The Ragas
2007-06-01 10:52:51 UTC
Here's my introduction. It's a bit long but it's my Byrds and
Rickenbacker related
story. But I think you'll enjoy. Cheers.
February 2000, Los Angeles, California
I drove up to the Sherman Oaks, California Guitar Center on Ventura.
I had grown tired of the Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd and all the
tourists. It was so loud. On this particular day, I walked in wearing
my John Lennon T-Shirt that said New York City. I had gone in to look
for a new amplifier. I looked around the store quickly and decided
that I had seen enough. I walked out the front door and down the
street and decided, no I was going back in.
Inside I found a white Fender Stratocaster and got a power cord and
plugged into a Fender amp. I began playing jazz chords. After a few
minutes and while I was still playing a guy came up to me.
This was Henry McGuinn. He said, "Hey man. I like your playing.
What's happening? Do you like the Byrds?"
I said, "Yeah, I guess so. I don't have any of their albums but I
like Mr. Tambourine Man and Eight Miles High. That's all I know."
Henry said, "My dad's Roger McGuinn, who started the Byrds."
I said, "Yeah, man, that's cool. Can I see your ID."
We talked in the store for about twenty minutes. We spoke about the
Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. I finally found someone I
could relate to with this type of music. My meeting with Henry left
me with renewed purpose. I seemed that I was just waiting around a
bit in Hollywood to find the right people. I figured sooner or later
I would find someone. I left the Guitar Center stoked, thinking of
the possibilities. I guess I was a bit star-struck, too.
The next day, I went to the Warehouse on Sunset Blvd. to look for
some Byrds music. I found and bought 5D. It was the Byrds 1966 album
that had Eight Miles High, Mr. Spaceman, and I See You on it. I
listened to the album a few times and decided to call Henry.
I left a message and an hour or so later he called from a pay phone.
Henry, "Hey, what's happening? This is Henry McGuinn."
I said enthusiastically, "Hey, Henry, yeah this is Jim. I met you at
the Guitar Center."
Henry said, "Yeah cool. I'm out by the beach just loving it."
I said, "I bought 5D. It's really cool. I haven't ever really
listened to the Byrds but they are really hip."
Henry said, "Yeah, they're all good, especially '65-'68 era. Well, so
you want to get together?"
I said, "How bout tomorrow? We could have lunch and then jam."
Henry, "Yeah, I just want to meet and see if we have chemistry, you
know."
Boy I was excited, the chance to play with someone that liked the
same music I did and the fact that his dad is a rock star is totally
rad!
The next day I met him outside at his truck. We brought up his guitar
and then we walked to a Sandwich shop right up Las Palmas in
Hollywood. We ate and talked music and began to get to know each
other. We seemed to be on such a similar wavelength. It was kind of
amazing chemistry really.
After lunch, we opened up our guitars. He brought out his acoustic
12-
String Martin guitar. At first, I just listened to him. He sang a few
Byrds tunes. He sang Tambourine Man and You Ain't Goin' Nowhere and I
believe he sang the Christian Life as well. At the time I had never
heard the Christian Life and I was stoked on it. I was really
inspired to start playing.
The next few times that we met, we listened to Byrds music. At the
Tower Records, I loaded up on all sorts of music that he recommended.
I was really into it. I bought several Flying Burrito Brothers
albums, some Gram Parsons and Lovin' Spoonful.
Our music was finally coming together. We were playing some Beatles,
Byrds, and Dylan covers and some of our new stuff. He played me his
cool song called Summertime that he wrote at the beach inspired by
George Harrison and What You Say a song about running away and pure
Byrds. I loved it. I added some rhythm guitar to it while he did his
fingerpicking style soloing inspired by his father.
One day Henry brought over his 12-String Guitar Instructional Video
that his dad had done. On the video his dad went wild on the 12-
String Rickenbacker playing his old classics. I was again blown away.
Now prior to that point I had always thought that the Beatles were my
number one group but I now believed that the Byrds were up there with
them. It was great to learn more about music. I did not feel bad
about buying a lot of records. I considered it an investment: The
Who '65, The Zombies, The Association, Beach Boys Pet Sounds, The
Kinks, Gram Parsons, and the Flying Burrito Brothers.
