Guitarist magazine's 10 questions - your answers?

[Ratrod]

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
Yamaha SG400. It was my mom's but I made it my own. Somewhere early nineties.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
When that guitar called to me (see above).

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
If i can only save one, it'll be my gretsch Power Jet.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
Like a Rocket by Reverend Horton Heat, last friday.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Sunday morning, sleepy, half drunk, half hung over, did two gigs the day before, tired, trying to play Mystery Train during the soundcheck in front of 100 people.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
'58 to '60 Gretsch 6120

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
Gretsch Power Jet.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
1960's Hofner 185 bass. Actual guitars it's either the Harmony Stella or the Yamaha SG400 both are around 1978.

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

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
Can't think of a specific song.

[hunter]

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
Nylon String acoustic in 1983. I had a few lessons and dropped it until 1986, when I got a metallic red Tokai Goldstar Strat (have it still and it is black now with white Apaches).

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Trying to play Greensleaves on the acoustic.

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
The PRS McCarty RW neck with RY pickups, because it's such a good allrounder.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
Yesterday, I learned "Burn" by Deep Purple and practised alternate picking.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
My Hamer sunburst fell off the stand and broke the head stock (luckily behind the nut).

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
Jimmy Page's No. 1

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
My Hamer Sunburst in 1990 for 3,000,- Deutsche Mark. I had worked very hard for that.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
My Tokai Goldstar which is built in '86

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
Boney M. , greatest Hits.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
Seeing Knopfler on the TV play "Brothers In Arms" at Live Aid, which made me pick up the guitar for the second time (and I got a red strat, because of him).

[LazyNinja]

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
First guitar I owned was an acoustic my parents got me in year 8 which was back in 2001. The first guitar I bought myself was an Epiphone LP Standard in honeyburst that I got in 2004.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Plucking a string in music class.

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
I don't have a guitar that I'm particularly attached to to be honest. I haven't found "the one" yet. Gibson LP studio has the most sentimental value to me but doesn't play as nice as my PRS. I guess I'd save my dad's strat.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
Rodrigo y Gabriella - "Tamacun" and "Ixtapa". Been practicing for a few days now I can nearly play them now except the violin solo bit.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Broken strings, amp suddenly not working after perfect soundcheck etc but the worst experience was when we turned up at a venue which was supposed to have a full PA system, which turned out they didn't, and our singer didn't bring her own, so after setting up all amps and drums we had to pack up and go home in front of bemused punters.

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

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
got in a trade but my PRS CU24 is the most expensive guitar I've owned.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
Yamaha SG1000 from early 80's but it's being sold now. I want a guitar made in 1987 which is the year I was born!

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
I have too many uncool stuff in my collection... I still have Avril Lavigne(sp?)'s first album somewhere I used to have a huge crush on her!

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
Beatles greatest hits got me into music so I guess that album. Greenday made me want to form band in college and play in front of people. Appetite for Destruction and Back in Black turned me to hard/classic rock and screaming guitar solos and formed the core of my taste in music for the last few years.

[Elliot]

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

A nylon string in about 1979 and then a 1983 JV Squier strat very similar to Twinfan's and Andy's!!

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Learning Let there be Rock

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
My surf green Am Standard strat

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

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Playing onstage as I can only play on my own - (errrr!)

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
A 1960s surf green strat

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
A Les Paul in the 1980s and it was horrible!  The only guitar i've sold/traded

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

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
No

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
Beethoven's 9th sympthony always picks me up after a fall!

[Plexi Ken]

What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
My first electric was a cheap strat copy in 1984/5

What's your first guitar playing memory?
I borrowed a horrible acoustic (the nut wasn't cut correctly or it was set for slide, strings were an inch off the fretboard) and in 2 weeks I could play all the common major, seventh and minor cords in a sing-along book that was in the case.

The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
My MIJ 1988 Fender Telecaster, it was my main gigging guitar for 12 years. It's not worth much but has huge sentimental value.

When and what was the last thing you practiced?
'Message in a Bottle' about 2 days ago.

What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Played the large stage at St Andrews Uni (cool place, all the 'greats' have played there, Zep, Floyd, Hendrix, etc.) and got shocks from the mics. I didn't get it too bad but the singer got 2 massive jolts that made him dance around like a rag doll. Another one was, played a gig where a local well-known gangster was present. Before we were due to go on, the guy approaches the band and tells us if we stink, he'll kill us. Luck for us, he loved us.

If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
'59 Esquire (toploader)

What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
'07 Gibson Les Paul Standard (I've got PGblues on it)

What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
'88 Tele from question 3

Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
I've got approx. 1,000 CDs, they span just about ever genre of music. I'm sure there's lots of stuff folks on this forum would consider embarrassing but I don't. In particular I've got lots of 'pop music'.

Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
'God save the Queen' by The Sex Pistols, I can remember when it was release in '77; it's my earliest musical memory. I can still see my big brother pogoing round the bedroom to it. That whole 'Punk' thing seemed so exciting at the time; I still have an affection for early Punk.

[_tom_]

Good thread :)


1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
Argos 3/4 size acoustic, £17 - bargain! Got that in the summer holidays after Year 5 I think, so about 1999? First electric was a few months after that when me and my teacher realised I could actually string some chords together and have it sound ok.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Going through the first chord book I bought, and trying to play along to Santana's Smooth!

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
Well I only have 2, and I have 2 hands.. so both of them! Or maybe the Pearl LP and my amp

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
Yesterday, was just playing along to loads of backing tracks in a bit of a guitar playing binge, after not playing for a while! I've got a bit rusty in the past few weeks I didnt play much so was just getting back up to speed.. got the Beat It solo alright again so I'm doing ok!

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Completely forgot how the Smells Like Teen Spirit solo goes, and somehow made up a shitety solo that sounded even worse than the original. Then a string broke.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
I honestly have no idea.. I dont really have any in mind.

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
Pearl LP Custom - £250 :lol: add pickups and it goes up to £450

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
Pearl LP Custom, from the 70s I believe

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
Not really, though I have a fair few slightly guilty pleasures such as Paramore, Lily Allen, Kate Nash and that sort of thing.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
I dont know if I'd quite say changed my life, but 2 songs fueled my guitar interest. Beat It, because I remember hearing the solo and thought it sounded amazing at the time.. then Smooth by Santana which actually made me go out and get a guitar.

[blue]

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

my first was an Hyundai (really!) acoustic that i got for christmas in, i think, 1989.  i wanted Slash's Les Paul, but that's what i got!  about a year later i got my first electric, a Columbus Strat copy.  they were both rubbish.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?

playing Sweet Child O' Mine to my granny on the acoustic.  it was terrible, but she told me it was very good :)

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

hmm.  i suppose it'd have to be my red Gibson M-III.  it was my first "good" guitar, and still pretty much my favourite.

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

Sunday, trying to whip into shape a song i'm trying to write.

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

i was the singer.  in practice all went well, but when we went on i found they'd moved the monitor behind the drumkit!  apparently it was blocking someone's view!  i couldn't hear anything, sounded horrendous and was embarrassed for some time after.

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

a late 50's Les Paul seems so predictable!  but it's probably the one.  maybe a '56 goldtop, just to be different.
 
7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?

my 2004 Les Paul Standard.  although, after repairs, my '75 probably ended up costing more :(

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

the aforementioned 1975 Les Paul Deluxe

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

not really.  i've never known people that liked the same music as me, and i have a pretty eclectic collection, none of which embarrasses me.  oh, hold on, i did have an FM cd! it was awful! :)

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

not a song, but i'd say G'N'R's Appetite For Destruction pretty much changed things forever.

[bucketshred]

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
The first I was given was a 20 year old Encore bass with action about an inch high. The first I bought was a £35 Nylon Strung Acoustic bought from my local music shop. I ended up giving it to one of my students. I got the Acoustic a few months before my 14th Birthday

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
My Mum being dead impressed I learnt the riff to 'The Riverboat Song' by Ocean Colour Scene as I sat on the stairs playing it. She said I was like Eric Clapton :D

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
The Gibson SG or Explorer. $%&# it, both. I'll break the rules as they are right next to each other in my office and I have two hands/arms.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
The riffs to a new song by my band. Yesterday afternoon.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Other than equipment not working or being too drunk to play/falling over, I lifted my Explorer above my head once at a gig with a low ceiling. It went *CLUNK* on the ceiling, fell out of my hand, *BANG* on the floor. As it fell I thought 'great, there's a grand down to the drain!'. I turned around, picked it up, check the headstock was still on, threw it back on, checked the tuning and the $%&#er was still in perfect tune - went straight into the lead break after that too :D

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
A Gibson '59 Les Paul or an early Tele/Esquire.

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
My Gibson SG, a hair over a grand.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
The Explorer, I bought it second hand when I was 18 (three years ago) and it was around 9 years old then. That makes it around 12.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
Not really. I'll listen to pretty much anything. If you like it, why be ashamed of it? (Althought I do own Alien Ant Farm's first record amongst some other Nu Metal stuff. Some of it has great song writing and production).

