Will Ray

Last updated

Will Ray (born 1950 in Richmond, Virginia) is an American session guitarist and current member of the Hellecasters. Ray has also released a number of solo albums. He is considered an influential player of the Fender Telecaster line of guitars. Fender made two Will Ray signature models in the late 1990s: the Jazz-a-Caster and the Mojo-Tele. [1] G&L is now offering a Will Ray signature model guitar and a less expensive version within their lower cost brand, Tribute by G&L. [2]

In July 2005, Ray moved to North Carolina where he built a new state of the art recording studio for production projects.

In September 2009, Ray began hosting a weekly music jam in Fletcher, North Carolina at The Feed and Seed. [3] The Tuesday night "Will Ray Mountain Jam" encourages local musicians, singer/songwriters to sign up and play with the house band (Will Ray and The Son's of Ralph). [4]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leo Fender</span> American inventor and founder of the Fender company (1909–1991)

Clarence Leonidas Fender was an American inventor and founder of the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tom Hamilton (musician)</span> American musician (born 1951)

Thomas William Hamilton is an American musician and songwriter who serves as the bassist for the hard rock band Aerosmith.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mike McCready</span> American guitarist

Michael David McCready is an American musician known for being a founding member and lead guitarist of Pearl Jam. McCready was also a member of the side project bands Flight to Mars, Temple of the Dog, Mad Season, and The Rockfords. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a part of Pearl Jam in 2017 alongside the three other founding members, and former member Dave Krusen.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fender (company)</span> American musical instrument manufacturer

The Fender Musical Instruments Corporation is an American manufacturer and marketer of musical instruments and amplifiers. Fender produces acoustic guitars, bass amplifiers and public address equipment; however, it is best known for its solid-body electric guitars and bass guitars, particularly the Stratocaster, Telecaster, Jaguar, Jazzmaster, Precision Bass, and the Jazz Bass. The company was founded in Fullerton, California, by Clarence Leonidas "Leo" Fender in 1946. Andy Mooney has served as the chief executive officer (CEO) since June 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">G&L Musical Instruments</span> American manufacturer of guitars and basses

G&L is an American guitar manufacturing company founded by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Dale Hyatt in the late 1970s. G&L produces electric guitars and basses with designs based on some classic Fender instruments. The company also produces effects units. G&L's most notable player is Jerry Cantrell, vocalist and guitarist of Alice in Chains, having played several models of the guitar since the '80s, Cantrell also has his own signature Tribute Series Rampage and Superhawk. Cantrell can be seen playing a single-humbucker G&L Rampage in the music video for Alice in Chains' "Man In The Box".

Jason Eli Becker is an American composer and guitarist. At the age of 16, he became part of the Shrapnel Records-produced duo Cacophony with his friend Marty Friedman, and they released two albums, Speed Metal Symphony (1987) and Go Off! (1988). Since the dissolution of Cacophony in 1989, Becker has undertaken a solo career, releasing seven albums since his 1988 debut Perpetual Burn. He later joined David Lee Roth's solo band and recorded one album with him, A Little Ain't Enough.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Frank Bello</span> American bassist

Frank Bello is an American musician who plays bass for the thrash metal band Anthrax. Bello was also in Helmet from 2004 to 2005 and has been the bassist of a Norwegian black metal band Satyricon since 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Music Man (company)</span> American guitar and bass guitar manufacturer

Music Man is an American guitar and bass guitar manufacturer. Originally formed in 1971 by Forrest White and Tom Walker, along with Leo Fender as a silent partner, the company started manufacturing electric and bass guitars under the Music Man name in 1974. In 1984 it was acquired by Ernie Ball, and renamed Ernie Ball Music Man.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Baritone guitar</span> Variation on the standard guitar

The baritone guitar is a guitar with a longer scale length, typically a larger body, and heavier internal bracing, so it can be tuned to a lower pitch. Gretsch, Fender, Gibson, Ibanez, ESP Guitars, PRS Guitars, Music Man, Danelectro, Schecter, Burns London and many other companies have produced electric baritone guitars since the 1960s, although always in small numbers due to low popularity. Tacoma, Santa Cruz, Taylor, Martin, Alvarez Guitars and others have made acoustic baritone guitars.

The Hellecasters are an American guitar group. Composed of noted session players Will Ray, John Jorgenson, and Jerry Donahue, they all play guitars by other manufacturers, but styled after Fender Telecaster as their main instruments.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">B-Bender</span> Guitar accessory

A B-Bender is a guitar accessory that enables a player to fluidly alter the pitch of a guitar's B-string. This works by mechanically bending the B-string through the use of a series of levers and/or pulleys attached to an external lever that is controlled by the player.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Bailey</span> American bassist

Steve Bailey is an American bassist. He is the chair of the bass department at Berklee College of Music.

Brent Mason is an American country music guitarist, songwriter and session musician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Jorgenson</span> American musician (born 1956)

John Richard Jorgenson is an American musician. Although best known for his guitar work with bands such as the Desert Rose Band and The Hellecasters, he is also proficient on the mandolin, mandocello, Dobro, pedal steel guitar, piano, upright bass, clarinet, bassoon, and saxophone. While a member of the Desert Rose Band, he won the Academy of Country Music's "Guitarist of the Year" award three consecutive years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randall Amplifiers</span>

Randall Amplifiers is a manufacturer of solid-state and tube guitar amplifiers. Randall Amplifiers is currently a brand of U.S. Music Corp., a subsidiary of Canadian corporate group Exertis | JAM.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster</span>

The Stevie Ray Vaughan Stratocaster is the signature model electric guitar of American guitarist Stevie Ray Vaughan, based on his favorite guitar, Number One. The guitar debuted at the NAMM Show in January 1992 and began selling at various music stores.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ralph Mooney</span> Musical artist

Ralph Eugene Mooney was an American steel guitar player and songwriter, he was inducted into the Steel Guitar Hall of Fame in 1983. He was the original steel guitarist in Merle Haggard's band, The Strangers and Waylon Jennings's band, The Waylors.

References

  1. The Hellecasters' Biographies, Hellecasters.com (Accessed 7 October 2006)
  2. "Home Dark". Glguitars.com. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  3. "Welcome to The Feed & Seed, church and music equals community". Feedandseednc.com. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  4. "Sons of Ralph". Sonsofralph.com. Retrieved 28 February 2022.