[citation needed] John showed great promise as a classical pianist in his youth, but his father gave him a guitar when he was 12 and this quickly became his primary instrument.

[1] Cipollina had a unique guitar sound, mixing solid state and vacuum-tube (valve) amplifiers as early as 1965.

[3] After leaving Quicksilver in 1971, Cipollina formed the band Copperhead with early Quicksilver member Jim Murray (who soon decamped for Maui, Hawaii), former Stained Glass member Jim McPherson, drummer David Weber, Gary Phillipet (a.k.a.

Copperhead disbanded in mid 1974 after becoming a staple in the SF Bay Area and touring the West Coast, Hawaii (Sunshine Crater Fest on New Years Day of 1973 with Santana), the South (opening dates for Steely Dan) and the Midwest (opening dates for Focus as well once again for Steely Dan).

In May 1974, Cipollina and Link Wray, whose playing and style had influenced John as a young musician and who he had met through bassist Hutch Hutchinson, performed a series of shows together along the West Coast (with Copperhead rhythm section Hutchinson & Weber and keyboardist David Bloom) culminating at The Whiskey in LA where they performed for four nights (May 15–19) on a bill with Lighthouse (band).

During the 1980s, Cipollina performed with a number of bands, including Fish & Chips, Thunder and Lightning, the Dinosaurs and Problem Child.

In 1975, the Welsh psychedelic band Man toured the United States, towards the end of which they played two gigs at Winterland in San Francisco (March 21 and 22), which were such a success that promoter Bill Graham paid them a bonus and rebooked them.

After this, Cipollina agreed to play a UK tour which took place in May 1975, during which their Chalk Farm Roundhouse gig was recorded.

Quicksilver Messenger Service fans paid tribute to him the following month in San Francisco at an all-star concert at the Fillmore Auditorium which featured Nicky Hopkins, Pete Sears, David Freiberg, and John's brother Mario, an original member of Huey Lewis and the News.

Cipollina's one-of-a-kind massive amplifier stack was donated, along with one of his customized Gibson SG guitars, and effects pedals, for display in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum in 1995.