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
Too many to mention but the one that sticks out most in 'New Noise' by Refused. It showed me the perfect mix of Punk, Metal and Hardcore and that being a strong rhythm player with a good sound is much more important than being a wanky lead player drenched in delay/effects.

Paddy

[Andrew W]

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

A horrid red Hondo Strat copy in November 1988.  It was such a bad guitar, I sold it a year later and bought a Fenix Strat copy, This one in fact.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?

When I got the Hondo I also bought a guitar instructional book that tried to teach me "Auld Lang Syne" on page 4 so I threw that away, got an Eric Clapton songbook, and learned "Cocaine" instead.  I was 13.

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

My Brook Lyn acoustic.  The others are replaceable. If I had a spare hand I'd make room for my Strat too probably.

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

I was playing "La Grange" last night.  I think calling it 'practicing' might be stretching it a bit though.

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

Nothing worse than the usual amp cutting out/dodgy cable/pedal running out of battery dullness.

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

Probably an Olympic White '62 Strat.

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

The Brook and they were a lot cheaper when I got mine than they are these days.

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

The '96 Tele I've just finished hot-rodding.

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

I don't think so, I'm not proud. People say that "Ice Ice baby" by Vanilla Ice isn't very acceptable.  They're wrong.

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

Probably "Voodoo Chile (Slight Return)" by Jimi Hendrix.  It was the first time I'd heard a guitar go into hyperspace.

[MDV]

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

There were always guitars in the house, but the first one that was offically mine was a Hondo Deluxe 760, which though now unrecognisable I still have. That was when I was 14, 13 years ago.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?

Not playing - as a very young child, dont know how young, infant even, randomly playing strings and fretting notes on mums classical

Sort of playing - when I was 14 and first given the hondo, going through open string skipping exercises and learning the pentatonic minor

Firist time that joins up with currently playing - when 16, learning, dun dun deeeerrr SMOKE ON THE WATER!

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

Very tough call - its either my DX1, which quickly replaced my hondo as main guitar and was my only one to speak of for about 6 years (out of my 11 of playing) or my legra MDV602. The former because of sentimental value, the latter because its waaay my best guitar. Probably the Legra. I'm not all that sentimental. Poor jackson.

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

Sweep tapping, a couple of weeks ago. Havent quite got the hang of it yet, but its getting there.

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

I have to go to a pseudo-stage for this and one of mums singing masterclasses, which my vocalist was in the group for. Shunning backing tracks, he did Clutch, Ghost, and I played it. Now, I go round saying "I dont do covers, what do you think I am, a CD player?" and in amongst improvising fills get one of the easiest riffs in the song horribly wrong :lol:

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

I really have no interest in vintage guitars whatsoever, but if I had to have one it would be a les paul, and I couldnt even choose a year, whatever the first one was ('58?)

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

Legra aurora, not finished yet, but paid for at a little under £1800

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

'89 RG, but there are a couple that I have no idea of the age of.

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

This question reminded me: I have a copy of nicklback, the state.

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

Cant really say. No, not in the way it seems like the quesiton is asking for. Maybe something like Master of puppets, that got me into thrash and metal in general (a BIG deal for me), any one of the songs that spurred me in a new musical taste direction - teen spirit when I was 14, Wherever I may roam at 16, puppets at 17, davidian at 18, a million and one songs since then...I dont suppose thats what the question means, so no is the answer.

[Antag]

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
Old Kay classical that my aunt gave me.  It had been strung with steel strings & not having a trussrod, the neck was like the deck of the Ark Royal :lol:  The first guitar I owned that was properly mine was a cheap dreadnought acoustic (can't remember brand) that I bought for £55.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Aged 4, playing a cardboard cutout guitar with some kitchen string on it that my granny made me.

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
My custom shop Jackson because it cannot be replaced, though I'd probably die trying to get the rest of my Jacksons & my Feline out too.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
An hour ago on my office guitar, the second part of Martin Goulding's guest solo for The Safety Fire, using Nolly's youtube clip.  I'm a million miles away from being able to play any of it with any fluency... :(

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Fell off it.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
Depends how "vintage" is vintage?  If I can't have Randy Rhoads' original Jackson "concorde" (which would be nearly 28 years old now), then I'll say Dave Murray's '57 Fender strat.

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
The most I've ever paid for a guitar is £1999 for a Taylor acoustic, although my custom shop Jackson would have cost much more than that had the exchange rate not been so favourable.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
Charvel Model 5 from 1987.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
Nope.  There are tons of albums I wish I hadn't bought or wouldn't buy again, but there's nothing I hide when I have friends around...

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
"Murders in the Rue Morgue" by Iron Maiden, heard it on a borrowed walkman on a coach ride back from a school trip.  First metal I'd ever heard, made me want to play guitar.

