There ain't nothin' SISSY about mastering a craft like music. 100 bucks says the town hoodlem couln't do it!

I started playing with a toy Emenee chord organ very young, around the age of 5, and began taking lessons at 9. I was very driven and practiced all the time (maybe because I was so bad at sports) and went through private teachers quickly. By the age of 14 I was playing professionally, both solo gigs (with an arranger organ - I even won my junior high school talent show with one!) and in local teen bands - one of which was very popular. My parents decided that since I was doing so well they would start my younger brother on guitar. He took lessons for three months before coming home one day and handing the guitar to my mother and saying "I quit". I picked up his guitar and have played ever since, mostly acoustic. I'm fairly proficient and have played guitar in many bands along with my keyboards, which have always been my primary instrument. Today I have an Ovation acoustic/electric and mostly play guitar for my own recordings and amusement.

BTW: noone else in my family is even remotely musical - something we've all puzzled over. It was lucky that my father and his mother decided to buy me that little chord organ when I was young.

On my single jobs, I keep a nylon string Goden on the bandstand, and play 15-20 solos a night.

Play 4-5 jazz jobs a month with a trio-play an L-5 or 335.

Play in a variety band several times a month. Play a Parker Fly.

Buy lots of guitars that appreciate in value and depreciate every single dollar over time
for the tax deduction. Problem is, I'll have to pay capital gains if i can ever bring myself to liquidate.

Like my keyboards, but LOVE my stringed instruments. Started playing guitar in 1956. Took up keyboard in 1972 when my long-time B-3 player retired and I started doing a single.


russ

Nigel....
put a headband on that photo and you could pass for Mark Knopfler.
Nice pic.

You should see him. He's 53 and looks 73. We had a multi-year reunion recently and I asked someone "Who is that old man over there?" They said (him). I was shocked. Everybody was shocked. Alcoholic.

Addendum: After he called me a sissy and I quit, a few years later, I was seriously into sports. Football especially. Band guy wanted me to join the band. Nope. I'm the QUARTERBACK, I'm not going to play in the band.

The band dude recruited a graduated quarterback that also played in the band. He approached me and told me "Ever notice how many girls there are in the band? You've never been on a band trip have you? Because YOU'RE NOT IN THE BAND, dummy. We have a great band, you would love it. (They did.)

I joined, started on trumpet, then he put me on snare drum. I had a ball! That was a great time. We had a great band, for little bitty town, we kicked some butt.

Awhile back, I heard "In The Mood" on Lawrence Welk Show that my mom was listening to. I commented that we used to play that number. And I mean, well!

I need to look up that band director, I think he's still alive.

Did you go to school at Plain Dealing?
DonM

Nigel:
Your a man of many talents!
Put on a auzzie outback hat,you could be crocodile dundie (Paul Hogan)

I have a bunch of grandkids over on the SW corner.

Liked your funky music mp3. Must have done this tune a thousand times in 80's bars in the bay area.

I've got 6 guitars all fenders except one (1978 ovation that's maybe been played a hour total). Only play one, a fender mustang I bought in 1967 at a yard sale for 35 bucks it looked like it had been around the horn 3 times. refinished and set it up, installed two gibson humbuckers and a new set of tuners the parts we're over 3 hundred bucks at that time, but I would'nt sell or trade this guitar for anything I've ever seen and played. Never found another guitar player that could play it though, some can't handle the ernie super slinkies (9's) the rest can't keep it from distorting, about 3/32nd of a inch at the twelve fret. Takes a gentle touch but it's nice. The old mustangs are a sleeper in my opinion, some don't like the 1/2 in shorter scale, I love it (alows me to stretch out on some chords) most claim they don't stay in tune, They don't know how to set them up, (But from the factory, Fender did'nt either) (when set up right they have the best tremelo out there, and they stay in tune.) I'm a dyed in the wool Barney kessel and Tony Matola kind of guy, but have played it all, flemenco to chicken pick'en.Been Playing guitar for 63 Years, started in 1942. Now My thumbs are gone can only play maybe 20 percent of what I use to and then for only a few minutes and the left hand starts to swell up. Stopped playing music for several years, missed it so bad, so took up the keyboard about 3 years ago, really miss the guitar, but now I can play by myself, I still play guitar a little but most all the musicians around here are country, so I usually play the mandolin or bass ( still hard to find bass player's that show up) I've got a studio full of old Fender gear, they call me the Fender man around here, thought about selling some stuff, but You can't get the sound I like without the old gear. I sold half of my favorite amp about 10 years ago, I used to use 2 duo showman reverbs with vibrato heads setting on 2 of the big cabinets with 2 15's and a horn in each. I had installed 2 8" fender speakers in each head. These rigs sat on each side of the stage when we did large jobs. I controlled each from a pedal board I built up ( had 8 footswitches along the front) and three of the first built Morleys pedals.

Glad to hear from fellow members who still or use to pick. some setting on a fortune in gear.

Gary Last offer, trade you a mandolin case (no lid) A accordian MIssing a few keys, and bellows might have to be re/duct-taped. and a trombone that got ran over (a little)

Cheers....Pose

DonM, yowza.

started with gtr(1986),switch to keys in 87(classical piano training for 3 yrs) ,though I play/played both and KB(which pays me better) (and gtr in hardrock/blues band)I have to say that nothing better than bending strings with your fingers and made that sound in realtime .as we all know in a band situation gtrist (actually bassist)usually got the best chicks since they can move on stage.



[This message has been edited by jamman (edited 01-31-2005).]

Ipulled out my Taylor tonight, just for some variety and the room LOVED it. I did the last set on guitar, and played about 1/2 of it with no accompaniment. Beatles, Eagles, Cat Stevens, JT ... that soft rock stuff. Then I fired up the MP3 backings that I made up on kb with backing vocals and had a ball with that for a while. I'm glad I did it .... it was a nice change of pace from the sterile, predictable sound of the kbs. There's just so much MORE energy from an acoustic guitar. My psr3k can't produce anywhere NEAR the dynamic range that I can get with just 2 hands and a pick on real strings.