Conference napalm::guitar

	I recall reading somewhere that Terry Kath, former guitarist for
	Chicago, died when a loaded handgun he was cleaning accidentally
	discharged. A friend of mine insists that he was actually involved
	in a 'real-death' game of russian roulette. Does anyone know what
	really happened?

	Steve

    I remember that this happened somewhere out in the San Fernando Valley
    (near L.A.) and that there were drugs involved. However, I thought that
    it was thier singer, not a guitarist (I've not keep up with Chicago's
    line up over the years). If I'm not mistaken, he was the person who
    wrote or co-wrote many of Chicagos songs.

								Jens

    Well, I was a wicked Chicago fan, and the story was that Terry Kath,
    the original guitarist, shot himself in the head whist playing Russian
    Roulette...believe it or not.
    
    Stupid, huh?
    
    Buck

    re: .1
    
    Terry Kath was Chicago's lead singer and guitarist, and he wrote
    or co-wrote many of their songs. And Buck is right, Terry lost at
    Russian Roulette.
    
    Danny W,

    The story I heard was that Terry, his wife, and a friend, were sitting
    at a table and Terry, in an attempt to agitate his wife and shock
    his friend, picked up gun which he *thought* was unloaded and said
    "Watch this."  I'll bet his wife was agitated!
    
    If you recall, Kath had gained a stunning amount of weight before his
    death and was said to be suffering from depression (now there's a new
    word for drug addiction).  In any case, he was not in control of his
    life, as evidenced by the incident that killed him.
    
    For my money, he was the real leader of Chicago.  I remember him
    prowling the stage in concert and really spuring the others on.
    Of course, his song credits are pretty amazing, too.  Although the
    group had started on a mellow trend at the time of his death, who knew
    they would become a full-fledged cotton candy machine?  Especially
    after the politically-charged early albums?
      
    Lastly, I think he can be forgiven for all, based on his contribution
    of the 25 or 6 to 4 guitar solo to the music world.  That one solo must
    have sold quite a few wah-wah pedals!  I guess in this post-Eruption year
    of our lord Satriani era, it's not so impressive.  In the seventies,
    however, it certainly was one of *the* guitar solos to know.
    
    Ironically, Kath's last hit single could have been the
    group Chicago's message to him:
    
    "If you leave me now, you'll take the biggest part of me...."
    
    Brian

    
    Interesting article about Rickenbacker in the Worcester Telegram
    yesterday afternoon, synduicated from the LA Times.

    Supposedly Rickenbacker is inundated with orders recently due to
    interest from yuppies wanting to own Ricks....hmm.
   
    Anyway, an interesting statistic on guitar sales. In 1987, total sales
    of guitars in the U.S. was 1.2 million.  Only 10%, 123,000 of these
    were American made.  It also said Fender produces 40% of their
    instruments overseas.  And Rickenbacker has all of 100 employees.
    Peavey probably has more janitors than that!! 
    

    I can vouch for Rick's backlog. I need to do some Rick 12-string
    stuff this summer, so I called to get delivery on a 381-12.
    
    They quoted one year delivery!
    
     I wound up getting a 360-12WB. I've never been much of a Rick fan.
    My last 360-12, a late '60's model, was one of the worst guitars
    I've ever owned, but I have to admit the new one is beautiful.
    Excellent workmanship, perfectly set up, very curly maple body, a
    really solid neck joint (unlike my last one),nice (Fireglow) finish,
     and it sounds great.
   
     I love playing it, even with the skinny neck. I'm not going to
    sell all my Gibsons, but I am looking forward to using it for some
    gigs along with a 355 for more serious playing. I may go ahead and
    order the 381-12.
    
    If this makes me a yuppie, I'll have ditch the BMer :-).
    
    Danny W.

    So I've been using the 360-12 for a few months and the truss rod needs
    adjusting, so last night I decided to fix it and remembered just why I
    hate Ricks.
    
