Have you visited workshops with great players

[Jimi75]

Hey there,

I think it is also pretty common overseas that big music stores arrange workshops with good musicians. Here in Germany especially in the mid 90's we had some cool guitar stores that were not too big and they were run by passionate musicians (which is the reason the went bancropt...) where you could learn from the cool players and attend workshops in small circles of sometimes only 10 people, most of the time for a couple of Deutsche Mark back then.

Whom of you folks has participated in workshops? There's two types of workshops, the one where the artist really wants to convey something and the one where the artist only talks about his sig model and wants to sell something.

Here's some workshops I have participated in:

John Petrucci (DreamTheater) - 3 times during the 90's, one time together with Mike Portnoy who is DreamTheater's Drummer. Brilliant workshops, no sales talk, just music music music, a lot of detailled information and time to talk! Very personal workshops.

Yngwie Malmsteen - Yngwie's star show - few information and Yngwie threatening one guy in the audience - not worth a penny.

Marty Friedman (ex Megadeth) - very informative workshop. Everybody awaited a Metal workshop, but Marty taught exotic scales, following the chords in E-major and such. Marty is a very nice person who speaks a little German, too. I remember he was afraid that it could be to loud for my former girlfriend (now my wife she accompanied me) and Marty offered her a fresh pair of earplugs!

Noel Redding (Jimi Hendrix Experience) & Jerry Donahue (The Hellcasters) - Noel played guitar only at that occasion, some Hendrix stuff, some of his own, no info really, also Jerry Donahue only talked about the Dunlop picks he is using, but both guys were extraoridarily friendly. Especially with Noel I had a special bond, because we get to know each other pretty well when I later on worked for Fender and spend a week at the tradefair personally with Noel.

Wolf Marshall (the guy who wrote a ton of tablature books) - it was a workshop I participated in when being in Seattle in 1998. Wolf explained Eric Johnson's trademark licks. It was a very nice workshop at the GC Seattle. A lot of good information on gear and how to use the wah, too.

Jennifer Batten (ex Michael Jackson) - strange workshop that felt sterile. Jennifer is cool but you can not get in touch with her really (she had her bodyguard with her : also at the several tradefairs she took part in!)
She did a lot of hightech blabla

Robben Ford Masterclass - I cought one place out of 25 and payed around 300 -USD for an entire day Master Class with Robben. I have expected more, Robben showed licks that were below intermediate and so some of the participants didn't get their money worth until he finally started getting into the fine licks in the late afternoon. He did not much of talking, but he had a great sound and a nice way of explaining things. The host missed to ask us all before the workshop what our playing status was, and so Robben prepared a more easy programm. Robben is a well organized man, who had his files and documentation with him and so and I knew from the beginning that improvising the day was not his baby. Anyways, of course I could take some licks home and it was really inspiring to see how accurate he was playing.

Lets hear about your experiences with workshops.

Jimi75
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[marnold***]

The only one I've been to is the George Lynch one last year. Technically it was an Alfred show for his new DVDs. Naturally, the DVDs weren't ready so there wasn't much to talk about as far as equipment goes. There were a slew of ESP Lynch models on display, but they weren't his! One of the guys who works at the store is a huge Lynch freak. George quipped that that guy had more Lynch models than he did. So he mainly jammed a lot and took some questions from us. That's where my avatar picture came from. Naturally, it was extraordinarily cool for me to meet one of my guitar heroes up close and personal.

Oh, and it was free.

[tunghaichuan***]

Back in the late 80s I used to frequent a very cool guitar shop in Wichita, KS called the Guitar Stand. The owner, Kevin Brown had two clinics that I attended: Eliot Easton and Steve Morse. Very educational and inspiring.

tung

[hubberjub***]

I attended a workshop with Andrew York of the California Guitar Quarted about ten years ago. It was pretty interesting. We don't get too many opportunities like that in upstate NY. There are many seminars for advanced cow milking techniques though.

[Spudman***]

I was in New Orleans for a clinic many years ago. I can't remember the names of all the players but one was the guitar instructor for the university who was a renown jazz player and inventor of the 7 string baritone guitar. Another player that was there was this guy named John Jorgenson who played a Strat and seemed to know his way around the guitar. He said he played for some band called The Meters and sometimes with the Nevile Brothers. He was really friendly and we spent some time together talking gear until my girlfriend (now ex) let me know that she was getting bored. It was through John that I discovered Lace Sensors. Now he plays with Elton John.

Near where I live now is the Ibanez importer for the western USA. I know they have many clinics, or have in the past, but I never was able to attend any. I finally got free for this one Ibanez sponsored artist named Dave Urich. OMG! That guy can play. He was really friendly and approachable. I didn't get to talk to him for long as I had someplace else I was scheduled to be. I still learned a bit from him and was inspired to write a song in his style.

I'd love to have the opportunity to attend more functions such as clinics but because I live in the middle of nowhere I don't get the chance. Instead I turn every encounter with a guitarist playing into my own private clinic whether they know it or not.

[sunvalleylaw]

I have had "in person" workshops with Spud (ok they are really visits, but we play together, and it feels like a clinic to me ), and virtual workshops with Robert and Mark Wein. I consider those guys pretty darn good players. That is about it.

Oh, also, Richard Starkey, resident Martin player and tech, held a bluegrass oriented acoustic night at the local shop in Ketchum before it recently closed: http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php?t=1738

[sumitomo]

1994 Soledad State Prison Thurs.night blues guitar class,a guy from the outside used to come in forgot his name very cool layed back and could rip it up on his firebird.Sumi