Thanks Everyone!!!

[Whipper]

I'm Ric, and I just joined, and wanted to thank everyone for contributing to such an incredible archive!!!!!

I'm in Northern Ontario, Canada. Randy has pretty much been my inspiration for breathing. I first discovered him when I was 15, just a month or so before the accident. He opened my eyes wide open as to just how powerful music can be when he touched the very core of my soul through his playing. Although, I've yet to hear anyone else who could do so. But unlike any other phenomenal music legends, he also an inspiration as a person as well as a musician.

Like a lot of people here I'm sure, I play guitar... again. I had quit playing 20 years ago, but finally found a way to get the fire back and start up again last year. Funny how things reverse though, back then I had all the time in the world to practice, but not enough money for strings, let alone gear. Now, I can afford some gear, but struggle to squeeze in anymore than a hour a day of practice time! Of course, I re-established my six-string arsenal with a Les Paul and a Jackson RR1.

I also went to to school for Luthiery (guitar making), which I did as a career for a couple years before getting laid off and then quitting it (also 20 years ago). But last month, I set up a tiny (80 square feet!!) workshop, and have finally started building my dream guitar that I designed when I was a teenager - based on Randy's Jackson V.

Thanks again!!

[The Flying Dutchman]

Thanks for signing up here Ric!
The guitar in the avatar is that the 'dream' guitar you are building?
Looks nice anyways!

[Whipper]

Thanks!! No, the avatar is the Jackson model that I bought over the winter. It's the Acapulco Gold finish, which is iridescent paint that changes between gold and green depending on the angle. The one I started building will be like this for the lower half though, but with the Gibson Explorer shape for the upper half -- basically a pointer and asymmetrical version of the Dean ML I suppose.

[The Flying Dutchman]

Ah oke! If you can, put up some pics when you finished it!

[Whipper]

Absolutely! It's a race against time -- not only is my workshop tiny, it's also not insulated or heated, and winter here often goes down by as much as -25°C (-13°F). It's already starting to dip down to 4°C (40°F) in the evening. I may have to wait until spring to finish it off if I keep screwing up as much as I have been. But I'm a stubborn bastard.

[Trigger]

Welcome Ric.

It is great to meet you and glad you found some space in your heart for Randy, I am a drummer and I just wish for the time when I can get time to start to play again.
enjoy UR and make sure you check out the audio section.

Ian

[RR-ElectricAngel]

[Whipper]

Cool guitar... sorry, couldn't resist!

Thanks Ian! During the long period I quit playing guitar (aka 'the dark ages'), I pretty much never listened to Randy's playing anymore, or any metal or hard rock for that matter. Quite strange really, I just put it all behind me for some reason. So, when I got back into it again a year ago, I had to go through the whole grieving process all over again.

It really surprised my wife when she never heard me talk of him over the ten years with her, and then here I am putting up a large custom framed print of Randy by David Plastik on our wall. Then she read Rudy's book while listening closely to Randy's playing on BOO & DOAM, and now she's a total Rhoadie too!

And yes, I quickly found the audio section, and am in the process of leaching every recording from it! The bandwith to allow this must come at a cost to you guys, no? You should have a PayPal donation in place here to help cover that. I noticed the TK site does so.

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

Hi Ric

I have enjoyed your introduction and it is great you are back into music so much again!

Welcome to the forum

Matt

[Whipper]

Thanks Matt! I had tried numerous times to get back into it over the years, but always get disgusted with my playing and put the guitar after just 10 minutes or so fa year at a time. I just finally need a good motivational goal that was long enough to get the fire burning again. It was our 10th anniversary in January, and so I needed to do something extra special. My wife is a huge Scorpions fan, so I thought it would be a great surprise for her to secretly learn "Still Loving You" to play for her... yeah, I'm silly that way.

I just need to stop beating myself up by always thinking about where my playing could've been now if I hadn't quite so long ago... the important thing is that I'm back in the saddle again! It's like the George Elliot quote on your site, "It’s never too late to be what you might have been”.

Your playing is beyond amazing!!! Do you have any of your electric playing up anywhere?

[Cpt Matt Sparrow]

Hi Ric

That is very generous of you; thank youxx (a gaylord kiss sent LOL) Yes, I love that quote of George Elliot's! I have a private student now called John, who is 81 years old in December. In his own words "I don't think I have ever gotten up in the morning and thought 'what shall I do today'"

This man, in less than a year of playing and only 5 months of lessons, is already playing grade three classical guitar pieces! I have kids at schools who aren't garde three, who have been playing three years and sometimes more! It really is never to late.

When you are up there; be it to a group of mates, or a live gig, no one watching cares if you started at 8 or 88; they just are there to enjoy the music!

Matt

[Whipper]

(a gaylord kiss sent LOL)

That's a great story about your elderly student, very inspirational!!! I think I'm finally improving... there's a bus stop in front of our house, and whenever I would start practicing the guitar, the people waiting there would start throwing themselves in front of the next big speeding truck just to make it all stop, but now they just simply migrate to the next stop a few blocks away instead.

[myhero]

Hi and welcome : )