Since I started this thread, I guess I will tell you the first story! When I was around 18, I lived in this flop-house for musicians in Missoula, Montana. We used get up, drink coffee, recreate a bit, and then start playing. Those were the days! Played all day long and sometimes till late at night (on week nights.)

One day, we had just started a break between sets when there was a knock on the door. The other guitar player, Pete, went and answered it. Soon we all gravitated to the door because there was a guy there that was talking about us playing music, how we sounded, so we were all eager to hear his what he had to say.

"Man, I heard you guys playing and it sounded good," he exclaimed, "Man , I sure would like to come and play with you sometime!"

Well, this was not too out of the ordinary to have someone who would approach us in this manner and under that kind of circumstance. BUT, this guy had only one arm. His right arm was cut off right above the elbow! "Ya, I play bass, and it would be cool to get together some time," he said.

We were like, "Ya, that would be cool. Feel free to come by and play with us any time!" while we were looking at each in disbelief. After he left we were all laughing and saying, "Could you even imagine that? A one-armed bass player!" Ya, like sure!!!

About 2 weeks went by and we were jamming as usual. Again we took a break and there was a knock at the door. Pete answered again and there was this guy with a bass amp and a guitar case. This dude was really stocky and his one arm had a huge bicep. We welcomed him while watching, anticipating, wondering if this was really going to happen—or at least happen with any success. He plugged in and said, "Play a blues pattern in a 1, 4, 5 with your standard turn around." I will tell you what, this guy could play! He turned his amp up really loud and then made the bass sing by striking the notes on the neck with his left hand. He smoked up and down the neck doing various blues bass patterns. We were all just amazed and were watching in disbelief!

After we played for around an hour, he told us that we should start a band with him because people would come to watch just to see him. He also told us he was roadying for a few bands from time to time. I think one was BTO, if I remember right. After he left we never saw him again, but the way he packed his guitar and amp, I do believe he had been roadying. And the way he played....wow. One armed bass player!

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

cool story xefri.
thats one for the books....

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

You should have kept him he was right you would have been famous and he would have taken over your band and then you would be his slaves hahahhahahahahahha blaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa and twaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Slaves of a one armed bassist.

Theres a band name in that line.

The landlord of a pub I used to frequent was a well established guitarist, session player from the 60's. He'd played with/for Winwood, The Move, Mud, Moody Blues. Was a demonstrater for GrooveTube amps around Europe.
Whilst jamming with him in his pub one empty sunday afternoon. In walks Tony Iommi. Chatting nice as pleasant as could be. Pete (my friend) asked him if he wanted to sit in. Unfortunately he didn't have his guitar with him.

I nearly got to jam with the bloke who invented metal.

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No no and no

tony iommi, wow that is really cool, did you atleast get to talk, you know,
music, guitars, his number 1 which i imagine is the sg right?
nonetheless, cool story also........
some guys have all the luck

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

Great story Niki. Now we need some more!

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

I hung out with Michael Hedges once after a show. Very friendly and personable guy, and generous with his letting me play his stuff at my gigs. His acoustic was the dirtiest acoustic I have ever seen.

Well forgive me on my spelling, but the best guitar playing story I have is of recently. This past June my band and I played a small open mic night at a bar near us. After we finished our set who would come up to me and start talking to me/drinking with me? You got it, Mr Peppi himself from the Good Rats.

Sorry Tommi no guitar no play. Next time think ahead.

So....

I love guitar, and that love comes from my folks, they encouraged me to play.

Years later, I tell a co-worker "man I'd love to see deep purple". He goes

"You want back stage passes??!?!?!"

I go "WHAAAAAAAAAA"

he goes "My dad was best mates with ian gillan".

I say to my dad "Hey, wanna see deep purple"

he goes

"Nah, I already saw em, when I was playing state water polo, we were playing the same venue as deep purple. We got held behind, they didn't like it, but we met the band and watched the show from the side of the stage.......

I go

"Bull s**t dad, what eva, never mingled with deep purple, you're lying..."

heres my old man proving me wrong.... 20 years later, my awesome coworker gets back stage passes

heres a shot of my dad talking to ian



heres a shot of him cutting my dad off and telling him the rest of the story (yes Ian remembered the night).



And heres all three of us, god save ian :p

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My Rig: Guitar into Pedals then into Amps and out into Speakers.

Wow this is weird. I was jamming here in Socal at the local Pizza Factory one night and there was a new base player there. He was out of the ordinary good. I was concentrating on playing and glancing around at the other guys looking for stops and picking up licks. I kept noticing that the bass player had a blue piece of tape on the first fret, looked like duct tape. That was the only thing strange that I picked up. I was drawn only to his fret hand.

After we got done playing I was getting a beer and went up to say hi and ask him what the tape was for. That is when I noticed he had a hook on his right hand. I was flabbergasted and for probably the first and only time in my life speechless. I could not believe what I just witnessed. He explained that the blue tape was what allowed him to quickly mute the notes he had just hammered.

I wonder if this is possibly the same guy? He has only been here once and he was 50-60 ish I would guess. If so, talk about you six degrees of separation. Also, if it was the same guy, then I can now brag that I have jammed with a bass player that one time jammed with the mystical Xhefri and how cool is that

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http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

Cool guitar story Part Deaux

I have only been playing for about 4 years now and going to local jams for about 2. I have run into a lot of players that I hope to be as good as that is for sure.

One night at the local pizza jam, I was waiting my turn when a guy comes up with a beat up guitar case and a vintage fender tweed that could only be described as a chia amp because of the condition of the tweed. The guitar, amp and guy had a lot of character.

Come to find out it was Michael Woods from America. Now I have never been a big fan of America, probably due to a lack of listening to them, but Mr Woods told me that his first love was blues guitar. He went up and played some of his original blues stuff and was so gracious and professional in allowing the amatuers with him to take leads. He of course really knows how to play, but what was so memorable is that he really knows how to make the others around him feel like a big part of the set.

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http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

that is a really cool story..
i would love to jam in a place like that, where amateurs are welcome.
i feel im beginning to find my voice with my strat, and tone.

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

The really cool thing is that this is truly an amateur jam. The jam itself grew out of a group of guys that would get together in a garage and play each others song. One guy new the owners of the pizza joint, the pizza joint has an outside patio and next thing you know all us garage based guitar heroes are playing out in public and getting visits from the likes of Mr. Woods.

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http://www.facebook.com/UCtheband
2012 American Standard Strat Charcoal Froast
2009 Standard Strat Sunburst Brown
Blues Junior Tweed NOS
2007 Line6 Spider Jam

markara, how long ago was this and how old was the guy? Was he from Montana you think? There are not that many one-armed bass players around, so I wonder??? that would be too cool. When this happened with us it was back in the 1970s.


mystical Xhefri? What or where did ya get that? Ummm........ I am levitating right now...

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com