Is it ok to brag a little?

S

SJ318

New member
On the Gear Page-Sound hound Lounge,
There is very very long discussion about EVH, it starts as "Did anybody see EVH speak at the Smithsonian last night?"
On post # 174, Steve Lynch states that he learned how to tap by watching me (S.Buff.) and Harvey. I felt enormous pride and and wanted to show off a little. Please forgive me as this is so self serving, but I can't help myself.
Humbly,
SJBuffington
 
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Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

I'm the opposite with bragging haha. I dislike even telling people IRL that I play guitar. I try to avoid the topic as much as possible.
 
Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

Nothing wrong with being "self-serving", if you don't serve yourself, who will? Oh, and bragging is only arrogant if you can't back it up.
 
Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

SJ318 said:
On the Gear Page-Sound hound Lounge,
There is very very long discussion about EVH, it starts as "Did anybody see EVH speak at the Smithsonian last night?"
On post # 174, Steve Lynch states that he learned how to tap by watching me (S.Buff.) and Harvey. I felt enormous pride and and wanted to show off a little. Please forgive me as this is so self serving, but I can't help myself.
Humbly,
SJBuffington
Click to expand...

man i never realized you are that old, that experienced and that talented! Ok, I knew you were clever and accurate in your thinking, but it seems you have a huge successful past behind you!
I am honoured that you have talked to me (guitar-wise) like an equal.
THANX!
 
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Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

Cool - where'd you get the idea, or was it just from exploring around during playing? Did you have a name for it?
 
Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

Or a lot even ...If you can back it up.

False modesty is dishonest & pointless...why kid yourself & others?
 
Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

^^
Life is short: If you got it, flaunt it, as long as you get your dues. If one crowd doesn't like it, find one who does. Or, just get real loud and tick off the neighbors.
 
Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

Thank you,
Thought I'd get some flak for that, but I guess not. I had been a huge fan of Harvey Mandel when Baby Batter came out and I studied every thing he did, record player on 16 speed, learned all his albums, then Shangrenade came out. I had no idea how he was doing it. I actually tried to learn it with only my left hand on the fretboard and gave up.
I had a buddy, we were the best in Tacoma at that time (the key phrase is "at that time") So we weren't sure. Then out of the blue my friend Jesse Seales (a great great guitarist) Caught Harvey Mandel almost by accident at a show that wasn't really advertised. So I called him and he came rushing over and said, "I have the secret". He made me sweat it out for a few minutes, then showed me what Harvey was doing. We called it hitting the neck with your right index figure. I didn't hear the word "tap" till EVH made it famous. He never once in the early days gave credit to Harvey who is where EVH got it.
I had the pleasure of backing Harvey up for 2 weeks at a Seattle Club called at that time the "Aquarius". That was the big time in Seattle. I think I told this story before so I'll quit. One thing you should know. Harvey always played melodic when tapping, he would snake in and out of phrases slow like honey. He only played -tapped-fast when the music called for it. He is the best tapper I have ever heard. EVH is one of the fastest. I'll go with best. I still to this day don't care for fast guitarist-shred, I guess, a million miles an hour just irritates me.
Well thanks again.
That Interview was from Guitar Player back in the '90's, It had BB King and Jeff Beck on the cover. Steve Lynches Interview was on the last page of "where are they now". I bought all the copies I could find. When I saw my name in that magazine, I almost fell over! You can't buy cool stuff like that!
SJBuffington
 
Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

Gearjonser,
That is me in Touloose. We backed up Iron Butterfly once. Notice my stylish hair. Hair to my ass w/bangs! No mustache, the cute one, as Joe Piscopo said as "Frank Sinatra", talking about Paul McCartney-The One that Looks like a Broad. Always thought that was funny
Maybe you are correct-ToulOUSE is a better name for us.
sjb
 
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Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

He is a real nice guy to keep giving me a shout out.
We met at a club near Seattle and talked a little on breaks. I think he watched me maybe two weeks. But again, if he gives me a shout, I gotta give Seattle's Jesse Seales a shout out. Just talked to him, he remembers it the same way, just seeing Harvey the night before, but swears he he didn't make me sweat it out a couple of long moments, I told him if I had the chance I would accuse him of sweating me again, so there you have it.
Wildfire: Mandel>Seales>Buffington>Lynch, the whole northwest in about 3 days!
You can see how melodic Harvey Mandel is on YouTube playing "Baby Batter" live with his "Crew" -long stage, they zoom in and he plays a while then he goes to tap mode and it sounds like angels singing. It is around '12-'14, if you can't find it I'll personally look it up for you. In bed now, on YouTube in my living room. It is very clear and bright, no one cramming in too close, so it's a Harvey Show, not Canned Heat or his Chicago buddies.
Thanks,
sjb
 
Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

Like what was already said: 1) You have to be able to back it up and 2) You got to be modest about it.
I think that is pretty cool!
 
Re: Is it ok to brag a little?

Can't resist, gotta finish the story,
So for 2 weeks I am taping him after our set. One night he says: Hey, bring those tapes over to my motel, I'd like to listen to 'em. Having just wet my pants being asked by Harvey Mandel to come over we arranged a time. I get there, he listens maybe 10 minutes, then starts talking about Kung Fu and starts to show, physically, how he could kill me in 5 seconds or less. Hey, what do I care, I'm with one of my all time heroes.
Then he says, wanna smoke some strong pot I have before your set? Not wanting to look like a wimp, I said sure(I did not want to). After two strong puffs I started to feel dizzy. I look over at his stash and it has WHITE stuff mixed in. I thought it was just moldy. Yeah, it was laced with a drug that starts with H and ends with eroin. Don't think it was "angel dust". So by the middle of our set Harvey walks in, passes me on the dance floor and winks at me. I was more stoned than I have ever been. Song titles mean nothing, I'm watching the bass player to see whatever the next song starts with. He then goes over to my side and and watches me play, badly, for 30 minutes. He's laughing, I can't help it, I'm truly pissed but hey, to get got by a guitar hero is funny.
Afterward, he kinda apologizes, sorta, then looks me dead in the eyes and says: "I heard some very familiar licks tonight", well, I was blown away, I thought he meant "familiar-like cool old blues riffs" but he looks pissed, then it hit me, he was giving me the evil eye cause I'd been studying his style for years, and I realized at least half of what I played was a direct rip-off of his style. It was just a part my playing that was deeply engrained so far I never thought about. When I got it I immediately told him it was unintentional, and I didn't even realize I was doing it.
At this point he smiled, shook my hand, and said, no problem, I like having fans, I get more money that way! He then raised his fist in a kind of brotherhood-guitarist to guitarist gesture, brought the fist up to his right shoulder and kind of pumped it slightly, a friendly gesture, and for a couple years he came to town, I would go see him, he sat with me only once on break, it was awkward, I had no idea what to say to him, but there after, every time he saw me, he gave me that right shoulder fist/hello sign. Never spoke to him again. That is the Harvey Mandel story.
Thanks, hope you enjoyed it, a lifetime highpoint for me.
SJBuffington
 
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