Your #1 main influence

[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.

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

Haha thanks dude, but I disagree. That dude understands chord movement and groove wayyyy better than I do, and it shows even in the simple stuff.

All the stuff of mine you've heard that makes you feel that way is just my Dan Weller fanboism/plagiarism.

[EndTime]

I started pretty young. Around 1986 as an 8 yo. What made me pick it up was the 80's. Lol. Guitar was definitely a big thing back then. Everything from EVH, to Metallica to ratt and Cinderella made me want to play. All that shit was on the radio plus a few older kids in the neighborhood were into music and would play shit I want hearing on the radio or MTV.

But tbh, I didn't REALLY play too seriously until I was around 13/14. I was definitely playing my guitar those 5-6 years, but kinda aimless. But Megadeth Rust in Peace turned my playing up a notch since that, and And Justice for all, were two albums that i basically learned front to back. Then shortly after i heard what I'd consider my main influence......

Morbid Angel.. Without a doubt this changed how I viewed music and I went from 30-45 minutes playing a day to 3-4 hours a day. This also coincided with my beginning of a daily weed smoking habit. Right when I started high school. So, I'd also give a nod to drugs too..

[Chris Z]

My dad was a guitar player and ever since I was little I knew I wanted to play because of him.

My number one influence didn't come until I was 17, a few years after I'd been playing. Its a tie between SRV and Mike McCready.

[Gunslinger]

Zakk Wylde. Heard No More Tears on the radio when I was 12 or 13 and that was it. I just that he sounded so cool that I wanted to do that, even the whale sounds.

[DoubleBarrel]

Randy is my main influence, but as I am an old fart and started playing long before he got famous, I'd have to say Tony Iommi

[MacaroniSalad]

KK Downing

The image of Judas Priest on the front of Unleashed in the East just looked cool to my 11 year old brain. Helps that the guitar Playing on the record is sweet. But also funny that most of the solos are Tipton

[madrigal77]

James Hetfield

[RIFF]

Thats kindof a hard question..

When I heard the Sabbath Paranoid album... I HAD to pick up the guitar & try to play those riffs. I just couldnt NOT try!
But they werent my main MUSICAL influence. That was more Rush, & old 60s instrumentals my folks listened to, like Herb Alpert & whatnot.
So I really liked melodic stuff, but the HEAVY was what HAD to force it out!

[ajaxlepinski]

When I was 16, my buddy's older sister was dating a really cool guy who played bass. He was 20 and his mother was never home so, we'd hang out at his house, do drugs, drink and listen to Beefheart, Mothers/Zappa, Charlie Mingus and the Live at Leeds album.

Watching our older buddy play bass was really inspiring but, I didn't want to play bass... I wanted to play guitar like Pete on the Live at Leeds album.

[draelyc]

When I was 16, my buddy's older sister was dating a really cool guy who played bass. He was 20 and his mother was never home so, we'd hang out at his house, do drugs, drink and listen to Beefheart, Mothers/Zappa, Charlie Mingus and the Live at Leeds album.

Watching our older buddy play bass was really inspiring but, I didn't want to play bass... I wanted to play guitar like Pete on the Live at Leeds album.

You could certainly do worse as a starting point!

[newholland]

When I was 16, my buddy's older sister was dating a really cool guy who played bass. He was 20 and his mother was never home so, we'd hang out at his house, do drugs, drink and listen to Beefheart, Mothers/Zappa, Charlie Mingus and the Live at Leeds album.

Watching our older buddy play bass was really inspiring but, I didn't want to play bass... I wanted to play guitar like Pete on the Live at Leeds album.

man, i STILL want to play guitar like pete on live at leeds. every single time i pick up the guitar.

[Bardagh]

For me it was Chuck Schuldiner that made me want to play, but he is definitely not a huge influence on what I write and play anymore.

[draelyc]

When I was 16, my buddy's older sister was dating a really cool guy who played bass. He was 20 and his mother was never home so, we'd hang out at his house, do drugs, drink and listen to Beefheart, Mothers/Zappa, Charlie Mingus and the Live at Leeds album.

Watching our older buddy play bass was really inspiring but, I didn't want to play bass... I wanted to play guitar like Pete on the Live at Leeds album.

man, i STILL want to play guitar like pete on live at leeds. every single time i pick up the guitar.

\m/ \m/

[Devin]

Richie Kotzen. It was the Poison Native Tongue album, specifically "Richie's Acoustic Thang" that made me HAVE to get a guitar. I still think his playing and tone on that album is perfection

[Thurston]

Mcfly made me pick up the guitar:



Cobain made me actually learn to play it:

[Mamberg Jr]

Eddie Van Halen made me pick it up, Dave Murray and Adrian Smith made me really buckle down on it, now I'm all over the place. I want to play as good as John Mclaughlin, but with the intensity and attitude of Dave Mustaine. Don't know how that will work, but I'll try.

I also have recently gotten into Chick Corea and even Weather Report. I'm only 3 years in, so I'm still in the learning phase of things. New inspiration pops up everywhere

[primeholy]

Mamberg

[Noah]

yes McFly was awesome in that scene.

[BroSlinger]

I would like to add McFly to my prior to Cobain influence. I wanted the sound he got when he tapped. I thought it was the coolest thing ever.

[ajaxlepinski]

I was inspired by this song... love this song!
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJW67QN24SA[/video]

...and this movie:
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ma_HhveHsEo[/video]

[Tortuga]

I was inspired by this song... love this song!
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJW67QN24SA[/video]

I have always wanted to learn how to play this. this song!

[ajaxlepinski]

I was inspired by this song... love this song!
[video]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VJW67QN24SA[/video]

I have always wanted to learn how to play this. this song!

Ha ha! Me too!

My momma talkin' to me tryin' to tell me how to live
But I don't listen to her 'cause my head is like a sieve
My daddy, he disowned me 'cause I wear my sister's clothes
He caught me in the bathroom with a pair of pantyhose

My basketball coach, he done kicked me off the team
For wearin' high heel sneakers and actin' like a queen

The world's comin' to an end, I don't even care
As long as I can have a limo and my orange hair
And it don't bother me if people think I'm funny
'Cause I'm a big rock star and I'm makin' lots of money
Money, money, money, money, money, money
Ahh, ha ha ha ha ha ha ha

I'm so bloody rich ha ha ha ha
I own apartment buildings and shopping centers ha ha ha ha
And I only know three chords ha ha ha ha

[Rampage]

I would say SRV. I also love Cantrell and he got me into playing altogether.