dunno if you guys cares but if you're bored like me during the covid times you can stream all the latest movies and series on instaflixxer. Have been binge watching with my gf lately xD
@@gktde9874 I honestly like some of the synthaxe stuff he did. Just depends on which sound he's using. Obviously, it's nothing compared to his guitar work.
You couldn't pause or rewind it either. You had to plan to watch it. We didn't have a VCR ...too poor at the time. We got a VCR in 1986 I believe. The early ones cost 500 bucks or so.....which was a shit ton of money back then
Such an amazing musician. I had the honor to see Allan in NYC's "The Bottom Line," right across the street from NYU, which has been closed for many years now. This would have been mid 1980's and I saw him twice. He was astounding live. This was the Holdsworth, Wackerman, Johnson and Pasqua line up. I think the Synth-Axe has now had it's day. After Holdsworth, who else could truly handle it? RIP Allan Holdsworth, the Master.
Yes its etched in mine too! It's in the second series. Allan used to live within walking distance of where I live now and was born. I was too young to know of him at the time though. Total one off genius never to be repeated.
That's true I don't understand his musical vocabulary. It is so unique. There could be only one and that is Allan Holdsworth. True legend and for most unknown.
When I clicked on this video I was like "Um. That's not Allan Holdsworth..." and then he actually pops up and I was like "Oh ok. Now this video makes sense". LOL!
First I thought "Rockschool" was like a kid's show and Allan had put a hairpiece because the producers requested, like to make it entertaining for kids. 😂
@@PaulCooijmans Sorry to bust up your "hindsight" for ya.. The incredible dramatic sound that Allan got on his composition, Non-brewed Condiment, can't be done on your keyboard/s. Chords on that tune sound too generic, thin, and weak, on a guitar. Furthermore, show me a keyboard player that can do it. What Kei Akagi did AIN'T the same. There is no other instrument in the world that can replace the sound Allan got on that phenomenal tune. Period.
Yeah. Your "future" has meant that All Holdsworth's, and others, cool websites with the nice lookin' flash intros, are all gone now. And they've been replaced by cheap trash pathetic message boards like zuckerberg's facebook. So much for your "future", eh?
Fantastic clip. Amazing tech, but it's also really nice that Allan did continue with guitars right to the end. The guitar has so much character and nuance, it would seem wrong if Allan had abandoned it. He was one of the greatest ever to play the instrument (and the Synthaxe!)
i remember the rock school show. my schoolmate was from UK and he knew about these shows which were sometimes shown on US PBS stations. wish i had seen holdsworth back then...
These days the only player still rocking a Synthaxe on stage isn't even a guitarist. Roy "Futureman" Wooten of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones uses his to play DRUMS on.
Yes you are right Holdsworth just found it easy ...and probably thought everybody else could easily understand what he was saying ...the guy was just a down to earth genius
All of which would be fine had he not been a soulless technician shown here mooning over a toy ENTIRELY void of character. RIP dear ol' Flurry Fingers.
I was watching Kids of Degrassi Street on British telly with my mate in the days when rockschool was on BBC2 at 6pm. I still have this episode on VHS taped by T. Nunes if you are watching, now in Canada!
Oh, man, I remember Rockschool! Very entertaining it was too if not thorough enough to be truly educational. I hadn't yet heard of Holdsworth then so this didn't impress itself on my memory although I do recall Pat Metheny doing his synth trumpet routine. Great upload.
SAW HOLDSWORTH PLAY A VERY SIMPLE ONE PICKUP STRAT BODY TWICE IN MONTEREY,CA., TWICE IN A SMALL CLUB. HE COULD DO THINGS ON THE GUITAR THAT NO SYNTH CAN DO.
No. You/we aren't playing any such thing. Sorry to break it to the likes of dimwits such as yourself, but Yamaha's G10, 50, or whatever, AIN'T the same thing or sound.
