Guitarists & Goofy Hats

[RickGibsonDenver]

I've noticed a lot of VERY GOOD guitarists wear goofy hats. If I wear a funny hat, will my playing improve?

Do YOU wear a hat when you play? Post some photos if you do.

[Rabs]

Yes... If you wear a top hat you will play just like Slash :P

 

:)

[cody78]

I sometimes wear a rain/ bucket hat or a woolly hat when playing - but that's because I live in the UK and it's cold & raining a lot of the time and it can be cold in venues too! I don't have any pics though sadly. I think I play the same hat or no hat lol!

 

Thinking of guitarists & hats, the ones that spring to mind for me are;

 

Jimmy Page - summer/ bucket hat at Bath Festival 1970 if I remember correctly;

Joe Satriani - another bucket hat wearer;

Neil Young - an assortment of hats from time to time;

Buckethead - an actual KFC bucket lol;

Salsh - top hat obviously;

Izzy Stradlin - bowler hat;

 

I can't think of too many more offhand...

[milod]

Hmmmmm...

 

Given where I live, lots of folks tend to wear hats most of the time - including in restaurants and saloons and when they're pickin' guitar.

 

So they ain't considered "goofy." Although I do wonder sometimes about folks wearing such hats who haven't a clue about the economics of a cow-calf ranching operation and who've never had green mud on their boots.

 

This is at a cowboy poetry and music festival in the middle of ranch country.

 

m

[Guest Farnsbarns]

Hmmmmm...

 

Given where I live, lots of folks tend to wear hats most of the time - including in restaurants and saloons and when they're pickin' guitar.

 

So they ain't considered "goofy." Although I do wonder sometimes about folks wearing such hats who haven't a clue about the economics of a cow-calf ranching operation and who've never had green mud on their boots.

 

This is at a cowboy poetry and music festival in the middle of ranch country.

 

m

 

This intrigues me, why would those folks not wear such a hat? Is it akin to me walking about in a kilt in SE England? I rather like your hat, would it be a poor show if I wore one? I mean, if I was in your part of the world, I'd get some funny looks round my way!

[milod]

As for the hat comparison to wearing a kilt in SE England...

 

Yeah, frankly even on the other side of my U.S. state, or in the nearest "big town" populated increasingly by would-be city folk, I'll take mine off in a restaurant. There are some political as well as subcultural things at play as with the kilt and such.

 

But as for you coming here and wearing one? There have been more than a few folks from Australia's outback who have adopted our style of a drover's hat when visiting here, if not at home, although I cannot attest to the latter.

 

One might note too that many of the "cowboys" and "ranchers" of the late 1870s into the 1890s were Scots or Brits. My state has ranching communities named for some of those folks, usually with a "Mc" in their name, though.

 

Were you to visit here during rodeo season, I think if you knew which end receives, and which end excretes hay and grass for a horse or cow, there'd be no problem with you wearing my hat regardless of a strange sort of variation of the English language. <super grin>

 

But... without that knowledge, I think a Brit or Scot of non-agricultural background would likely feel odd wearing a western hat unless playing country or bluegrass music.

 

As for Australians and even a bull rider or two from Brazil, I think locals tend to figure an Aussie visiting here knows his or her fair share of the beef industry and horsemanship as practiced in Oz as they themselves know of the beef industry and horsemanship as practiced here. So those accents and variants of my hat wouldn't even really be considered any sort of an oddity.

 

m

[duane v]

I wear a hat when I jam with pals.... now whether that makes me a guitarist, well that's another subject matter

 

[jdgm]

Let us be honest here; in older players it is usually to cover up a lack of hair as stage lights reflecting off a shiny pate is generally a big no-no.

 

I have hardly any left myself on top but whenever I see a hat onstage I think "you're bald mate". However bald is better than the brillo-pad-combed-over effect!

[Mr. Gibson]

.

[jdgm]

OK here is someone I totally revere who actually wore a tea cosy for many years and got away with it. The late Josef Zawinul.

This taken 6 months before his death in 2007.

 

 

Beanies - a solution?

