Who/What inspired you?

[Myles]

The reasons for taking up the guitar are vast and uncountable, but everyone has that person or event that caused them to become truly inspired.

So I invite you to share with us what happened or which person inspired you to become the guitar player you are today.

 

[Bigbear]

eric clapton: from the cradle

Erics first blues album "From the Cradle" I loved it... the clean tones... the high pitch and the bell tone strat... fell in love with blues and started guitar a year after...

 

[Robert]

Jimi Hendrix - 'nuff said.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I'm a rock n roller at heart. As a baby I'd go around singing Beatles songs. I was highly influenced by the popular culture of the 60s early. When I got my first guitar it was rock n roll all the way. Whoever was popular at the time...I learned the songs. Only way to impress the babes. When I gained more experience I learned songs for myself instead of for people...thats when blues and other forms of music came in. I can't pinpoint any one person as an influence though...

 

[EscalonJon]

Roger (Jim) McGuinn and his 12 string Ric.

 

[MagicBaller21]

definately jimi hendrix. i only played occasionaly until i heard him

 

[marnold]

Oddly enough, it was my uncle playing some 60s/70s stuff a la Peter, Paul, and Mary on an acoustic that first made me want to play. Once I heard Def Leppard's "Pyromania" and Dokken's "Tooth and Nail" when I was a sophomore in high school, suddenly the acoustic lost some of its allure for me

 

[Nelskie]

It was the smoke-spewing Les Paul of KISS' Ace Frehley that first enticed my interest the guitar. Then the guitar juggernaut of Led Zeppelin's first album that drove me to purchase one, and start playing. And finally, it was ZZ Top's Billy F. Gibbons who showed me how to "make it happen" with three chords and sublime tone. Mix that all up, and you've got yourself one funky bowl of guitar gumbo.

 

[Tone2TheBone]

I am a HUGE ZZ Top (Gibbons) fan! Welcome and rock on...

 

[savagefire]

The King of Guitar

Robert Renman was my ultimate inspiration.

 

[Myles]

Robert Renman was my ultimate inspiration.

I believe the saying goes "there is a suck up born every minute" or something like that

 

[Robert]

Haha, every minute or every other minute, who cares - it's often enough for me!

 

[tremoloman]

I'd say a combination of Angus Young, Jimi Hendrix, Eddie Van Halen, Muddy Waters, Nuno Bettencourt, and Dave Mustaine.

 

[The G-string]

My dad was a professional musician - - as were other family members. It's just "always been there."

 

[Guitar-Chris]

I didn't have the one and only inspiration.

One of my first was an LP of the Shadows, and i think because of this first LP i like Stratocasters since then.

Then of course Jimi Hendrix showed a totally different way of "treating" a guitar.

Followed by David Gilmour who made every song with his solo a little diamond.

But I also had and have inspirations until today.


One of my last was a CD of John Mayall and the bluesbreakes followed by the newer CDs of Julian Sas. The last one was the reason for waking up my blues interest again.

 

[Christian]

I pick up the guitar because of Wayne Cambell (wayne's world movie)
the way he staring at his Fender Stratocaster in the window store......made me want one(I bought one copy instead of the REAL thing) and I made a deal with myself......I stop smoking cigarettes and Start playing guitar.....which what I did ......and I never smoked again!!!!
I still have the guitar fever even after nearly 13 years

but my main influence on the Guitars are Ace Frehley, Tony Iommi, Mick Mars, Billy Corgan and Rick Derringer.

being a drummer as well since 1986, I found hapinest with guitars !!!

they're so COOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooolllllllllllllllllllll

I listen to a lot of different kind of bands
The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Rick Derringer, Alice Cooper, KISS, AC/DC, Motley Crue, Def Leppard, Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, Guns 'n' Roses, SoundGarden, Alice In Chains, Stone Temple Pilots, The Tea party, The Smashing Pumpkins, Red Hot Chilli Peppers, The Donnas, The Darkness, etc...etc...


anything with guitars makes me happy !!!

 

[Guitar-Chris]

I pick up the guitar because of Wayne Cambell (wayne's world movie)

[...]
I still have the guitar fever even after nearly 13 years

Wow, this movie is that long time ago?

Yesssssss, I like the scene, when Hendrix' Foxy Lady is beeing played!!

And of course: Bohemian Rhapsody....


I listen to music from classic (I learned violin an d played in an orchestra for 15 years) over blues, rock, pop, punkt hard-rock (not really metal) and jazz. And i like all of these styles, too.

 

[Katastrophe]

Well, I've got a wierd mix of influences... My first real influence was a guy by the name of David Latimer, who has done a one man show for a while around the Austin area... He was a friend of my Dad's, and invited me over for a quick lesson... We started with "Your Cheating Heart," played using the Roy Clark Guitar method... Two hours later, my Dad had to drag me away from the place, and David let me borrow one of his acoustics. I've been hooked ever since!

