PaulFellows

Biography

Started playing guitar at about the age of 9 years old after being given a lovely old 1958 Hofner Congress Arch Top guitar by my cousin Gordon ( Thanks Gordon!). Listened to the Beatles and the Rolling Stones back then and went along to few guitar lessons which showed me how to play a few chords.

Then in the early 70's after not making a great deal of progress on the guitar, I saw a program on TV which featured BB King in London and that really got me into the guitar and I was bought a Vox Les Paul Copy and an old WEM Dominator Mk3 amplifier by my parents which enabled me to start to learn lead guitar and playing the Blues. I taught myself with the aid of few books and using the time tested technique of rewinding a C60 cassette tape over and over again to work out how to play lead riffs and solos.

I was introduced to Pink Floyd and Deep Purple and the magic of Mr Gilmour and Mr Blackmore. Such fabulous guitar players to listen to and tune into back then ... Jeff Beck, Jan Ackerman, Eric Clapton, Johnny Winter, Freddy King, Steve Winwood, Chris Rea, Tony Iommi, Jimmy Page, Carlos Santana, Billy Gibbons, Wilco Johnson, Rory Gallagher, Jimmy Hendrix, Gary Moore, George Benson, Michael Schenker, ....

Played in a local band I formed with some friends down the pub in my late teens called Hot Spanna. We played gigs around the North East of England ( Middlesbrough, Stockton, Sunderland, Scarborough ... ). Even managed the dizzy heights of being the support act for Alan Hull of Lindesfarne fame at Middlesbrough Town Hall once. I also remember being the support act for Thin Lizzy at the Rock Garden in Middlesbrough one night. Then after the singer left to get married it all kind of broke up and I decided to go and get a proper job and gave up the guitar whilst I started a degree course in Microelectronics. Didn't really have time after that to pick up a guitar again during the next 30 years whilst I worked around the planet in Microchips and consumer electronics.

Hit 50 and thought I had better start to try and have some fun in my life again. So it was either going to be to learn to ride a Harley or relearn the guitar again. My wife chose for me by buying me a guitar for my 50th!

So 7 years later I am now back to where I was when I was 19 but I think much, much better after being totally rubbish at the age of 50!

Instruments

Various guitars.

Hofner Congress (still have it after all these years)
Ned Callan Salisbury (1972 model which I bought in 1978)
Various home built Stratocasters, Telecasters and an old 1978 Hondo 2 LP copy.

recording devices

Apple Mac with Logic Pro
Use an I2M Sonuus to connect the guitar to the Mac. Can inject as either (or both) guitar or Midi so I can play either regular guitar or into a Midi Synth.