I'm an old rocker

[kiteman]

Yep, another one of the baby boomers.

I got my first guitar when I was ten. I got it for xmas and I also got a ventures album that showed how to play 4 songs. I think I only learned two songs then. One was Pipeline that I loved to play even now but of course I modernized it.

I and a couple of friends in school got together and made a band. We played surf and instrumental music and there was a lot of dancing then. Seems hardly anyone dances anymore nowadays. The band broke up after a drummer drank himself to death, can you believe that ??

I retired in the mid 90s because of some disabilities and spend a lot of times home. I got back into guitars in 97 and I didn't feel like getting into gigging anymore so I just play around with friends and use drum machines and pedals. One chick asked for a demo from me but I told her I'm not interested to go pro. No pressures and no obligations thank you.

This look like a nice place and glad to be here. Oh yeah I got a black Agile lp copy which I put EMG 81-60 in it. I play with my epi valve jr combo amp and a couple of pedals. I also got a kustom 100 watt 2x12 combo amp if I need to be loud.

[marnold***]

Ya olde coot! Welcome. By the by, I posted a rendition of me playing Walk, Don't Run on my Squier '51 right after I got it. Since I've gotten my Floyd Rose I've been trying to add the surfy Bigsby vibrato to it.

[Tim]

Bravo Marnold! That was very good playing.

[Bloozcat]

Welcome aboard!

Sound like you'll be right at home here, kiteman.

[sunvalleylaw]

Welcome Kiteman!

[Robert****]

Welcome to this gang, Kiteman! Gotta love surf music.

[duhvoodooman***]

A lot of us "old rockers" here, kiteman! Welcome to TheFret!!

[fastfoot]

Hi Kiteman,

I'm older too-just turned 40. I play with the same Epi amp also. It's a great amp -plenty of power. What kind of pedals do you use with it? Ive been thinks of some effects for mine. Oh, welcome to the site.

Fastfoot

[duhvoodooman***]

....I'm older too-just turned 40.

40?? Old???? : Geez, I have ties in my closet older than that!

[tot_Ou_tard]

Sooo, kiteman, do you also fly kites?

I always wanted to learn to fly stunt kites, but a cool colorful kite way the freakin' high in the sky is still a lot of fun.

...gotta' dig the old kite stuff outta' the basement.

Spud, next time you climb a mountain, you should pack in a kite & let that sucker goooo.

Oh yeah, & a travel geetar too.

Man O man, I just saw all the new smilies we got!!

[sunvalleylaw]

Hey tot, there you are! I was just wonderin' 'bout you. Good to "see" you bro!

[tot_Ou_tard]

Hey tot, there you are! I was just wonderin' 'bout you. Good to "see" you bro!

Thanks Sun!

I got very busy & spent whatever extra time I had playing guitar.

Speaking of which, I've been loving the sound of my

Godin Radiator -> Twin Tube Classic -> Fender Chapion 600 reissue with NOS tubes.

I can get a lot of different yummy sounds.

[Spudman***]

40?? Old???? : Geez, I have ties in my closet older than that!

What's a tie?

[Brian Krashpad]

40?? Old???? : Geez, I have ties in my closet older than that!

Yeah, I'm 49 and AARP is just around the corner!

Welcome Kiteman! :

[kiteman]

Thanks for the welcomes guys. Was there an email notification I can turn on somewhere so I'd know I got replies? I missed it somewhere. Cool rendition of WDR there mate. I play it too but it's a little different cause I played rhythm and bass. Since I play by myself I'd like to see what mixture of lead, rhythm and bass I can put into the songs. Seems I'm not playing the surf much anymore now that I've been into hard rock and metal. That's why I got EMGs on my lp copy. I get a kick out of it and since I'm 57 ya gonna tell me I'm too old for this stuff?

I called myself kiteman because I used to smoke kite tobacco. That was over two years ago since I've smoked and I quit drinking back in '99. Nowadays I feel good! I'd like a little toke now and then though. ude:

The epi valve jr combo I have is a fantastic little tube amp. No frills and only a volume knob. Great with pedals especially if it has EQs on it. I put JJ 12AT7 (60% gain) and JJ EL84 tubes in the amp. It's my favorite set to use but I also have RCA 5751 (70% gain), Fender 12AX7 Hi-gain and an ECC83 of some kind for different flavors.

I had a bunch of pedals(mostly multi-fxs) but I sold all except for two that I want to keep. I like to use the Zoom G1 because it has a very nice drum sounds in it and I still have my old Digitech Rp200 Artist pedal. Sometimes I'll use the kustom amp for the drums while I jam on the epi combo.

Guitar playing is more like a hobby to me now. :

LOL! I've just found the email notification. Here's a pic of my old setup and all the pedals shown are gone now. The black one was the Zoom MRT3 drum machine hooked to the kustom through the Zoom 606.

[Jimi75]

Welcome Kiteman!

Cool introducton and a nice picture that you have posted.

[M29]

Hello kiteman,

Welcome, you have found a great place to hang.

I posted this while back you may have already seen it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jkYSD...elated&search=

How do you like the Zoom 606? I have one too and I made up a strap to hang around my neck on my left side and I plug the guitar and headphones into it and can walk around while I play. It is not too heavy but gives me a chance to not sit and play loud without anyone hearing me. I am fairly new and need to practice standing up.

Again...Welcome to The Fret.Net!

M29

[Katastrophe]

Welcome, kiteman!

[kiteman]

I loved the Ventures and they're what started me on a guitar. I didn't see this video and it's fantastic and at 1:39 the lead got a smile because they kicked ***. Damn good guitarists.

The Zoom 606 was a very nice pedal and I wrote 5 patches on it that covered a lot of songs I play. I use headphones too but I can't hear bends and vibratoes with 'em. May be the 'phones.

Whenever I sit or stand I always wear a strap playing the guitar. Since the instrumentals were my infuences along with the Beatles I developed a style where though I'm playing rock and metal I'm still playing instrumentals. Playing with a drum machine also set a style. I usually set the drums as a metronome because the rat-tat-tat rat-tat-tat stuff will get to you not for long.

I got about 6 or so songs put together with the drum machine. Maybe more I don't know. Something to play at friends' parties. Seems I can't remember too many songs at a time. Depression is part of my disabilities and that affects my memory. Most of the time I just jam and see what I can do. I've learned to read music and study music theory so it's interesting but nothing replaces the ears.

Right now I'm expecting back pay on my ssi and I want to get the Carvin bolt kit. With the upgrades I picked for the kit it's going to be a superstrat.

I haven't decided how I'm going to finish the guitar though.

EDIT: My avatar is a pic of me in '98 playing the epi tele I bought in '97. I was at my friend's house on halloween night. Some of the kids didn't want to leave after they got their candies. Lol.