    First, getting the truss rod out from all those strings requires
    completely detuning the guitar. Just what I wanted to do to a
    12-string. Now there's no way I'm going to tune this thing twice, so I
    have to guess at how much to tighten each rod. I manage to get the
    truss rod cover back on without breaking anything, but while tuning it
    back up,  I break the octave G (of course). Luckily, I have individual
    strings from .007 to .068, so I put an .008 back on, thread it under
    the bridge cover, manage to fish it into the tailpiece slot and get the
    whole thing tuned back up.  Takes about a half hour, compared to maybe
    5 minutes for a Gibson. Luckily, I guessed right for the adjustment--I
    *really* didn't want to go through it again. If I play it tonight and
    find out that I overshot a little, I'm gonna get downright hostile.
    
    Ricks look great, sound great, play great, but the design really bites.
    
    Danny W.

     I don't know I thought he won!!!!  :^)
    Yeah he was a favorite of mine and I saw CHICAGO (with him!)
    play 2x, since then they make me want to PUKE!!!
    Especially Donny Dickus or whatever his name was w/ that stupid
    hairdoo!!!!!!

    	Uh oh, someone raggin' on my favorite band...
    
    RE .4:  I think Kath shot himself after 11, and "If you leave me now"
    was off of 10.
    
    	According to what I've heard, .4 is much more on to what happened
    when he shot himself.  I heard that there were more people (i.e. a
    party), lots of being stoned, and he did think it was unloaded.  (An
    aside:  how could anyone tell what he was thinking right before he
    died?!?)  But none of the band members were present.
    
    	I don't know; I think (in earlier later years) that Robert Lamm
    (keyboards/vocals) and especially Peter Cetera (bass/vocals) picked up
    the same Chicago spirit, before he left.  Chris Pinnick, who played
    guitar for them on 12 or 13 through 17, is a really good guitarist.  I
    almost like him better; apples to oranges; but you're right, 25 or 6 to
    4 is the absolute killer solo.  Even if Satriani can fly through a blue
    dream, he can't beat Kath's soul.
    
    --mikie--
    

    	I think this whole cotton stuff happened when Bill Champlin started
    "leading" the group.  All I hear on their new stuff is his "love
    forever" schmaltz, and I don't like it one bit.  Of course I still love
    it, but sometimes you don't like the things you love.
    
    	I wish Cetera would come back.
    
    --mikie--

>    	How did the Guitar get the name, "AXE"?
 
        WAG -  from the early WHO antics, trying to _chop_ (hah) up the
        stage/amps.drums etc. ?
        
        Andy
        

   Hmm..  .-1 could have it right, but I doubt it (no offense, Andy..).

   The reason I say this is I've heard the term used not only for guitars,
   but as a familiar way to refer to other musical instruments (especially
   horns - saxs, etc), and in that context, from long before The Who 
   popularized stage-wrecking.  I specifically thinking of Charlie Parker
   era jazz musicians.

   -- Sam

        None taken, Sam - as I said, it was a Wild Assed Guess!
        
        Andy
        

I first heard it in the fifties, referring to a sax.  The first time I heard 
it applied to a guitar was in the early sixties, when the sax player in my 
band referred to my guitar as my "axe".  I remember thinking that it felt like 
a misnomer. 

Maybe it's just a simple illigitimatization :^) of "sax".  Or maybe...

Q  What do you use to play "chops"?

A  An "axe".


Bob

	Q. What is that you're hacking so gruesomely with?

	A. An axe


	ccb@axemax.zk3.dec.com

    It definitely precedes the guitar era, and my guess is that it derives
    from the term "chops" ("chops with an axe"). But that raises the
    question of where "chops" came from. Maybe from the "cutting" sound of
    the sax? Or maybe because sax players have to use their "chops" (as in
    "licking his chops")?
    
    - Ram

    This is really crasping but did the term come about down south in the
    blues circle's as in the movie"Cross Roads", when they were in hell
    and the only way out was to " cut heads" with the devils main man.
    This is a must see movie if your a guiarist into the blues, even a
    little bit.
                                              Jim

    or maybe it has to do with the term "woodshedding"??

