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Pat Travers Using a Helix


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Some history and trivia...and an indicator of my age. Way back in the day (early '70's)  there was pretty much nothing in regard to learning and playing Rock guitar. Tab was verboten in those days and of course, no internet. Only lazy punks would think to use tab. Guitar Player magazine held out for a LONG time before they finally gave in and started to print tab. Bunch of arrogant guitarophiles. But I digress. There was one book. it was called Improvising Rock Guitar put out by Green Note Publications (now defunct). They took a movie camera (film) and shot a guitar player playing two songs. They then analyzed what he did and transcribed it. Taught me about "boxes" on the fretboard. It also had a floppy record in it that had those songs plus some other stuff on it. That guitar player was Pat Thrall who was playing guitar with Pat Travers during his peak. The book was filled with pictures of various rock guitar guys but as soon as Pat got with Pat, they replaced all of the pics in the book with pics of him. I'm guessing a lot of people my age are aware of this book. Big influence on me just from the book alone. I would say most of the memorable "Pat Travers" solos are actually Pat Thrall.

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That was a great book for sure.  Helped many of us learn to play.

 

Saw Pat Travers in Buffalo a few weeks ago.  Using a Helix and a Mesa Head and 2x12 cab.

He reproduced all those glorious 70's ADA flanger, delay and wah tones incredibly well.

He ran directly into the Return of the Mesa head.  One red pedal in the loop.

 

As far as the memorable solos go.....Pat Thrall is an excellent compliment to PT's playing.  Great technical player.

But he did not join the band until Heat In The Street.  Pat was killing it long before Thrall was along for the ride.
 

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16 minutes ago, brue58ski said:

There was one book. it was called Improvising Rock Guitar put out by Green Note Publications (now defunct). They took a movie camera (film) and shot a guitar player playing two songs. They then analyzed what he did and transcribed it. Taught me about "boxes" on the fretboard. It also had a floppy record in it that had those songs plus some other stuff on it.

 

I was just started out (within my first year of playing)... checked that very book out of the library and learned those same "boxes". I renewed it as long as I was allowed... returned it for the allotted "week" then would check it out again. I "shamefully" admit that I did tear out the floppy record and kept it for myself :) 

 

16 minutes ago, brue58ski said:

I would say most of the memorable "Pat Travers" solos are actually Pat Thrall.

 

Pat Thrall was a huge part of those memorable years.... as was "Tommy Aldridge" on drums. 

However, don't under-estimate Pat Travers, he was around for many years before Thrall, and continued just fine without Thrall. 

 

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1 hour ago, codamedia said:

 

Pat Thrall was a huge part of those memorable years.... as was "Tommy Aldridge" on drums. 

However, don't under-estimate Pat Travers, he was around for many years before Thrall, and continued just fine without Thrall. 

 

Oh I don't underestimate him. I just didn't really like anything Travers did without Thrall. Not an empirical statement, just opinion. All the Travers albums I bought and liked, had Thrall on them.

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1 hour ago, bobruz said:

That was a great book for sure.  Helped many of us learn to play.

 

Saw Pat Travers in Buffalo a few weeks ago.  Using a Helix and a Mesa Head and 2x12 cab.

He reproduced all those glorious 70's ADA flanger, delay and wah tones incredibly well.

He ran directly into the Return of the Mesa head.  One red pedal in the loop.

 

As far as the memorable solos go.....Pat Thrall is an excellent compliment to PT's playing.  Great technical player.

But he did not join the band until Heat In The Street.  Pat was killing it long before Thrall was along for the ride.
 

 

Have to agree and talented as Pat Thrall may have been, for me Traver's best albums were "Life In London" and "Makin' Magic". "Heat In The Streets" and the stuff that followed was more like the Sammy Hagar era of Van Halen, as in just not as good as the stuff that preceded him.  I preferred the early years and pretty much stopped listening to him after those albums.  Just my opinion and probably reflects which Travers albums I heard first more than any objective measure. The later stuff started to sound more pop and less rock to me.

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