Zappa.com

I remember reading an 80s interview where he said he uses a metal pick and you can clearly see it on Does Humour Belong In Music. Did he always use a metal pick? Anyone got an early interview where he mentions it? I guess it's not the sort of question that comes up in interviews much.

After he got his first set of wooden teeth?

I heard Chris Squire uses a quarter for a pick. That's so cool.

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Let's hear it again for the London Philharmonic Orchestra!

Billy Gibbons uses a peso.

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You gotta give the people something good to read, on a Sunday

The mike douglas show got a nice close up of the pick and it looks plastic 1976 and 1977 when asked buy guitar player what strings and pick used zappa just answer the string part?

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Arf you out of your fucking mind.

Brian May uses an old English sixpence.

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"I don't think Pop Tarts have any place in our Lord's plans for the world."

CLUE:

Warren De Martini

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Trendmonger's Moment Of Clarity

FZ "Read It And Weep"
April 17,1981

Frank Zappa left the ZFT in Control of his Vaults and Artistic rights.
We the fans are not in control. We have a choice to use our eyes and ears or read it and weep.

I own FZ's metal pick - Merl Saunders Franks guitar roadie on the 1988 tour gave me some after the Genoa gig - Looking at it - is must be a very work hardened steel as it is thin - and very stiff. it must have a very high yield stress. I could grind and etch an edge and see how small the grains are.

I will try and post a photo of it here if anyone expresses an interest.

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A Blanket in my Muesli. A Blanket in my what??

He's a CEO for Chrissakes!

Mr Trendy, what are you on about!

Can you tell us without beating about the bush

I like to see please
Franks stack was so mean a feather would of did the trick

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Arf you out of your fucking mind.

OK Cleon my Welsh friend, I'll be home on saturday so can pick it up.

The closest thing to it I remember are those plectrums made of semi-precious stones that were ground so thin they are translucent - they were advertised in Guitar Player - early '80s. They were very stiff, yet not prone to brittle failure in normal use.

Merl Saunders.Jr was a very genial man, he came out to see us waiting outside the Italian gigs - he told me that he was trained as an Opera singer, and he IS not a Jordache Jeans wearing personality - as I thought he was in the You are what you is Video - he told me he had a good Golf score and a Mercedez Benz ....only joking... he had a 1960's Merc Convertible. I hope he still has it, he was a real mellow character. I have a lot of respect for him.

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A Blanket in my Muesli. A Blanket in my what??

He's a CEO for Chrissakes!

I am on about giving a clue as to when Frank
stared using metal guitar picks.
DZ has been friends with Warren DeMartini for
a very long time.
Warren would come over the house and DZ and he would play guitar.
FZ started using metal picks after seeing Warren De Martini
use them in his home.
FZ really liked how Warren played.

I hope this is enough a clue for this forum.

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Trendmonger's Moment Of Clarity

FZ "Read It And Weep"
April 17,1981

Frank Zappa left the ZFT in Control of his Vaults and Artistic rights.
We the fans are not in control. We have a choice to use our eyes and ears or read it and weep.

Trendy, we 'aint all got a copy of GP April '87.

can you scan and post up the reference found in the text. Thanks for your attention in bringing your knowledge to this topic.

*GASP*
You don't have GP April '87? How can you call yourself a true fan if you don't have this magazine? It's the benchmark test for weeding out Faux Fans from the True Fans. Without it, this board would become one big Faux Fan Free-For-All!
Are you a Trendy-can....or a Trendy-can't?

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Stay with me flagrantly and we'll have ecstasy for all eternity.

Somebody used a rake. Can't remember the name right now.

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You gotta give the people something good to read, on a Sunday

I saw Nigel Tuffnel take it a step further in 1992 by throwing horseshoes at his guitar.

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“The person who stands up and says, 'This is stupid,' either is asked to behave or, worse, is greeted with a cheerful 'Yes, we know! Isn't it terrific!" -Frank Zappa

What is so funny about these responses
is that you don't have to read a single word
inside that issue to understand the clue.

If an elephant was in front of you taking a shit and you not only
had 20/20 vision but a keen nose for large fecal dispersement
would you know the elephant was taking a shit?

I don't know, look closer

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Trendmonger's Moment Of Clarity

FZ "Read It And Weep"
April 17,1981

Frank Zappa left the ZFT in Control of his Vaults and Artistic rights.
We the fans are not in control. We have a choice to use our eyes and ears or read it and weep.

Let me guess, April 1987?

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The way I see it Barry, this should be a very dynamite show.

Clue #2

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"It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it."

Glad you realised they are supposed to be funny, Trendmonger. I was worried the movie reference would throw you off.

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Stay with me flagrantly and we'll have ecstasy for all eternity.

I think you might be thinking of Fred Frith (of Henry Cow). I think Eugene Chadbourne sometimes used rakes too.

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Let's hear it again for the London Philharmonic Orchestra!

Eugene would play an actual, electrified rake, so I'm not sure that counts.

Ah yes, thanks. I knew the words "rake" and "Chadbourne" were connected somehow.

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Let's hear it again for the London Philharmonic Orchestra!

Here are some images of FZ's metal plectrum I got in Genoa 1988

Here is FZ's pick alongside the worlds most stable currency


The pick is about 0.5 mm thick ( and I say this having left off the calliper reading) Interresting its very faintly magnetic - this suggests its been alloyed with an element to make a very high proof stress. Could be chromium, as stainless steel is not magnetic

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A Blanket in my Muesli. A Blanket in my what??

He's a CEO for Chrissakes!

That is a bute could be ali,nickel covered making it magnetic.
The St. Etienne video looks similar pick used 1982,one of the youtube clips of Zappa playing close up filming looked around same time and familiar setting looked UMRK.

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Arf you out of your fucking mind.