Which Guitarist Influenced You?

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Dave Murray from Iron Maiden probably has the most influence on me and I know more of his licks than any other guitar player's. Robert Fripp and King Crimson in general made me realize that rock didn't have to be so run-of-the-mill. My uncle, Arthur Neilson, has inspired me the most, though. He was just a city kid who loved guitar, and now he's one of NYC's top blues guitarists, on the road with Shemekia Copeland. He still does coffee house stuff with people like Poppa Chubby and Big Ed Sullivan around the city.
 
During the course of the evening we heard 'Crazy Train' about 5 times...it was mesmerizing. That started it all for me. Unfortunately, I didn't know that Randy was really classically trained guitarist until much later...otherwise, I would have started down that path first.

Randy Rhoads...I am paraphrasing here, but the quote goes something like this: " I listen to classical music most of the time...out in public,I listen to loud blaring rock and roll...but never in my own home..."

Randy Rhoads = Poser :p

J.P.


P.S.Before someone flames me for daring to say anything about Saint Randy,I'm kidding...
 
Synyster Gates from Avenged Sevenfold.

I know alot of people talk shit about them but Syn is absofuckinglutely amazing.

I've learned pretty much every A7x song there is minus a few solos/sweeping parts.
 
Unfricken real.. Congrats.. We're hitting 15 years next week... Of course I can't get my 11 yo daughter to touch a guitar.. Of course she still owns two of 'em.. LOL

Right now her main influences are Duran Duran (WTF?), Britney Spears and Black Eye'd Peas.. A LONG way from the Yonder Mountain String Band stuff I generally try to force feed her on..

amra said:
Crash: Thanks, as it turned out getting married young was the right thing to do, even though it was kind of a 'shotgun wedding', if you get my drift..heheh. My wife and I are still married and happy 17 years later. I am 36, and I have a 16 year old son that is a better guitarist than I was at his age. Between him and I, we have 10 guitars, 4 amps, and a dozen stompboxes, and whats better, we share the same influences, and play the same kind of music and talk music and guitars 24/7.
 
I'm not sure I've been influenced except in terms of sonics. In those terms... Jimi Hendrix taught me to just turn it up and experience that interplay between the guitar and the amp. Neil Young taught me how to move that "sonic" experience over to folk rock and that grunge sound he invented. Classical guitar literature (pick any composer) taught me to fingerpick.
 
In no particular order:

  • Eddie Van Halen (the riffs, `cause I can't play those lines)
  • Stevie Ray Vaughn (but mostly some of his ballad chord stuff)
  • Jimi Hendrix (the ballad chord stuff, because everyone wants to play Castles Made of Sand, or at least I do)
  • Pat Metheny (the slipperiness of his lines just kills me, and his harmonic sense is amazing)
  • Bill Evans (Piano player, because every chord needs at least one tension)
  • Leo Kottke (for the right thumb)
  • PJ Harvey (cool chords, with some power behind them)
  • Joni Mitchell (the chords)
  • Robert Fripp/Adrian Belew (because I wish I could do that)
  • Andy Summers (driving pop riffs rock)
  • Jill Sobule (for atticipating the chords)


That will do, for the moment, though there are certainly a few dozen I'm missing.


Light

"Cowards can never be moral."
M.K. Gandhi
 
It all started with Jimmy Lyons until I saw Van Halen. He became my major influence. That is until I saw Randy Rhoades. Then he took over. Up until I saw Satriani. Then Satch was it. Well, just until I discovered Vai. Then I just blew my fucking head off.
 
Sirnothingness said:
It all started with Jimmy Lyons until I saw Van Halen. He became my major influence. That is until I saw Randy Rhoades. Then he took over. Up until I saw Satriani. Then Satch was it. Well, just until I discovered Vai. Then I just blew my fucking head off.

Does that make you an emo???????
 
Gorty said:
You dragged the faggoty little ass emo's in here to begin with!
Hey they came in by themselves. You can lead an emo to the HR forums, but you can't make them kill themselves...
 
I've been surprised that no one has even mentioned Andre Segovia, perhaps the most incredible guitarist who ever lived. Oh, I forgot, most of you are into rock, Segovia played classical. Any way, he did things on nylon string acoustic that most rock players can't do with a room full of processors and amplifiers.
 
Dani Pace said:
I've been surprised that no one has even mentioned Andre Segovia, perhaps the most incredible guitarist who ever lived. Oh, I forgot, most of you are into rock, Segovia played classical. Any way, he did things on nylon string acoustic that most rock players can't do with a room full of processors and amplifiers.

Yeah, Segovia was amazing - but his influence is pretty much restricted to the classical world.

Far less people play classical guitar music than other genres, so it's not that surprising that he hasn't been mentioned.

I could say the same about Lenny Breau, Tal Farlow, Django Reinhardt and Jim Hall from the jazz world. All these guys are arguably as good as Segovia was on the instrument - yet won't appear in many 'who influenced you' threads, simply becuase they play(ed) jazz.

Besides - there is no need to be so patronizing.
It's this kind of elitist attitude that gives classical players a bad name.

You could have just replied giving a list of great classical players and suggested recordings to listen to.

That would have been informative, and possibly encouraged people to go out and listen to those musicians and the music they play.

As it is, your attitude has probably put readers off going out and listening to classical guitar music...
 
Maybelle Carter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

She's so wonderful. Steady. Some people say what she does is simple but they have no idea what they're talking about. To get the Carter scratch and bounce sounding right is really hard, trust me. But man does it sound good once you get a decent approximation!!
 
Influences

The reason I wanted to play the guitar was from watching Hee Haw and seeing Roy Clark tear it up. Never liked the music but I always thought he was incredible.

As most of my influences have already been mentioned, I thought I'd switch gears and state that if I could sound like anyone, I would pick either Lowell George from Little Feat or Grant Green. Lowell's tone and phrasing were just incredible and Grant had an on the edge of disaster flow that I love. And since Segovia and Django have been mentioned, may I be so bold as to suggest if you like them you should try to find Oscar Aleman. Brazillian swing guitar from the 30's that is just as impressive as Django (imho, of course).

Bill L
 
Codmate said:
Marc Ribot

Nice. That guy has a very unique perspective on both rhythm and lead guitar playing. And he has such a powerful tone! Every note is like a punch in the face. Any idea what he uses in his rig? It sounds like either a Tele or some semi-hollow for the twang, and then a barely-breaking-up tube amp for the power. His solos on Waits' "Real Gone" just kill me. How about that solo to "Hoist That Rag"? Gives me chills.

That guy is way over my head, I can't even begin to comprehend his perspective on how he comes up with half his licks.

Oh, and I misspelled Randy's last name...there's no 'e' in there...then I got quoted on it a time or two and now I look like a dunce. I'll write "Randy Rhoads" on the blackboard 100 times and it'll be OK.
 
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