A brief introduction

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Avarage
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:17 pm

A brief introduction

Post by Avarage »

Hello everyone, blues man here. I hail from the states. I've been playing guitar for about 4 years now, focusing on the blues for 3. About a year into my guitar-learning adventure I still hadn't found my direction, and didn't know what to start learning, or how to do much of anything besides pluck a few notes. Then my father gave me his Clapton Unplugged CD, and I listened to it for about 2 weeks almost non stop. After seeing how much I enjoyed it, he gave me all of his old blues cassette tapes, which introduced me to the likes of BB, Howlin' Wolf (and of course Hubert Sumlin and Willie Dixon along with it), as well as Little Walter, Lead Belly, Muddy, Albert King. He got me hooked on SRV, too.

After my father had given me some direction to go in, and introduced to me to my new love, the blues, I set off learning from the greats by ear, as I was determined not to take lessons out of fear that I would become some teacher's "product", and be taught with books instead of my own ears and brain. I dug around on my own and was greatly influenced by Clapton (especially his days with The Yardbirds and Mayall, and some of his cuts with Cream). I also discovered Rory Gallagher, Hendrix, Freddie King, Albert Collins, Robert Johnson, and numerous others, all influencing me along the way.

So fast forward to now, and I've learned a few things, and my playing can be considered music instead of loud noise, but I believe I'll always have much more to learn and improve upon. My first post was over in the BT section under Althrax's D minor track, and someone asked me about my gear, so here goes. An '08 Les Paul studio, VOX valvetronix amp, Ernie Ball wah pedal (hardly ever use), Ibanez tube screamer pedal (once again, rarely used), and I tend to go with 9-42 strings of varying brands. I also have a Strat copy I put together, and an old Takamine acoustic.

And here are two pics of my girl, Chocolate, usually kept polished with Love Potion #9 guitar polish so she smells as good as she looks.
The natural wood grain of the guitar is beautiful and unique, plus I can't stand most of Gibson's LP finishes. Most of them look cheezy and over-the-top in my opinion. My best regards to everyone, and I hope to get to know everyone and make some new friends!
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Just your avarage guitar player.
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HalfBlindLefty
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Joined: Fri Mar 26, 2010 1:23 pm

Re: A brief introduction

Post by HalfBlindLefty »

Welcome :welcome:

and :welcome: to the lady guitar_fire:: to :big_smile:
A long time ago, in the old forum : Registered: Mon, 27 Nov 2006. Wonder were the other old members all went....
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Golfxzq
Posts: 359
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 3:13 am

Re: A brief introduction

Post by Golfxzq »

:welcome: Avarage... great to have you aboard. If you love Blues, this is the place to be. I really like your "Chocolate", great looking guitar. I also have an affinity for LP's. You've got about two years on me, I started very late in life... but late is better than never. Looking forward to more of your posts.
"Whether you think that you can, or that you can't, you are usually right."
- Henry Ford
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Strummer07
Posts: 671
Joined: Thu Apr 08, 2010 3:59 pm

Re: A brief introduction

Post by Strummer07 »

Nice Collection of stuff you have there Avarage ....good pics too !!

You Dad has pointed you at some really good artists !! :thumbsup:

I think you'll enjoy this site !
"Death is just a heartbeat away"
lyric from "Out in The Fields"
Gary Moore 1952-2011
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VikingBlues
Posts: 4466
Joined: Sat Apr 03, 2010 7:44 pm

Re: A brief introduction

Post by VikingBlues »

:welcome: Avarage. Nice to have you on board the 12bar ship exploring the sea of blues. Sorry - talking rubbish again! :nuts:

Liked what you did with the Althrax BT. You've made great progress for 4 years - think I'd clocked up about 40 when I felt I could tackle that backing track. I sort of envy you guys that picked up on the blues at an earlier stage, when I think of all those years you have to explore and learn. You've certainly had some great pointers from your fathers collection.

