by CHRIS BARRY

Name: Sam Orsini

Age: 31

Occupation: Music store clerk

Bio: This dashing Ville Émard resident has been selling guitars and amplifiers professionally for almost 16 years now - the last two of them out of Steve's Music Store on St-Antoine W. Rumoured to be a gifted axeman himself, Sam says that in his younger days he'd taken a stab at rock 'n' roll superstardom "but nothing much came of it. So I just play for fun now." His favourite radio station is CHOM FM.

Does he like to intimidate young musicians by taking away the guitar they're trying out and showing them how good it might sound if they could only learn to play as well as him? Certainly not. "I remember what it was like as a kid and all I want to do is find them that one special guitar they will always remember."

Is he one of those guys who will talk passionately about guitar strings long after people have begged him to stop? "Not really. I'm more into amplifiers."

The strings he uses: Ernie Ball.

Best part of the gig: Being on top of all the new guitars on the market and helping to match the right instrument to the right player. "Yeah, that really feels good."

Worst: Having to listen to guitars all day and finding that he doesn't want to play his own when he gets home because of it.

The two most common riffs Steve's customers play when trying out a guitar? "Seek and Destroy" by Metallica, "All the Small Things" by Blink 182.

The riff he generally starts playing when first picking up a guitar? Kim Mitchell's "Go for Soda." "But mostly I just noodle."

One riff he hopes to never, ever hear again once his guitar-selling days are over: Metallica's "Enter Sandman."

His dream axe: A 1959 Gibson Les Paul.

His current axe: A late-model Japanese Fender Stratocaster.

Two exciting vedettes who regularly shop at his store: Michel Pagliaro and Bruno Pelletier. "The big international stars usually just send roadies to pick stuff up for them. But Robert Downey Jr. was in here not long ago."

Was Robert Downey Jr. in there trying to steal stuff? Not so far as Sam knows.

Childhood ambition: To grow up and become Jimmy Page.

Something else he does: Plays in his band, Big 12 Inch. "We do, like, '70s and '80s rock - you know, stuff like the Knack. The '80s seem to be back in style now."

Where you might find him boozin': On Jam Night at Club One on Crescent.

Favourite film of all time: Rocky.

Does he get high? No.

Musical preferences: Radiohead, Led Zep, The Who.

Literary preferences: Guitar Player, Guitar World and Guitar Magazine.

Words of wisdom: "You've got to love everything you do. Nothing should be like pulling teeth."

Comments? dimwit@openface.ca