Hey Russ. You are welcome to send it to me and I'll put it on the Synth Zone server so we can see it. I'm interested in seeing myself. My wife bought me the Blue Book of Electric Guitars last year that has a very comprehensive listing. I'll look it up.

I really envy you seeing the Return To Forever lineup before they broke up. To this day if I had to pick an all time favorite album it would be "Romantic Warrior". I have it loaded on my IPOD even now. I never get tired of listening to that album. It always leaves me trembling and makes me want to practice more .... a LOT MORE.

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Here is a posting I made a few years ago on a thread on the General Arranger Forum http://www.synthzone.com/ubbs/Forum37/HTML/003462.html
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Probably my favorite album of all time is Romantic Warrior by Return To Forever featuring Chick Corea on keys with memorable synth lines, Al Di Meola on guitar, Stanley Clarke on bass and Lenny White on drums. Listening to this recording is always an experience.

Many keyboard players are also guitar players as well. There are many guitarists on the forum. I play second lead/rhythm guitar and keyboards in my band Red Rhythm , alternating between them, sometimes switching mid song. Because we have a great lead guitar player I can afford to do that.

I learnt piano when I was young, switched to guitar as a teenager, then in the 80s when I was playing bass in a synth pop band and MIDI made an appearance I took a renewed interest in keyboard playing. Initially MIDI was a way I could create backing tracks to record guitar over. I ended up getting a few different keyboards and modules over the years and when the Internet went public I started Synth Zone in 1994 to list synth resouces online that I found looking for files and software for my own synths. There was no central directory of keyboard links so I put my bookmarks online and called the website Synth Zone . I guess other people also felt the same way cos here we are more than 10 years later.


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 01-21-2005).]

Nigel, the warm-up for Return To Forever at their last concert together was Ramsey Lewis. He had gone totally electric and was trying to use a variety of synths and several pedals...no grand piano. He kept missing the pedals and was struggling.There was lots of feedback from the sound system. It was sad. I'm glad he's back to doing what he does best. Chick came on and blew him away. In mid-1990's Chick was back with an acoustic trio...unbelievable! I think Fred may post the photo of the old Guild soon. If not, I'll send it to you.


Russ

Ramsey is a great musician but I guess he wasn't comfortable with the electronics. Chick Corea is really a master on both acoustic and electric instruments. The synth playing he did with Return To Forever is magnificent and I doubt if it has ever been surpassed to this day. While I love his acoustic piano work I do miss his synth work. Chick really made a synthesizer sing.

I remember seeing a video of Return To Forever in a club live playing Romantic Warrior onstage on a TV show called "The Old Grey Whistle Test". I had previously imagined them all sweating profusely over those impossible lines that they played so flawlessly together. But no, they were so cool, calm and relaxed and didn't drop a beat firing off those memorable runs. Scary and awesome all at the same time.

Ramsey Lewis did just great with the Rhodes on "Sun Goddess". I LOVE that album....he does a really funky version of Stevie Wonder's "Living for the city" that I sometimes play. Love it, love it, love it !

I agree, Dave...great player. Perhaps when I heard him as a warm up for Return to Forever, he was just getting comfortable with new equipment (that happens to all of us). He was also using a sub mixer and going into the Return To Forever system. Or, he could have just been having a bad night (also happens).


Russ

Russ,
I don't have a website, so no idea how or where to post a photo.
It's a real nice guitar that you don't see much though.

There are a lot of nice wallpictures in most bars So Nigel might give us a place to hang our posters.

Fred

Yes, if someone sends me the photo of the Guild I'll show it in a posting on this thread. Just make the subject heading mention the Synth Zone Forum so I notice it amongst the 100s of spam emails I get each day.


[This message has been edited by Nigel (edited 01-26-2005).]

Nigel...thanks...I had my son email several photos to you when I was out. Told him to reference "russ lay's guild guitar". Probably, not much value, in terms of a collectable, but the memories are priceless!

And Fred, you don't know how much I've enjoyed your interest in this old relic and the information you shared about it. That's what "The Bar" is all about!


Russ

Because it's a rare model it's not rated, but to give you an estimation;
The 303 from the sixties is rated between 1300-1500 us $ (source vintage guitar price guide 2005)
I wouldn't be surprised if e-bayed, figures will be pretty high on this one since you have all the original parts.

Fred