HOW IT ALL BEGAN
First and foremost let me introduce myself: my first name is Alex and my last name is Saraceno and yes, my son is guitarist Blues Saraceno.
Being originally from France, I learned to love American Rock Music at a very young age. Came to the U.S. in 1960 when American Bandstand was the show, and soon after, the Beatles and the Stones. My father owned a movie theatre and he would allow me each Sunday to purchase Flat Rate movies like “King Kong vs. Godzilla” and “Eegah” and show them as a double feature but in between we would lift the screen and have a STAGE SHOW. I would get 2 local bands and have a battle of the band onstage. These shows were so popular that kids would come for miles around, filling the orchestra seats and the balcony.
Then the late 60's struck and my girlfriend (now my wife) were off to all those Rock Festivals that followed Woodstock. I would drive my Norton motorcycle all the way to the front of stage to see Leslie West, Grand Funk Railroad, Sly And The Family Stone, etc. You name them, we were there. To add insult to injury, we would go to New York every other week to the Fillmore East (one day we actually brought our dog with us and hidden inside a paper bag…)
Later we moved out of the city and moved to the country on a lake, were we soon found ourselves creating a small commune with the locals using our house as a place to party. One of my buddies there knew how to play a guitar and the next thing you know I was playing the guitar too.
One of the regular hippies there had a father who owned a restaurant and he and I became fast friends. He was able to, thanks to the generosity of his parents, buy a pile of guitars.
He would take me to 48th street in NYC and check out the very cool vintage guitar shops like “Alex's Guitar”, “Styverson”, “We Buy” and a host of others right next to “Manny's” and “Sam Ash”. Here is were I learned what it feels like to hold a real vintage Tele, Strat, Paul, Martin, Guild.
Back then, there was nothing but great guitars and basses. We would also go to New Jersey to “Guitar Trader” were we bought some 59 Pauls.
Unbelievable times…
So why am I rambling on about the glory days?
Well, it is for a simple but important reason. New players today do not get those opportunities, they do not always have a point of reference when it comes to real cool tone. I have lived that life to the fullest and I am trying to pass on to you what is something truly amazing, the ability to identify a great great sound.