    
    
    	OR maybe they made their cat-gut strings using axes, before the
    invention of chain saws.. [;^)  nyuk, nyuk!!!    Moe, Larry, CHEESE!!!!

    
    
    My jazz-playing days go back to the early sixties. Back then, ANYTHING
    you used to play music with was called an "axe". Drums were "axes",
    horns were "axes", guitars were "axes", and so on. HOW this came
    to be I have no idea, I just remember that that's the way it was.
    
    bj
    

    
    
    	This may sound silly but I think the reason they are called
    	 "axes" is thy are your weapon of choice it's what you use
    	to do battle with(god does this sound stupid).
    
    	M
    	 B

    Yep, sure does !   8^)
    
    Scary (who hasn't a clue ...)

    I wonder if it has anything to do with the tune "Wood Choppers' Ball" ?
    
    Ten Years After did it in the late '60's, but the song is older than
    that.

Guys,

Don't know if we got any resolution around "Chops", but any brass player should
be able to tell you that one.  "Chops", as in "jowls", are what hold your
embouchure together.

Charlie

    In the 1990 Guitar World equipment directory, there is a sizeable
    listing for Rickenbacker electrics of all descriptions, but the
    one that caught my eye was a photo of the "John Lennon" model. Here's
    what I remember:
    
    o 3/4 scale neck with rosewood fingerboard
    
    o Three "vintage" (their word) Rickenbacker pickups
    
    o Rickenbacker vibrato tailpiece (NOT the Bigsby, alas..)
    
    o Black body, white pickguard with a John Lennon "signature"
    
    I seem to recall that John's 325 had 4 vol/tone controls and a toggle
    switch; this model has a *small* knob where the toggle switch used
    to be.....
    
    
    It sure looks nice .... pity the list price is more than $1.3K B^(
    
    					--Eric--

    Daily trivia (just so ya know I'm not too hung up on metal),
    
    Where did Jimi Page get that Butt-Ugly Paisley guitar ???
    
    jc 

|        <<< Note 1850.27 by GSRC::COOPER "Major MIDI Rack Puke (tm)" >>>
|    Where did Jimi Page get that Butt-Ugly Paisley guitar ???
        
        From you ? :^)
        
        Matt

re: -2

Was that a paisley telecaster?  My first thought was that it previously
belonged to Roy Buchanan, but I am probably brain-dead... It doesn't seem
to make much sense. 

Steve - not up on my Page trivia

    A fellow band mate named Jeff Beck gave it to him.
    Butt-Fugly eh ??
    
    jc (WHo means the guitar not Beck ;)

    Both are ugly IMHO

    Re. paisley teles
    
    I saw an old picture of James Burton in GP once, and he was playing one
    of them......aaaaack!
    
    A friend of mine actually has one, and I can guarantee that they're
    even more hideous in real life ......  ;*)
    
    						--Eric--
    
    P.S. Even my daughter thinks it's (her word) GROSS!

    Only one thing uglier than a tele... and thats one with a paisley
    paint job.   ;)  ;)  ;)
    
    jc (owner of hot pink Ibanez. ;)

    Yeah, I can imagine your pink Ibanez, your red Charvel, and your
    sunburst LP all on stage next to eachother - it'd probably make ya
    wanna puke (visually).  Nice quiver though ....   8^)
    
    Scary (whose wine LP in the hot pink case makes your stomach turn too)

    Don't forget mypurple strat up there (thatmatches the Ibanez
    quite well I might add...).                  ;)
    
    jc (Who leaves the old timer guitars at home)

	When you own a Tele you don't have to worry about tone!!!

	:^)

	Dave owner of ballsey Tele

> When you own a Tele you don't have to worry about tone!!

	I can't remember the last time I played a Tele, but I didn't think they 
were THAT devoid of tone!

	8^)

	Dan

    >	When you own a Tele you don't have to worry about tone!!!
    
    Boy, thats for sure !!!
    