The next thing I did was to buy the Johnny Rogan Byrds biography.
Henry had been talking about it. It was the only complete Byrds
biography written. I found it at the Book Soup book store on Sunset
Strip right across the street from Tower Records. Henry and I
considered it our manual on how to live a Byrdsian lifestyle.
I met Henry in February 2000 and in March South by Southwest music
festival raged in Austin, Texas. We found out that Roger was playing
at the Cactus Lounge on the University of Texas Campus. We felt it
was a good excuse for a road trip.
Before we left, Henry and I made a trip down to the Rickenbacker
factory in Santa Ana. At Rickenbacker, we both waited in the
reception area. Shortly after, John Hall, the CEO, came out and I was
introduced.
Henry told me stories of John Hall and the Beatles. John Hall had
been to the Beatles' Hollywood Bowl show in 1965 as a teenager and
had met all the Beatles and the Byrds. John Lennon and George
Harrison both played guitars that were given to them by Rickenbacker
and Crosby and then Jim McGuinn would run down to S.A. for Rick
customizations . Needless to say, Rickenbacker has had great
influence on Rock & Roll. Henry's father worked with Rickenbacker in
designing a custom signature 12-String guitar with an on board
compressor. What resulted was the wood colored (Maple Glo)
Rickenbacker 370 Model. Henry is totally proud of his father.
While Henry talked with John in his office, I sat down and looked at
magazines. We were there for Henry to interview for a job with
Rickenbacker. I sat and waited for fifteen minutes and then Henry
returned, full of hope for the future. We said our good byes to John
Hall and Henry told John that he would get back in touch after our
trip to Austin.
I felt on the in-crowd a bit. Rickenbacker had worked with all sorts
of artists: REM, Tom Petty, Susana Hoffs, Carl Wilson, etc. I have a
Rickenbacker FG 330 from those days. Henry on the 325Byrd and me on
the 330 is some of the best noise ever! All the best bands play
Rickenbacker.
Hope you enjoyed the read.
Henry and I put up a website for our band the Ragas. You can check
it out at:
www.myspace.com/theragas
Hope to hear from you.
Jim Guittard
Rickenbacker related
story. But I think you'll enjoy. Cheers.
February 2000, Los Angeles, California
I drove up to the Sherman Oaks, California Guitar Center on Ventura.
I had grown tired of the Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd and all the
tourists. It was so loud. On this particular day, I walked in wearing
my John Lennon T-Shirt that said New York City. I had gone in to look
for a new amplifier. I looked around the store quickly and decided
that I had seen enough. I walked out the front door and down the
street and decided, no I was going back in.
Inside I found a white Fender Stratocaster and got a power cord and
plugged into a Fender amp. I began playing jazz chords. After a few
minutes and while I was still playing a guy came up to me.
This was Henry McGuinn. He said, "Hey man. I like your playing.
What's happening? Do you like the Byrds?"
I said, "Yeah, I guess so. I don't have any of their albums but I
like Mr. Tambourine Man and Eight Miles High. That's all I know."
Henry said, "My dad's Roger McGuinn, who started the Byrds."
I said, "Yeah, man, that's cool. Can I see your ID."
We talked in the store for about twenty minutes. We spoke about the
Beatles, Bob Dylan, and the Rolling Stones. I finally found someone I
could relate to with this type of music. My meeting with Henry left
me with renewed purpose. I seemed that I was just waiting around a
bit in Hollywood to find the right people. I figured sooner or later
I would find someone. I left the Guitar Center stoked, thinking of
the possibilities. I guess I was a bit star-struck, too.
The next day, I went to the Warehouse on Sunset Blvd. to look for
some Byrds music. I found and bought 5D. It was the Byrds 1966 album
that had Eight Miles High, Mr. Spaceman, and I See You on it. I
listened to the album a few times and decided to call Henry.
I left a message and an hour or so later he called from a pay phone.
Henry, "Hey, what's happening? This is Henry McGuinn."
I said enthusiastically, "Hey, Henry, yeah this is Jim. I met you at
the Guitar Center."
Henry said, "Yeah cool. I'm out by the beach just loving it."
I said, "I bought 5D. It's really cool. I haven't ever really
listened to the Byrds but they are really hip."