It's so cool to see the Synthaxe at the time of its birth, before every other 13 year old kid in the universe had one in his or her bedroom. Though it's kind of a shame (to me, anyway) that once the Synthaxe came around, people could no longer appreciate the old guitars like Stratocasters (I think Fender made those), and Les Pauls (made by Gibson, if I'm not mistaken). I popped into a pawn shop this week, and up on the wall was this old Les Paul guitar, I think the guy said it was like from 1958 or something, and it was selling for, I don't know, 50 or 60 bucks. A tiny part of me was tempted to buy it, just for nostalgia's sake. But honestly, my wife would have killed me--I'd have to get rid of one of my Synthaxes. Even though I've got 8 of them, it deciding which one to turn loose would kill me. I could *maybe* part with my 1990 Mexican-made Synthaxe reissue, but to toss it for an old-fashioned electric guitar...ain't gonna happen.
I recall when "Atavachron" was tearing up the billboard charts and - literally overnight - all my friends owned a SynthAxe. I got one but found it quite the bore ... so I chucked it and bought a ukelele. Then came the SynthUke and the cycle repeated itself. I took up the glockenspiel just to distinguish myself ... the SynthGlock destroyed that ambition. Now I play maracas ... but I KNOW SynthAcas are right around the corner. I am just so sick of fads.
I remember watching this show on PBS back then. There was also an article in Guitar World magazine around the same time with Holdsworth talking about the then-new Synthaxe. Sounds very much of its time, ‘80s keyboard-y. Cool, but I wonder if there was a patch that would make it sound like a Strat into a Deluxe Reverb ;-).
You're right, but when this thing came out, it was like sending a caveman to the moon. 40 years later, cavemen still play Strats, and the Synthaxe is long gone. Planet not ready. End of communication :p)
FM synthesis is very expressive when used properly, and Allan had racks of them and knew what he was doing. I agree the example used in this TV piece is not a good example of what I am describing.
40 años después ese tipo de guitarras tienen una latencia apreciable. Como puede ser que Alan pudiese tocar con esa fluidez? En aquel entonces la latencia sería muchísimo mayor...
She sounded so nervous doing that demo. Maybe the combination of being filmed using such an unusual instrument for a guitar player, and the bill if she dropped it lol.
It's funny. I remember this guitar from a video of Gary Moore. It was "Out In The Fields" and you can see it here in minute 2 ua-cam.com/video/xsKpazeA5L8/v-deo.html
I think this is the most eighties thing in the universe.
nope its holdsworth trosuers and the way he weared it^^
A DX7 at the end to top it off!
dunno if you guys cares but if you're bored like me during the covid times you can stream all the latest movies and series on instaflixxer. Have been binge watching with my gf lately xD
@Isaiah Marvin yup, I have been watching on instaflixxer for years myself =)
Allan holdsworth has been waiting for a synthaxe all his life
It seems unbelievable...but he really loved that thing.
@@gktde9874 I honestly like some of the synthaxe stuff he did. Just depends on which sound he's using. Obviously, it's nothing compared to his guitar work.
The Synthaxe had been waiting for Allan....
Symthaxe is a bit like the Harriet Jumpjet. Great concept.
@@lex.cordis I really like the sounds he uses on 'Clown' and 'Mac Man', where he apparently put it through amp distortion for the solo.
He is alive to me, only his body is gone, your work will be heard forever! Allan Holdsworth god of guitar
ua-cam.com/video/WhpKAtJdcjQ/v-deo.html
Synth guy looked really happy about guitarists having synth capabilities
Damn, rockschool was so cool back then. No internet, no phones, you really had to plan your schedule not to miss it.
We didn't get the series where I lived at the time, but I've got the book! Great to see some of it after all these years.
You couldn't pause or rewind it either. You had to plan to watch it.
We didn't have a VCR ...too poor at the time. We got a VCR in 1986 I believe. The early ones cost 500 bucks or so.....which was a shit ton of money back then
Such an amazing musician. I had the honor to see Allan in NYC's "The Bottom Line," right across the street from NYU, which has been closed for many years now. This would have been mid 1980's and I saw him twice. He was astounding live. This was the Holdsworth, Wackerman, Johnson and Pasqua line up. I think the Synth-Axe has now had it's day. After Holdsworth, who else could truly handle it? RIP Allan Holdsworth, the Master.
Dam this brings back my memories! I remember watching Rock School all the time great show and lessons!
Omg...Rockschool! One of the reasons why I wanted to play in a band. This brings up memories. This episode is carved in my brain!
I never saw this episode. I don’t know how many they made but I only saw a few.
