New world record :
Largest guitar ensemble-Concordstock sets world record

Most guitarists playing the same song simultaneously

[June 5] Kansas City,...--A world record attempt in Kansas City brought together hundreds of guitarists to Community America Ballpark over the weekend. 1,683 guitar players joined together to play Deep Purple's song "Smoke on the Water."

Photo:
Nate Gueltzau, of Maysville, Mo., joins 1,683 fellow guitarists on the field at Community America Ballpark in Kansas City, Kan., Sunday, June 3, 2007. The guitarists attempted a world record by playing the Deep Purple song "Smoke on the Water" at the same time. (AP Photo/Orlin Wagner)

   In front of a large audience, they all picked at the song's five-minute infamous guitar riff. Participants were all different ages and experience levels coming from as far away as California and Germany.

   Some came from as far away as California and Germany on Sunday to take part in a Kansas City radio station's effort to break a Guinness world record for the most people playing the same song simultaneously. The record had been 1,323 people playing the same song in Vancouver, British Columbia, in 1994.

Preliminary numbers show 1,683 people played the popular early '70s guitar riff on Sunday at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.

( click here to enlarge )

    "I thought it was going to be kind of cheesy," said Hannah Koch, of Prairie Village, who came clad in an elf costume. "But after I got here, I got caught up in the excitement of it."




  The NEW world record:
Most guitarists playing the same song simultaneously-Germany