Is your favorite guitarist the one you want to play like?

[WEDGE]

My favorite guitarist is Eddie Van Halen but I dont want to play or sound like him. This is helped by my lack of manual dexterity and skill set so maybe if i could I would want to.

Do you emulate your favorite players or do you have your own tone and style?

 

[veinbuster]

I don't try to emulate anybody, but I am quite happy to steal ideas and fit them together in a way that suits me. Some day I may be ambitious enough to try and use a tremolo like Jeff Beck - that would be very satisfying.

 

[sergiodeblanc]

I am quite happy to steal ideas and fit them together in a way that suits me.

I feel the same way about lifting licks.

My "style" is really just little things that I have found to work. After you use the same old tricks over, and over, and over, I think it becomes a style.

 

[swede71]

My fav guitarplayer is Michael Schenker.Impossible to emulate in my opinion.Hes an influence but no chance i can play like him or sound like him.

 

[prsrocker1988]

Joe Walsh. And yes he's the one I strive to play like. I've been in an Eagles tribute band and I've yet to be as happy as when I had another guitarist in the audience come up to me afterwards and say how much I sounded just like him (JW).

I've never had any desire to do original music or have an original style or tone, my thing is that I think the best music was in the 60s, 70s, and 80s and my thing is reproducing those classic recordings in a live setting. Note for note, and getting the tone exact. That's what gets me off, so that's what I strive for. I treat those recordings like the masterpieces I think they are. I play a LOT more than Eagles/JW these days as I do party band gigs now but I still have his techniques studied and his tone remembered and can pull it up with the right approach and gear.

But my thing is all about the non technical 70s blues based playing. I'm not a technician. In other words, I'm the Joe Perry, not the Brad Whitford (as an example). I always have gravitated to a rhythmic bluesy even somewhat sloppy at times, style of playing. More riff focused than solo focused at times.

 

[Poffypoffa]

I'm too crappy to strive for emulation. I'm lucky if I hit similar notes!

 

[solacematt]

All-time two favorite players are Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins and Jerry Cantrell of Alice In Chains. I did finally cop the SP sound but after awhile I just decided it didn't fit my more Cantrell way of writing and playing. The core of my bands sound has still remained the same as when I started it by focusing on writing good songs with the melodicism of Alice In Chains and the wall of sound esthetic of Smashing Pumpkins. I think I've succeeded...even if people do tell me it sounds more like Creed. Either way, I'll take any of those as a compliment

 

[james]

So much so that I just default to whatever he uses on pedal choices. No shame at all

[video]http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NO-1Euq2RBk[/video]

 

[CAFeathers]

My favorite guitarist is Me!! So I have to say No.

 

[Mikegarveyblues]

Well, I really wanted to sound like David Gilmour, Gary Moore and Mark Knopfler when I first got into playing. I think I realised there was no way in hell I was going to sound anything but a poor imitation so I thought less of it. I think some elements of their playing has rubbed off on me but these days I don't want to be a copycat guitarist when I do my own songs, That said, i'm proud to wear my influences on my sleeve.

When I do a lesson on a song I do spend quite a lot of time trying to emulate their tone and style. More to see if I can than because it's needed.