Who inspires you?

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tubortski

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I started a list of players that had some sort of impact on me. It's incomplete but got very long and weird at the end. Here are a couple.

Greg Ginn - Black Flag
James Hetfield - Metallica
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Jimmy Page - Led Zeppelin
Kim Thayil - Soundgarden
Jerry Cantrell - Alice in chains

Be loud, be proud! Contribute.... or don't.

 
Ace Frehley has probably the biggest impact on me... He's not my favorite guitar player, but learning KISS solos is what finally got me to "click" on lead guitar playing

I'd love to say Steve Vai or Randy Rhoads (my favorite guitar players), but I haven't learned anything based on their phrasing or preferred scales that I can use for on the fly improv like I have with Frehley licks
 
Cantrell

Pure great guitar tone. Reminds me of Waters in his minimalist if approach.

Ace was me mentor as a teen. Again, not a flashy player, just right for the songs.

Knopfler for melodic blues.

I saw Lynch on TMS and was inspired to never buy a phaser. I love his playing but that effect is like hell hound getting skinned alive.
 
Heritage Softail":1vgbhkdw said:
I saw Lynch on TMS and was inspired to never buy a phaser. I love his playing but that effect is like hell hound getting skinned alive.
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What is it about that show? Whenever a favorite of mine plays (Lynch, Lee, DeMartini) I'm underwhelmed by their tone... Is it just not mic'd right or something? The only tone I thought was decent was John 5's and that's cause he played like 5 tapings so I assume he had more time to get his tone right?
 
ChadVanHalen":1o7a2xw4 said:
Heritage Softail":1o7a2xw4 said:
I saw Lynch on TMS and was inspired to never buy a phaser. I love his playing but that effect is like hell hound getting skinned alive.
Click to expand...
What is it about that show? Whenever a favorite of mine plays (Lynch, Lee, DeMartini) I'm underwhelmed by their tone... Is it just not mic'd right or something? The only tone I thought was decent was John 5's and that's cause he played like 5 tapings so I assume he had more time to get his tone right?
Click to expand...

No idea. It is weird. Some people are not the sit and wank on demand type players I guess. Hannon was on the episode I just saw. He played conservative stuff that all fit with decent tone.

John 5 is a freakshow built guy tho... He does the gymnastics and is in his prime. I still dig Lynch though. He tries to not be normal. Some attempts come off better than others. But he has a library of greats... :rock:
 
Heritage Softail":1lkaxjtg said:
ChadVanHalen":1lkaxjtg said:
Heritage Softail":1lkaxjtg said:
I saw Lynch on TMS and was inspired to never buy a phaser. I love his playing but that effect is like hell hound getting skinned alive.
Click to expand...
What is it about that show? Whenever a favorite of mine plays (Lynch, Lee, DeMartini) I'm underwhelmed by their tone... Is it just not mic'd right or something? The only tone I thought was decent was John 5's and that's cause he played like 5 tapings so I assume he had more time to get his tone right?
Click to expand...

No idea. It is weird. Some people are not the sit and wank on demand type players I guess. Hannon was on the episode I just saw. He played conservative stuff that all fit with decent tone.

John 5 is a freakshow built guy tho... He does the gymnastics and is in his prime. I still dig Lynch though. He tries to not be normal. Some attempts come off better than others. But he has a library of greats... :rock:
Click to expand...
Ya, plus Lynch is always tinkering his tone and making slight and drastic changes, so it could have just been during a not so smart pedal phase...r he was in

Hopefully with more budget they can fix whatever it is that just makes these guitar heroes not sound so good... Or just keep Mugatu up there, I can watch him play with those teles all day...
 
Page
Clapton
Beck
Hendrix
Stevie Ray
Angus
Kosoff
Ronson
Duffy
Slash
Cantrell
DeLeo
VH
Gibbons
Lots of the old blues players (e.g., Hooker, Wolf, etc.)

Yes, no br00tz.
 
Always an awesome premise to a thread when this gets posted... I love these threads.

You know, it's an awesome question in the sense of "awe" and "scope". When I was a kid? Hell yeah, it was Ace Frehley and the usual suspects. As I grew up, too many to list but some notable inductees for sure - Santana, Hackett, Leslie West, Page, Hendrix, Clapton, Iommi, RANDY RHOADS, Keef, etc.

If I had to say today? Easy. I've mentioned the fact I'm into minimalist playing, and Adam Jones and Cantrell are this to me - they let their playing breath, they've got killer riffs, awesome tone, and overall - can listen to it for days and not get tired. I'm not into the fretboard acrobatics, I love Vai and all, but he inspires me like a deity inspires a worshiper - the guy is Master of the Universe when it comes to all thing guitar...it's just not worth talking about. I think Dweezil is great and he inspires me to stick with exploring the vast world of the Axe-II, yes he does. So, inspiration comes in weird ways... But of the latest for me - Cantrell and Jones - they just don't get tired.

