A BAD DAY

Discussion of history's greatest guitar player.

A BAD DAY

Postby lakepikr » Sun Nov 19, 2017 9:09 pm

Hi All.
Maybe you'll remember me from my past posts.
I'm the guy who just started playing guitar at age 67 (now 73 )

Today, there was an open house at a home just down the street from us.
My wife threatened me with bodily harm if I didn't go with her to see the place.
We're not looking to buy a house, just being "nosey".

So we go there, and she starts telling the realtor guy that we have a room just like the room upstairs in that house.
She says "that's where my husband has his computer, and plays his guitar".

The guy walks over to me, and says "oh, you play the guitar ? "

Of course, I immediately start thinking "wow" here's a guitar picker, ..... somebody to talk "pickin'" with .....and just maybe, he's absolutely "starved" for somebody to pick guitars with, and looking for somebody in our somewhat remote location.

This guy looks to be somewhere between 25 and ????? years old.

Of course, the conversation goes about like what you'd expect:

Him ..... "what type of music do you play ? "

Me ..... "Oh, I try to play fingerstyle, with alternating base".....
(he gets a blank look in his eyes)

Him ..... "fingerstyle ? ..... Oh yeah, I tried that once, but I couldn't play with my thumb, so I gave up".

Me ..... "well, I use a "thumb pick", and it seems to work real well...... are you familiar with a thumb pick? "
(holding my thumb in the air)

(another blank look, but he was trying to be nice, after all, he was trying to sell the house)

Him ..... "no, not really".....

By this time, I had already given up on the "absolutely starved part" ......

But. not to be dismayed, I asked ....

"Well, of course, you've heard of "CHET ATKINS" haven't you ? "
I just knew he'd say " Oh sure .... everybody's heard of "Chet Atkins".

( another blank look in his eyes )

(I know my breathing became shallow, while I waited for him to answer )

Him ...... "no" .....

Me ..... "HUH?" ..... you haven't heard of "CHET ATKINS" ???? .....

Him ...... "no" ....

I think I went into mild shock .....

I got my breathing leveled out again, ...... it took me a couple of minutes to get my wife out of there, and back into the car.

I said to her .... "that guy didn't even know who "Chet" was ....

She said "yeah, I think I saw your lower lip quivering when he said "no" ....

I know I'm getting old, but this was a "first" for me .....
He didn't know who Chet was .....

I'm back home now, and I think I need to lay down for a while .....

bill
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Re: A BAD DAY

Postby DagerRande » Sun Nov 19, 2017 10:34 pm

Bill, that was interesting. I've met a lot of people who've never heard of Chet. Many of them are older than you described this guy to be but most of those under 25 are clueless unless someone older introduced him to them.
Rande Dager

We are all capable of doing more than we think we can!
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Re: A BAD DAY

Postby Pickin Palmer » Mon Nov 20, 2017 1:37 pm

This happened to me with a much older guy. --- Three of four of us were playing at one of my weekly Tues Night Club Jams at this coffee house we used to be at EVERY TUESDAY for over NINE YEARS... when this dapper well dressed business type came in, sat up close and started listening to us. After a fashion he respectfully asked if we knew Cannonball Rag. Which we played. Then, a while later he asked for See You In My Dreams and Windy n Warm... Well, this went on for awhile, so I finally asked, "You must be a big Chet Atkins fan?" He looked a little confused and said, "Who's Chet Atkins?"

I queried him about how he knew all these tunes he was asking for if he didn't know who Chet was... He said, "Oh, I'm a big Tommy Emmanuel fan." (I've told Tommy this story.) Well, it turns out he knew about Chet - he just didn't know he knew Chet.

It's all good....

Palmer

PS I'm 76 so hang in there, kid, you'll get it. I said HANG IN THERE, BILL! (Just joakin')
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Re: A BAD DAY

Postby Spadaro Paolo » Mon Nov 20, 2017 2:19 pm

Nothing new, I have to confront each day with these events here in Italy.
Unfortunately this story does not belong to our culture. !!!!

Paolo.
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Re: A BAD DAY

Postby Joeb » Mon Nov 20, 2017 3:40 pm

A few years ago I went to Guitar Center looking to buy a guitar. I'm not the guy that turns up the amp to be the center of attraction. I play < or try to play > Chet 's music. This 20 something worker comes up to me and says what kind of style of guitar I was playing? I replied Chet Atkins finger style. He looked at me and said who's that? There where a few rock want to be cats blasting away with all the sweep fast picking. After a while they left <thank god> so I sat down with a Gretsch 6119 Tenn. Rose <which I ended up buying at a super low price because it was a demo model> I got it for $800.00 no case. Any way i'm siting there playing Liza by Chet and some guy my age < 67 > came in with his son looking for a guitar for his son. It was then while I playing this guy walks over to me and says to his son NOW THATS HOW YOU PLAY THE GUITAR SON. He just stood there for some time watching me. I felt kinda of funny with him staring at me . He says your good then then grabs his son and the next thing i see him checking out some electromatic lower priced
Gretsch guitars Anyway he walks out the door with a Gretsch Orange color G5120 guitar. As he leaves he asked me for a Chet album I think in which his son should listen to I responded ALL OF Them. joeb.
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Re: A BAD DAY

Postby Doug Working » Tue Nov 21, 2017 6:45 pm

What's even worse for me, cuts like a knife is when they not not have not heard of Chet, but they start drooling out statements like "Man, Jimmy Hendrix was the greatest guitarists who ever lived!" I only think to myself "You poor, ignorant, pathetic little fool. Please don't wet yourself.
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