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'{{BLP sources|date=March 2012}} '''Howard "Buzz" Feiten''' (born November 4, 1948) is an American [[singer-songwriter]], [[guitarist]], [[session musician]], and [[luthier]]. He is best known as a lead and rhythm guitarist and for having patented a tuning system for guitars and similar instruments. Feiten also manufactures and markets solid-body electric guitars. ==Early years== Feiten grew up in [[Huntington Station, New York|Huntington Station]] and [[Centerport, New York]], where he was known by schoolmates and friends as "Buzzy". The son of a musical mother, Pauline (a classical pianist), and an airline pilot, Howard Sr., Feiten received training in classical music as a child. His older sister Paula was a flautist and fashion model in the mid-1960s. A younger brother, Jon, was also involved in music and the arts. In youth, he studied several musical instruments, settling on the [[French horn]]. As a teenager, he played in all-county (Suffolk) and all-state (New York) youth orchestras on the instrument. Feiten first played [[Carnegie Hall]] in 1966 on French horn in American Youth Performs.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hankboerner.com/biography/careerarchives/AA%20-%20American%20Youth%20Performs%2003-08-71.pdf |title=American Airlines sponspored the American Youth Performs program |publisher=Hankboerner.com |accessdate=2014-06-25}}</ref> In 1966, he auditioned at the [[Juilliard School]] on French horn but was rejected. In high school he belonged to a band called The Reasons Why with Steve Beckmeier (rhythm guitar), Al Stegmeyer (drums), Danny Horton (lead guitar), and Daniel Kretzer (keyboards). The band was successful on Long Island, and two songs, "Tell Her One More Time" and "Same Old Worries", were mentioned in a ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' 'new singles' article in the summer of 1966. ==Career== Still known as "Buzzy", in late 1968 or early 1969 Feiten was a student at the [[Mannes College of Music]] in New York City. Feiten replaced [[Elvin Bishop]] in the [[Paul Butterfield]] Blues Band.<ref name="Legends">{{cite book|last1=Prown|first1=Pete |last2=Newquist|first2=Harvey P. |title=Legends of Rock Guitar: The Essential Reference of Rock's Greatest Guitarists|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=60Jde3l7WNwC&pg=PA41|accessdate=25 March 2019|year=1997|publisher=Hal Leonard|isbn=978-0-7935-4042-6|pages=41–}}</ref><ref name="Erlewine2007">{{cite book|last=Erlewine|first=Dan |title=Guitar Player Repair Guide: How to Set Up, Maintain, and Repair Electrics and Acoustics|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=zF24JMkjSpQC&pg=PA66|accessdate=31 March 2019|year=2007|publisher=Backbeat Books|isbn=978-0-87930-921-3|pages=66–}}</ref>{{when|date=April 2019}} Feiten recorded on the group's fifth album, ''[[Keep on Moving (The Butterfield Blues Band album)|Keep on Moving]]''.<ref name="Erlewine2007" /> With Butterfield, Feiten toured internationally and played at the [[Atlantic City Pop Festival]] and the [[Woodstock Festival]]. Feiten was lead guitarist for [[The Rascals]] on their albums ''[[Peaceful World (album)|Peaceful World]]'' and ''[[Island of Real]]''. Feiten's debut album ''Full Moon'' was released<ref name="Erlewine2007" /> by Warner Bros. in 1982 and was recorded with [[Ray Barretto]], [[Randy Brecker]], [[Robin Clark]], [[Gene Dinwiddie]], [[Dave Holland]], [[Neil Larsen]], [[Airto Moreira]], [[Tasha Thomas]], and [[Phillip Wilson (drummer)|Phillip Wilson]]. A sequel, ''Buzz Feiten & The New Full Moon'', was released in 1999 and recorded with Freddie Beckmeier on bass (brother of Steve from The Reasons Why), [[Jai Winding]], [[Brandon Fields]], and [[Gary Mallaber]]. In 1998–99 he was a member of the [[Dave Weckl Band]]. In 2008, Feiten recorded with Steve Postell of [[Pure Prairie League]] on the album ''Time Still Knocking'' (Immergent). Felten has worked with [[Gregg Allman]], [[The Brecker Brothers]], [[Bob Dylan]], [[Aretha Franklin]], [[Michael Franks (musician)|Michael Franks]], [[Al Jarreau]], [[Rickie Lee Jones]], [[Chaka Khan]], [[Dave Koz]], [[Kenny Loggins]], [[Bette Midler]], [[Olivia Newton-John]], [[Wilson Pickett]], [[David Sanborn]], [[James Taylor]], [[Stevie Wonder]],<ref name="Thompson">{{cite web |last1=Thompson |first1=Art |title=Buzz Feiten's Obsession with Making Guitars Play and Sound Better |url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/players/buzz-feitens-obsession-with-making-guitars-play-and-sound-better |website=GuitarPlayer.com |accessdate=1 April 2019 |date=2 July 2014}}</ref> [[Etta James]], Dave Weckl and [[Don McLean]].<ref>[http://www.stevelukather.net/Session.aspx?id=281 ] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090329035630/http://www.stevelukather.net/Session.aspx?id=281 |date=March 29, 2009 }}</ref> ==Tuning system== Feiten patented a tuning system for guitars,<ref name="JohnstonSimmons2005">{{cite book|last1=Johnston|first1=Richard|last2=Simmons|first2=Michael John |last3=Ford|first3=Frank|title=Acoustic Guitar: An Historical Look at the Composition, Construction, and Evolution of One of the World's Most Beloved Instruments|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=PE_gP40ZSicC&pg=PA59|accessdate=31 March 2019|year=2005|publisher=Hal Leonard|isbn=978-0-634-07920-7|pages=59–}}</ref> marketed as the Buzz Feiten Tuning System, which is intended to correct problems of the standard [[Equal temperament#Twelve-tone equal temperament|equal temperament]].