Frank Gambale

[War Admiral]

As I mentioned in my Steve Vai post...its guitar festival time here and Frank Gambale is next for me tomorrow night...dont know if he is well known here but he is another monster player. Has the canadian jazz band Uzeb to back him up...only canadians might know what I'm talking about...anyways its going to be killer!!! Frank slays
Bringing the wife with me again...im driving her nuts lol

 

[Rick Lee]

I saw him at NAMM with Alain Caron and Damien Schmitt a few years ago. Effing insane show. I was there to see Maragold, was told they'd start at 10:30. I got there at 10 and everyone was running real late. So I first caught Jeff Berlin with Danny Gottlieb and then Frank Gambale's band. Still in awe. I talked with him at the last NAMM, but he wasn't playing that night.

 

[War Admiral]

I saw him at NAMM with Alain Caron and Damien Schmitt a few years ago. Effing insane show. I was there to see Maragold, was told they'd start at 10:30. I got there at 10 and everyone was running real late. So I first caught Jeff Berlin with Danny Gottlieb and then Frank Gambale's band. Still in awe. I talked with him at the last NAMM, but he wasn't playing that night.

Right on! Yeah Alain Caron was the bass player in Uzeb

 

[cecilbag]

I love that guy. He's known as the sweep master but he's so much more than that. He also seems like a truly nice guy. I've been trying to get a video he made back in the day that was like an aerobics video for guitar. I saw it once on ebay and it was unreal how hard it was. It got pulled down the next day. I would love to find it on dvd but it seems lost.

 

[War Admiral]

I love that guy. He's known as the sweep master but he's so much more than that. He also seems like a truly nice guy. I've been trying to get a video he made back in the day that was like an aerobics video for guitar. I saw it once on ebay and it was unreal how hard it was. It got pulled down the next day. I would love to find it on dvd but it seems lost.

He really does seem to be a nice guy...its funny you would think players of that caliber would be assholes or stuck up....quite the opposite...they just want to share the wealth and be helpful...been my experience so far

 

[Rick Lee]

It's not like Frank Gambale gets harassed in restaurants and airports by autograph seekers. He's one of the most badass players alive, but he's not a rock star by any stretch. At the last NAMM he and Alain were carrying their axes in gig bags on their backs as they walked from one appearance to the other, no security in tow because no one knows them. Run into Slash or EVH there and you'd think the president of the US were in the bldg.

 

[War Admiral]

It's not like Frank Gambale gets harassed in restaurants and airports by autograph seekers. He's one of the most badass players alive, but he's not a rock star by any stretch. At the last NAMM he and Alain were carrying their axes in gig bags on their backs as they walked from one appearance to the other, no security in tow because no one knows them. Run into Slash or EVH there and you'd think the president of the US were in the bldg.

same with tommy emmanuel...one of the most badass acoustic guitar players on the planet and I met him when he was just walking around town before the gig with his guitar on his back...no one knew who he was lol

 

[Oblivion DC]

I remember seeing him, must be 25 years ago, at a performance for Musicians Institute. Just insane technique and possibly the biggest head I've ever seen. All around nice guy.

 

[PBGas]

Doesn't he use that efficient picking technique? I remember watching a vid of him doing that from the REH series many, many moons ago.....utterly fabulous!!!!

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

Gambale is still around and still playing? Wow. Surprise, surprise.

 

[shredhead7]

Frank is a great player, clearly amazing technique, but I always found him to be a bit cold. Perhaps he's changed through the years, but he always gravitated towards thin, processed sounds (maybe that helps with his technique?). It would be cool to see someone that has such control though.

 

[glassjaw7]

He's a beast. I have his old Boss FB-2 from a few years back. Someone buy it! lol

 

[mooncobra]

I love that guy. He's known as the sweep master but he's so much more than that. He also seems like a truly nice guy. I've been trying to get a video he made back in the day that was like an aerobics video for guitar. I saw it once on ebay and it was unreal how hard it was. It got pulled down the next day. I would love to find it on dvd but it seems lost.

dude, youtube!!!!!!!!

 

[dfrattaroli]

Monster player. His book on Modes was a huge help to me.

 

[cecilbag]

I love that guy. He's known as the sweep master but he's so much more than that. He also seems like a truly nice guy. I've been trying to get a video he made back in the day that was like an aerobics video for guitar. I saw it once on ebay and it was unreal how hard it was. It got pulled down the next day. I would love to find it on dvd but it seems lost.

dude, youtube!!!!!!!!

Only sections are up there. I actually found it on his own website. I swear it wasn't there a year or two ago when I looked. Have it coming to me now lol

 

[gtrwun]

First time I saw Frank was at Yoshi's SF many years back and none of us knew who he even was. 85-86 maybe? He was playing guitar in Jeff Berlin's band. Steve Smith on drums. Quite a show and Frank dropped a lot of jaws on the floor that night with some extended improvs.
Saw him a few years later at Namm at the Ibanez Jam with Vai, Satriani, Impelliteri, etc. Frank came out after Impelliteri and walked up to the mic, and said "now I'm going to try to find a note that hasn't been played!"

 

[mdc1mdc11]

whenever John McLaughlin jokingly says he would like to break his fingers it says quite a bit about his technique. Definitely not for the guitar types that love to drone away on a single scale choice or pentatonic box with limited modulation through a few chords. His improv books are some of the best stuff I have seen, the rest you need a teacher that can help you through it. BTW, he plays blues very well for those that did not know.

 

[Mailman1971]

Wasn't the Ibanez Saber Frank's model?
Thought that yellow one was his sig back in the 80s

Correct me if my mind isn't what it used to be.

 

[gtrwun]

Wasn't the Ibanez Saber Frank's model?
Thought that yellow one was his sig back in the 80s

Correct me if my mind isn't what it used to be.

Yeah, that is correct Dan. That's what he played at Namm when I saw him there.

 

[Emperor Guillotine]

Yeah, that is correct Dan. That's what he played at Namm when I saw him there.

As soon as someone mentions Frank Gambale's name, those guitars are the first thing that pop into my head. Not his playing - his guitars. I'm not an Ibanez fan, but I remember first seeing his signature model in those colors years ago as a kid.