    ;)

unless it's "fat" tone that you want..

dbii who is installing a PAF in the bridge of his tele

     My tele's got old (mid-70s) duncans in it.  the rhythm p/u
     sounds pretty large/good.  Never heard a better sounding guitar. 
     Weighs a ton, too.

        "Forget those pointy guitars, kids.   Get yourself a real heavy
     one, if it don't hurt your back, it ain't worth a damn..."

        					--Paul Westeburg,
     						  The Replacements

    Ya, I own a OLD rosewood Tele.  Talk about heavy!!!!  
    
    Let them wimpy children play the pointy junk, I'll take
    back pain anyday.  Grow up kids, be a man (or a woman,
    but not both at once...)
    
    
    Get a life, for God's sake...
    
    Jay Tashjian
    

That's funny, the best strat I ever owned was an alder that weighed next to 
nothing...

now my lead 1 is a ash body that weighs a ton and it sounds good too

dbii

    Lookin' at my wall here in my basement....  I got a heavy one (LP
    Deluxe), a medium one (strat), and two pointy ones...
    
    The LP and strat gather dust and wait to be sold in 20 years for a 
    profit. The Ibanez and Charvel get ALL the play.  All of it
    except for the LP which comes down for AC/DC tunes, and the strat
    which comes down for Stormy Monday.
    
    This is the 90's KIDS !
    
    jc
    

    This may be the 90's, but most of them 'pointy things' will be worth
    zippo 5 years from now.
    
    I say if ya like it, play it...
    
    Jay Tashjian
    

        I've been  using a Custom Bass (Made by Custom in California)
        that's  about 16 years old.    It's  Cherry  veneer  with  (I
        believe) maple beneath.  This thing  is an anchor compared to
        my Yamaha, but it does sound very  good.    Nice  deep bottom
        end.
        
        Matt

    
    
    
       Yo Matt, didn't know you were in here bud.
    
       RickRat(tm)Lemming
    
    

    
    I've got this bass line buzzing around in my head - worked it out on a
    keyboard and transcribed it onto the bass.  Now I need to buy the CD to
    verify the bass line.  Does anyone know who did "A Little Bit of Soul"?
    
    	Thanks in advance,
    
    	Sandy
    
    P.S. I don't think we have a trivia note in this conference...
    

     How 'bout this....


       G-G B C D-D F# G

      
   Soul or Sound Explosion?

 
       - Bob

	Yup - that's what I came up with.  I'd just like to find a copy of
	the song so that Andy can hear it - might find it in a collection
	of 60s tunes or something, but having the artist name would help :^}

	Thanks,

	Sandy

    The name "The Music Explosion" sticks in my head. But then again,
    there's a lot of things stuck in my head...

    --ron

    I'm pretty sure it was "The Music Explosion"..about 1966-ish?  It was
    ome of the first songs that my first band learned.....oh , those crazy
    high school years with Sharon Delveccio...aka Shar-on-share-alike..8^)
    
    Steve

	They'll probably even play it for ya.....

    "Little Bit O' Soul"
    Music Explosion
    Written by Carter and Lewis (Jimmy and Jerry?)
    Southern Music Publishing Company. (ASCAP)
    
    Typically this song is included in the "Summer Days" type collections
    in cutout aisles in your very city. Usually accompanied by "Wipe out"
    and "The Happening"
    
    PCS
    

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Note 1850.54                 Musical Trivia anyone?                     54 of 54
SANDY::FRASER "Err on a G String"                     6 lines  10-DEC-1991 08:55
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	Hey, thanks for all the help guys.  I thought I'd be the only one
	here old enough to remember that song - the word 'groovy' is in
	the lyrics :^}

	Sandy

    
    I saw 'groovy' in a cartoon in a 1920 edition of PUNCH magazine here in
    the UK.
    
    Surely you're not THAT old!
    
    Richard

    
    Gak!  If I'm that old, I'm remarkably well preserved :^}
    
    Of course 'groovy' has been around for a long time, but didn't it used
    to refer more to those wax thingies that people used to record music
    on?  Or maybe it was a reference to that muddy road?
    
    Sandy