friend on drums. i had only been playing guitar for a few months at that point, and i was terrible. i didn't know how to keep rhythm. it was only for my class of like 20 something, but it was quite embarrassing.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?

hmm... tough one. i'm not really gassing for any vintage gear right now. i've got a few vintage guitars already. maybe a charvel star (are they even vintage?) or an old gibson firebird.

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?

My Dimeslime was the most expensive one i bought for $899. once i'm finished with my '79 Z though that'll have more money put into it.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?

My '79 Dean Z. My 82 Gibson xr-1 (just like will's) is a close second.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?

i've got a ja rule cd in my cd case. i used to listen to a bunch of rap, but for some reason the ja rule one is the only one in my case.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?

cemetery gates. its the only specific song that i can think of that got me into heavy metal. ozzy before that got me into the metal scene in general. bullet with butterfly wings got me into rock when i was listening to rap. blackwater park by opeth got me into new genres of music and ultimately got me to discover the greatest band ever.



mikeluke

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #10 on: September 08, 2009, 08:29:26 AM »
1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?

Columbus Les Paul Custom Copy - would have been about 1976

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?

Trying to learn Samba Pa Ti in the front room

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?

Would have to be my 1989 Les Paul

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?

Yesterday - Wanted (Dead or Alive) on my 12 string

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?

Played the whole of the acoustic part of Boulevard of Broken Dreams with the volume pedal off - and could not hear a thing because of my in ear monitors...

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?

1958 Flying V

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?

My 89 Les Paul (£700)

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?

My 84-87 Jap Squier Strat (E Series)

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?

Too many 80s CDs to mention

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
Would have to be 'More than words' - Extreme - was singing it with a bunch of friends when I met my wife!
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Twinfan

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #11 on: September 08, 2009, 09:03:32 AM »
Great thread idea Dave, but I'm sure the regulars here will know each others answers, but maybe not!

That's the thing gwEm, I didn't know what you guys would answer!  It all makes good reading though, keep it coming folks  :)

maverickf1jockey

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #12 on: September 08, 2009, 09:28:19 AM »
1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?

A Cheap, cr@ppy, unbranded strat copy from the Littlewoods catalogue shop. It was awful and came with a terrible battery powered amp but I stuck with it because I'd saved for nearly a year to afford the £70.00 (I have never been wealthy in the slightest, plus I was about 12/13)

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?

Taking said strat copy and strumming it tunelessly. I actually started just playing melodies and riffs as I didn't know any chords. It took me almost a year before I learnt any chords.

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?

Maverick F1 as it is the only one that's worth anything and it's also been with me for a while as my main guitar and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?

I'm mainly writing material for a new band at the moment, though I have been working on some Beatles material recently. I'm finding the chords changes and harmony incredibly difficult despite the fact I could easily play Hell's Kitchen by Dream Theater.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?

Playing Hell's Kitchen live and falling one beat behind on the final harmony part.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?

An original BC Rich Mockingbird in transparent red purely because of the Slash connection.

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?

My Maverick which I got second hand for about £500.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?

A Columbus telecaster copy from the 70s which is currently in bits pending restoration.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?

The first two records I bought were Good Charlotte and Linkin Park. Needless to say I was young and naive.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?

The Appetite for Destruction album was what made me want to play the guitar in thirst place.
Steve Vai's Bad Horsey showed me what could be done beyond the normal constraints of guitar music.
Frank Zappa's material for making me re-think everything I knew about music.
There is probably more but I won't go into boring details.
I too use chicken as a measurement.

AndyR

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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #13 on: September 08, 2009, 09:34:00 AM »
1) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?

An old accoustic - my Dad had it spare and bunged it at me when I wanted to buy a record but didn't get pocket money. He said "learn to play instead" - he's probably regretted it ever since!

I think I was 13 or 14.