That's some nice gear you've got. I can understand why you like a good wood grain finish on a guitar - I think it seems criminal to go and cover something as natural as a good wood grain with layers of paint. I also take the opportunity to welcome another Vox amp user - I'm a Vox-guy myself, Vox AC4TV, Vox Tonelab ST, and a Vox Valvetronix AD15VT which was my main amp pre the AC4TV. I see you don't use pedals much and that's no bad thing - I'm a fan of the old school of guitarist who just has his guitar and amp and skill for his weapons.

Look forward to hearing more from you. :thumbsup:
An improv a day keeps the demons at bay!
kiwiclapton
Posts: 103
Joined: Mon Jul 19, 2010 8:00 am

Re: A brief introduction

Post by kiwiclapton »

Hi there, nice guitar. You'll find yourself being a regular vistor to this site I"m sure.
In the name of God, Eric Clapton and the Slowhand, Amen.
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MojoJim
Posts: 222
Joined: Mon Mar 29, 2010 6:38 pm

Re: A brief introduction

Post by MojoJim »

Welcome to the site Avarage.

I've been learning blues guitar for about two years. If I play as well as you after another two years I will be ecstatic.

I'm sure you will enjoy it here. Great players. Great teachers. Great people. :welcome:
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Avarage
Posts: 5
Joined: Mon Feb 07, 2011 9:17 pm

Re: A brief introduction

Post by Avarage »

Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. I hope to hear some of you guys' playing and share some more of my own. This seems like a great community and I'm glad to become a part of it.
@ Vikingblues - Always good to meet another VOX man. I fell in love with them after I played this one at the store.
Just your avarage guitar player.
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Blindboy
Posts: 1787
Joined: Sun Apr 04, 2010 3:34 pm

Re: A brief introduction

Post by Blindboy »

:welcome:
Nice looking 'Paul. :thumbsup:
"Throw yo' big leg over me Mama, I might not feel this good again!"
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deltabluesrookie
Posts: 30
Joined: Sat Jan 29, 2011 5:14 pm

Re: A brief introduction

Post by deltabluesrookie »

:welcome:
Welcome, I'm new here too. great place. Ive been playing about two years now. If you have a love for clapton and R. Johnson like I do, you need to listen to clapton's RJ work......immediately.
BTW NICE Gibson
"I'm Bad...like Jesse james"
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12bar
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Joined: Thu Mar 25, 2010 12:05 pm

Re: A brief introduction

Post by 12bar »

:welcome: to your and your axe :drool:
Looks really great!
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2WheelsOfBlues
Posts: 750
Joined: Sun Nov 28, 2010 10:59 pm

Re: A brief introduction

Post by 2WheelsOfBlues »

:welcome: Avarage

This is the place to be for blues, thats for sure.
Wen i look at your Gibson, oohw its a very nice one
play guitar like the wind, mysterious but definitely present....
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Jim
Posts: 30
Joined: Fri Apr 09, 2010 6:50 am

Re: A brief introduction

Post by Jim »

:welcome:

Hi Avarage! And this is special (to me, anyway) as besides the one post I made a couple of hours ago about Gerd (AKA 12bar - the Admin and beloved leader :high5: here) and his losing his Mother unexpectedly the other day (which was a post to Gerd and everyone), this is my first post since LAST APRIL :wall: :wall: :tears: :icon_whoknows: to another member! And that may not seem like such a big deal, but before I was "laid off (HA!) :haha: ) about 1 1/2 years ago, I had been the idiot who couldn't stop typing, and not only had the most posts on here, but if the number of words in those posts had been counted, it would have caused a stack overflow in almost any computer!! :rofl: :lol: I was even a Moderator until I pretty much disappeared (not from playing blues, but from NOT seriously posting in any forum). And before the change of forum software early last year (I think that's when it was) I used the name "Jim S" (not plain "Jim") but "Jim" turned out to be available after the new software was installed (I guess there once was a "Jim" under the old forum, who disappeared as well, but the name was taken and was unusable - but I love being able to grab my exact name, without any numbers after it, or even having to add the first letter of my last name, so I did - even though it reset my post count back to ZIPPO, and I was around so little by even then that I only had 18 posts as of last April 15th, the last time I had made any posts here before today. SEE HOW I CAN BABBLE ON and ON and.... :rofl:

I haven't made it over to listen to any new music posted here yet, but I will soon, and I'll listen to yours first. I also have a Gibson Les Paul (a 00 30 year anniversary reissue) and it's the classic Goldtop, which is not as beautiful as your gorgeous wood finish (it's really beautiful! :thumbsup: ) but I once had an original early 70''s Les Paul Deluxe Goldtop I got around '73 (and stupidly sold... but kinda had to as I needed to pay the rent, and I was a musician just out of school, and couldn't get a student or gig to save my life!). So, when I was finally able to "replace" it, I wanted to get as close to the same guitar as I the one I sold - and this is it's twin but actually seems to be of better quality workmanship and materials - perhaps because the 70's had some bumpy years for both Gibson and Fender quality. If I can remember how to ( :aha: ) I'll post a picture of it.

My other electric is an EC signature strat (which was all white originally, but after seeing Eric playing with the same model - only it had a Gold pickguard on it - I HAD to do the same (I felt the all white guitar needed SOMETHING to put some color in it) and got carried away, and ended up - by myself - replacing all the metal parts with Gold plated metal and even named it "GOLDIE" (with the Gold plate on the back-side where the neck and body meet having "Goldie" and "JVS" (my initials) engraved into it. It really is my favorite ever guitar, SO easy to play (Oh, I did NOT mess with the metal frets, as the whole neck on it is PERFECTION (IMO) and I can play it 7-8 hours (I know as I've done that when rehearsing with my Blues Band - no longer in existence), whereas the LP tires my hand out a lot quicker, as it has the thicker round neck and I find the soft V shape EC chose for his signature strat to be the perfect shape and size for my hands.

Also, I am a bit afraid to take the LP out on a gig or anywhere it could get damaged or stolen, as it also has Les Paul's (the person!) signature on it on the back of the headstock (when I saw him at the Iridium Jazz Club in NY City a couple of years before he passed away .... :sad: and also John Mayal's signature on the front, from when I saw him, in the last period when he was still with the Bluesbreakers, at the "Turning Point" in Piermont, NY state (named after one of Mayal's albums by that name, so he played there a lot). I also saw Hubert Sumlin and "Satan and Adam" there (if you haven't heard of them, they have a movie about them in the works, and they're great - just 2 of them - and with story unlike any I've heard before (Google on their name, and you'll learn a lot about a NY City "institute" (Harlem area) ). They have had many great bluesmen and musician's of every genre there over the years (I don't think EC played there though) and it's small and personal, with a good chance to chat with the performers before, and after they play, and also during any break(s) they may take.

I have 2 acoustics two, the oldest one is a early 70's Yamaha FG-180 (Red label) that seems to have become one of those guitars in high demand, with incredible tone (but the fretboard is rather battered by all the abuse I caused it over the years of playing), but I could never part from it as it's been all over the country with me since around '72 (and I got it virtually new - just slightly used - with a great hard case that has an American flag patterned felt inside) and the other acoustic is an Epiphone Acoustic/Electric that fits right into this same case perfectly! I think that case could take an atomic blast and still keep the guitar inside it safe and playable! :cool: :dance:

It's great to have you here, and love the fact that you gave your guitar a name - as I do too (many people don't) and that you fell in love with EC's unplugged album and those other truly great blues heroes - keep listening to them and learn by first emulating them and then developing your own style, maybe a mixture of some sort of your favorites, plus a bunch of the unique YOU! :dance: and you'll do great! Also, the lessons, and asking questions on THIS site will teach you more than most teachers would! It's a wonderous world here, with everyone so friendly and helpful, and Gerd has been putting SO much hard work into it for so long, that he really deserves more credit than I can possibly express (or ever thank him enough for!). :clap: :clap: :beer: I so hope he is able to get the support he needs at this very difficult time of his life. I lost my father 2 1/2 years ago, and THIS FORUM gave me more support and help than I got from anywhere else - and I MEAN that! [You guys here are all SO GREAT and I really apologize for having deserted you for so long!]

