I thought Jimi Hendrix... was just phenomenal.

I had been playing for about a year and a half when the Beach Boys formed. When our folks went to Mexico on business, we would take the food money they had left us and we would rent instruments.

I remember growing up always loving the guitar. I used to love to watch the people play on the Country Western shows on TV. My folks told me that when I was just a toddler, I used to pretend I was playing a guitar on a toothpick.

In the early part of the '60s I was influenced by the Ventures.

After the group got real popular, Fender asked us to endorse their instruments. I think the deal was they'd give them to you then you'd let them print ads and stuff like that. This was around 1962.

First, I'd become an avid reader of blogs, especially music blogs, and they seemed to be where the critical-thinking action was at, to have the kind of energy that I associate with rock writing of the 1970s or Internet e-mail discussion lists a decade ago.

Sure, we've had our fair share of ups and downs, but I don't know if we've had more than any other rock band... we just have a way of getting ourselves into hot water.

I can tell you that the current process is fraught with uncertainty. I like this proposal very much.

My folks got me a single cutaway Kay. It was acoustic but it also had a pickup. That's the guitar I learned to play on.