I’ll tell you a funny story. At least I think it’s a funny story…
 
I was going through all of my guitar parts today. Doing a Spring Cleaning in the Autumn.
 
The thing is about guitar parts—that is if you work on guitars, creating, redoing, remaking, modifying, and all of that kind of good stuff, you never know what you will need until you need it. If you have it, great! If not, then you have to go and find it, (and get it), which takes time and breaks your flow and all of that kind of nonsense. No Fun. So you, meaning me, and others of my nature, we collect a lot of screws, nuts, bridges, pickups, pickguards, tunning keys, knobs, you name it…
 
Anyway, my STUFF had gotten a bit unruly, so I decided to go through it all and clean it up. In doing so, what I found was my favorite guitar pick from the 1970s. WOW, I did not even know that it still existed. Yes, I, of course, remember it. But, I thought it was long gone. It was not. It still had the logo from West L.A. Music on it. A place where, back in the day, was one of the few and the best places to get your (my) gear.
 
Anyway, I’ve always played very light guitar picks. In fact, I play the lightest gage picks I can find. That’s always been my style. Whereas, many/most players go for a thicker gage. Back then, very thin picks were a bit hard to come by. So, that pick was/is a unique piece of history. At least in my mind.
 
Finding it, sent me down memory lane. And, here comes the funny story. Finally… That, at least I, think is funny.
 
Back when I first got into the Film Game, when I was in my early thirties. My agent would send me on a lot of auditions. I got this one for a commercial, where they were seeking a heavy metal guy who could really play great lead guitar. Right up my alley. Though the fact to the fact is, many a person has assumed that I’m into Metal, due to the length of my hair, but that’s not the actually the case.
 
So, I go to the audition, guitar in hand. Ahead of me were all of these long-haired players. Now, I’m not saying they were all bad. But, most of them were actors, and not true musicians. Which was the complete opposite of me. They got up there, read their lines, and played their licks, with little consequence. Nothing great. Finally, my turn. The last guy up for the part. I go up there, and I just burn up the lead. I mean, that’s what I do/did. I was a hot-licks lead guitarist. Though my guitar playing influences did not come out of Rock, but came from people like Jon McLaughlin and Al Di Meola, add a little distortion to my sound, and I could blow it up.
 
I concluded. I could tell the casting agents were blown away. I look at them, and in all my knowing arrogance say, “I guess I get the gig.”
 
Thinking back, I remember I brought the guitar to that audition made by my friend Jim Foote. It was a great player. Really definitive of the era. Strat style, single humbucking, Floyd Rose. It had this awesome crack-o-lite finish on it done by a guy named Jim O’Connor. I wish I still had that guitar. I think I got poor at one point, and needed some money, so I sold it. If the guy I sold it to still has it, and wants to sell it back to me, let me know, I give you the four-hundred dollars you paid me for it.
 
I didn’t hear anything for a couple of weeks. I was really surprised as I felt I had really nailed the part. Then, one night, I’m watching TV with my lady, and a commercial comes on. I believe it was for Doritos, if my memory serves me right. There, instead of me was Ted Nugent doing the part. I both laughed and was a bit annoyed. I got beat out by a Rock Star. Even though I think I’m a better player than he is. My question was, why did they even bother auditioning me and others if they knew they were going to cast him. But, as I learned, that’s Hollywood.
 
There’s a lot of things that could/can be read into this on all levels. But, anyway… Just a note from the Annals of Scott Shaw. A little piece of history and perhaps a little bit of a life lesson, for whatever it is worth. Make of it what you will.