Who was the reason you picked up a guitar?

[RatedZ]

I've always been a "Headbanger." I've been a rocker since I can remember. The first Metal album I ever got was Quiet Riot's "Mental Health" album. Then, it just escalated to Iron Maiden, Slayer, etc.

Funny that all of these bands came first, but in the end, my main inspiration for picking up a guitar was Dave Mustaine. After "So Far, So Good, So What" came out and I heard "502," that was it.

[WhiteStrat]

Mine had to be Elvis, I guess. I'm only 42--so Elvis was more my parents time, but I've had a guitar since I was 5 (1971) and the only record I remember having before I had the guitar was a couple of Elvis 45s.

[RatedZ]

Originally Posted by WhiteStrat

Mine had to be Elvis, I guess. I'm only 42--so Elvis was more my parents time, but I've had a guitar since I was 5 (1971) and the only record I remember having before I had the guitar was a couple of Elvis 45s.

Cool. While Dave Mustaine was the reason I picked up a guitar, Kirk Hammett is the reason I really wanted to get good. I became one of those bitter Metallica fans when "Load" came out. I felt totally betrayed (and still do...). I still feel like they sold out. I feel like Metallica is the Mike Tyson of the Metal world. I have really high hopes for them but in the end I know I'm just going to end up disappointed.

Now, I can say that I'm picking up my guitars once again because of John Petrucci.

[mikemorgan]

"Who was the reason you picked up a guitar?"


How did you know???!!

[WhiteStrat]

Originally Posted by RatedZ

Cool. While Dave Mustaine was the reason I picked up a guitar, Kirk Hammett is the reason I really wanted to get good. I became one of those bitter Metallica fans when "Load" came out. I felt totally betrayed (and still do...). I still feel like they sold out. I feel like Metallica is the Mike Tyson of the Metal world. I have really high hopes for them but in the end I know I'm just going to end up disappointed.

Now, I can say that I'm picking up my guitars once again because of John Petrucci.

And by the time I was 12 it was Syx and Boston and REO Speedwagon. Never learned their music, but I kept playing mine, because I liked them!

Now it's along the lines of Steve Vai, John Petrucci, Joe Satriani, Paul Gilbert, Neal Morse---blah blah blah...

[RatedZ]

Originally Posted by mikemorgan

"Who was the reason you picked up a guitar?"

How did you know???!!

How did I know what? I knew I wanted to play the guitar because I liked Megadeth and thought Dave Mustaine was a good guitarist.

[WhiteStrat]

Originally Posted by mikemorgan

"Who was the reason you picked up a guitar?"


How did you know???!!

Originally Posted by RatedZ

How did I know what? I knew I wanted to play the guitar because I liked Megadeth and thought Dave Mustaine was a good guitarist.

It's a joke. The Who is the reason he picked up a guitar. (Probably isn't--sorry for speaking for you Mike--but he's making a pun out of your question.)

[Rokket]

My dad was the reason I picked up guitar. He has one in his hands whenever he is sitting down. I was put to sleep at night as a baby to his soft picking.

[RatedZ]

Originally Posted by WhiteStrat

It's a joke. The Who is the reason he picked up a guitar. (Probably isn't--sorry for speaking for you Mike--but he's making a pun out of your question.)

Ah, I see. I guess it was so funny that I forgot to laugh.

[joeym]

Originally Posted by Rokket

My dad was the reason I picked up guitar. He has one in his hands whenever he is sitting down. I was put to sleep at night as a baby to his soft picking.

your dad's a lucky guy, Eddie...

for me it was the usual suspects: Page, Hendrix, Blackmore, Iommi.....
but that changes with time. My favourite right now is Mark Tremonti.

Oh...I forgot to mention Whitestrat! (seriously, no joke....)

[WhiteStrat]

Originally Posted by joeym

your dad's a lucky guy, Eddie...

for me it was the usual suspects: Page, Hendrix, Blackmore, Iommi.....
but that changes with time. My favourite right now is Mark Tremonti.

Oh...I forgot to mention Whitestrat! (seriously, no joke....)

Aww c'mon man...it's getting deep in here!

[suprstar]

It was the hot chicks in my high school who were going nuts over some shitty high school rock band that could barely scratch out the intro to 'Smoke On The Water'.

[suprstar]

Originally Posted by RatedZ

I became one of those bitter Metallica fans when "Load" came out. I felt totally betrayed (and still do...). I still feel like they sold out.