Henry said, "Yeah, they're all good, especially '65-'68 era. Well, so
you want to get together?"
I said, "How bout tomorrow? We could have lunch and then jam."
Henry, "Yeah, I just want to meet and see if we have chemistry, you
know."
Boy I was excited, the chance to play with someone that liked the
same music I did and the fact that his dad is a rock star is totally
rad!
The next day I met him outside at his truck. We brought up his guitar
and then we walked to a Sandwich shop right up Las Palmas in
Hollywood. We ate and talked music and began to get to know each
other. We seemed to be on such a similar wavelength. It was kind of
amazing chemistry really.
After lunch, we opened up our guitars. He brought out his acoustic
12-
String Martin guitar. At first, I just listened to him. He sang a few
Byrds tunes. He sang Tambourine Man and You Ain't Goin' Nowhere and I
believe he sang the Christian Life as well. At the time I had never
heard the Christian Life and I was stoked on it. I was really
inspired to start playing.
The next few times that we met, we listened to Byrds music. At the
Tower Records, I loaded up on all sorts of music that he recommended.
I was really into it. I bought several Flying Burrito Brothers
albums, some Gram Parsons and Lovin' Spoonful.
Our music was finally coming together. We were playing some Beatles,
Byrds, and Dylan covers and some of our new stuff. He played me his
cool song called Summertime that he wrote at the beach inspired by
George Harrison and What You Say a song about running away and pure
Byrds. I loved it. I added some rhythm guitar to it while he did his
fingerpicking style soloing inspired by his father.
One day Henry brought over his 12-String Guitar Instructional Video
that his dad had done. On the video his dad went wild on the 12-
String Rickenbacker playing his old classics. I was again blown away.
Now prior to that point I had always thought that the Beatles were my
number one group but I now believed that the Byrds were up there with
them. It was great to learn more about music. I did not feel bad
about buying a lot of records. I considered it an investment: The
Who '65, The Zombies, The Association, Beach Boys Pet Sounds, The
Kinks, Gram Parsons, and the Flying Burrito Brothers.
The next thing I did was to buy the Johnny Rogan Byrds biography.
Henry had been talking about it. It was the only complete Byrds
biography written. I found it at the Book Soup book store on Sunset
Strip right across the street from Tower Records. Henry and I
considered it our manual on how to live a Byrdsian lifestyle.
I met Henry in February 2000 and in March South by Southwest music
festival raged in Austin, Texas. We found out that Roger was playing
at the Cactus Lounge on the University of Texas Campus. We felt it
was a good excuse for a road trip.
Before we left, Henry and I made a trip down to the Rickenbacker
factory in Santa Ana. At Rickenbacker, we both waited in the
reception area. Shortly after, John Hall, the CEO, came out and I was
introduced.
Henry told me stories of John Hall and the Beatles. John Hall had
been to the Beatles' Hollywood Bowl show in 1965 as a teenager and
had met all the Beatles and the Byrds. John Lennon and George
Harrison both played guitars that were given to them by Rickenbacker
and Crosby and then Jim McGuinn would run down to S.A. for Rick
customizations . Needless to say, Rickenbacker has had great
influence on Rock & Roll. Henry's father worked with Rickenbacker in
designing a custom signature 12-String guitar with an on board
compressor. What resulted was the wood colored (Maple Glo)
Rickenbacker 370 Model. Henry is totally proud of his father.
While Henry talked with John in his office, I sat down and looked at
magazines. We were there for Henry to interview for a job with
Rickenbacker. I sat and waited for fifteen minutes and then Henry
returned, full of hope for the future. We said our good byes to John
Hall and Henry told John that he would get back in touch after our
trip to Austin.
I felt on the in-crowd a bit. Rickenbacker had worked with all sorts
of artists: REM, Tom Petty, Susana Hoffs, Carl Wilson, etc. I have a
Rickenbacker FG 330 from those days. Henry on the 325Byrd and me on
the 330 is some of the best noise ever! All the best bands play
Rickenbacker.
Hope you enjoyed the read.
Henry and I put up a website for our band the Ragas. You can check
it out at:
www.myspace.com/theragas
Hope to hear from you.
Jim Guittard