Neil Zlozower - Six-String Heroes: Photographs of Great Guitarists

Why the guitar? you ask.

Perhaps because its the coolest instrument in the world.

Well, at least the people in this book think so.

For most of them, the first time they ever laid eyes on the instrument, its intoxicating allure was swift and explosive. Yet there was never a moment when they made the conscious choice to become a guitar player. Because that would mean there had been an option. For them, the calling of the guitar was irresistible.

Its graceful curves, its slender neck, its variety of shapes and colors, its infinity of sounds, and the way it feels against the body when slung over the shoulder and gripped in the hands are like Cupids arrows piercing the hearts of its lovers.

Once they experienced its enticing charms, they knew they could never keep their hands off. They realized their six-string journey of discovery would have no end. Its a magnificent life sentence.

When youre in high school, theres nothing cooler than playing guitar in a rock band. It doesnt matter if youre rich, poor, short, fat, cute, or ugly, you are just fuckin cool, baby, because you play guitar in a rock band. And one of the coolest things is the connection that forms among band members. Its a bond unlike any other.

Going through first-time life experiences, such as driving a car, having sex, breaking up, making up, and getting drunk or high, are richer experiences when you voyage through them with your band brothers.

Once they left behind the passion and warfare of their adolescent years, the people in the pages of this book variously faced challenges of addiction, rising to fame, attaining material success, reveling in excess, enduring financial ruin, hitting bottom, making comebacks, finding God, and experiencing touring demands that could cripple a platoon of Navy SEALs. Through it all, their guitar has been a faithful friend that is always there to turn to.

It offers unconditional acceptance to everyone, regardless of race, gender, religion, or personal shortcomings. It is a companion you can communicate with anytime, and it will never judge or abandon you.

With our hands on the guitar and a willingness to explore our innermost being, the instrument becomes a conduit of selfexpression to the outside. What lies underneath the skin comes to the surface. The cool become cooler, the geeky become geekier, the strong turn mighty, and the superficial hopelessly devolve. We cannot hide who we really are. We are naked to the world.

The guitar moves with us physically and emotionally, with a voice that bends, whispers, screams, purrs, and moans. And it does these things differently from any other instrument, provided that the player is a capable seducer.

The guitar breathes fire into all the styles of music that it plays. Just look at the expanse of its playgroundjazz, classical, blues, folk, country, and, of course, rock. What a vapid world we would live in without it quiet, too. Not only does it rule the world of its players, but entire subcultures also can be generated by the various ongoing permuta-tions in guitar design. This is evidenced by the resurgent metal scene at the turn of the 21st century, spawned by the tuned-down seven-string guitar.

Some people devotedly practice their guitar for 15 hours a day and become shred machines, and some never practice and can barely form an E Major chord. Some people play a note or two, then polish their guitar and hang it on the wall like its a museum piece, while others smash it into little pieces and set it on fire. But regardless of all that, what moves the listener is the sincerity and confidence of the player.

A true guitar hero enters a guitar-induced hypnotic state and immerses the audience in an ocean of trance-induced audio elixir, thus revealing the secrets of his soul.

I have found that most great guitar players never feel as though they are good enough. A sign of humility, it is also a sign of real greatness.

Because of the technical advantages of its design, the dynamic range of the guitar is gigantic. Theres no limit to how softly and tenderly it can be caressed, or to how fiercely and chaotically it can be wailed upon. If you think about it, every note ever played on any guitar has never been played exactly the same way twice. Perhaps there are as many guitar notes that have been plucked as there are snowflakes that have fallen on the Earth. And you could probably find half of them in one of my solos the stormy, icy ones.

Whether its sound is harshly distorted, crystal clean, organically acoustic, or highly processed, the instruments most enchanting attraction is the way its vibrating strings create attunement deep within its admirers. This resonance is uniquely satisfying, and to go without it for any period of time can result in auditory withdrawal pangs. We need our daily dose of strings!

Now its time to get esoteric on your ass.

I see the universe as a series of infinite vibrations that are resonating within each other. From the motions of the tiny atom to the orbits of the solar system to the expansion of the cosmos all is in a state of constant vibration. Each color of the rainbow vibrates at its own frequency, and though they are more refined, thoughts and feelings are a form of vibration existing within a subtler dimension. All are set into motion by a primal action. And what that is, God only knows.

I believe that no other instrument captures the vibrational microcosm of the Creation like the guitar. Every kirchang of its strings is like the creation of a universe set into motion by its kirchanger. Aha! Perhaps thats why so many guitarists have a God complex ?

Nah, cmon, we all know that lead singers are the real creators of the universe, for fucks sake!

Playing the guitar is a cathartic expression of self-discovery. And heres the good news. You dont have to be one of the people in this book to play it. Anyone can play guitar, and maybe everyone should. Please hear this loud and clear: Its your right to play it, and it does not matter how good or bad you are. Guitar playing is a form of artistic expression and freedom, and in reality, theres no wrong way to do it. Even if you have the technique or strength to set only one note into motion, it can envelop your spirit and light up your world. Just try it!

If you happen to be one of the elite players who made it into this book, it means that you have heard the call of the guitar, fallen in love with it, and have taken your lifes journey with a handful of six-string soul. It was also inevitable that at some point along the way, your destiny dictated you would be given orders by a more powerful voice than that of your own muse. It was the voice of the infamous creator of the photos in this book.