Yes its etched in mine too! It's in the second series. Allan used to live within walking distance of where I live now and was born. I was too young to know of him at the time though. Total one off genius never to be repeated.
Rockschool was a great program that was aired when I was in my first band and thus it proved to be inspiring, informative and un-missable.
"Will come down in prices eventually"
20 years later... Yeah the most complete set is worth 25000 ¬¬
Well you have just answered my question. Are they still made?
MiCaCasTuCaCa nope only made 100
9000 now then
Well, just think at this as the precursor to these new MIDI guitars that cost 200 $ and not more
@@nicolasbascunan4013 Alan's actual instrument was up for sale for £12k a few years ago....
If Allan understands it, it means I don't, and even maybe won't 😂 This guy is truly a rare genius musician.
That's true I don't understand his musical vocabulary. It is so unique. There could be only one and that is Allan Holdsworth. True legend and for most unknown.
I could watch him play that thing for hours without blinking.
If anyone could play it for five hours without blinking, it'd be Alan fr.
When I clicked on this video I was like "Um. That's not Allan Holdsworth..." and then he actually pops up and I was like "Oh ok. Now this video makes sense". LOL!
First I thought "Rockschool" was like a kid's show and Allan had put a hairpiece because the producers requested, like to make it entertaining for kids. 😂
right! lol..
Yep its guitarist Deirdre Cartwright doing the introduction piece.
don't you remember his brief spell as a tranny then? He was pretty convincing. I'd almost have shagged him.
@@juancpgo Well it is rather like the one Frank Gambale used to wear!
the keyboard guy at the end is like " now that guitars can replace synths i'm out of the band"
had that series of Rock School taped on VHS. watched it about a thousand times in 1988.
I loved both series of RockSchool.
Remember being an avid watcher of this show. Don't remember this episode however. But then again, I'm an old codger now and remember...
BADASS MR.HOLDSWORTH!!
Wow, in the '80s, thought there'd be a Synthaxe in every home by this time. It's strange how the future isn't what we thought it would be.
Indeed. In hindsight, if you want synthesizer functionality, perhaps it is better to simply get a keyboard.
thank god this stupid thing never caught on.
It kept breaking
@@PaulCooijmans Sorry to bust up your "hindsight" for ya.. The incredible dramatic sound that Allan got on his composition, Non-brewed Condiment, can't be done on your keyboard/s. Chords on that tune sound too generic, thin, and weak, on a guitar. Furthermore, show me a keyboard player that can do it. What Kei Akagi did AIN'T the same. There is no other instrument in the world that can replace the sound Allan got on that phenomenal tune. Period.
Yeah. Your "future" has meant that All Holdsworth's, and others, cool websites with the nice lookin' flash intros, are all gone now. And they've been replaced by cheap trash pathetic message boards like zuckerberg's facebook. So much for your "future", eh?
Superb !
Congratulations !
Fantastic clip. Amazing tech, but it's also really nice that Allan did continue with guitars right to the end. The guitar has so much character and nuance, it would seem wrong if Allan had abandoned it. He was one of the greatest ever to play the instrument (and the Synthaxe!)
i remember the rock school show. my schoolmate was from UK and he knew about these shows which were sometimes shown on US PBS stations. wish i had seen holdsworth back then...
These days the only player still rocking a Synthaxe on stage isn't even a guitarist.
Roy "Futureman" Wooten of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones uses his to play DRUMS on.
Oh yeah. I forgot about him.
Futureman bought his from Lee Ritenour.
And I think he's replaced it with something new.
The synthaxe drumitar!
Holy shit! I remember seeing this back in the day!!
When Alan talks about apparently simple things he has understood - it's usually not a simple thing to anyone below genius level.
I watched him talk about scales once. Instant math headache. Had to go lay down
@@davidgamboa918 Yeah that's a nasty condition ...
David Gamboa is that the 10 scales lesson? If so, I know the exact headache you had.
Yes you are right Holdsworth just found it easy ...and probably thought everybody else could easily understand what he was saying ...the guy was just a down to earth genius
All of which would be fine had he not been a soulless technician shown here mooning over a toy ENTIRELY void of character. RIP dear ol' Flurry Fingers.
this show was fantastic, ahead of its time
Love that guitar!!!
