"Don't mess with Texas"
that's why.
Maybe this has been brought up before, and forgive me if it has. I was too lazy to check.
What is it about Texas that produces so many killer guitarists? Is it the water down there or something? How many great Texan guitarists can you name? I won't bother, I'll leave that to you folks, but there's a metric buttload to be sure.
Some of my closest friends are Texans (or, to be concise, former Texans, if such a thing exists). Maybe if I moved there, my guitar playing would improve...
-Sean
Guitars: Lots.
Amphs: More than last year.
Pedals: Many, although I go straight from guitar to amp more often lately.
"Don't mess with Texas"
that's why.
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GUITARS - Carvin DC127M - Carvin Bolt kit
AMPS - Bogner Alchemist 112 - Blackheart Handsome Devil half stack
FXs - Roger Linn Adrenalinn III - Boss GT-10
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Well, Texas is awfully big, thus more likely to produce guitarists than, say, Rhode Island. Some places just seem to become music hubs: Chicago, Detroit, Nashville/Memphis, New Orleans, L.A., etc.
Axen: Jackson DK2M, Fender Deluxe Nashville Telecaster, Reverend Warhawk 390, Taylor 914ce, ESP LTD Surveyor-414
Amphen: Jet City JCA22H and JCA12S cab, Carvin X-60 combo, Acoustic B20
Effecten: "Thesis 96" Overdrive/Boost (aka DVM OD2), Hardwire DL-8 Digital Delay/Looper, DigiTech Polara Reverb, DigiTech EX-7 Expression Factory and CF-7 Chorus Factory, Danelectro CF-1 Cool Cat Fuzz
"I wish Imagine Dragons would be stuck in an Arcade Fire for an entire Vampire Weekend."--Brian Posehn
Well, I was born in Texas, and, after 20 + years of playing, I still suck at guitar. Does that help?
Seriously, the musical landscape is so diverse in this area of the world. In Texas you can find a thriving music scene for just about any genre of music you can imagine. Living near Austin in the early nineties, you could go to Antone's for incredible blues, the Back Room for rock and metal, Emo's for alternative, Top of the Marc for jazz, the Continental Club for just about everything, the Broken Spoke for country. There were clubs on the drag by UT that catered to the punk crowd.
In that time and place, competition for gigs was fierce, and you had to be good, or the club owner wouldn't waste his time to give you a shot to play. At the same time there were places like the Austin Rehearsal Complex (ARC) and the band co-op where bands would practice, and they would all hang out and / or exchange ideas and jam.
To this day it's possible to take lessons from some serious talent, and that helps the musician population to develop and grow. It's a cool place to be for live music, to be sure.
Guitars:
Fender 2006 MIM Fender Stratocaster HSS in 3TS
Ibanez RG 570 with a bridge Invader
ESP M II Deluxe with a Tune-o-Matic bridge
Eleanor, the magical, mystical Road Worn wonder Tele
Blackstar HT Club 40
Funny, my brother relocated to Flower Mound (near Dallas) a while back. Recently, when sharing my professional woes with him, he said I ought to move to Texas given that the economy is better and the cost of living is so low, and, he says, you'll be a better guitarist......Originally Posted by FrankenFretter
You're not the first to think this way. Although currently, I go to the school that produced Roger McGuinn and Steve Earle, among others. But I guess the water and the dust just do something special.
Funny, I was listening to Miles Davis "Jack Johnson" session, marvelling at John McLaughlin, and was wondering the same thing about Britian....what the hell was happening there in the 40's and 50's that gave us such a "metric buttload" in the 60's??
Peter Green
Clapton
Beck
Page
Richards
McLaughlin
Thompson
Knopfler (came later)
Gilmour
Frampton
Don't get me started on the songwriter list!
"It's never too late to be what you might have been" - Eliot
Guilars: '02 Heritage H-535 ASB; '04 Larrivée LV-03 w/Fishman Blend; '95 Washburn/Bourgeios D-55SW Cherokee
Amphs: Boogie DC-2; DVM/BYOC Tweed Champlifier; Marshall AS50D
Currently on Board: Ditto Looper; Boss TU-2; EB VP Jr; crybaby; DVM Spring Fever; DVM Mini Klone, Brena Effects Cali-Tremor tremolo; Strymon El Capistan
Yes us brits have produced some of the best guitar players in the World. Not sure about now, i am finding it hard to think of one!Originally Posted by Tio Kimo
Think British invasion.Originally Posted by guitartango
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GUITARS - Carvin DC127M - Carvin Bolt kit
AMPS - Bogner Alchemist 112 - Blackheart Handsome Devil half stack
FXs - Roger Linn Adrenalinn III - Boss GT-10
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You want an honest theory? (I love coming up with theories) How about the fact that there might have been less distractions for the youth of the day. No internet, PC or console games, no electronic music and so on.Originally Posted by Tio Kimo
What do you think?
