FAQ: Music, Guitar Details, Songs, and more...
Donna in BC, Canada writes:
"Would you say your biggest passion is playing guitar? What are the things you appreciate about playing guitar?"
My biggest passion is friendships. I like some dogs (pets) and I do like guitar a lot. A person walking a dog and a musician with a guitar are magnets for ice breaker conversations such as "what a cute dog" or "lets hear you play something" or "can you play the tune ...?"
People playing guitar are almost always happy! I like that playing music can bring joy and inspiration to others even if I don't think I am the best guitar player in the room. It's intriguing how the same chord progressions are in countless songs and sometimes these sound dissimilar due to rhythmic variations, syncopation, and texture, harmonies and orchestration. With the advent of freestyle guitar incorporating alternate tunings, spider capos, slap tap harmonics, and using the guitar top as a percussive soundboard the sonic possibilities are seemingly infinite. (Thank you for your question Donna!)
What styles of music do you play?
pop/rock, folk/country, jazz, fingerstyle/classical
What guitars do you play?
RainSong steel string acoustic 6-string and 12-string (unplugged or amplified) and PRS electric 6-string (amplified).
Tell us about your RainSong Guitars.
These guitars are made of carbon fiber, are weather impermeable and have no steel neck trussrods because they are that strong. The epoxy fingerboard looks like ebony.
I own 3; two 12-strings and one 6-string. These all feature 18:1 ratio Gotoh tuners and on the 12-strings these are nickel plated. All three guitars feature either the LR Baggs Anthem or LR Baggs Pro Element Tuner and Pick-up System. The cutaway is Venetian providing access to the second octave frets.
Reportedly as of 2011, The Steve Miller Band owned 18 RainSongs, Aerosmith's Brad Whitford owned at least one, and Hall & Oates had a few. The carbon fiber gives these guitars a bright sound.
After 30 years in business in the U.S. with an average production output of 500 guitars annually, as of December 31, 2023 RainSong closed the business due to inflationary cost pressures. [I had a RainSong 6-string with an N2 neck and was very unhappy with the neck shape as it felt bulky and wasn't comfortable to play. In November 2020 I traded that guitar in towards my Vintage Series (wood-infused top) 12-string].
The 12-strings feature a thinner and wider C-shape neck that feels more natural to me. The 6-string has an N1 neck shape true to the original RainSong necks. Two of the guitars (The Vintage Series 12-string and the Nashville Series tobacco burst 6-string) have wood-infused spruce top veneers making them look like regular wood guitars.
What are some other guitars have you previously owned?
I had a 1980 USA BC Rich Mockingbird Standard in Hawaiian Koa with standard DiMarzio pick-ups and one piece 24-fret neck-thru-body. The guitar incredibly could produce 27 different sounds through the switching system working off a 9-volt internal battery. The Mockingbird, Eagle, and 10-string guitars were designed by Neal Moser.
I once had a 1990 Gibson EDS-1275 Doubleneck in Alpine White (definitely a stage guitar that was about 16 lbs and just way too heavy. The Kluson tuners were notorious for breaking, but it was a beautiful guitar). For those wondering "why a doubleneck?" The primary advantage is that in one guitar you can play lush chords on the 12-string and then at the flip of a switch play searing lead solos and bend strings on the 6-string.
For years I had an acoustic/electric black 1988 Ovation USA-made Balladeer full-body (non-cutaway) 12-string Model #1755 Deep Bowl back, a Yamaha classical guitar, a used relatively inexpensive Ovation Celebrity CE225 made overseas which I didn't like as the six string neck was too slim and didn't resonate like the domestic Ovation. I ultimately parted with all of these guitars because they were in their cases far more than they were played.
What are some rock/pop cover songs you play?
1979 (Smashing Pumpkins), Adelita (Francisco Tárrega), As Tears Go By (The Rolling Stones), Blinding Light Show (Triumph), Communication Breakdown (Led Zeppelin), Crazy on You (Heart), Day Tripper (The Beatles), Double Vision (Foreigner), Greenacres (TV Theme), Greensleeves (Classical), Hawaii Five-0 (The Ventures), Here Comes the Sun (The Beatles), Hot Blooded (Foreigner), Hotel California (Eagles), Jumpin' Jack Flash (The Rolling Stones), Just What I Needed (The Cars), La Bamba (Richie Valens), ...Last Dance (Tom Petty), Lay It on the Line (Triumph), Magic Power (Triumph), Message in a Bottle (The Police), Midsummer's Daydream (Triumph), More than a Feeling (Boston), Ocean (Led Zeppelin), Over the Hills and Far Away (Led Zeppelin), Pinball Wizard (The Who), Pretty Woman (Roy Orbison), Red Barchetta (Rush), Rocky Mountain Way (Joe Walsh), Runnin' Down A Dream (Tom Petty), Satisfaction (Rolling Stones), Show Me the Way (Peter Frampton), Sign of the Gypsy Queen (April Wine), Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple), Spirit of the Radio (Rush), Stairway to Heaven (Led Zeppelin), Stand By Me (Ben E King), Turn the Page (Bob Seger), What is Life (George Harrison), Wish You Were Here (Pink Floyd), Your Love (The Outfield), and more
Do you play your own originals?
Yes, these are in the stylings of jazz, country, blues, Spanish, and rock & roll, and Southern rock.
Do you take special song requests?
Yes, I am happy to make best efforts to learn new music to fulfill special requests. Please provide at least a few weeks advanced notice.
How can @GuitarOnStage YouTube followers make a song request?
Simply complete the contact form with the song request in the info line, and I will make best efforts to post the video(s).
Do you give guitar lessons?
Occasionally. Ad hoc through the Sweetwaters Coffee & Tea Craig Ranch Monday Nite open mics currently (See Blog for the latest and prior open mic details).
Do you have any audio and/or video samples?
Yes, see the videos page and the GuitaronStage YouTube Channel.
What artists do you follow?
Definitely, Canadian bands like April Wine, Triumph, Rush, Guess Who, Santers, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, and Trooper as well as world class guitarists like Rik Emmett, Tommy Emmanuel (a guitar player's guitar player and considered by many as the greatest living acoustic guitarist), Andy Timmons (Olivia Newton-John's guitarist), Antoine Dufour, Carlos Santana (who to me is like "The Segovia of Electric Guitar") and Pat Metheny (a jazz fusion improvisationalist). I try to listen to a variety of music though am not always up-to-date on the latest artists.
Tell us something surprising about yourself.
When I went to baseball tryouts at age 8, coach and my dad asked which throwing arm I prefer. I replied either arm, and that I had no preference. They had visions of me as a pitcher and decided to turn me into a southpaw. To this day, I write, play guitar, bat, kick and golf right handed, yet throw and open jars and doors left handed.
Additionally, I am 99% vegetarian (approx. 360 out of 365 days), and do not drink or smoke or vape. I subscribe to a plant-based diet with occasional cheese, milk, and eggs, and halibut 3-4 times and turkey 1-2 times per year typically. Paul McCartney and Bryan Adams are 100% vegetarian, and Phil Collen of Def Leppard is vegan. I want to be kind to animals and not eat them. It has been 27 years since I had red meat, longer since I have had pork, and 19 years since I ate chicken. This is primarily for ethical reasons.
Have questions about guitars or maybe a special song request? You can send Steve a note via the contact form.