Guitar Center "King of the Blues" competition (Page 1 of 2)

Thanks a lot man, as do you.  I think it's going to be a lot of fun and heck if I get some free stuff that's icing on the cake.  Of all the tracks provided, I like track #3, #16, and #24 the most so far.  I'm going to have to make up my mind soon and practice, practice, practice!!!

I'm not about dissing guys because of bad karma and my overall insecurities, but thanks for posting that clip.  It definately puts things into perspective and lets me know where I need to be to compete.  The guy can play, no doubt, but...okay here's my soapbox .  I'm getting a little tired of everyone jumping on the Hendrix bandwagon and denying that they are more influenced by SRV.  I mean even with the Les Paul he still sounded too much like Stevie.  I heard very little Hendrix in his playing IMO.  I can somewhat understand because playing SRV licks and mentioning him as a key influence is committing guitar suicide among people who like to hate on each other.  Here I was thinking the guys who win these things are old men who have been playing face melting solos for 40 years + effortlessly.  I like that Lester though, it had some nice flames!  I will say the dude has balls risking that move and breaking the neck on that guitar.  Is it wrong that I was somewhat hoping he would trip ?

I was going to stay out of this one but what the heck.
I don't know if he should have won that competition or not but he did have a good fluid style until he started playing between his legs. Then it got sloppy and although I don't think that helped him in the judging he must have had other qualities that put him through. Even though the acoustic piece was like something a lot of us do in our living room it's a blues competition and he fit the bill.
What I'm at a loss to understand is why so many others care if a player sounds like SRV, or Hendrix, or JB, or others with a recognizable sound and are so quick to shoot him or her down because of it.
And who cares if they're 15 or 50.
Everyone finds themselves inspired by someone's tone and that's great because it makes you play better and longer. And everyone and I mean everyone cops licks from other players and uses them at times throughout their own careers. That's still part of a player's individual taste and it becomes a part of their original style eventually. Nobody who's famous today got there without using other player's styles and licks somewhere along the way, regardless of what they eventually sound like.
Playing is about individual expression, not about who's tone you have. You guys are always talking about copping JB's tone, looking for pedals, buying amps by the truckload so you'll sound somewhere close to Joe, and then I hear some of the same guys complaining because someone sounds too much like SRV, or Hendrix, etc..
Talk about the pot calling the kettle black.

Enter that competition and play your a$$ off without worrying about who your tone might sound like or how you'd better be careful about not putting a recognizable guitar run in there.
You have as good a chance as anyone else. That guy that won the 06 competition obviously
had something that made him stand out and maybe just playing with feeling, and passing that along to the audience, without being the most technical had a lot to do with it.

I've done it in the past and have won the store finals, but its a biased competition.  Not saying I was the best, but friends of the judges, c-mon dude not cool.  Either way its always fun.  I might do it again this year, but after the past 3 times, I'm not going in expecting anything... 

Ben

We don't mind sounding like our inspirations, it just gets f*** old to hear the same SRV standard pentatonic licks every time someone plays

Maybe, I thought of it, but its suppose to be a local competition and going from there.... local, regional, national, etc.  Knowing LI, it will prob. be the same everywhere though.

Here is Matt Weisinger's 2007 performance using the more Schtick than lick theory. The kid is a much better guitar player than what he appears to be here. But being different got him to the finals.

the minimum age is 16 so likely a young man of reprodecibel [sic] age will be the one able to do a reducible egotestical [sic] number on you Paul...no shame in that!

Rock On Bluesy & Faithful,
Rocket

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