Reb Beach: The Unexpected Mentor to Bob dylan’s Guitar Journey
With an impressive resume that includes performances with iconic bands like Whitesnake, Alice Cooper, Dokken, and Winger, Reb Beach has carved out a remarkable niche in the music industry. Though, one of the most surreal experiences of his career occurred in the late 1980s when he found himself teaching the legendary Bob Dylan how to tune a guitar.
The Unlikely Encounter
When you think of Bob Dylan, the image of a folk-rock legend strumming an acoustic guitar likely comes to mind. Over his extensive career spanning more than six decades, Dylan has primarily favored acoustic instruments and classic electric guitars from the 1960s, including Fender Stratocasters, Telecasters, Gibson SGs, and Les Pauls, along with various Gretsch models.
So, it was quite a surprise when dylan found himself holding a guitar equipped with a Floyd Rose tremolo system, a device he was unfamiliar with. This encounter took place in 1987 while Dylan was filming Hearts of Fire, a musical drama that received mixed reviews.Fiona, a rock singer, played Dylan’s love interest, and Beach was brought on as her guitarist, ultimately joining Dylan’s backing band for the film.
A Lesson in Tuning
As Beach recounted in an interview with Masters of Shred, he noticed Dylan struggling to tune the Floyd Rose guitar, growing increasingly frustrated. Seizing the moment, Beach approached the iconic musician.
“Excuse me, Mr. Dylan? I’m Reb, and I’m part of your band. I just wanted to let you no that this is a Floyd Rose. it has a whammy bar,and you need to tune it using the fine tuners located on the bridge,” Beach explained.
Despite the initial awkwardness, this interaction marked the beginning of a unique friendship. Dylan humorously remarked, “Oh, these newfangled things!” before opting to set the Floyd Rose aside and pick up a different guitar.
Jamming with a Legend
Even though their first encounter was somewhat embarrassing, it paved the way for a lasting camaraderie throughout the filming. Beach fondly recalls, “We played the blues together. The next morning at breakfast, I heard someone call out, ‘Hey, Whammy bar!’ It was Bob Dylan, inviting me to jam the blues again that day. And we did, every day.”
This playful nickname, “Whammy Bar,” stuck with Beach for the duration of the shoot, adding a personal touch to their interactions.
Behind the Scenes and Beyond
While Beach didn’t receive much screen time in the film, the scenes that featured Dylan showcased him playing guitars with fixed bridges—a Fender Telecaster and a Gibson Les Paul—demonstrating his preference for familiar instruments.
In a related note, a heavily modified Telecaster once owned by Robbie Robertson, which Dylan and Eric Clapton played during their collaborations, was auctioned last year for an astounding $650,000. This guitar holds meaningful historical value as it was the instrument Dylan used when he famously transitioned to electric music,marking a pivotal moment in his career.
reflections on a Musical Journey
Two years after his memorable jam sessions with Dylan,Beach’s band Winger released the hit song “Seventeen,” which played a crucial role in solidifying their place in hair-metal history. Reflecting on his prosperous career in an interview with Guitar Player, Beach shared how a few drinks at the pub gave him the confidence to tackle his iconic solo in “Witness.”
Reb Beach’s journey from teaching Bob Dylan about a Floyd Rose tremolo to becoming a celebrated guitarist in his own right is a testament to the unexpected connections that can arise in the world of music.