Same here bro.. It's sad, think what they woulda came out with if they coulda been ok with getting paid half as many millions..

I've always been a "Headbanger." I've been a rocker since I can remember. The first Metal album I ever got was Quiet Riot's "Mental Health" album. Then, it just escalated to Iron Maiden, Slayer, etc.

Same here again, and it has continued to escalate to Lamb of God, In Flames, Amon Amarth, etc.. My parents were straight and narrow, religious, military, etc. I was a kid listening to radio rock/pop in the 80's, and I guess they noticed my tastes getting heavier or something, they were all into country and oldies.. So they showed me some album covers of Iron Maiden records, telling me "You dont want to listen to this filthy evil naughty stuff, do you??", "Ummm, no mom..", and the whole time I was thinking "WOW! That is fuckin AWESOME!"

[gcapel]

I know I will get flack for this but the "And Justice for All" album made me want to start playing the guitar. My musical taste has drifted left field since.
A buddy of mine let me borrow the cassett tape and I would wear it out with a walkman in my bedroom. It took years to figure out that it was more than a peavy amp and a distortion pedal to achieve a metal guitar tone. Hard lessons learned. Now days, I don't listen to Metalika.

[suprstar]

Originally Posted by gcapel

I know I will get flack for this but the "And Justice for All" album made me want to start playing the guitar.

At least you didnt say 'And Justice For All' made you wanna play bass!

[RatedZ]

Originally Posted by gcapel

I know I will get flack for this but the "And Justice for All" album made me want to start playing the guitar. My musical taste has drifted left field since.
A buddy of mine let me borrow the cassett tape and I would wear it out with a walkman in my bedroom. It took years to figure out that it was more than a peavy amp and a distortion pedal to achieve a metal guitar tone. Hard lessons learned. Now days, I don't listen to Metalika.

Nothin' wrong with that. It was a good album. One of the first songs I ever learned how to play was "One." I felt so accomplished! LOL!

[mshilarious]

I don't recall. I was a huge Maiden fan before I started playing, but I don't think I ever learned a Maiden song, and I've only recorded harmony guitars once! I liked Hendrix, but I've never owned a git with a whammy (that will change when I get the cojones to route out my So-Cal). So I decided to go with bass, because I wanted to be in a band, and that definitely worked. I bought a USA Precision, although I didn't really admire any bassists that played a P.

The bands I was in played mostly Zep and Who type stuff. I knew a lot of their songs, but eventually realized most of Page's ideas about guitar don't suit me at all.

Lately, I am most influenced by Dale, Coltrane, JS Bach (not in the Yngwie vein though, the real heavy contrapuntal pipe organ stuff). I adore stuff like Schoenberg and Stravinsky, but those two are so far beyond me I can't really use them much as an influence. Cage and especially the percussive ideas of Xenakis are big influences on me now. Wilson is a big influence for his orchestration, I love his close harmonies as well but I can't even begin to emulate them.

I really do want a tenor sax really bad though . . .

[joeym]

Originally Posted by WhiteStrat

Aww c'mon man...it's getting deep in here!

well....I only have to listen to the solo you played for me. We all have our influences, but some manage to develop their own distinctive style. You have.

[WhiteStrat]

Originally Posted by joeym

well....I only have to listen to the solo you played for me. We all have our influences, but some manage to develop their own distinctive style. You have.

That's encouraging. Thanks.

I'm sitting here at this very minute struggling with a piece and you've given me hope!

[joeym]

Hope to hear it soon...and just say so if you need a voice.

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by WhiteStrat

That's encouraging. Thanks.

I'm sitting here at this very minute struggling with a piece and you've given me hope!

I hope it's not what I gave you to play!

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by joeym

Hope to hear it soon...and just say so if you need a voice.

You are both working on the same song for me!

[WhiteStrat]

Originally Posted by Rokket

You are both working on the same song for me!

When's the "lead-less" track coming?

[Rokket]

Originally Posted by WhiteStrat

When's the "lead-less" track coming?

PM me your email address and I'll get it to you tonight. I think I have it on my rokket @ yahoo account, but I can't access it.

By the way, do you need the vocals on there?

[WhiteStrat]

Originally Posted by Rokket

PM me your email address and I'll get it to you tonight. I think I have it on my rokket @ yahoo account, but I can't access it.

By the way, do you need the vocals on there?

Just shot you a PM with my email address. And yeah, leave in whatever vocals are there--assuming the new ones will be in the same place.