Excellent point.Originally Posted by Ch0jin
I believe you're right.
Add that to the fact that Johnny Winter and his brother probably didn't want to go out in that blazing Texas sun in the summers, and there's a theory.Originally Posted by Ch0jin
Guitars
Wilburn Versatare, '52 FrankenTele(Fender licensed parts), Fender USA Roadhouse Strat, Fender USA Standard B-bender Telecaster, Agile AL 3000 w/ WCR pickups, Ibanez MIJ V300 Acoustic, Squier Precision Bass,
Amps
Ceriatone Overtone Special, Musicman 212 Sixty-Five, Fender Blues Jr., Peavey Classic 30, Fender Super Reverb, Traynor YCV-40 WR Anniversary w/ matching 1x12 ext. cab, Epiphone SoCal 50w head w/ matching 4x12 cab (Lady Luck speakers), Avatar 2x12 semi-open back cab w/ Celestion speakers
Pedals
Digitech Bad Monkey, Digitech Jamman, DVM's ZYS, Goodrich volume pedal
You could flip that for the UK and say they didn't want to go outside in the winter too I guess.Originally Posted by oldguy
Good point!Originally Posted by Ch0jin
Let's not forget Canada. Some great talent has come from Canada, where the winters can be brutal.
Guitars
Wilburn Versatare, '52 FrankenTele(Fender licensed parts), Fender USA Roadhouse Strat, Fender USA Standard B-bender Telecaster, Agile AL 3000 w/ WCR pickups, Ibanez MIJ V300 Acoustic, Squier Precision Bass,
Amps
Ceriatone Overtone Special, Musicman 212 Sixty-Five, Fender Blues Jr., Peavey Classic 30, Fender Super Reverb, Traynor YCV-40 WR Anniversary w/ matching 1x12 ext. cab, Epiphone SoCal 50w head w/ matching 4x12 cab (Lady Luck speakers), Avatar 2x12 semi-open back cab w/ Celestion speakers
Pedals
Digitech Bad Monkey, Digitech Jamman, DVM's ZYS, Goodrich volume pedal
Coz there's nothing ELSE to do in Texas but play guitar!
Just keeding.....
LIVE AND LET ROCK!!
Texas... A whole 'nuther country.
Check out Eric Johnson's newest album, Up Close. It sounds like him, but not as structured and more loose/organic that his past albums.
Guitar: Gibson SG Standard Natural Burst, Squier CV 50's Tele, Hell Guitars No. 2, Squier CV 50's Strat, Reverend Club King 290, Taylor 522e 12-Fret mahogany,
Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Short Scale
Amp: Fender Super Champ X2 Head, Egnater Tweaker 15, Fender Mustang I, Acoustic B20 1x12 bass amp
Pedal: Budda Budwah wah, Wampler Ego Compressor, Electro-Harmonix Soul Food, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive, Wampler Velvet Fuzz, Seven Sisters Eve Tremolo, TC Electronics Gravy Tri Chorus & Vibrato, Catalinbread Echorec, TC Electronic Alter Ego 2 Delay, Hardwire Supernatural Ambient Verb, MXR Carbon Copy, Catalinbread RAH, Big Muff Pi with Tone Wicker, BYOC Mouse 2.0 Distortion, BYOC Boost/OD-2
I agree. Kids play Guitar Hero these days because it is easier.Originally Posted by Ch0jin
"Real guitars are for old people." - Eric Cartman
How many great Texan guitarists can you name? We'll start with the obvious, and the ones already mentioned:
The Winter brothers, Edgar and Johnny
Eric Johnson
SRV
The Reverend Billy Gibbons
And now, your turn...
-Sean
Guitars: Lots.
Amphs: More than last year.
Pedals: Many, although I go straight from guitar to amp more often lately.
A few more are listed here.