Strats, why?

[hotgoalie11565]

Originally Posted by Ian

Check out "Ah Via Musicom" ,lots of Eric's "1000lb Voilin" tone. Sure there's Es-335,one Acoustic track,and one Tele tune,but Eric Johnson's Strat tones are HUGE!!!
CHEERS!!!

+1. I've played the EJ Strat and I just loved it. The neck just felt great. the only way I'd like it more is if it was a 60's reissue with the 12" radius. For me, that is the perfect neck.

[Colo Springs E]

....has been like yours.

I'm seduced by her beauty... but in the end, it just never does it for me.

Les Pauls and Teles, that's it for me. Throw in an SG here or there, ok.

Strats? Not my thing, bay-bee....

[xStonr]

Sorry Johnny, I had to speak my piece. I thought the Strat would be THE guitar for me. I got one and just didn't like the tone I was getting. It started out as a Fat Strat, HSS, and I went through 3 pickup changes before deciding that the standard SSS might be what I was looking for. Almost. The Tele gives me the tone I was looking for. I recently changed pickups in my Strat again and even though I had the bridge locked down tight to the body, with 5 springs, I decided to put in some wooden dowels between the end of the trem and the body of the guitar. My Strat now sounds very different than before. Maybe it's more resonance with the extra wood in it I don't know, but since doing this little mod the guitar has a much more pleasant tone to it. So maybe getting a hardtail would solve your Strat tonal problems.

[tazzboy]

[dandd]

JohnnyCrash,
I bought a strat cause I needed a back-up guitar for my tele. I found a cheap clapton 91 ugly blackie. I didn't really like strat tone at the time because they seemed so cliche' for lack of a better word, and I wasn't going down that road.
It sat most of the time while I played my #1 tele. It took me a couple of years to learn how to play the thing because it had that weird v-neck and my hand didn't fit it, and I wasn't ready to bust a nut playing it. I considered selling it at least 50 times if I could find something better. I changed pick-ups, took out the mid-boost board, etc and was still unconvinced it had anything in it until one day I had to rewire the cheap wiring because the battery wire broke and I had to open it up and wire in a new one. So I braided all the pot joints and found a couple pinched wires. That got the tbx control and mid-boost working properly. What a difference. It came to life. I now use it more than my tele in one band because it covers more ground. I run all my axes into tube amps with celestions and Jensen clones. The amps are biased a bit hot so I get a more midrangey old school tone. The strat will still sparkle nicely, and the tele's gets A++ for balls on slide work and a great twang under these conditions.
All that said it offers my employer a more diverse sounding palette of tones for her to listen to (that damn clique tone).
So I guess I sold out, but baby needs a new pair of shoes and I'm not going to sell the strat and get a job at Walmart.
DanDD

[RodeoTex]

I know what you mean: I wanna like coconut because other Buffet fans do, I wanna like Prince because he seems to be some sort of revolutionary that I'm missing out on. I wanna go to Starbucks and pay $4 but I don't know how to order just a regular cup of coffee.
Ain't none of that ever gonna change. Coconut will still be coconut, Prince will still sound goofy and I don't think Starbucks will ever offer anything that doesn't come with whipped cream, nuts, jelly beans or tofu.
MY SUGGESTION: Buy a blank strat body and route it for Tele guts. Just wink when you play it.

[kp8]

Originally Posted by RodeoTex

I wanna go to Starbucks and pay $4 but I don't know how to order just a regular cup of coffee.

[...]

Ain't none of that ever gonna change. Coconut will still be coconut, Prince will still sound goofy and I don't think Starbucks will ever offer anything that doesn't come with whipped cream, nuts, jelly beans or tofu.

I have no idea what you old timers are freaking talking about. I get regular old fashioned cup of drip coffee at Starbucks all the time. No tofu, no nuts, no damn jelly beans. Heck i don't even use the corporate lingo. I walk in and say, "Meduim Coffee please." and sure as heck i get a 12 oz coffee and it costs me $1.98. I guess not liking Starbucks is a signifier that you are uber-manly or something. But they do just sell coffee. I swear they do.

I guess people see what they want to see, esp. if it means they are determined to hate on something (perhaps something they see as queer). I am the last one to defend Starbucks, and i go there when nothing else is available, but gosh, seriously, don't just make stuff up.

P.S. Prince is a revolutionary. Listen to Lovesexy, Sign o' the Times, the Black Album. Listen to how complex the rhythms are, Lovesexy could be a P'fun Lp it is so polyrhythmic & funky.

Can't help you on the Jimmy Buffett (ugh yuck blah), but fresh baked coconut macaroons are pretty dang good.

alright.... rock on

-kp8--

[RodeoTex]

Thanks for the tips on Starbucks. I've been in a couple of times and everyone there seemed to order something fancy sounding from the posted menu with 'extras'. Honestly I didn't see anything on the menu that I could recognize as 'regular'.
Please understand that as the original poster suggested, he WANTED to like strats but just couldn't get there. These 3 thoughts were just an example of my understanding of his plight.
Thanks for your suggestions. I will give a listen to the Prince things you suggested and try to get past his voice long enough to hear the guitar. I'm not sure what a coconut macaroon is or where to get one but if the opportunity ever presents itself I will give it a fair chance based on the recommendation of a fellow TDPRI poster. As for Jimmy Buffet, I think his whole thing is about 'vibe' rather than musicianship. I guess that's an acquired taste (like Prince or coconut).
Sorry if I offended your sensibilities but no, I'm not exactly an 'oldtimer', 'uber-manly' or gay basher of any sort.
Thanks for your input though, but if you'll just read my last line it kind of sums up my sentiment: take what you wanna like and mix it up with what you do like. Just wink at the naysayers. Be true to yourself.

