Rene Martinez
Part 5: John Mayer -- PRS, Strats, and Blowing the Vibratone
Then in December, I got a phone call from John Mayer’s tour manager – asked if I’d like to come out and do a show with John at Webster Hall in New York City at the end of the month.
PART 4: ON THE ROAD WITH STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN'S STRATOCASTERS
I came right out and told Stevie and his production manager, Byron Barr, that I didn’t know anything about the road. I knew nothing at the time about ohms, about amperes, and all that, because I’d never had to deal with these technical things about electronics at Charley’s Guitar Shop in Dallas, where I worked beforehand. Charley Wirz had done all the electronic stuff there.
Part 3: My First Gig Working With Stevie Ray Vaughan
By the start of ’85, Stevie and I, along with Charley Wirz who owned the shop, were getting to know each other. Stevie would often stop by the shop to say hello when he was in town.
PART 2: SETTING UP STEVIE RAY VAUGHAN’S STRATOCASTER
In the last episode, I talked about the time in the 80s when I was working as the repairman at Charley’s Guitar Shop in my home town of Dallas, Texas. One special day, Stevie Ray Vaughan came into town to play at a local bar and Charley Wirz, the shop’s owner, suggested we should go down and check him out.
RENÉ MARTINEZ: TEXAS GUITAR WHIZ
René Martinez is perhaps the most famous guitar tech in the world - known for working with acts such as Stevie Ray Vaughan, John Mayer, Carlos Santana, and countless others. In this first in a series of articles by René, we learn about his early affinity for music, journey from painting cars to repairing guitars, and how he met SRV.