{{explain|date=April 2019}} The system can be retrofitted by a repair shop or [[luthier]] that has paid a licensing fee and received specific training. The system consists of a [[Nut (string instrument)|compensated string nut]] (or "shelf nut") and a method for intonating the bridge. The system was licensed to [[Washburn Guitars]] (1995-2010) and [[Suhr Guitars]]. The tuning system is intended to create more accurate tonality of notes played on the lowest three or four frets. Some guitarists claimed to hear no difference, perhaps attributed to their particular playing style or primary musical genre. A few stated the opinion that, while a BFTS-enhanced guitar was clearly superior when recording alongside electronic keyboards, it generally rendered their tone "sterile" or "thin." Others believe that despite the company's "three or four" frets claim, the system provided marked improvement in accuracy virtually everywhere on the fretboard. ==Guitars== In 2012, Feiten announced the founding of Buzz Feiten Guitars<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.buzzfeitenguitars.com |title=Buzz Feiten Guitars — The Ultimate Guitars, For Serious Players |publisher=Buzzfeitenguitars.com |date= |accessdate=2015-11-04}}</ref> to manufacture and market solid-body electric guitars. The firm initially offered five models, the Blues Pro, T Pro, Signature Elite, Classic Pro, and Elite Pro. In 2018, the company was renamed Buzz Feiten Guitar Research, offering three models of SuperNova guitar: Classic (two [[humbucker]] pickups), Futura (bridge humbucker and neck single-coil pickup), and Futura Super-Trem (three single-coil pickups with [[Vibrato systems for guitar#Fender synchronized tremolo|synchronized vibrato]]). The "Buzz Feiten Tuning System" is mentioned only in regards to the Classic. ==Discography== {{Main|Buzz Feiten discography}} * 2000 ''Whirlies'' * 2002 ''Live at the Baked Potato'' * 2003 ''Buzz Feiten and the New Full Moon'' == Collaborations == '''With [[Aretha Franklin]]''' * ''[[Spirit in the Dark]]'' (Atlantic Records, 1970) * ''[[Sweet Passion]]'' (Atlantic Records, 1977) * ''[[Love All the Hurt Away]]'' (Arista Records, 1981) '''With [[Randy Newman]]''' * ''[[Born Again (Randy Newman album)|Born Again]]'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1979) * ''[[Land of Dreams (album)|Land of Dreams]]'' (Reprise Records, 1988) '''With [[Rickie Lee Jones]]''' * ''[[Rickie Lee Jones (album)|Rickie Lee Jones]]'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1979) * ''[[Pirates (album)|Pirates]]'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1981) * ''[[The Magazine (album)|The Magazine]]'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1984) * ''[[Flying Cowboys]]'' (Geffen, 1989) '''With [[Gregg Allman]]''' * ''[[Laid Back (album)|Laid Back]]'' (Capricorn Records, 1973) '''With [[Melissa Manchester]]''' * ''Emergency'' (Arista Records, 1983) '''With [[Stephen Bishop (singer)|Stephen Bishop]]''' * ''[[Red Cab to Manhattan]]'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1980) '''With [[Randy Crawford]]''' * ''Windsong'' (Warner Bros. Records, 1982) '''With [[Bette Midler]]''' * ''[[No Frills (Bette Midler album)|No Frills]]'' (Atlantic Records, 1983) * ''[[Bette of Roses]]'' (Atlantic Records, 1995) '''With [[Wilson Pickett]]''' * ''American Soul Man'' (Motown, 1987) '''With [[Dolly Parton]]''' * ''[[Dolly, Dolly, Dolly]]'' (RCA Victor, 1980) '''With [[Stephanie Mills]]''' * ''[[Merciless (Stephanie Mills album)|Merciless]]'' (Casablanca Records, 1983) '''With [[Boz Scaggs]]''' * ''[[Other Roads]]'' (Columbia Records, 1988) '''With [[Kenny Loggins]]''' * ''[[Vox Humana (Kenny Loggins album)|Vox Humana]]'' (Columbia Records, 1985) '''With [[Betty Wright]]''' * ''Betty Wright'' (Epic Records, 1981) '''With [[Jennifer Warnes]]''' * ''[[Shot Through the Heart (album)|Shot Through the Heart]]'' (Arista Records, 1979) '''With [[Syreeta Wright]]''' * ''[[Syreeta (1972 album)|Syreeta]]'' (MoWest, 1972) '''With [[Brenda Russell]]''' * ''[[Love Life (Brenda Russell album)|Love Life]]'' (A&M Records, 1981) '''With [[Livingston Taylor]]''' * ''Over the Rainbow'' (Capricorn Records, 1973) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * [http://www.buzzfeitenofficial.com Buzz Feiten Guitar Research] {{Authority control}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Feiten, Buzz}} [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:People from Centerport, New York]] [[Category:American blues guitarists]] [[Category:American male guitarists]] [[Category:American session musicians]] [[Category:Luthiers]] [[Category:The Rascals members]] [[Category:1948 births]] [[Category:20th-century American guitarists]] [[Category:20th-century American male musicians]]'