Clapton and The Guitar Center Part 3

In the afternoon 2 guys from the Guitar Center showed up with two Ramirez guitars. One announced himself as the store manager and the other - well - maybe he was there just in case someone was going to run off with the guitars. Paramount, like any major studio is like a prison. High walls, and security everywhere. There's no escaping the lot without 20 guards chasing after you. These days the studio lots are probably more difficult to enter than a military base.

Eric was recording on the main stage, so I asked the GC guys to hang in the producers booth. The room is large and may have been used for solos but mostly the orchestra contractor would sit on the phone juggling schedules. Or if things were going badly on a recording date the producer might have a meeting with the director. (Not so on the Clapton recordings.)

I walked out onto the main stage and told Clapton the GC guys were there with the guitars. He said he'd look at them on a break. Now this man Clapton loves the guitar. I don't think the word 'break' occurs to him as something he needs to do. When he was on break he would have a guitar in hand and be running a tune or blues riff or noodling away as only Clapton can do. At times you would find yourself in conversation with the director or producer and Clapton is 3 feet away - on his guitar picking for no one but himself. It's pretty odd carrying on a conversation while he's sitting there because... you realize you're talking over Clapton's playing.

So - on break - he meets the GC guys and starts playing the guitars. As it happens Christopher Guest comes to the stage because Clapton is a HUGE fan of Spinal Tap and he can quote from the film. And relate to it. And Chris Guest is an accomplished musician. (Plus one of my favorite film makers. ) Anyway the details of how he came to the session aren't important. The point is he was there. Guest is quiet but you sense there's the hum of a supercomputer taking everything in. He's stealth funny. He can, I'm told, imitate odd sounds.











Anyway while Clapton is deciding on which guitar to buy, Guest has reprised the role of Nigel Tufnel. Only he's very subtle about it. In fact I don't think the GC manager or his sidekick even recognized Guest - who as Nigel is now quizzing the GC manager about the Ramirez....It's history.... Is it true Segovia played this very guitar? Now most of us recognize Nigel Tufnel but the GC manager has no idea. After a minute or two of questions Guest (as Nigel) asks the GC manager if they can put a pickup and a tremolo bar on the Ramirez classical guitar.
"You know maybe drill a few holes in the face here. Mount the whammy bar. That would make a very nice guitar", says Nigel to the stunned GC manager.

It was an awesome moment for me.

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Eric Clapton, Guitar Center, Christopher Guest, Nigel Tufnel, Corky St. Clair, Waiting For Guffman, This is Spinal Tap, Best In Show