I hope I see you around here a lot more! NOW - do you SEE HOW I CAN BABBLE ON and ON and ON and ON and ON and .... :away:

Jim (S)
Attachments
The local acoustic guitar group in the coffee house, last Sat (2-19-10) from the OUTSIDE, looking IN!
The local acoustic guitar group in the coffee house, last Sat (2-19-10) from the OUTSIDE, looking IN!
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Our Blues-infused Dobro player the local acoustic guitar group in a coffee house) last Sat (2 days ago 2/19/10)
Our Blues-infused Dobro player the local acoustic guitar group in a coffee house) last Sat (2 days ago 2/19/10)
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Not as much of a close-up of Me last Sat (2 days ago) at the local acoustic guitar group in a coffee house) playing my Epiphone DR-200 Acoustic-Electric guitar
Not as much of a close-up of Me last Sat (2 days ago) at the local acoustic guitar group in a coffee house) playing my Epiphone DR-200 Acoustic-Electric guitar
highres_21560630.jpeg (436.2 KiB) Viewed 13303 times
Too much of a close-up of Me last Sat (2 days ago) at the local acoustic guitar group in a coffee house) playing my Epiphone DR-200 Acoustic-Electric guitar
Too much of a close-up of Me last Sat (2 days ago) at the local acoustic guitar group in a coffee house) playing my Epiphone DR-200 Acoustic-Electric guitar
highres_21560634.jpeg (597.71 KiB) Viewed 13303 times
Me - just last Sat (2 days ago) at the local acoustic guitar group in a coffee house (LOTS of Blues jams went on though, as well as folk, bluegrass, etc!).
Me - just last Sat (2 days ago) at the local acoustic guitar group in a coffee house (LOTS of Blues jams went on though, as well as folk, bluegrass, etc!).
highres_21560630.jpeg (436.2 KiB) Viewed 13303 times
Me and Goldie in rehearsal with my blues band
Me and Goldie in rehearsal with my blues band
Why I play the Blues.jpg (87.14 KiB) Viewed 13310 times
Goldie's name plate
Goldie's name plate
goldie-plate.jpg (40.14 KiB) Viewed 13310 times
Me playing my Epiphone DR-200 Acoustic-Electric guitar at an acoustic guitar group
Me playing my Epiphone DR-200 Acoustic-Electric guitar at an acoustic guitar group
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From top pic of My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition)
From top pic of My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition)
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Les Paul's (RIP) signature on the back of the headstock of My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition)
Les Paul's (RIP) signature on the back of the headstock of My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition)
Les_Signature_on_my_LP_640_480.jpg (70.51 KiB) Viewed 13310 times
Les Paul (RIP) signing the back of the headstock of My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition)
Les Paul (RIP) signing the back of the headstock of My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition)
Les_Signs_My_LP_640x480.jpg (121.67 KiB) Viewed 13310 times
Full pic of My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition)
Full pic of My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition)
les_paul_stand.JPG (112.33 KiB) Viewed 13310 times
Yamaha FG-180 (Red Label) acoustic, Gibson LP Deluxe, and Fender Eric Clapton signature strat (became Goldie, but here is is still full white)
Yamaha FG-180 (Red Label) acoustic, Gibson LP Deluxe, and Fender Eric Clapton signature strat (became Goldie, but here is is still full white)
my_3_guitas_640_480.jpg (97.5 KiB) Viewed 13310 times
My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition) - signed on back of headstock by Les Paul in 2007 (RIP) and now also by John Mayall on the front.
My Gibson Goldtop Les Paul Deluxe (2000 30th anniversary edition) - signed on back of headstock by Les Paul in 2007 (RIP) and now also by John Mayall on the front.
my_lp_deluxe_480_640.jpg (128.17 KiB) Viewed 13310 times
My driving philosophy about making music is that you can reduce it all down to one note if that note is played with the right kind of sincerity.
- Eric Clapton, interview 1974

James V. Signorile, ASCAP
(Court Jester)
http://jamessignorile.com
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