[Jonny]

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
Encore Stratocaster, it was around.. 2003/2004.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Sitting on the floor, over tuning the high E and having it whip me in the neck. Playing memory would be playing my first proper song which was Radio by Alkaline Trio and then onto to Wonderful Tonight.

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
My red Indie Signature.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
Every Last Breath by the Architects

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Nothing really, worst feeling was the acoustic were so cr@p when I was playing a small solo you couldn't hear it but it wasn't really a performance or really on stage.. so.. it was still a sort of song to audience though.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
A '65 Stratocaster

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
A Vigier Excalibur Supra

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
Probably the ESP LTD I have, which is from 2001 or my RG1570 which is also around 2000/2001.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
I did happen to buy The Streets but that was way before my guitar days and it is hidden away from where I usually have my CDs.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
No, but doesn't mean some aren't emotional to me at points in life.

EDIT: But I suppose it was Alive by P.O.D. which was the heaviest thing I heard, and I remember I had it on endless loop on my CD player whilst in the car from a family road trip.

[Ratrod]

MDV said:I really have no interest in vintage guitars whatsoever,

Did you ever try a vintage guitar? Say 50's or 60's Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Guild etc.?

If not, you should.

[mecca777]

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
An old Woolworths "Top 20" electric that my dad handed down to me when I was about 9 or 10. It didn't intonate properly, the tremolo was the dodgiest piece of cumbersome pot metal ever, the pickups were scratchy and fizzy and the shape was "mutant Strat", but it was my first!

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Putting my dad's acoustic flat on the carpet and discovering 12-fret natural harmonics, which led me to pick out the theme from "The Good, The Bad And The Ugly" on the open strings after some experimentation. I can still remember how incredibly chuffed with myself I was.

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
It would be my Ibanez RG570FM, because it was the first guitar I saved up for and bought with my own cash, and everything else I have is easier to replace. But I'd also be trying to haul my Marshall Silver Jubilee head out of the fire as well, so I'd die of smoke inhalation on the stairs.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
A riff my brother came up with for one of my unfinished songs while I was away on holiday.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Nothing too traumatic, but at a college performance once I spent weeks trying to perfect the solo to "Stairway to Heaven" against my own wishes and better judgement, only for the singer to launch straight into the last verse over the top of the first bar because, she later explained, "I knew you were nervous about it".

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
My dad's 1970 white Strat, on which I spent many childhood years learning Deep Purple and Hendrix songs while admiring myself in the mirror.

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
My Ibanez RG570FM, which cost me £400.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
The RG570FM again, 1991.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
No, I'm not embarrassed about any of the terrible music I like to listen to, even the stuff I should be embarrassed about.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
The biggest impact a song ever had on me was "It's Tricky" by Run-DMC. It was the first single I bought with my pocket money, because I thought the guys in leather jackets and black hats looked tough and cool, and it was the first time I listened to music that my parents had never heard of - previously I had either been listening to my dad's tapes in the car or the pop music that was on television.

[HairyChris]

1 ) What was your first guitar, and when did you get it?
Squire Bullet, 17th birthday I think. I was a late starter. Horrible guitar.

2 ) What's your first guitar playing memory?
Singing notes to the guitar teacher. Almost getting binned from the first because my singing voice was so bad he thought that I was tone deaf. Then E minor pentatonic!

3 ) The building's burning, which guitar do you save?
Argh. Probably my 7 string Blackmachine.

4 ) When and what was the last thing you practiced?
Last Thursday. Band rehearsal. Rehearsing in <1hr and have not played since last week. Oops.

5 ) What's the worst thing that's happened to you onstage?
Hit by other guitarist's headstock & fell 4+ ft off the side of the stage. Close second is jump/land/180/flat on back hitting monitor with head.

6 ) If you could have any vintage guitar to own, and not sell on, what would it be?
Vintage doesn't really float my boat.

7 ) What's the most expensive guitar you've ever bought?
Blackmachine B7. If I was to order the same spec B6 as I own it would be quite a bit more.  My PRS Artist Pack was close and that was used and imported at very good exchange rate.

8 ) What's the oldest guitar in your collection?
1991 Jackson Professional Fusion. Got a used Spanish guitar but I don't know it's history.

9 ) Is there a particular record in your collection that you wouldn't want people to know about?
Not really. I had a large number of CDs burgled in 2000 and there were some howlers in there.

10 ) Is there a song that changed your life, and in what way?
Battery by Metallica. Bought MoP aged 14 just by the cover, went home & put it on my folks' stereo when they were out. Turned into a thrash kid there and then and pretty much everything that's happened since has been affected by music in some way.