Guitar abuse

[Danster]

I just got the DVD yesterday: Live at the El Mocambo (SRV and Double Trouble). I thought SRV loved "Number One" (his favorite guitar) like a woman. But dang, he beat the crap outta that guitar during "Third Stone from the Sun". Call me weird, but it has never done anything for me to see performers trash their instruments. Well, I semi take that back. Hendrix's burning his strat at that festival (Monterrey Jazz Festival?) was somehow alluring.

[forgottenking2]

I agree. I have always had a sentimental approach to music, to where you just LOVE your instrument.... I think I'd even get jealous if someone else would play my guitar :p...

[Oceano]

rough love making is good too.

[forgottenking2]

Sure it is!!! But you don't hurt your lover... (unless you are into whips, chains and weird stuff like that :p)

[Oceano]

I don't like when bands smash their instruments to pieces.
At least give it to some fan/aspiring musicians or something.

However, playing it rough is Ok with me. The guitar is an instrument that can be very sensual and sweet, or angry and furious.

Oh, and I never got into the whole whips and chains thing. I like my women completely naked as fast as possible.

[Danster]

Originally posted by Oceano
I don't like when bands smash their instruments to pieces.
At least give it to some fan/aspiring musicians or something.

However, playing it rough is Ok with me. Well, he doesn't smash it to pieces, but he does throw it down on the stage, then grab it by the whammy bar, and bang the heck out of the guitar on the ground. Then, he stands on the body of the guitar while its on the ground, and grabs the headstock, leans back and lifts it off the ground. I don't know how he kept from breaking the neck off. Anyhoo, its fine with me, its his guitar, but it had been my impression that that guitar was prized by him.

[Oceano]

Yeah, I think I remember reading an interview with SRV's guitar tech, and he said that after every show, there is a lot of work to be done to his guitars.

[skawiz]

Originally posted by Oceano
I don't like when bands smash their instruments to pieces.
At least give it to some fan/aspiring musicians or something.

However, playing it rough is Ok with me. The guitar is an instrument that can be very sensual and sweet, or angry and furious.


I second that.

[gh0sty]

When dealing with instrument, treat em like you would (or SHOULD) treat a woman, with respect... and don't hurt em.

gh0st

[Dr. J]

They each have their own personalities and respond in different ways to different techniques (Guitars and Women) :D

I think years of substance abuse may have finally got to me

[Tune2B]

EXACTLY WHAT I HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT!
Guitars & Music Intruments in general are one the most beautiful things. I die for a gibson guitar and I have seen artists break it or burn it and do all other kinds of ****. Its not cool at all.

[potshot]

Sorry to resurrect an old thread, but I only just saw this one, and it's been something that gets to me a fair bit.

To be honest, I just don't get the whole destroying guitars and amps thing. Sure, they can do what they want with their instrument, and if they're good enough that their sponsor doesn't care when they trash their latest guitar, then lucky for them.

I just don't like the whole attitude thing. Sure, being angry with your guitar is fine, guitars do angry pretty well :D But seeing people smash their instruments just makes me cringe. I don't think I've ever seen someone doing it and not thought "they're just putting on the angst." Especially all the Nirvana + clones type bands.

Anyway, people can do what they want, I just get turned off a band when I see them do something like that. It's one of the reasons why I liked (not so much any more :p) Metallica. They do the whole angry thing, they have their mandatory songs about war and suicide, as any good 80s metal band should. But I never saw them trash guitars or gear. I suppose it's a similar reason why I like Opeth... they get up there and play death metal, but they're probably the most calm people in the whole place :p

[EricV]

They do the whole angry thing, they have their mandatory songs about war and suicide, as any good 80s metal band should. But I never saw them trash guitars or gear.

Hi there,

point taken, and I amnot a big fan of people smashing their gear to pieces either, but I have some nit-picking here.. regarding Metallica.
I remember some scenes from "A Year And A Half In The Life Of Metallica Pt.2" where Hammett played a live-solo, and during that solo, he rubbed the guitar on his butt, then dropped it on the floor ( on purpose, obviously ), held it by the strap and dragged it down the stairs of the stage...
But yeah, they usually don´t do that.
I mean, sometimes I get it... when Hendrix did it, I think it was some kind of statement, and I understand that he didn´t like to do it anymore later, cuz a lot of people came to the shows to see him doing that... the show-element.
SRV... well, he didn´t really smash the guitar, I saw a video of one of his shows and he put the guitar onto the floor, stepped on it and pulled up on the neck... not quite as ferocious as Jimi or Pete used to do it =)
Some people even have some guitars designated to be smashed. Vai usually has one designated guitar for smashing... he´s usually not very careful with his guitars, they have to take some beating, but there are some guitars that don´t get smashed as much as others...
Kiss... when Stanley wants to smash a guitar, he has his roadie hand him a cheap version of his guitar, instead of destroying his main one.
But in general, I don´t dig it too much either. I mean, for people like Vai and Hendrix, it was a part of the show, but I think it would be way cooler if people wouldn´t smash guitars, but... whatever, donate them for charity or give them to the HRC for people to look at.
Eric

[potshot]

I hadn't seen that before (the Metallica thing). If I had seen it, it would make me cringe. Maybe I'm just weak stomached or something :D

I have no problem if they're playing roughly and the thing is getting knocked around, or whatever. It's just the whole "right, that's it, I'm going to damage my guitar right here in front of everyone" thing that I don't like so much. That's why my dog does with her toys... she'll play with them for a while, and then you can see the conscious decision in her eyes and she decides to destroy. Except it's cute in a dog (as long as she's doing it to her toys and not my guitar) :D

I know that you want some sense of energy, emotion and showmanship on the stage, but the smashing stuff isn't for me. I once saw a Rammstein live clip (I'm not a fan of the band, just saw the clip). They had fake blood dripping down their forhead, which I thought was a bit silly but harmless. But they also had the microphone stands on fire as they were singing into them. I thought that was pretty cool for a show. I don't begrudge anyone else their enjoyment of guitar smashing... horses for courses, as they say, it's just not my course (or should that be not my horse)

[Zatz]

If I had seen it, it would make me cringe. Maybe I'm just weak stomached or something :D

I guess it would work the same way for most of people who worship their instruments. They would subconsciously imagine all this done to their own guitars just like the owner of his beloved doggie pet would hardly enjoy the dog's meat.

Ruled by the same logic the lead singers should suffocate themselves in the end of the show or make harakiri after cool vocal part.

Zatz.

[Koala]

I think were drifting off the topic here... whats wrong with whips and chains and stuff like that anyway :D.

[xenor]

Smashing instruments is not good of course, but actually the attitudes of those bands are no good either. You know, there are bands that try to look "cool" by hitting their instruments, throwing themselves to their amplifiers, but i don't like that kind of show. I think the best show is hidden in the talent and technique of that musician. For example John Myung from Dream Theater. He doesn't even gives his guitar to the technician of his band. He just comes to the stage and plays. Without any response to the audiance.