Who has played hard rock / metal?

[jim777]

Opened for The Ramones a few times in '79 in Mt. Vernon NY, and played in a lot of rock bands until "too many kids at home for the wife to handle by herself" kicked in around '98 Was blasting a Jem through a Mark IV yesterday, love that sound and those thin necks of electrics.

[LouieAtienza]

Originally Posted by jim777

Opened for The Ramones a few times in '79 in Mt. Vernon NY, and played in a lot of rock bands until "too many kids at home for the wife to handle by herself" kicked in around '98 Was blasting a Jem through a Mark IV yesterday, love that sound and those thin necks of electrics.

Not possibly at the Low Down?!

[Acoustic_Stevo]

I was in a rock band in the late 80s, early 90s.
I played a Fender Strat HotRod (Fernandes Randy Rhoads Les Paul was the back up guitar) through a Marshall JMP1 midi preamp and Alesis Quadraverb GT into a ADA power amp, with 2x Marshall 1922 2x12" cabinets, all controlled with a midi pedalboard.
i thought it sounded great at the time, but when I listen back to those tapes, my guitar was just a over-processed, low rumble noise.
Sold the lot and bought the Lowden in 1994.
Regret selling the Fernandes Randy Rhoads.

[DanR]

I played electric guitar in a 3 piece classic rock band for a number of years. We played some hard rock stuff and some softer stuff as well. I still have 5 electric guitars, although I got rid of two out of four amplifiers including a BandMaster that I gigged with. I just bought a one watt amp that sounds great through a cab or direct/silent playing/recording. I love acoustic guitars and electric guitars and it seems that I always will.

[jim777]

Originally Posted by LouieAtienza

Not possibly at the Low Down?!

No, The Left Bank

[rmp]

started heavy gigging in the mid 70s, I've pretty much run the gamut more than a few times.

Still in a origs/classic rock covers band these days, working with the same guys I've known for ever. The chemistry is fantastic but we don't' get much which is by design

I'm 59 now, I still play everyday, as I have just about all my life.

I'm not really into making new acquaintances and looking for a slot in a working band even though I have quite a lot to bring to the table.

Kinda set in my ways now, and I can't really abide by the drama and general BS that comes along with this stuff.

I work with people I know, and who know me well. There's no BS.

[MjM2112]

In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida was the first song I can remember that made me want to play. I must have been 10 or 11 ('68 or '69). It was my oldest (by six years) sisters' album. I learned it on a cheap Epiphone something that was my second eldest sister's, who had given up on lessons. The only 'amp' I had at that time was my dad's Ampeg reel-to-reel tape recorder. Not exactly loud, but the distortion was awesome. The next song I fascinated over was was Journey To The Center of The Mind. The riffs from Nugent heard on that 45.... Well, I was hooked for good (or bad, as it may be).

As others have mentioned, there was Deep Purple, Sabbath, Kiss, Rush (see my login name), BOC, Uriah Heep, Thin Lizzy, Montrose, Bad Company, AC/DC, Cheap Trick, lots more Nugent, and of course, Zeppelin, and The Who. All of which I personally label Hard Rock. Add a dash of Mott The Hoople and The Ramones for fun. In '75 I bought my first real rig; a new LP Custom and a Sound City 100w full stack. Two years later came the holy grail Marshall.

Never really got into the 80's hair bands, thrash, metal, grunge (imo, Sabbath was grunge before the term was ever dreamed up). I started playing more acoustic in the early 80's when I met my future wife. She had an uncle who sang and played in country bands and did solo gigs at various local bars: Uncle Gene and his Rythym Machine. He had a velvet voice and he taught me there was a lot more out there than my 70's rock heros. A few wasted weekends at The Mole Lake Bluegrass Festival, all-nighters just pickin/strumming, trips to towns with names like Wabeno playing in bars with names like The Red Nose. (Uncle Gene passed two years ago this month. I played/sang "Blue Eyes Cryin In The Rain" at his funeral. Twenty-two years my senior, we shared the same birthday.)

Then in '89 I got bit - or re-bit - hard by the electric bug when I first heard a fella by the name of Stevie Ray Vaughan. I missed his rise through the 80s probably because I wasn't paying attention (new wife, new kid, new house, etc. same old song and dance, my friend). What I heard coming from that Texas boy rekindled my love of that raw, clean, punch-in-the-heart sound I surrounded myself with in my earlier years. So I bought a Strat. And a Twin. And coupled it with my old Marshall.

27 years later I'll still never be SRV-II, but I'll never sell off or put the electric away (I will be buried with that '75 LP). Even at my age, it's in the blood; sometimes you just gotta grip it and rip it.

Even if it's just you and the dog who hears it.

And while the wife is away, of course.

[Steve Christens]

I played guitar in a Detroit hard rock band back in the late 60's known as Poor Richard's Almanac. Think lots of Door's and Spirit covers. Probably our biggest gig was opening for Cream at the Grande Ballroom.



Here are a couple of our recordings. Boy I wish I still had the '67 ES-335 I used back then. I always played stage right with my left ear towards my Fender Twin, so I still have the hearing loss in my left ear to show for it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgc_Bx4UL3c
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QaBeZhDg3PU

[BTF]

Very nice, SC! Ahh, Lee and Frosty!...

Do you recall what type of fuzz you were using on those recordings?

[Steve Christens]

Originally Posted by BTF

Very nice, SC! Ahh, Lee and Frosty!...

Do you recall what type of fuzz you were using on those recordings?

ES-335, through a Vox Tone Bender, into a Fender Twin.

[BTF]

Sweet and classic! Tonebenders were very cool.

Being a pedal geek, I just had to know.

Thanks and warmest regards, Bill.