When something special takes you crashing back to the very first time you ever played guitar...

camf

If I can't share this story with you guys, I don't know who else. 

So I got my first guitar when I was 16. Long, long time ago. It was a dog of a semi-hollow, based probably loosely on a Casino and it had a neck like a banana and an action at the 12th fret you could probably limbo dance under. But I wanted it because, like millions of other beginners back then, I wanted to sound like this, probably the first thing I ever tried to learn to play. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uS90B4sZf7U

I played that opening riff over and over until I managed something vaguely similar. To be honest, I never really mastered a decent right hand arpeggio style but I learned enough to get started and off I went. 

Anyway, yesterday I released my first album in 30 years, and honestly, I was thrilled to see messages coming in from all corners and lots of people I didn't know were saying nice things about. So, I kind of missed this when I saw the notification. But something rang a bell... this is from the guy that was playing that iconic riff. About my band. I'm not going to deny a tear was shed.  

Boromedic

Amazing, nice one man!!

terada

Incredible!

stonevibe

Nice!

zepp76

Well done mate, what a wonderful thing to happen.

JerkMoans

That’s so cool!

KKJale

Fantastic!

GuyR

Can't get better than that.

camf

Cheers guys... it's really hard to explain to 'normal' people. But it seems to make perfect sense here.

stickyfiddle

That's awesome! 

tony99

haha congrats, that is awesome

it's the first song I ever learned too!

Gchip

My first song too. On an old ( even then ) red semi acoustic. No idea where that guitar is now. Don’t remember selling it or losing it or giving it away. And don’t for the life of me remember what make or model it was. But it, and that song, were the gateway to years of loving music and guitars. Fantastic that it had that effect on you, me, and so many others. Ramble over. 

camf

johnl

What a great story - did you let him know that he inspired you to pick up the guitar in the first place?

Philly_Q

Wow!

camf

Not yet. You might find this hard to believe, but I’m incredibly shy. I posted something dumb on his page and that I’d be happy to send him a copy of the album if he gets in touch. Again, this is somewhere people will understand how you can release an album of very personal songs but at the same time be too shy to reply to a Facebook post. I’m sure I’ll grow a pair and tell him soon.

camf

johnl said:

What a great story - did you let him know that he inspired you to pick up the guitar in the first place?

He just messaged me for the copy of the album I'd offered. So I told him. Thanked him for being the inspiration for a lifetime of joy I've had from playing guitar. I'm now officially a right soppy *******.

DB1

Brilliant! Congratulations.

guitars4you

wow - That is so cool - What a great compliment 

PhilKing

That is really great and nice to have that hookup.  Glad you plucked up courage to let him know.  It's an iconic opening that lets everyone know what the song is (and it's dead easy to mess up, as someone who's played it may times can tell you).

Sassafras

I love that song. I used to play it to death. Probably the only song I could play in my sleep.