Since then, I've gone through listening (and being influenced by) everything from country to speed metal... There's not a day that goes by that I don't hear something and say, "That's cool, I GOTTA try that!"

 

[Tim]

Ok here comes my age talking. My first inspiration was the “Ventures”. They had the total sound of the day. I actually started to take guitar lessons at 13 years of age because of them. But then I quit. First reason was sports and girls came along, and also a job making real money in a bowling alley. The second reason was the instructor was milking my dad for the money. I took lessen for 6 months and never was taught a song. He claimed the theory had to be known first. I even had a junior acoustic guitar. I’ve been kickin’ myself ever since then for quitting.

About 2 years ago I got interested in learning how to play praise and worship music. Bought the equipment, but as I said earlier, never really found someone to mentor me. I strum along with a keyboard player each Wednesday evening. Hopefully I will find someone to help push me along. I am beginning to buy some instructional DVD videos to watch. I want to learn good strumming techniques, finger picking and then solos playing. My wife wants me to learn finger picking real fast. She loves listening to it. That is a good incentive if I ever heard one. If anybody has any DVD recommendations, please forward the tiles to me.

Today I like to listen to the easy jazz and blues (Chuck Lobe, Four Play, Craig Chaquico, and of course Eric Clapton. Some day I would like to pick up an album, put it in the CD player and play along with the music … some day! What a dream.

That’s my story.


Tim

 

[sunvalleylaw]

A LOT of folks. I have wanted to play guitar a long time. When I finally really started playing, Neil Young was a big inspiration (surprise, surprise). But others too. Blues lick oriented rock (Stuff coming from Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, early Beatles and Stones and the like) and surf and punk coming from those genres have inspired too. Since I got my strat, a whole bunch of blues players have inspired. I really didn't know that Chuck Berry's stuff really came from Robert Johnson before, for example.

 

[Big_Rob]

Watching the Rock and Roll guitar GOD (even though he was sloppy as hell) Jimmy Page in The Song Remains the Same when I was 13. R

Of course, I had other influences at the time as well.

Jimi Hendrix, Richie Blackmore, Tony Iommi, David Gilmour are just a few

But nothing had that influence of Jimmy Page looking large and in charge working his Les Paul on the big screen.

 

[helliott]

EC in the Bluesbreakers got me hooked. Over the next few years Jimi, Jimmy, Gilmour, the tragic Tele-god Buchanan, Rory Gallagher, Gary Moore, Duane Allman, Blackmore, Santana set the hook. SRV made sure it was a gut hook -- set for life.

 

[t_ross33]

My Uncle (my Dad's brother-in-law) was my first inspiration. He and my Dad played in bands together and as a duo from the time they were in their late teens/early twenties.

He had a real Ventures meets Luther Perkins meets Don Rich vibe. He's still an awesome picker, though sadly, flying solo since my Dad passed away.

Music has always been around our family. Got my first real guitar for Christmas when I was 5 (not counting the "Snoopy" guitar I had with rubber band strings and played "How Much Is That Doggie In The Window" when you wound it up), but didn't start to seriously play until I was 11 or 12.

While I have a great appreciation for a variety of players, I don't have any guitar "Heroes" as such. Just soakin' it all in and trying to learn as much as I can whatever the source.

 

[Spudman]

The Beatles got me into music when I got my first record and player in 1964, it was "I Wanna Hold Your Hand/She Loves you."

My inspiration then to really get into playing the guitar aside from Ritchie Blackmore, Michael Shenker and Robin Trower was just to find a way out of the podunk one horse town I grew up in...and, oh...I needed a girlfriend too.

That's rock n roll!

 

[duhvoodooman]

While it was the Beatles that really got me seriously interested in music, it was Clapton with Cream & the Bluesbreakers that made me think, "Wow, I sure would like to be able to do that!" Actually, I'd still like to be able to do that....

 

[snarph]

you and me both brother

 

[elavd]

David Gilmour inspired me and he still does!

 

[Jimi75]

Ordered by priority:

1. JIMI HENDRIX
2. KIRK HAMMETT (METALLICA)
3. SRV
4. JOE SATRIANI / STEVE VAI
5. JOHN PETRUCCI (DREAMTHEATER)

 

[Lev]

Before I ever started to play I can remember the hearing the following songs and thinking 'that guitar sounds so cool!'

- Pride - U2
- Rough Boy - ZZ Top
- Purlple Rain - Prince
- Walk this Way - Run DMC/Aerosmith

Sometimes I wish I could go back to hearing music without a 'guitar player ears'. Back then something just sounded cool period! Now I'm working out how something is played when I hear it or what equipement is being used and I think this can sometimes cloud my judgement of what sounds good.

 

[Fingers]

and...............