Paul Gilbert: Randy Rhoads Riffs and Reverence

[Seshmeister]

[twonabomber]

I love my Fireman but damn that is one thick neck. If it was closer to the Wolfgang carve I'd play it more.

[Seshmeister]

Ah yeah I saw a nice Tokai one recently and I was a bit tempted but I don't think my hands are big enough.

[twonabomber]

I have an Iceman too but it must be closer to a Wizard neck.

Pablo Gilberto has some long fingers.

[Seshmeister]

To be honest I don't listen to much of his stuff but if a genie said I could suddenly have the ability of any guitarist I'd probably choose him. He's had all that super widdly technique years for at least 30 years ago and that would be nice but now I'm an old man the thing I really admire is his improvisation and versatility.

I watch this knowing if I was there on my best day I'd be doing a less good version of the Phil Collen thing and wishing I could so fluent like Paul Gilbert. He's a guitarist's guitarist.

It also helps that his personality seems to be the opposite of Yngwie...

Pretty sure the wealth of the 3 of them is exactly inverse their guitar ability.

[Nitro Express]

Paul Gilbert is a gas. He’s not just a shredder, he can play anything. When his style of music fell out of style here he went to Japan where it still was popular. Watch Paul on Japanese television shows, it’s pretty funny.

[Terry]

To be honest I don't listen to much of his stuff but if a genie said I could suddenly have the ability of any guitarist I'd probably choose him. He's had all that super widdly technique years for at least 30 years ago and that would be nice but now I'm an old man the thing I really admire is his improvisation and versatility.

I watch this knowing if I was there on my best day I'd be doing a less good version of the Phil Collen thing and wishing I could so fluent like Paul Gilbert. He's a guitarist's guitarist.

It also helps that his personality seems to be the opposite of Yngwie...

Pretty sure the wealth of the 3 of them is exactly inverse their guitar ability.

Technique is, clearly, useful.

For rock music, I'd say it's useful...to a point.

Sometimes you can get too clever far as rock music goes, though.

Thing of it for me is...far as that mid-to-late 1980s explosion of the 'fastest guitar in the world' guitar 'heroes' stuff went...loved that stuff at the time.

Hasn't aged well for me. Probably why I have zero interest in the G3 - or G4 or whatever - shred wankfest concerts these aging axeslingers have undertaken over the last quarter century: comes off as amassing all that technical ability for the mere sake of showing off that technical ability to my ears.

Don't get me wrong, because I'll freely admit despite having played off and on for 40 years myself now that I don't have the technical ability of a Gilbert or a Vai.

Technique, for me, is something a musician develops in order to express themselves musically. Musical expression, clearly, is subjective...but guitar soloing - be it rock, classical, country, whatever - for me should just be icing, not the whole cake.

[Mushroom]

Paul Gilbert seems like a good down to earth guy and would be interesting in conversation. If I had the opportunity, I would ask him: what were you thinking with Mr. Big? Really? I can't cruise the boulevard cranking Mr. Big "Be With You" or any Mr. Big for that matter. They sounded too mechanical and soulless. I never got "it." I was listening to Guns & Roses and Metallica and a little country music.