I remember watching this show on TVO (in Canada) It was an amazing ride and it was on TV for god's sake! lol
I watched them in Canada on TVO in the 80’s and tried recording as many as these episodes as I could but only got a few.
I was watching Kids of Degrassi Street on British telly with my mate in the days when rockschool was on BBC2 at 6pm. I still have this episode on VHS taped by T. Nunes if you are watching, now in Canada!
Oh, man, I remember Rockschool! Very entertaining it was too if not thorough enough to be truly educational. I hadn't yet heard of Holdsworth then so this didn't impress itself on my memory although I do recall Pat Metheny doing his synth trumpet routine. Great upload.
SAW HOLDSWORTH PLAY A VERY SIMPLE ONE PICKUP STRAT BODY TWICE IN MONTEREY,CA., TWICE IN A SMALL CLUB. HE COULD DO THINGS ON THE GUITAR THAT NO SYNTH CAN DO.
this guy was a true Maestro
Spunds amazing like computer game music 🎶 😊
I remember this show, it was pretty cool. they should do a 2022 version.
Deirdre's mullet is awesome.
Rest easy Allan
Wow, there is the future of guitar.
Because, I mean we're all playing the synthax now, aren't we?
No. You/we aren't playing any such thing. Sorry to break it to the likes of dimwits such as yourself, but Yamaha's G10, 50, or whatever, AIN'T the same thing or sound.
This was my daily dose back then
It's so cool to see the Synthaxe at the time of its birth, before every other 13 year old kid in the universe had one in his or her bedroom. Though it's kind of a shame (to me, anyway) that once the Synthaxe came around, people could no longer appreciate the old guitars like Stratocasters (I think Fender made those), and Les Pauls (made by Gibson, if I'm not mistaken).
I popped into a pawn shop this week, and up on the wall was this old Les Paul guitar, I think the guy said it was like from 1958 or something, and it was selling for, I don't know, 50 or 60 bucks. A tiny part of me was tempted to buy it, just for nostalgia's sake. But honestly, my wife would have killed me--I'd have to get rid of one of my Synthaxes. Even though I've got 8 of them, it deciding which one to turn loose would kill me. I could *maybe* part with my 1990 Mexican-made Synthaxe reissue, but to toss it for an old-fashioned electric guitar...ain't gonna happen.
yeah, right...
I recall when "Atavachron" was tearing up the billboard charts and - literally overnight - all my friends owned a SynthAxe. I got one but found it quite the bore ... so I chucked it and bought a ukelele. Then came the SynthUke and the cycle repeated itself. I took up the glockenspiel just to distinguish myself ... the SynthGlock destroyed that ambition. Now I play maracas ... but I KNOW SynthAcas are right around the corner. I am just so sick of fads.
zenobardot 1958 Les Paul selling for 50 or 60 bucks...? Yeah right dude... We surely believe you.... Lmao
It's a joke...
Lolz
the price will come down eventually when it skyrockets in popularity
I'm convinced Allan Holdsworth was the main inspiration for the Extreme Paintbrawl soundtrack.
This product is so cool
Rockschool. ''Does your dad own a Bentley? No? Well, you might as well switch off because you haven't got enough money to start a band.''
Pat Metheny's Synclavier work on "Are You Going With Me?" ruined it for everybody! HAah!
The guy at 2:00 was a hipster before it was cool.
No actually that was just the 80s....
This is exactly what I was gonna say. LOL!
Kevin Hasselquist What was known as a "young fogey" at the time.
But Kevin, wouldn't he need a ludicrous amount of facial hair to be a true hipster? 🧔😁
I want to go to Rockschool in the 80s too and get a Kajagoogoo hairdo.
The year 10949 called. They want their guitar back, but said you can keep the bleached jeans and suspenders.
I remember watching this show on PBS back then. There was also an article in Guitar World magazine around the same time with Holdsworth talking about the then-new Synthaxe. Sounds very much of its time, ‘80s keyboard-y. Cool, but I wonder if there was a patch that would make it sound like a Strat into a Deluxe Reverb ;-).
What would be the flippin' point of doin' such a thing?
Perfect for his legato technique.
When coke was on the menu in the BBC canteen
Awesome! Atavachron!
That haircut though...
Nice
the greatest guitar tone in history and he choose a cheap sounding synth patch instead. I never understand, but it's Holdsworth so I don't question...
