October 22, 2010

Eric Gales

Here's a guy whose playing I like a lot. Eric Gales plays left handed Strats, and he is incredibly good. He just turned a right handed straight upside down, and he plays that way. The low E string is at the bottom, since he doesn't restring the guitar in the E-A-D-G-B-E manner. Would be weird for me, but it works for him!

He sounds a bit like Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan with a more modern and aggressive sound, but Eric has his own personal thing going. I love his tone. Marshall and Strats - I like that!

Eric started playing the guitar at age four. His older siblings, Eugene and Manuel taught him many songs at a young age. In 1985, he began to play at blues competitions with his brother Eugene backing him on bass.

His most recent album after 2008's "The Story of My Life" is "Relentless", released in July, 2010. This album is fantastic! I highly recommend it.

Eric participated in a touring tribute to Jimi Hendrix, Experience Hendrix, a while back. The touring group of musicians included Billy Cox (of Band of Gypsys fame), Eric Johnson, Chris Layton (Drummer for Stevie Ray Vaughan's rhythm section, Double Trouble), Doyle Bramhall II, Brad Whitford (of Aerosmith). This ended up being the last tour that Mitch Mitchell ever played.

So yeah, Eric is a fantastic Jimi Hendrix interpreter. He uses more gain and has a more modern and aggressive approach, which is very cool. Have a listen to some examples here below, including his own tune Paralyzed and Wings of Rock'n Roll.

Paralyzed

Wings of rock'n roll

Purple Haze

Foxy Lady

By Robert Renman - www.dolphinstreet.com

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Posted by Robert Renman on October 22, 2010