Ah, saoirse - you are missing the point: H-M’s look to manly guitarists - who dress in spandex, have long hair, wear make-up and take on girls’ names (well actually, that was 80’s LA Hair Metal - Jani Lane, Taime Down, Bret Michaels, etc.) as a “fantasy aspiration” - while some biker types do look like they belong in a Frank Frazetta fantasy illustration, most H-M’s wear Dockers and Lands-End button downs - but *imagine * themselves rockin’ out to the masses.
I happen to agree with most of e-bow’s exegesis, bitch (sorry, can’t bring myself to use MF…:)). My biggest disagreement at first read is:
This rule must have a proviso - ONLY if the instrument is being played to produce H-M-approved music. If the bass is a 12-string, doublenecked monstrosity that is being used to play, ugh, *fusion * - well, sorry, but your H-M card has just been revoked. Same with drums - if it is Neil Peart, then of course, you’re in. If it is, oh, the Dave Matthews Band - forget it; you can play a drum set that has 50 components, but you’re not H-M (sorry Carter Beaufort!). Of course Jimmy Page playing a doubleneck certainly qualifies as H-M.