You're right, but when this thing came out, it was like sending a caveman to the moon. 40 years later, cavemen still play Strats, and the Synthaxe is long gone. Planet not ready. End of communication :p)
Listen to Distance vs. Desire. One of Allan's most incredibly expressive solos.
FM synthesis is very expressive when used properly, and Allan had racks of them and knew what he was doing. I agree the example used in this TV piece is not a good example of what I am describing.
That mullet is nutty
I remember watching Rockschool ha ha ha. The only thing I learned was what Reggae was.
Back in the 80s Rockschool was an amazing tv show. I think Herbie Hancock was the hist for the US version on PBS.
Who's the name of the guitar lady?
Deirdre Cartwight
@@rossg7261 was she in rockschool exams? I recognise her nama
Chris Waddle.
Cheers for teaching/influencing Meshuggah how to solo over early djent - the only good use of the Holdsworth sound/technique ever \m/
Alastair Gavin killing the mood at the end there with his weird defective Nexus 6 android vibes.
I used to watch this show every weekend. thank god this corny instrument never caught on.
Lee ritenour and Christopher cross played one in the 80s! This chick can play !
40 años después ese tipo de guitarras tienen una latencia apreciable. Como puede ser que Alan pudiese tocar con esa fluidez? En aquel entonces la latencia sería muchísimo mayor...
Oh well, rip Allan
I wanted one of these SO bad back in the day but if I recall correctly they were like $10K+. Now I just do it on my iPhone. lol
I want a left handed synthaxe
This guy could play my broomstick and it would sound great.
Wait a minute !!!.....
When do Bill & Ted turn up? 🤔
Even with Allan Holdsworth this thing never quite caught on.
Nos anos oitenta a conversa era outra..
Claro que sim
The onley way that can play was Alen! Its now about 17000 euro!
What 🤯🤯🤯
Wow, i want one, when aee they out?
0:44 -looks like a classic Mesa/Boogie MK1 behind the lady.
Ironic that tapping was popularised by Eddie Van Halen in order to play as fast as Holdsworth.
when the company went out of business he sold it quick
God like
Very cool in concept, but he soon came to realize that no one wanted to hear him play synth/they wanted to hear his guitar !!!###
Damn this woman can shred
Tracking seems a lot better than the Roland Gr-707 I have.
Omg that's Deirdre! 😱
Still waiting for the left handed model
just turn it upside down and put the strings on the wrong way up.
Anyone know which tune Alan is playing in this clip?
Letters of marque
David Etheridge Not even he does.
Louie, Louie
is there anyone that makes it sound powerfull and stompy/thrashy ??? they all sound like laundry softener
I'd love to try one of those things, but I'll never have the green.
Check out the Jammy E. I've just ordered one 😎
Admittedly it's probably more like the Stepp DGX, but still fantastic IMHO
Proginghell me dear - Yeah we all had one back then to keep the cats hair off the furniture ha ha
Sounds like he's jammin' to Letters of Marque!
Water on the brain?
@@planetpjr Pretty sure it's the solo section of Letters of Marque off the IOU album.
@@planetpjr Actually, I'm certain it is.
“These things tend to all come down in price eventually”
Hahaha … haha…. Haaaa :(
She sounded so nervous doing that demo. Maybe the combination of being filmed using such an unusual instrument for a guitar player, and the bill if she dropped it lol.
lee ritenour uses this tool too
I wonder if it’s come down in price yet
no. still costs as much as a terraced house in Bradford.
The equidistant frets must take some getting used to.
What song is AH playing??????
Letters of marque
Beats using a ridiculous computer 😁👍🏻
HOLDSWORTH BaBy!🤩
Love Holdsworth but there’s something sterile sounding about this instrument.
I did not know that Lisbeth Salander was so heavily into synth axes ...
1980's The Deadliest Decade.
It's funny. I remember this guitar from a video of Gary Moore. It was "Out In The Fields" and you can see it here in minute 2 ua-cam.com/video/xsKpazeA5L8/v-deo.html
That proved popular 🤔
What was the point of something like a synth axe? If you're going to make your synthesiser exactly like a guitar why not just play a guitar
But does it djent?
This video shows why no normal person bought one! Jazz why is every new Synthy type brought out for jazz and pads first!