Peace :thumbsup:
Mo
 
I started playing because of Ace Frehley and Kiss in general. Then Van Halen came along. Tons of great players that I've spent hours upon hours learning their stuff.

Now, it's guys like The Edge,& Nile Rodgers. I'm finally getting my right hand in shape!!!
 
Dime(#1)
Cantrell
Hetfield
Hammett (gasp)
Devin Townsend (this dude completely changed how I construct riffs, write songs, etc...the idea that you can take one single line and play it with different nuances completely floored me)
Kirk Windstein (absolutely heavy, no one touches this guy)
Adam Jones (completely original, no one touches this guy either....his timing and the way his riffs flow always impress me...if I write something weird, when I listen to it a couple days later it sounds like him)
David Gilmour
Leslie West
Stephen Carpenter

These are the guys that I can always listen to, no matter what. I dig a lot of players, but can't listen to most of them for more than a day or so....they start to get repetitive and boring to me....these guys never do. 90% of the time, these are the guys I'm listening to throughout the day.
 
Gary Moore, Andy Larocque, John Petrucci, Doug Aldrich.
 
napalmdeath":ol7r0ywg said:
Doug Aldrich.
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+1, terribly underrated and super chill dude... Beach and Aldrich compliment each other perfectly in WS
 
Ventura":3aanqf65 said:
Steinmetzify":3aanqf65 said:
Stephen Carpenter
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Another minimalist - nicely played :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

LOT to be said for guys that create a soundscape without resorting to wankery...there are a lot of guys that do incredible things on rhythm and then just lose it for me when they start with the fireball antics/solos....if it fits the mood and builds up to it that's one thing, but to just throw it in there for the sake of having it in there doesn't work for me; that's why a lot of guys don't make my list. Hammett gets special mention for the buildup to the solo in Sanitarium and Fade to Black.
 
FRANK ZAPPA
STEVE VAI
ANDY TIMMONS
DEVIN TOWNSEND
RICHIE KOTZEN/BILLY SHEEHAN
TONY IOMMI/GEEZER BUTLER
STEVE STEVENS
GUTHRIE
JOE HOLMES
PETER STEELE
THE BEATLES
OLD VIVIAN CAMPBELL
OLD EVH
RANDY
ELTON JOHN
NUNO
ANN & NANCY WILSON/HEART
NEIL SCHON/STEVE PERRY
KING'S X
MICHAEL SHENKER
GLENN TIPTON/KK DOWNING
DAVE MURRAY/ADRIAN SMITH
MICHAEL LEE FIRKINS
FREDDY MERCURY/BRIAN MAY
SLASH
PAUL GILBERT
JEFF BECK
JAKE E LEE
PETRUCCI/PORTNOY
OLD TYLER/PERRY
OLD CANTRELL/STALEY
 
hetfield
zakk
hammett on the first 5 albums
mustaine
lynch
demartini
setzer
slash
cantrell
 
here's a few guys that come to mind real quick - Michael Schenker and Jamie Kime - but heck I can bounce around Youtube and sit and get all kinds of inspiration. I got inspired by that new Fortin amp cip Ralph did. That Joe Holmes video that was up here a few weeks ago gave me a good kick in the pants. That guy with the funny mustache that was doing the Lynch style licks - I always see/hear something I wish I had in my own playing from these guys. then I go practice and see if I can obtain some facsimile of it. It kinda happens all the time.
 
This is an interesting question as it is easy to list my favorite players whom I admire but listing those that inspire me in terms of style, creativity or otherwise is a little mor defining. While I have none of the chops associated with my list, each in his own right inspires me for different reasons. So, onto my list........

Malcolm Young - being that I am predominantly playing rhythm guitar in my band, Malcolm is a rock behind all things great AC/DC so as a rhythm player he inspires me to make sure that I too am that solid rock for my band.

James Hetfield - enough said!

Al DiMeola - had the pleasure of seeing him live when a group I teched for opened for him. He is living proof that different styles can be blended to make some really awesome music. Unbelievably talented. A true classic.

David Gilmour - shows me that feeling is a very powerful and addicting trait to have. It doesn't always have to be about who is the best technical player, or best shredder, etc. I'm not sure that true feeling can be taught.......in my opinion it is inherent in those that have it.

Tony Iommi - have been and always will be a follower. The Godfather of metal! When I want a pick me up I always reverted to classic Sabbath riffs.

Chris Mahoney - a very good friend and super, super talented musician. He always inspires me to be creative and expand my horizons and try different things. Another example of playing with feel and believing in what you are doing and playing. Has always stayed true to his style........has never sold out.

In any event, others that I admire as favorites include:

Jerry Cantrell
The Reverend Billy G
Steve Stevens
Randy Rhoads
Glenn Tipton & KK Downing
Mark Tremonti
 
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