[RickGibsonDenver]

This intrigues me, why would those folks not wear such a hat? Is it akin to me walking about in a kilt in SE England? I rather like your hat, would it be a poor show if I wore one? I mean, if I was in your part of the world, I'd get some funny looks round my way!

A cowboy hat and a kilt. I'd like to see that!

[Guest Farnsbarns]

A cowboy hat and a kilt. I'd like to see that!

 

My link

[RickGibsonDenver]

My link

Okay, maybe not

[milod]

<grin>

 

m

[stein]

Hats...hmm...

 

I think that hats, in general, are making a comeback. Sure, there has always been the "fashion" of hats connected with music. In that sense, it was/is seen as more normal when entertaining. As a result of that, I think to a point, it was seen as a little bit of bad taste to wear hats in public or in normal life.

 

Partly, I think because in the workplace, or in regular everyday life, there are situations when making a "fashion statement" is seen as inappropriate. Even unprofessional.

 

But dangit, hats are really practical.

 

I used to wear a hat often, because I thought it was cool. But often as well, I felt uncomfortable wearing it at times. Partly because of the above reasons, and also, being as I went bald at an early age (hairline receded, NOT receding), felt like I was hiding something. I preferred to be seen as a bald guy rather than a bald guy who didn't want anyone to know.

 

It RAINS here a lot. A LOT. It isn't bad once you gets used to it. But I'll tell you this, it's a LOT more comfortable wearing a hat than it is having cold, wet water and wind on a guy's dome. And it makes a big difference in how my day goes.

 

Lots of guys wear baseball caps around here. I'm not a baseball hat kind of guy. Oregon is a long way from the East coast and it's properness and etiquette.

 

Said all that to say, that hats, and the acceptance of hats in everyday life, seems to be making a comeback. I am seeing a lot more fedora-types and outback-types replacing baseball caps. Even women.

 

In my case, I used to always have a hat with me, obviously would always wear one when playing or visiting the clubs and bars, social life, etc. But, would not wear it into work, but have it in the truck and grab it when going outside and wear it a few minutes or whatever, kinda not really letting on I have it. But lately, everyone wants to see me with my hat. My boss even asked me, "where's your hat?" when going into a construction meeting.

 

My basic etiquette is, I wear it outdoors, wear it in bars and clubs, but remove it indoors at work or in a restaurant or in someone's house.

 

All this makes me happy and healthy. Just bought a brand new Stetson Stratoliner in Caribou.

[duane v]

Let us be honest here; in older players it is usually to cover up a lack of hair as stage lights reflecting off a shiny pate is generally a big no-no.

 

I have hardly any left myself on top but whenever I see a hat onstage I think "you're bald mate". However bald is better than the brillo-pad-combed-over effect!

 

LOL..... Actually my singer likes it when the both of us wear hats when we do our acoustic sets.... Her belief is that it gives both her and I a "Hey Jude" album cover vibe....lol.... Here's a recent pick of her (our vocalist) at the rehearsal studio..... Though she is young she has a 60's- 70's vibe to her...

 

[milod]

It seems from here that after Johnson left office and a normally hatless Kennedy - for image purposes - took the U.S. presidency that brimmed hats really went out of general use in the US. They remained in style in ag areas I'm familiar with until it seemed that air-conditioned farm equipment took over a lotta manual labor under the sun.

 

For me, I froze my ears at 20 and now, 49 years later, still have little crusties that scare the heck outa me will turn to cancer. Hence always the brimmed hat in civilized areas of the Northern Plains that inevitably are well outside cities.

 

But... yeah, I think the hat is coming back to fashion. Perhaps the balding of baby boom and younger males has something to do with it. Perhaps some folks just don't care to have the sun beating on their head in summer and significant heat loss in winter.

 

I remember in the '60s how any city "downtown" would have not only men's hat shops, but also adverts for cleaning and blocking men's hats. Women's hat shops were found in the smallest of towns.

 

Then again, perhaps the lifestyle of the "hippy" added to the inevitability of loss of various personal items, making their possession irrelevant.

 

m

[jdgm]

Nope. Fail. Zawinul is a keyboard player.