Edit: Just remembered, I can still see it, I did have one of those plastic Beatles guitars. Orange with a white front with their faces on. I guess I'd have had that as a christmas pressie when I was two or three. Apparently I called it my "doo-doo", but I have no recollection of this :lol:

2) What's your first guitar playing memory?

Learning to play and sing "King of the Road" over the next day or so.

3) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?

Probably my Fiesta Red strat (but I expect I could carry a lot more than that :lol:)

4) When and what was the last thing you practiced?

Last night, the guitar part and lead vocal for a new song I'm working on.

5) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?

This was really hard to come up with, I've got loads of "string-breakage", "tuning problems", "missing out half a song", "falling over", etc memories - but I never regarded these as particularly bad or embarrassing. Some old guy (I'm probably older than him now :roll:) taught me that if the band, especially the front-man, isn't embarrassed by the f@ck-up and laughs it off, then the audience feels more comfortable.

So we ended up with a toss up between "loss of voice" (which started out bad, but the audience picked up on it and sang the entire two hour set for me!! So that's kind of a fond memory :D), and THIS... (I'd forgotten it, but I find it still irks me :lol:)

Bass-player not shutting the f@ck up when I was trying to speak to the audience (eg he'd complain about the next song I'd just announced, or he'd go "tell em about the demo-tape" between every song, even though I'd already announced it, or "tell em about the next gig", etc...) - I had to put up with this for 50-odd gigs from this guy. Away from the stage he'd agree not to do it, then he'd still bluddy witter on, interrupting me...

Eventually, one day, I stopped what I was doing and told him (on mic) to "f-ing shut-up, I'm talking to the people, if you wanna tell them something, you've got your own mic, use it..." - I think that kinda embarrassed him, and he seemed to restrain hisself afterwards.

6) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?

Rory Gallagher's 61 strat.

7) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?

Gibson Explorer.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?

Squier JV 62 Stratocaster, bought in 82/3

9) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?

Nope

10) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?

I could choose all sorts, but I think it has to be "Billy don't be a hero" because it started me songwriting, but I didn't realise that's what I was doing at the time.

It was a few years after that I got the first guitar, and then 6 months before I wrote my "first" song. But my earliest memory of "singing and making it up as I go along" was one morning based on "Billy" while my Arfix soldiers were re-enacting the Normandy landings... Apparently I sang non-stop, and made sense, for over an hour or so, and by the end I had a different, but recognisable, tune (my own memory is that I hung on to the chorus, and that I couldn't possibly have made sense for over an hour!!).
« Last Edit: September 08, 2009, 09:46:45 AM by AndyR »
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Re: Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?
« Reply #14 on: September 08, 2009, 10:16:53 AM »
1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
It was a cheap 1/2 size classical given to me by my aunty when I was around 7 or 8 I think. I still have it somewhere. The first electric was an Eros MKII - a bolt on slab bodied Les Paul copy - purchased with a Gorilla amp (think angry wasp in a tin can) from Cerdd Ystwyth music in Aberystwyth when I was 16. Both guitar and amp are missing in action after being lent to a friend. I loved that guitar, the ####!!...

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Strumming the 1/2 size classical mentioned above and not having a clue how to tune it. Some people may argue I still have not learned how to tune them properly!

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
The white US Strat I've had since the late 80s I think.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
The Cult's Fire Woman

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
The singer ate an uncooked trout he'd gotten from a freezer somewhere, guts and all. I believe he did it just before a harmonica solo. I can't remember if he barfed through the harmonica or not as I was too busy laughing.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
An early 60s' Sea Foam Green Strat.

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
A Fender CS Nocaster.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
It's either the Tele shaped ESP The Eclipse or a Charvel Model 5a from the 80s', serial data on each is rather vague but it will be one of them bar the 1/2 size acoustic I have somewhere.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
I'm not bothered by any of the shitee in my collection, even the Pinky and Perky LPs from my childhood.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
Anything off the Iron Maiden's Live after Death - 'Scream for me Long Beach!'
There are 10 kinds of people who understand binary.
Those who do and those who do not.