AlanRatcliffe
- 1. He started playing guitar at 10 and was gigging by 12.
- 2. The popular rock band Black Oak Arkansas tried to get him to join them when he was only 13. He declined, but joined them at age 14.
- 3. He read between 3 and ten books A DAY on every topic under the sun. He would get interested in something, go to the library and take out every book available on that topic and read them all in a few days. He remembered everything he read.
- 4. He didn't practice playing guitar and wrote all his songs on the piano.
- 5. He wrote all the music, played every instrument, produced, arranged and engineered everything on his groundbreaking Powers of Ten album.
- 6. He started working on a computer with recording software - his first time recording or using a computer - at 10 PM one evening. By 6 AM he had not only learned how to use the software, but had finished the first cut for the album.
- 7. Almost all his tracks are "first takes".
- 8. When Billy Gibbons first heard Shawn, he was so mesmerised by his playing that he quite literally fell off his stool.
- 9. When playing Indian influenced fusion with bassist Jonas Hellborg, the two would make up everything on the spot. The closest they got to writing the music before a show was humming a few themes to each other shortly before going on stage.
- 10. Anders and Jens Johansson (drummer and keyboardist for Yngwie Malmsteen) specifically brought Shawn to a gig to show up Yngwie. They had met him that same day while killing time jamming in a music store (while they were waiting for their washing from the laundromat next door). Shawn walked up and asked to jam, then blew them away by playing along note perfectly to a Holdsworth track and Zappa's Black Page
arjunmenon
Wow!! No wonder the guy is a genius ? Thanks for the info Alan. Now, some interesting stuff about fripp/holdsworth/steve howe if you don't mind ?
AlanRatcliffe
Hmm. Yeah... good idea. I'll try and post one of these every so often on different players. Fripp next...
Wessel
Fact 11 . Quote from wikipedia "Lane had psoriasis his whole life and also suffered from psoriatic arthritis from the age of about 13. This did not impair his playing but caused difficulty walking, and required treatment with steroids which seriously affected Shawn's weight so much that he weighed over 300 pounds in the years before his death (though Shawn was slim in his youth). He also smoked constantly. On September 26, 2003 Shawn died in a hospital in Memphis, shortly after being told that he would have to remain on medical oxygen the rest of his life. He is interred in the Memorial Park Cemetery, Memphis."
He rips in this video even though he is "dik"
Manfred-Klose
wow this guy is amazing, i've seen him in guitar mags, but did'nt know who he was.
Thanks alan, for making my day.
Wessel
Its the curse of great guitarists to die young or get sick,Rhandy Rhodes,Jason Becker(He is still alive but can't move),Stevie Ray Vaughn and now Shawn Lane
Mr-M
The Vigier Guitars he plays are really awesome! I remember reading Uk Guitarist Magazine's review of the Vigier Shawn Lane Excalibur Signature a couple of years ago. They said it had the lowest action of any guitar they'd ever played, which made certain things (fast Legato runs, shredding) easier, but made regular pentatonic cliches much harder. These have carbon reinforecement in the necks which supposedly make them much more stable and stronger.
BTW Bumblefoot also has a Signature Vigier Excalibur, made in the land of the Frogs.
http://www.vigierguitars.com/guitares-56-0.php
Mr-M
Here's a pic of Shawn's guitar (well there should be, but it keeps telling me the upoad folder is full when I try post it. The file size is small enough. Oh well....)
In this interview he says he switched from Ibanez to Vigier, which has got to say something about the quality of these guitars:
http://www.richardhallebeek.com/interviews/lane.php
Pity, I've never seen them in SA.
AlanRatcliffe
The Vigier guitars used to have an almost flat fingerboard (20" radius), which is great for single note lines, but not as comfortable for chording. They've since changed to a flatter (11.8") board.
Don't forget the Vigier fretless guitars either!
Guy-Onraet
I want a Vigier soooo badly ☹. I'm saving for the Indus, but i might get a Suhr Modern at the last second ?.
Shawn was amazing, can't decide between him and Guthrie for my favorite guitaist 8).
Mr-M
At last, it worked! Thanks Norio!
Here's Shawn's Vigier:
AlanRatcliffe
Guy Onraet wrote:
I want a Vigier soooo badly ☹. I'm saving for the Indus, but i might get a Suhr Modern at the last second ?.
Can't go wrong with either. I'd probably go with the Suhr.
Wessel
The first time I saw Shawn Lane was mostly on youtube videos but I never heard his music so much.I got his cd after this topic was posted.Its really awesome!!!!
I love the song west side boogie. Its really something you can dance on. The shredding at the end is intense. Only Micheal flatly could dance on that. ?
His music is timeless. And his really different than most instrumental guys. He uses his speed to create intensity rather than flashyness.Im shurely going to adopt this ideal in my future soloing.The piano parts are awesome aswell.its a true testament to his musical genuis ,being that most great pianist never compose their own music.
Dont know if it's effects but he really sounds faster than anybody Ive heard.Would like to know what speed he hit in his prime.From what I've seen on youtube his technique is perfect and makes the shredding sound awesome becuase his paying attention to each individual note.
I have now learned not to just wikipidia a guy and make conclusions ?
Guy-Onraet
@ wessel - is that the Powers of Ten album?
@ Alan - why the Suhr over the Vigier?
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Can't go wrong with either. I'd probably go with the Suhr.
AlanRatcliffe
Tough choice, both are really good.
Suhr are more a hands-on company. John Suhr is pretty much a genius, knows woods better than most and comes from a more traditional approach with a twist. Not scared to innovate (the first to start using basswood with a maple cap), but makes sure he likes the tones and playability of an innovation before going into production.
Patrice Vigier is a very innovative luthier, and pushes the envelope a bit more, possibly at the expense of some tone.
Wessel
jip its the powers of ten album.
Malkav
Well just as a side note to the original discussion, Shawn Lane also prefered using low output pickups claiming that the higher output ones caused too much magnetic pull and that robbed your guitar of tone and resonance....
AlanRatcliffe
...which is very true. ?
andrewjbryson
"Be with me in this place of light and total bliss
Feel this ecstacy of music
Time stops here, Time is no more
My soul is free "
"Musician , Composer , Philosopher , Gentle Genius
Unforgettable, Unreplaceble, Immortal"
