[lashurst]

I'm 53 and I was influenced by the music my parents played. Guitar man by Elvis got me interested in playing. Then It was T.Rex and Mick Ronson (Bowie). Steve lukather was my 'Hero' once I began to play though and still is.
So, who got you into guitar?
What sparked you into playing?

[jdgm]

lashurst, on 30 November 2012 - 09:08 AM, said:

I'm 53 and I was influenced by the music my parents played. Guitar man by Elvis got me interested in playing. Then It was T.Rex and Mick Ronson (Bowie). Steve lukather was my 'Hero' once I began to play though and still is.
So, who got you into guitar?
What sparked you into playing?

Seeing a cutaway drawing of Lennon's Rickenbacker in the 'Eagle' (a UK comic - Dan Dare!!) was just fascinating when I was a kid. I loved the sound of the guitar on all those 60s singles - 'The Last Time' and 'Satisfaction' by the Stones, the early Kinks, 'Friday on My Mind' by the Easybeats and so many more. Then Hendrix hit and it was 'Purple Haze' which completely amazed me.
My heroes were Paul Kossoff and Peter Green because they were very cool, both played LPs and I saw them both from up VERY close.
When Jimi passed I looked for what I wanted in jazz, dug Larry Coryell and McLaughlin and all that fusion.
But I didn't start playing properly, seriously, until my 21st birthday; my aunt gave me £30 and I went to Maxwell's in Woking and bought a Yamaha FG180 (wish I still had it) and 2 Johnny Smith books.
And I'm still learning, still trying. More now than ever before as I can see the end of the line coming up!

[zigzag]

It would be difficult for me to say who my main influences are because I have such varied musical preferences. It would be one thing if I copied/transcribed the music of any one player most, but as it is, I'd say I'm influenced by everyone I enjoy listening to.

My favorite guitar players are: Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Kenny Burrell, Wes Montgomery, Jimmy Herring, and Tony Rice.

My favorite musicians are: Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis, Billie Holiday, and Joe Zawinul.

[btoth76]

Hello! Seems like we had a similiar thread recently...

The two musician whose technics and style I can recognize on my playing are Randy Rhoads and Gary Moore.

I just wish I would be just 1/100th as good as they were.

Also, subconsciously I pick up things from others, which doesn't necessary makes me happy. Like Zakk Wylde's pinch harmonics. Can't get rid of them.

Cheers... Bence

[lashurst]

Do you remember 'Big Jim Sullivan' in the Tom Jones show? That stuck with me too. Did you have that in the USA?

[AXE®]

LeoPaul422

[proparch]

For me it was Mick Ronson, then Ritchie Blackmore, Mick Box and Jimmy Page. Then Clapton and any number of blues players.

However it was Steve Hackett's classical guitar work with Genesis that did it for me and made me want to play.

[Big Bill]

The Gibson Wizard, used to play for a band by the name of Mad House.

[AXE®]

Highly regarded artist right there Bill.

[Buxom]

And yes, I will own a Mark II one day.

[milod]

I'd say it was a recognition that I wanted a portable piano to play any and everything with both melody and backing chords - and a bit of hanging around the folkie bunch "back east" in '61-'62 convinced me that the guitar was far preferable to any otherwise available options.

m

[kidblast]

The ones that I was the most inspired by when I was learning the ropes was Jeff Beck, Ritche Blackmore, Jimi, and Dicky Betts/Duane Almann

Years later, guys like Alex DeGrassi, Micheal Hedges really caught my attention (extraordinary alternate tuning acoustic finger-style players)

I started playing piano about 8 years ago, and there's a whole other cast of characters that I owe my inspirations too.

/KB

[EVOL!]

When I started I wanted to be either Kirk Hammett or Slash. By the end of high school I had been corrupted by players like Lee Ranaldo, Thurston Moore, Lou Reed/Sterling Morison, Kevin Shields, John Frusciante, and Justin Broadrick. Now I go through phases on what I listen to and that tends to influence my song writing more than anything. I also have players I place on an alter and I love to listen to, but know that their playing is so many light years beyond mine, my simpleton, hamhanded playing cannot be influenced even if I wanted it to (like trying to teach a Neanderthal how to work a smart phone). These cats include Mike Bloomfield, Nels Cline, and Omar Rodriguez-Lopez.

[pippy]

In image-size chronological order;

First it was


To be joined slightly later by


Then


P.

[Thin_Lizzy]

Jeff Beck. When I heard his album Truth as a kid, I knew I wanted to play guitar like that.

[LT ED]

Micheal Schenker did it for me. Still does 33 years later.

[Plus Top Dan]

Interesting to see everyone's influences. My all time guitar influences throughout my life are Clapton & Knopfler, Mayer & Bonamassa are also two of my big influences.

The 4 named above are my main guitar 'heroes' but there are so many others I could mention.

[awel]

First was Gary Moore, then Kirk Hammet, Yngwie, Steve Vai (for the love of God), Satriani; then I have had my phase Zakk Wylde.

Since 10 years, things have changed, Clapton, Billy Gibbons, the 3 Kings, Howlin' wolf, Muddy Waters.

Things are changing

[pippy]

awel, on 30 November 2012 - 03:42 PM, said:

Things are changing

Things are improving....

P.

[kaleb]

George Harrison and Ace Frehley.

While I later discovered much more technically able players such as Hendrix, Page, EVH, Angus Young, Randy Rhoads, Jake E. Lee, Zakk Wylde, Leslie West, Alex Lifeson, Michael Schenker, Brian Robertson, and Gary Moore (although Angus and Robbo aren't really that technical and Page puts the slop in sloppy), nothing touches my soul more than these two. Well, maybe Hendrix, or Alex Lifeson on the earlier Rush albums, but these two touch me. In more than one way too. Whereas Schenker is more or less a "guitar hero to me", Ace and George are my true heroes. Screw Superman, I want Space Ace!