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headlessguitar
New
Username: headlessguitar

Post Number: 1
Registered: 12-2008
Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 6:22 am:   Edit Post

Algis Greitai
Vilnius, Lithuania
Being a TV comedian/director/TV producer does not mean that you cannot play and record music that you like.
That's what I do both on stage and in my cozy home studio.
My influences are: Frank Zappa, ELP, Igor Stravinsky, John McLaughlin, all that crazy Drum'n'Bass, neat Scandinavian jazz, Steely Dan, Allan Holdsworth, etc.
Although I perform live with my band SSG quite a lot lately, I cannot call myself a true professional guitarist. Playing both bass and guitar, I consider myself a snob of the both worlds, and even a luthier, in a sense.
As a dedicated Citroen lover, I do believe that musical instruments must have proper aesthetics in the first place. Yes, this is more important to me than all that technical data. Or at least it used to be so until recently...


I remember buying my first Citroen ten years or so ago, it was this huge CX. At the time, I didn't know that those cars were equipped with hydropneumatic suspension and lots of other sophisticated stuff, - to me they were merely nice things, pieces of art. It was quite astonishing to know them better...
The same happened to me "Steinberger-wise". Of course, when I first saw an L or XL bass on TV two decades ago, I didn't realize how advanced this thing was technically, I had no idea it was the graphite, I knew nothing of Steinberger tuners, just kept wondering how those guys kept their basses in tune.
Having at that time a Hohner guitar (not a Steinberger copy) and an Ibanez bass in my arsenal, I don't know when and why I decided to obtain a Steinberger. It was rather programmed in my mind, I guess. And so it was, on one faithful afternoon in Edinburgh, I found a music store and a black cheap all-wooden Spirit in it. I bought it, rather on a whim.
When I got back home, I went through eBay seeking for Steinbergers and eventually googled nearly everything about the brand. And it was only then that I got acquainted with the graphite thing (which explained why my Spirit was so cheap - a £200 and why it was called Spirit). And, just like in my love story with the Citroen, I realized why these guitars and basses were so technically superb, not only looking like nothing else.
Although my judgements are merely a personal thing, I do believe that British aircraft engineers of the pre WWII days could pass their "What looks right is right" not only on the Spitfire, this very same could be said about the Steinberger, too.
And then it all began. As a complete madman, I subsequently bought all my Steinbergers: 5 string fretless Synapse, XL 2, XM 2, two GM7TA's, and a ZT3 (not counting my Spirit and yet another Hohner, the GT3 which I would never recommend if you use the tremolo). Yes, I do now posses not only my modest Citroen collection (a CX Limousine included!), I can now proudly introduce myself as a Steinberger collector, at least in my country.
While gathering my Steinbergers together I was lucky enough to meet the guy called Tim, www.guitarsend.com, the host of this great site. My Synapse Fretless, the ZT3 and the XL 2 is his great job. Actually, the XL 2 used to be his uncle Tonie's... and now it's mine.
A television comedian, grouped with professional jazzmen, his friends, in a sophisticated jazz/rock/funk band SSG, lucky enough to care not about audience's opinion on his music, playing proudly his Steinbergers on stage. It's all about me.

A Closer Look...
Here are some links that you just might find interesting. I've known Algis for some time now and his popularity has grown by leaps and bounds since I first met him. For those of you that are interested in contacting him please simply email me and I will forward to him.
http://www.guitarsend.com/index.htm
http://muzika.frype.lt/music/musician.php?mid=53087
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jt86INsOvIg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f2hrNTvOEEU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RRDe6Zn7_l4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sbqv5Q9UAQQ
http://www.guitarsend.com/guitarsendmusicians.htm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWvW0ZwGyNU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SKqTz6x4_Q

Other professionals
lbpesq
Senior Member
Username: lbpesq

Post Number: 3459
Registered: 7-2004
Posted on Wednesday, December 31, 2008 - 8:01 am:   Edit Post

huh? You're profile says you're 23, so I guess you were 3 years old when you bought your first Steinberger and 13 when you bought your first Citreon? And this all has to do with Alembic how? Something does not compute, but welcome to the club, anyway.

Bill, tgo

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