"Blues Guitar Humor" is a funny look at learning to play blues guitar back in the 1960's... take a break from your guitar synth, effects boxes and digital turner... it's time for Retro Blues Guitar!

Blues Guitars
Everybody started out a Stella or a Kay except me. I started out on some Italian guitar from Lo Duca Brothers that was thrown overboad during World War I and washed ashore in Milwaukee.  From there, I graduated to an Eko eletcric with one pickup and finally and Eko copy of the Gibson 335. The coolest guitars were Mosrite played by the Ventures. Oh, and let's not forget the Dan Electro. These were mostly played by kids that went to school with a plastic pencil holders in their shirt pockets.

My next door neighbor was about 8 years older than me and he owned a Fender Music Master. He also had a Fender Bass Man amp Each guitar seemed to have its own personality. Kids that played a Rickenbacker were intellectuals, kids on Gibson's were wealthy, kids on Fenders got into fights and the drummer got all the girls.

Blues Guitar Strings
Most people played fat Gretsch or Gibson guitar strings that lasted for ever. We'd play them until they turned black from the sweat and dirt under your fingernails. Then someone told me that Hendrix bought a regular set of strings, threw away the low E string and used a Hawaiian G string for the high E on his guitar. (Try explaining that to your mother when she asks you why she needs to buy a Hawaiian G string for your guitar.)

Blues Guitar Picks
A pick was a pick was a pick and they were ALL made of tortise shell. Then along came the nylon pick with the whole in the middle. My guitar teacher, George Pritchett (may he rest in peace) used a Nylon pick. He loved to chew on his picks when not playing guitar, I guess they just tasted better.

Blues Guitar Technique
Watch Eric Clapton play a guitar solo... he uses just three fingers on his left hand and only uses the pinky to play chords. This was quite common in the 50's and early 60's, when Clapton learned to play guitar. It has a lot to do with his phrasing ... try it and see for yourself!

Wah Wah Pedal
There were only a handful of guitar pedals available and everbody had to have a VOX wah wah pedal. I took mine apart as soon as I got it to see why I didn't sound just like Jimi Hendrix and Eric Clapton. "Oh, I get it, you play the guitar and work the pedal at the same time with your foot!

Blues Guitar Amps
My first guitar amp was a 15 watt Silvertone that I think I still have. It was made by Sears Roebuck and had one or two 6L6 tubes with two channels - one for instrument and one for voice, with individual tone and volume knobs. The Silvertone amp cost about $35.00 which was a lot of money in 1962. Later, I got a Silvertone combo with a head a bottom with 2 12 inch speakers. But the little amp had a better tone .. really sweet, singing sound.

We also had accordian amps ... big, heavy ugly things that made even the twangiest guitar sound like a junk yard dog. And the accordian players played loud!!! The only Fender amps we saw were on the Ventures albums and everbody I knew dreamed of buying a VOX AC30 amp like the Beatles. Then along came Hendrix and people went crazy over Marshall heads and twin 4 12 inch speaker cabinets.

Blues Guitar Speakers
How did Clapton and Hendrix get that sound? (That funky, distortion with an edge) Somebody told me they got that sound by cutting little holes in their speakers. So next thing you knew, I got out my scissors and cut the beautiful blue label speakers in my Fender Concert amp into ribbons.

Guitar Tuners
A guitar tuner was a little plastic thing you put in your mouth and blew on while trying to tune your guitar. After you dropped it a few times, half the reeds went out and you had to learn to tune by ear.

Dedicated to Howie Epstein, bassist and singer in my first band that played with Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. Howie R.I.P.

By Johnny Mayer.

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