Your #1 main influence

[fretless]

Who is that one player that influenced you to pick up the instrument . Just one , I know we all have more but that first guy , that one player you heard and said "That's it I want to do that !"
for me it was Steve Harris , Up the Irons !
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4bgXH3sJ2Q[/video]

[Maddnotez]

For just picking up the guitar? Probably my step brother, hard to say.

I got my first guitar at 8 years old, played it once and never touched it again. I believe that was inspired by my Uncle who is a killer blues guitarist. When I was 14 that is when I picked one up for real and that was because my stepbrother had one and showed me a few things on his.

That was about the time I discovered Vulgar Display of Power and Urban Discipline. Those two albums were what really kicked it into high gear. Got the Vulgar Tab book and learned the album minus the solos and then got a few old Metallica tabs. That is pretty much how I learned to play then started learning whatever songs I liked by ear and writing my own stuff, starting bands etc.

Can't really say I have a #1 influence. Overall I have a handful of favorite guitarists. Dime, Slash, Terrence Hobbs and Jon Levasseur. I can't say I play like any of them but I guess just a little piece from all of them. There was never 1 single guitarist that made me say OMG I want to play guitar.

[newholland]

likely andy summers, pete townshend, or jimmy page was first as a guitarist, but that's only one part of my engagement with music.

later on.. sheeit... so so many. i'd say buzz melvin really ignited something, and folks like larissa strickland, brian mc mahan, dave pajo, dave grubbs, scott mccloud, mike banfield, damon che.

it's impossible to pick one!

[Marc G]

you know... I can't say what made me want to play initially, other than just an interested in music in general and for whatever reason I was drawn to bass.... Jerry Cantrell is the person that made me want to switch from bass to guitar though

[Noah]

#1 for picking up the guitar? Probably Weird Al's guitarist. Or indirectly Eddie van Halen in Beat It/Eat It.

[K-Bizzle]

Hard to say.
I was born in 84 so as a kid I grew up in the era when guitar was synonymous with cool.

I remember thinking AC/DC and Van Halen were bad ass but I put it on a pedestal of something unattainable.
Then Nirvana happened and suddenly playing a guitar seemed like something I'd be able to do.
When I came of age the late 90s punk thing was in full swing which was perfect for young smart ass such as myself. Nearly 2 decades of power chords later and that's still my style of choice so I guess I'd have to say Pennywise/Fletcher Dragge since those were a large portion of the first songs I ever learned and that playing style is still totally engrained in me.

[Maddnotez]

Hard to say.
I was born in 84 so as a kid I grew up in the era when guitar was synonymous with cool.

Ah the good ol days Now it is synonymous with uncool.

[draelyc]

I know you said "just one," but I'mma hafta split hares here, because you're really asking two questions.

The one who directly inspired me to pick up the guitar & learn to play and write songs was Paul Simon.

But my main influence who's had the biggest impact in my playing and development as a musician is Tommy Shaw ~ songwriting, soloing, singing ... the whole package. If I could be Tommy when I grow up, I would.

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A04KFdhkCl0[/video]

[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IYKwpWPOA5c[/video]

[K-Bizzle]

Hard to say.
I was born in 84 so as a kid I grew up in the era when guitar was synonymous with cool.

Ah the good ol days Now it is synonymous with uncool.

I wouldn't say in synonymous with uncool but I hear you.
Its still pretty fucking ubiquitous and will forever be.

Its probably equally as cool as knowing how to play the piano at this point.

[Ostinato Rubato]

Too many. There can’t be one.

[Noah]

The one who directly inspired me to pick up the guitar & learn to play and write songs was Paul Simon.

Yes! I remember I went to a Bat Mitzvah and they were giving out tapes as party favors and I wound up with Graceland. I didn't know wtf it was or who Paul Simon was really, but ended up listening to it hundreds of times.

[itchyfingers]

My influence for guitar came in three distinct phases.

The first guy that made me WANT to play guitar was James Marshall Hendrix.


The first guy that made me go out and get a guitar was Ernesto Anastasio.


The guy I've spent over a decade studying, and probably sound most similar to is Johnny Marr.

[Tortuga]

Iommi

I blame him for this madness

...and my good friend, Tyler M. Once He'd gotten me past learning Smoke on the Water, it was Iron Man - and then it was on, baby

[Telephant]

Drugs

[Ostinato Rubato]

Drugs

such a good answer..

[Loop Bizkit]

Confusing thread.

#1 influence, and the player who inspired you to pick up a guitar are very likely different people, for a LOT of us.

Me, as an example:

-Picked up guitar because of: James Taylor.
-#1 influence as an early teenager: Tom Scholz.
-#1 influence as a late teenager: Nuno Bettencourt.
-#1 influence in my 20s: Stephen Carpenter.
-#1 influence in my 30s: probably Dan Weller.

[Ry Manchu]

Inspired me to pick up guitar:


The guitarist I wanted to be:

Fun fact: This white Signature guitar died on the Presto tour, the same day that Signature guitars died.

[BroSlinger]

Kurt Cobain.

100%. I wanted to be him.

[Telephant]

Confusing thread.

#1 influence, and the player who inspired you to pick up a guitar are very likely different people, for a LOT of us.

Me, as an example:

-Picked up guitar because of: James Taylor.
-#1 influence as an early teenager: Tom Scholz.
-#1 influence as a late teenager: Nuno Bettencourt.
-#1 influence in my 20s: Stephen Carpenter.
-#1 influence in my 30s: probably Dan Weller.

I love Steph but that dude ain't even the same fucking Universe as you.

[GuitarBilly]

Ace was the first influence for sure. But Zakk and Gary Moore are probably the biggest.

[JerEvil]

Same as Billy. Ace Frehley (or whoever ACTUALLY played on KISS Alive!) was my first real driver to wanting to play guitar. I was like 8 and knew that's what i wanted to do! From there, too many other guys influence how i actually played and what I wanted to attempt to accomplish as a guitar player. Yngwie, Lynch, Skolnick, EVH, Tipton/Downing, too many to name. I was just enamored with good players.

KISS Alive though, that was the magic album for me.

[Diddlybo]

If I can only name one I'll go with Ace Frehley. Others would be Beck, Richards, Roy Buchanan and Chuck Berry.

[VTM]

Shemp Dolittle

[neilrocks25]

Picking up guitar Angus young.

Style of playing Ginger Wildheart.

[primeholy]

Initially Randy Rhoads.
Next Slash, followed by Warren Haynes and Derek Trucks.

Almost every player has something I don’t like about what they do.