Yes I thought of that after I posted it.

 

But hold on, what's this sentence from the booklet notes to my CD of "Lost Tribes" by The Zawinul Syndicate???!!!

 

"The rhythms of the Flamenco, the intense melodic ornamentation, and Zawinul's unmeasured opening on the guitar are all characteristic of music heard throughout the Islamic world." - Dr George Butler, executive producer. (My italics)

 

Quick - where's the credits list for "Jungle Book" off Weather Report's 1974 masterpiece "Mysterious Traveller"????

 

Ah here it is - 'Josef Zawinul - Vocal, piano, guitar, clay drum, tamboura, tac piano, kalimba, maracas, organ'

 

Phew. Ok you got me, he wasn't a guitarist as we know it but he knew how it works.

['Scales]

Some very cool guitar and hat work - say 3:45 for example...

 

[RickGibsonDenver]

Lately I've been watching a lot of movies from the 1950's, and hats were an essential dress item then. I grew up in the '60's & '70's. and it just wasn't the same. I tried wearing a "cowboy hat" in my 20's but I felt really conspicuous, and gave it a rest. Fortunately I've always had a full head of hair, and my hat wearing has been limited to a ball cap when taking the trash can out first thing in the morning while my hair is standing on end otherwise.

 

Lately I've been checking out clubs and watching local bands, surfing online lesson sites (Marty Schwartz), and I see an inordinate amount of pork pie hats, and driving caps around. I got a couple, and have been trying to remind myself to wear them when I go out. A few friends have commented, but not negatively (yet). I know I hear a lot better if my hat has a brim.......therefore.....I actually.......do play better......wearing a hat.....?!?!

[zigzag]

Quick - where's the credits list for "Jungle Book" off Weather Report's 1974 masterpiece "Mysterious Traveller"????

Ah here it is - 'Josef Zawinul - Vocal, piano, guitar, clay drum, tamboura, tac piano, kalimba, maracas, organ'

 

Saw Weather Report in 1974 after they released Mysterious Traveler. Don't remember Joe playing a guitar. But, I did like his hat.

[stein]

It seems from here that after Johnson left office and a normally hatless Kennedy - for image purposes - took the U.S. presidency that brimmed hats really went out of general use in the US. They remained in style in ag areas I'm familiar with until it seemed that air-conditioned farm equipment took over a lotta manual labor under the sun.

 

For me, I froze my ears at 20 and now, 49 years later, still have little crusties that scare the heck outa me will turn to cancer. Hence always the brimmed hat in civilized areas of the Northern Plains that inevitably are well outside cities.

 

But... yeah, I think the hat is coming back to fashion. Perhaps the balding of baby boom and younger males has something to do with it. Perhaps some folks just don't care to have the sun beating on their head in summer and significant heat loss in winter.

 

I remember in the '60s how any city "downtown" would have not only men's hat shops, but also adverts for cleaning and blocking men's hats. Women's hat shops were found in the smallest of towns.

 

Then again, perhaps the lifestyle of the "hippy" added to the inevitability of loss of various personal items, making their possession irrelevant.

 

m

I am really glad to see it coming back as a point in the fashion following practicality sense.

 

Of corse, there is the etiquette/appropriate side too. Like shoes. Very impractical in a lot of ways, in that, on the East coast, it matters as a point of respect for what you are doing or who you are there to see. Even a distinction in suits. And, I can see that. Agree with it.

 

So...perhaps the appropriate hat for the appropriate person in the appropriate capacity. I suggest:

[stein]

OK here is someone I totally revere who actually wore a tea cosy for many years and got away with it. The late Josef Zawinul.

This taken 6 months before his death in 2007.

 

 

Beanies - a solution?

 

 

Nope. Fail. Zawinul is a keyboard player.

This would be a keyboard player/beatnik hat.

[stein]

I wear a hat when I jam with pals.... now whether that makes me a guitarist, well that's another subject matter

 

This is a guitar players/rocker hat.

[saturn]

Although this hat isn't really too "goofy", it is for me because I'm not usually a hat guy. B)