FIRST
TAKE
A Friendly
Reminder...
By Marc Ganetakos
Ed.’s note: Marc Ganetakos is an in-demand Canadian guitar-
ist and multi-instrumentalist with an impressive list of per-
formance and composition credits. Marc recently shared the
following post on his Facebook page and it generated a ton
of positive feedback, with some of the comments being as
inspiring as the original story itself. I’m grateful he agreed
to let us share it with you here.
- Andrew King, Editor-in-Chief
Sometimes it’s important to reconnect with the reason we do
what we do.
A few months ago, I spotted a Gibson ES-335 electric guitar that I
knew would be perfect for some upcoming sessions (read: one that
I could justify purchasing). But when I went to pick it up a few days
ago, I didn’t love it. This was downright weird as I was stoked about
finding this instrument, and twice as pumped about picking it up
and then recording with it.
So I started looking around the store for something else I could
use – a practical way to repurpose my deposit towards the 335, maybe
something for my studio. But I couldn’t find anything I wanted or,
more importantly, anything that I actually needed.
Then I spotted the Eddie Van Halen Wolfgang models. Of course,
walking out with one of these would be totally impractical. I’m a
session musician and performer, sometimes a producer and a writer
of songs, of TV themes, and of soundtracks. “No one wants Hendrix
dive bombs anymore,” I thought to myself...
But then I started playing one of them – a matte black model. All of
a sudden, I was 13 again, cutting classes and playing songs from Fair
Warning in my best buddy’s basement. I went for a huge dive bomb
through a comically overdriven amplifier, watched the strings slack
until they felt like they were down at my knees, and then hit a har-
monic as the strings were returning to pitch: “Woooooup-CLANG!!!!”
“I’ll take it!” I said, laughing.
I returned to pick up this black demon axe shortly after and spot-
ted a white gloss Wolfgang model hanging in place of the black one.
Apparently, this creamy slice of gorgeousness wasn’t hanging the day
I initially tried the Wolfgang models because they didn’t have the
space for it on the wall. I know I would’ve spotted this instrument and
reached for it ahead of the black one had it been hanging there. It
would “pop” better on stage, plus it had a maple neck (my preference
over the ebony fretboard on the black model).
I played it, and it was also hilariously awesome; even better, in fact.
(I’ve discovered maple necks after a lifetime of squeezing rosewood.)
In an amazing stroke of luck (or perhaps divine intervention?),
the black Wolfgang wasn’t ready for me. It simply hadn’t made it to
the work bench! So, with a simple serial number alteration on the
paperwork, I walked out with the stunning EVH Polar White Wolfgang
that I would have selected in the first place.
I’m in a really, really tough business. I’ve been very, very lucky, and
I’ll continue to work my ass off to maintain that luck. I love all styles
of music and I frequently play in many genres with many different
types of artists. To say that I’m grateful for the career I have would be
a massive understatement.
But before there were charts and choreography and cues I couldn’t
miss, there was only rock ‘n’ roll guitar, scissor kicks, and jumping off am-
plifiers. That’s the whole reason I started playing guitar in the first place.
It wasn’t about making a living; I was going to be a fucking superhero!
Reconnecting with that spirit during this recent adventure has
been a real gift, and the way that this guitar found me has been a
big part of that.
Marc Ganetakos is a renowned guitarist and multi-instrumentalist
whose credits include stints with Nelly Furtado and Ashley MacIsaac.
He is currently based in Toronto, where he writes and produces music in
all genres, including original scores for Canadian film and TV proj-
ects. He is a proud endorser of Godin Guitars, Traynor Amplifiers, and
D’Addario Strings. www.marcganetakos.com.
CANADIAN MUSICIAN 9