Who made you want to play??

[King Elvis]

Before you guys ever picked up a guitar or bass, who inspired you to want to take it up and learn how to play??

For me I would have to list:

1. Ace Frehley

2. Joe Perry

3. Ted Nugent

Obviously you can see the time frame when I started playing.
How about you guys??

 

[TheGuitarMan]

I don't recall ever saying, "Jeepers! I wish I could play like that guy!"

I needed something to write songs with, and guitars are freaking cool. I'm glad I decided not to be a drummer.

 

[Bass Freak]

im a huge jazz fan. and one of the main things in jazz is the bass line. when i play jazz or listen to it i always listen to the bass line, which may be the reason i screw up my solos but those bass lines are what made me start playing bass.

then i picked up a 6-string when i rememberd my cousin had one and she wasnt using it, so i "borrowed" it.

i also dig anything with a swingin' bass line. so i play some ska and alot of jazz and some motown. eh forget that i play anything if its got a cool bass line...


freak

 

[Cyrokk]

Originally it was my grandfather, who used to country jam with friends at his house, and then my dad who used to be in a band.

I tried it, but sucked so I gave up.

Then I found Jimmy Page and my life hasn't been the same since.

Cy

 

[plexi]

Deep Purple
Whitsnake(pre 1987)
Yngwie Malmsteen

Amund

 

[carlosguardia]

Who made me want to play?! Hmmmm.... so many amazing guitar players... the first guitar player that I wanted to emulate was Randy Rhoads; then I went through my Malmsteen phase as I started to learn to play the guitar; Richie Kotzen was a huge influence in the early 90's, as well as Jason Becker and Marty Friedman. To this day, listening to Rhoads, Becker or Kotzen (his earlier stuff when he did more with his guitar and less with his voice) makes me want to play.

Carlos

 

[mkeene]

Theres two songs I'll never forget hearing for the first time. The first song which really knocked me on my butt was "Voodoo Child (Slight Return)" by Jimi, it blew my mind. I knew I wanted to play guitar from that point on. The other song which really made an impression on me was "Comfortably Numb". Jimi made me want to play guitar, but David Gilmour made me love guitar.
-Mike

 

[shawn gibson]

Iommi & Rhodes (ya, fine, Paul Stanley), & then when I heard Hetfield (when Ride the Lightening came out), I finally said, what the heck, let's buy a guitar. It was a Hondo Moved up to a Peavey lefty pretty soon, and a Gallien Kreuger head and a Doyle cab. That was cheesy. Woo hoo I was aweful, but the head was worse.

Neil Peart made me wanna be a musician (& a philosopher LOL).

Leonard Cohen made me wanna be a songwriter.

Steve Vai made me wanna kick some butt...much later (Never got there though LOL).

Shawn

 

[Wrangler]

I saw the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show when I was 7.
From that moment I knew I had to make that sound.

Then later of course there were the Page/ Blackmore years, the jam like Johnny Winter era, etc.

The last 20 years or so it's been the finger style and over the top tele guys that make me wanna practice like a crazy man.

And........
nothing can leave me speechless, though, as listening to someone like John Williams play some gorgeous classical piece.

 

[philboyd studge]

Seeing Joe Maphis and Merle Travis play live 50 years ago.

 

[JR#97]

I got my first guitar at 7. I just wanted to play it. Don't recall anybody that inspired that. Just having one was inspiration enough. Sadly, it wasn't until I was 13 that my hands were finally big enough to fret an open G chord. As far as guys I wanted to play like.... definitely Randy Rhodes. Also Jimmy Page, Jake E. Lee, George Lynch.... then when I was about 16, I discovered fingerstyle and I wanted to play like Ackerman, Kotke, Gerhard, Mize.

 

[LocusLarsen]

I would have to say Slash and Kurt Cobain. I know they are not considered virtueosos(?), but damn, Slash - that was just straight pimpin' with the cigarette and knee thing (you all know what I am talking about, so fuck it), and Cobain - well he was just spine chilling to see and hear.

 

[sheppard]

mark massey,jimi hendrix, frank zappa

 

[King Elvis]

Seeing Joe Maphis and Merle Travis play live 50 years ago.

YES!!!!
Merle Travis: now how many people actually have a style of guitar playing named after them?? Travis picking was a staple of Rockabilly and early Rock and Roll.

Joe Maphis: Now this is a name that all guitar players must know!!! PERIOD!! This guy played like a monster for his time!!! A true innovator!!! In the early '50's Maphis and Les Paul were IT!!! Ok, I will have to throw Jimmy Bryant in there too!!!

 

[AlChuck]

Eric Clapton

Well, it was the Beatles that I first noticed and wanted to emulate...

Then my year-older guitar-playing next-door-neighbor told me, "Here, if you like the Beatles, check these guys out... George Harrison plays on one song..."

It was Cream's Goodbye, with Harrison (credited as L'Angelo Mysterioso) on "Badge."

As soon as I put it on and heard Eric Clapton play "Sitting On Top Of the World," with that jaw-dropping break right at the end -- well, my jaw dropped, and I was hooked.

So if I had to choose the single most critical influence in interesting me in guitar, it would have to be Eric Clapton.

 

[jcmm]

Steve Howe and Al DiMeola

AND, my friends were playing first so I wanted to fit in.
I ended up better than them in a short time because of the proper influences.

 

[Bass Freak]

i wish i had a cool story.... i guess i just like playing


freak

 

[acidrock]

I had a buddy who told me I could score(more) with chicks if I started playing guitar.
So I guess it was "chicks".

 

[MegaDrummer]

Well, it all goes back to The Beatles. My parents are British and when I was a wee lad, relatives from Scotland would send us the LPs months before Capital Records would release them in the States. My sister would bring hordes of girlfriends from Blair High School to our Takoma Park, MD home to listen for hours. Goldie Hawn held me in her arms (okay, so I was only three) and with that, music was in my blood.

Then it would have to be The Beach Boys. Then later... Yardbyrds, Cream, Hendrix, Zeppelin, Aerosmith, Frampton, Jeff Beck, Zappa and on and on....

More influences listed at my website.......

http://megadrummer.curvedspaces.com/

 

[MegaDrummer]

I had a buddy who told me I could score(more) with chicks if I started playing guitar.
So I guess it was "chicks".

I can relate! Play a few Neil Young songs at a party and your an automatic poon magnet....