Have you ever been experienced? Here I come...

[bigG]

Hello to Robert and everyone!

I've been playing guitar since the age of 13. I'm now 58. Self-taught on my brother's 1963 SG Junior (it was given to him as a Christmas present and he never once touched it, so it became mine by default). No amp, until I bought my first, a Standell, and joined my first rock'n'roll band in 1964.

My knowledge of music theory came from accordion lessons around the age of 9 or 10. So, I used to be able to read music (via keyboard), but that talent has long since gone by the wayside. I've been doing pretty much everything by ear ever since.

Went thru many bands in the mid 60s as a rhythm and bass player. Gigged just abt every weekend. It was in 1967 that our band at that time gained much local recognition, and we played alot of love-ins, bars, freak-outs, biker parties, private parties...you name it. Then the real magic started to happen: we became the opening act for most of the major big-name touring bands of the time - Vanilla Fudge, Young Rascals, Procol Harum, etc...

It was thru our comradship w the Fudge that we eventually ended up in New York as the house band for a club they owned on Long Island, The Action House. From that home-base, we were signed to Columbia Records and recorded an album at Columbia's famous Studio One in NYC. Sad to say, nothing ever came of it, but for two years in 68-69 in NY and NJ, it was quite a ride!

Returned to Miami and joined a seven-piece band called Self, hooking up yet again w many of the players I'd worked with in the mid-60s. We quickly became the #1 band in Miami and were the house band at the biggest (and last) rock venue left in that town, Light My Fire, and again being the top-billed act at love-ins and such.

That pretty much covers the salad days of my professional career, such as it was. I did some more studio work for some years after that, and put together a 3-piece acoustic band called Sugarfoot in 1981-1983. We were the house band at a "legendary" (at least locally in Orlando) cut'n'shoot joint, as Jim White calls them - a beer and wine, no holds barred, knives and guns allowed s**t-kickin' bar that held abt 150 people. Just for the fun and free beer of it!

I'm now ensconced in an apartment in Florida, along with too many amps and guitars (seven of one, 11 of the other). I play strictly for my own amusement these days, jamming w a few like-minded old fart musicians/friends in my area.

If you're interested, here's my current gear:
AMPS: Swart ST-6V6SE (not here yet, but on the way this week!), Vox AC15CC1, Peavey Windsor Studio, Vox AD50VT, Fender Super Champ XD, and 3 small amps just for fun, and bought on a whim - a Vox DA15, Marshall MG10KK, and a Peavey 65 Bandit (from 1981)

GUITARS: Peavey HP Special USA, Ric 360 12 string, Epi Casino, Fender SE Lite Ash Strat, Epi Les Paul Standard, Ibanez AF120 jazz box, Fender Tele, Ibanez S520EX, original Made in the USA Fender Bullet (from 1983), my beloved Guild GAD JF-48 Jumbo acoustic, Ibanez AW40 acoustic (from 1981)

Well, I think (I hope) that covers it. In 58 years, I've probably forgotten more than I remember. This is the end.

[Robert****]

Welcome, bigG, great to have you here! :

Tell us more about that Swart, once you've played it some.

[bigG]

Will do, Robert! Thank you, sir!

[Spudman***]

OMG! You're an old dude!! We'll you should fit right in then.

Welcome to the forum and be sure to put your name on the list for Geritol rations.:

It's great having another experienced player on board.

[just strum]

Hey, welcome G, good to have you aboard and another one that is slightly older than me.

Don't worry about the Geritol rations, I have a connection that can fix you up.

[tot_Ou_tard]

Welcome!

What was the name of your band that opened for The Fudge?

Do you have any clips of Self?


I'd like to hear your thoughts on the Swart too.

I had been drooling over that amp for a long time. I thought that it would be my next purchase, but I got a Gries 5 (another single ended class A 6V6 amp based on the Champ) instead because:

1) 12" speaker
2) Gain knob rolls tonestack in and out allows one to move from
blackface to tweed & places in between.
3) A used one came up for sale & I jumped on it.

It sounds great as I'm sure the Swart will.

[Brian Krashpad]

Welcome from a fellow Floridian!

There's a few on here.

[duhvoodooman***]

Welcome, fellow old fart! I'm 58, too, so I figure I can say that and not be taken too seriously! Impressive musical resume, and a good gear list there! And if you ever need any high-quality handmade effects pedals, I'm your guy!

[Jimi75]

Welcome to the board. Nice introduction!

[oldguy]

Welcome to TheFret!

[bigG]

I'm pretty new at this thread stuff. I'm supposing this reply will be to all previous welcomes from all you nice pickers.

Thank you for the kind welcome!

Yep, I am an old fart, and I think it's kinda funny, and more than a little strange, that I've made it to this age! So, I freely admit to the old fart tag, but, probably like most of you older blokes, inside I still feel like I'm WAY younger - but my aching ol' bones remind me otherwise! *tries to laugh*

Thanks for the Geritol offer! But I think I'm way past that helping at all! :-) I gobble some vitamins and minerals every day, and hope for the best!

The band was called Sounds Unlimited when we left Miami for NY, but Columbia re-christened us Styx 'n' Stonez for recording.
Alas, no clips of Self, although we had many a pic taken by our drummer's g/f and often recorded shows on a Sony stereo reel-to reel tape recorder - all long since lost in the ether of time. I do have ONE pic of Self on-stage at Light My Fire, kindly given to me by my dear, long-time friend and bandmate, George, in a reunion we had in abt 1990. None of the seven Self members stayed in music - one's an Art Teacher, a couple went into modeling, another is the Manager of the A/V dep't at a Miami Community College (!), yet another went into real estate...that's abt all I can remember, and probably more than you want to know! ;-)

tot, good on ya re the Gries! Great deal!

voodoo, I'll def keep you in mind for pedals!

And, speaking of pedals, I left those out of my gear list. Only a few: Cry Baby 535q wah, Boss DS-1, Bad Monkey OD, Sabine FuzzStortion (discontinued) - AND, last but not least, how could I leave out my original Korg M-1 Synthesizer: furniture grade wood, and less sounds than a current $100 Casio! *L*

I hope that covers eveything brought up in all of your kind welcomes! Thanks again!

bigG

[mrmudcat]

Welcome brother

[bigG]

thanks, mud! right back atcha!