Any Allan Holdsworth fans?

[Structo]

You know, he is about the one guitarist that I haven't really checked out.

I think I saw a YouTube a few years back that was not very flattering so I didn't pursue him any further.

If you could pick one song or album that is his best work, what would you recommend?

[Reeltarded]

I only saw him once, but it was for about 6 hours and someone else famous showed up and they kept playing for another 4 hours and if i said who i would have to remember what they were wearing and i would have to draw out anything I know about the other guy's amp @ Metro and talk about eq pedals til my eyes bleed, but it was great.

[Colossal]

You know, he is about the one guitarist that I haven't really checked out.

I think I saw a YouTube a few years back that was not very flattering so I didn't pursue him any further.

If you could pick one song or album that is his best work, what would you recommend?

Hi Tom,

Allan Holdsworth is an enigma for many. I get what you mean about not hitting it off right away and pursuing him. Personally, I love 'em. His music really does it for me on both technical and compositional levels. His technique is incredible.

It's really hard to tell you where to start because his career has spanned over 30 years and while his core style has always been there (almost pure legato, wide interval chords) his music has really evolved. He is very much like Rush in the progressive approach; always reaching forward and never repeating himself. His tone is very sonorous and horn-like. He is quoted as saying that he always wanted to play the horn and was influenced by Coltrane. He gets what seems like a very high gain tone but it does not sound grainy or compressed; just horn-like!

I think I might start out with Wardenclyffe Tower as it has the jazz elements but the guitar tone has a lot of raw energy that he masterfully controls. For material that is more band oriented, check out Road Games.

Check out YouTube for anything from Live At Yoshi's in HD. The sound quality is excellent and you can hear his tone (and see his playing) really well:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3COq4fElfRA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6KXK3kMW ... ure=fvwrel

Check out Tokyo Dream (music starts at 0:48 )...an old favorite:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UppF25-TLXY

Metal Fatigue (with Paul Williams on vocals):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nqs5OSyj ... re=related

Devil Take the Hindmost (a crowd favorite):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkWAbnvg ... re=related

Finally, his more recent work, Sixteen Men of Tain (song and album) is just killer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oE_HRhQRiMw

Allan has a background in electronics as well. He developed and marketed a load box that is not resistive. It was called the Harness. It was purchased by Rocktron that issued the Harness II. He always runs in stereo and can pan from clean to dirty via two volume pedals. Both rigs are always on.

[Colossal]

I only saw him once, but it was for about 6 hours and someone else famous showed up and they kept playing for another 4 hours and if i said who i would have to remember what they were wearing and i would have to draw out anything I know about the other guy's amp @ Metro and talk about eq pedals til my eyes bleed, but it was great.

That would be Holdsworth and Van Halen! I have a recording of a GIT session with AH and EVH. Van Halen is a huge supporter of AH and got him a record deal.

[Reeltarded]

I was sitting there.

[Colossal]

I was sitting there.

Unbelievable! (no, I do believe you, but that's incredible!).

[Reeltarded]

I was shocked that anyone knew about it.

BTW: Best player in room not featured on recording; Kimbo Smith.

[oldmacman]

Two pages and nobody has mentioned Believe It with Tony Williams? The story is that George Benson went to see that group in NYC since he had played with Tony on Miles in the Sky, and when Benson heard Holdsworth, he literally choked on his dinner and immediately got him a deal with CTI!

My other favorite Holdsworth moments are his time with Soft Machine (Bundles) and his jazz record None Too Soon (he absolutely kills Countdown).

Also, I play a Carvin Holdsworth Fatboy through a Dumble clone, and it's like the best 335 I never played. Great guitar.

[Colossal]

Also, I play a Carvin Holdsworth Fatboy through a Dumble clone, and it's like the best 335 I never played. Great guitar.

Wow, I'll bet that sounds really, really good. Those Fatboys are really cool guitars. Birch top on yours or did you go with a figured wood? Are you going for a fusion tone?

[SoundPerf]

Also, I play a Carvin Holdsworth Fatboy through a Dumble clone, and it's like the best 335 I never played. Great guitar.

Wow, I'll bet that sounds really, really good. Those Fatboys are really cool guitars. Birch top on yours or did you go with a figured wood? Are you going for a fusion tone?

Interesting the Carvin AH models are mentioned. Those guitars have always caught my eye. This thread got me thinking about them and the other night I was on the site pricing a couple. I was sort of leaning in the newer HH1 and HH2 models. They all are really nice designs and the chambered body is a design type that I don't presently own in a guitar .

I was never a big multi guitar owner kind of guy, and I have guitars now that don't get played enough. But if I was to buy another guitar I really think I would be getting one of the AH Carvins.

[yowza]

Huge Holdsworth fan here. I've seen him a bunch of times over the years and have all of his recordings and tons of live boots. There is a Holdsworth forum for anyone that's interested http://www.holdsy.com/viewforum.php?f=1. There is a fellow there named Chip who knows Allan pretty well and always seems to know what gear he's using. He mentions that Allan has been using a 30 Watt Tomaszwicz EL84 head at home for some recording.

Allan just finished a European tour and from what I hear is still using the Magic Stomps live. He has been using H & K amps for a while but I think he rents cabs and backline when on tour. The latest gear sighting from one of those Euro gigs is his use of Quilter labs solid state amps (sacrilege here I know). There is talk of a new studio recording on the horizon which is long overdue.

A lot of folks don't get his music but for me it has the perfect blend of jazzy rock with interesting, sophisticated compositions and masterful improvisations with the most amazing lines with legato sax-like phrasing, being very melodic for a "fast" player. His tone is incredible and you can always tell it's him so he's able to achieve a signature tone with whatever gear he's using. I think he's the most advanced improviser on the guitar on the planet right now especially in a jazz/fusion style. If you want the same old blues rock, he's not your guy.