Got to handle some sweet vintage stuff...

[JB_From_Hell]

I went to see a local blues rock group, The Eric Jerardi Band, last night. Eric is a monster player, great singer, and brought out some awesome gear. He had four guitars: '60 Tele, '62 Strat, Guild Starfire, 60's Mustang. He joked about me ogling the guitars during the show, and handed me the Mustang when switching to another. Afterward, I was talking to my wife, and looked over to him essentially dropping the Tele in my lap. It was brief, but I got play them all a little.

I love that he brought a mess of vintage instruments to a small restaurant gig. Great instruments should be played, and his certainly got a hell of a workout. Not only that, but it blew me away how casual he was with sharing them. Awhile back, I was swapping guitars with a guy, and he showed me a 1997 Les Paul Doublecut. It was in immaculate condition, because he kept it in the case all the time. Why? He said he was afraid he'd scratch it. I played it for maybe 30 seconds, and he stared unblinking the entire time. Eric virtually threw the things at me while he put away the rest of his stuff.

 

[esandes]

Re: Got to handle some sweet vintage stuff...

Guitarists who don't mind letting others play their guitars are great people. So many don't.

 

[Ayrton]

Re: Got to handle some sweet vintage stuff...

I practically force my guitars on my gigging friends. I want them to be enjoyed, and I value the feedback on work I have done.

 

[LLL]

Re: Got to handle some sweet vintage stuff...

I cackle a hearty, evil laugh when other guitarists want to try my guitars.

Because I'm a lefty.

 

[Chistopher]

Re: Got to handle some sweet vintage stuff...

I cackle a hearty, evil laugh when other guitarists want to try my guitars.

Because I'm a lefty.

I'm a lefty too, but I play like a normal person. The only reason to play lefty is if you prefer a narrow selection of guitars and all your inputs and outputs being the wrong way around on your pedals.

 

[Wattage]

Re: Got to handle some sweet vintage stuff...

Man if my guitars can withstand me I have no issue handing them to someone unless they're a jerk

 

[Red_Label]

Re: Got to handle some sweet vintage stuff...

Guitarists who don't mind letting others play their guitars are great people. So many don't.

I totally agree. As long as it's not some falling-down drunkard, I don't mind handing my instruments to people in clubs at all. I guess that my tone got set early on in life. It was probably about 1987. I was in a bar on a Friday and this three-piece 80s metal cover band named Phoenix came to our small Montana town. They were awesome and seemed like rock stars to our little town. They had the crazy hair, spandex, etc. I was in the front row with my band mates, enjoying the show. During a set break, I went up to chat with the guitar player (I remember that his name was Brent, but don't remember his last name) and asked if one of his guitars was "a REAL Jackson". That was back in the day when it was a big deal to have such an "exotic" instrument. He said that it was and went over, grabbed it, and kind of threw it to me to play. I was in awe of the guitar (which cost MANY times what any instrument that I had or had seen cost), and I was in awe of him for so casually handing me a $2K guitar. It was a Rhoads style V I think, and it was red. We got to talking and he asked if I wanted to sit in and play with the band, I was like "HELL YES I WOULD!!!". We played a few songs, but the one I remember playing was Dokken's "Alone Again". That guy and that band were very friendly and made fans for life (wonder where they are and what they're doing now).

So my bandmates and I went to see them the next night and they really pulled-out all of the stops for that show. I may have gotten to sit in on that show as well (I don't remember). What I DO remember about that night was that they had pyrotechnics set to go off. I was sitting right up front and all of the sudden, there was a blinding white light and I could only hear my ears ringing. The stage tech had put duct tape over the tops of the metal pyro tubes and that basically turned it into TNT. One of the tubes blew a hole in the lighted danced floor. You could see the basement below. And the concussion from the explosions were so intense that it blew all of their PA speakers and they had no PA. They were supposed to do a few encore songs after the pyro went off, but that was the weird end of their gig at the Sundance Club in Miles City, MT. :disappoint

So to bring this back to the point of this thread... I've always believed in sharing my beautiful instruments and my time when people come to the stage. And this band no doubt set that tone at my young, impressionable 19 year old mind/heart.

 

[jeremy]

Re: Got to handle some sweet vintage stuff...

ill happily let others play my stuff. got a '59 guild, but not a '59 gibson though

duct tape on the top of pyro tubes? i hope he was fired or at least got his ass kicked

 

[LLL]

Re: Got to handle some sweet vintage stuff...

The only reason to play lefty is if you prefer a narrow selection of guitars and all your inputs and outputs being the wrong way around on your pedals.

Precisely; it produces a unique, out-of-phase tone that is highly desirable.