Ever dream of hanging out with a pair handfuls of guitar legends whereas respiration contemporary mountain air and (principally) unplugging from the world? If that’s the case, Jim Weider has one thing you’ll dig – a summer season camp for guitar-music fanatics to collect and bond.

Dubbed Masters of the Telecaster Guitar Camp and set for September 30 by October 4 at Full Moon Resort within the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, it’s an academic seminar wearing trip garments. The thought got here to Weider as he watched his two associated occasions develop in reputation – the Masters of the Telecaster concert events he and G.E. Smith have been internet hosting for a decade, and his Camp Cripple Creek, that includes gamers in The Band’s orbit and attended by followers of roots rock.

Realizing that relating to music, there are many diehard followers of any musical area of interest one might conceive – and so they take pleasure in gathering with the like-minded – he teamed up once more with the Music Masters Collective, a bunch of producers and artists who within the mid ’90s started planning a house base for such interactive, immersive music occasions. In 2019, the group established a basis that was granted non-profit standing and adopted a more-formal mission of manufacturing the occasions for folks of all backgrounds, talent ranges, and monetary standing.

Whereas Camp Cripple Creek attracts followers of The Band and related roots rock, Weider says Masters of the Telecaster leans to gamers – although he emphasizes one doesn’t must be participant to have a good time.

So, what can attendees anticipate at Masters of the Telecaster?
Together with hosts Weider and Joel Harrison, seminars can be taught by Albert Lee, Invoice Frisell, Brent Mason, Larry Campbell, G.E. Smith, Jon Herington, Guthrie Trapp, Redd Volkaert, Adam Levy, Joe Louis Walker, Carolyn Wonderland, and Cindy Cashdollar. Lessons and concert events will contact on the kinds of iconic gamers corresponding to Danny Gatton, Roy Buchanan, Steve Cropper, Robbie Robertson, Roy Nichols, Ted Greene, and Eldon Shamblin, and in addition embrace potential subjects corresponding to studio tips, hybrid choosing, slide, chords, rhythm chops, tone, ensemble taking part in, and mixing jazz components with blues, rock and roll, and nation kinds. Instructors might also delve into components of their private kinds.

“Albert can be instructing Albert Lee tips and strategies, and I do know I’ll be at his class, principally to observe his proper hand,” Weider chuckled. “His choosing is so excellent with that mild contact, so it’ll be fascinating to see how he performs.

“I’ll educate a category on the roots of rock and roll, one other on assorted Tele strategies,” he added. “G.E. Smith’s session is known as ‘Navigating The Fretboard: Make It Your Buddy,’ and Larry Campbell will educate his three-finger type.”

After every day’s workshops and lessons, campers could have the choice to collect in two rooms – one electrical and one acoustic – the place instructors and backing musicians will jam with them.

“Then, there can be a live performance each evening, every totally different,” mentioned Weider. “We’ll get to play and listen to some nice music and crank up some tweed amps.”

Past the very fact that is the primary such Tele camp and he has rounded up so many nice gamers, Weider’s internal gearhead can be excited.

“I’ll have all of my classic devices,” he mentioned. “G.E. will deliver some, too, and I’m positive others will.

“A Telecaster camp is one thing I’ve at all times needed to do, and Full Moon Resort is such a phenomenal place,” Weider mentioned. “To me, it’s historic.”

This text initially appeared in VG’s October 2024 challenge. All copyrights are by the creator and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.