[kp8]

Originally Posted by RodeoTex

Please understand that as the original poster suggested, he WANTED to like strats but just couldn't get there. These 3 thoughts were just an example of my understanding of his plight.

I hear that...

BTW i meant to say P-funk.... not pfun or whatever dumb thing i typed.

rock on...

[Telarkaster]

Originally Posted by RodeoTex

I know what you mean: I wanna like coconut because other Buffet fans do, I wanna like Prince because he seems to be some sort of revolutionary that I'm missing out on. I wanna go to Starbucks and pay $4 but I don't know how to order just a regular cup of coffee.
Ain't none of that ever gonna change. Coconut will still be coconut, Prince will still sound goofy and I don't think Starbucks will ever offer anything that doesn't come with whipped cream, nuts, jelly beans or tofu.
MY SUGGESTION: Buy a blank strat body and route it for Tele guts. Just wink when you play it.

I hate coconuts and Jimmy Buffet, think Prince plays really well but I'm not into his music, and Starbucks makes a really good regular cup of coffee. I've grown to appreciate tofu, I like nuts (allergic to Brazil nuts) and love jelly beans. But not with my coffee. Your orientation is your own business and I consider myself neither old nor young.

Oh yeah, Strats. After 20 years of hating them because I thought they were over hyped, under powered and had quality control issues, I finally found one that I loved and bought it. Not all Strats are good, but I found one that I can't put down. Funny enough it was a 2005 American Series, no bells, no whistles, no mods, no reissues, just stock pickups and a killer neck. Too bad it took 20 years to find one.

As for the original question "Strats, why?", the answer is as follows:

-because some of them are absolutely amazing, you just have to try a lot before you find one. And because some of the best players in the history of music played them, there's obviously something there...

[kp8]

my reply was meant to be read in faux exasperated ranting voice.... I am not sure my half winking was really coming across there... no harm meant to RodeoTex. I still think it is funny this thread goes on and on... Don't make J-crash too angry... i need him to make my amp for me :)

hee hee

[ChicknPickn]

I guess I'm one of those sensitive types, or worse, but my Tele and my Strat stand side-by-side when I'm not around. When I've played the Tele for a while, I start to think I might be hurting the Strat's feelings, and you know you should treat all your children equal, even if you have a favorite. So then the Strat gets a workout for a bit, and I remember what a great set of tones it gives, and what a buttery maple neck it has.

Seriously, though, I go through phases where the Strat may go through two or three sets of strings in the same time that the Tele has had only one. Other times, the table turns. I never wanted a Strat until I was visiting a friend and saw a black body/maple neck Clapton-like model in the corner. I was allowed to meditate with it for awhile. Then it struck me that there was no reason why the tremolo had to be left intact - - if I were, in fact, going to buy a Strat. And it has been fear of the whammy bar and all the bad things it does to tuning stability that had kept me away from Strats for so many years. Wheels started turning. I ended up buying the Strat a few months later because my buddy had brought a Paul home and the Strat was having a hard time with the rejection. The first thing I did was set that tailpiece right down on the top of the guitar and lock that trem in place. Oh, the sustain and springy squawk this thing has! And it stays in tune, period, bend after excessive bend.

I'm a lucky man, I guess. One Strat and one Tele (and a few other things), and I would hate to part with either. No doubt about it, they're both Fenders, and they both have the mojo. Buckers just don't do it for me anymore.

CP

[Telarkaster]

Originally Posted by kp8

Don't make J-crash too angry... i need him to make my amp for me :)

hee hee

I'm sure he isn't pleased this thread won't die, but he must have known what he was getting himself into when he started with "I hope this doesn't start a war..."

It's like saying "GM cars, why?" There are millions of them, an American icon, chances are people have strong opinions on them...

This thread is bigger than Johnny Crash or any of us, the genie is out of the bottle!

[RodeoTex]

Hey Telarkaster,
You are exactly right, there's a lot of good Strats and some not so great (in my experience). I didn't mean to set off any kind of misunderstandings at all. Buffett and coconut are acquired tastes (either you like it or you don't) and I can't believe some of the stuff that some people put in a perfectly good cup of coffee. I like all that stuff too but not the sort of thing I want in my morning coffee - all just personal preference I guess.
As for Buffet, I can never remember whether he has one T or two so I never know When I'm getting in line if I'm about to be a Parrothead or I'm gonna get all I can eat. Either way is OK with me.
I was just trying to make my point, and apparently not even worth the going rate of $0.02.
rp8 is a class guy and I get a kick out of his posts. If nothing else, I have learned not to be intimadated by Starbucks.

[hippietim]

Originally Posted by maestrovert

you've not yet heard Robin Trower's track "Bridge of Sighs" from the album of the same name ? your description of "thin, quacky and weak" most definitely does NOT apply !

I didn't read the whole thread but after reading the initial post this was the very first thing that came to mind.

As I think more about it there's guys like Blackmore, Knopfler, Malmsteen, Dick Dale, Gilmour, and many more that get killer tones as well that are far from thin and weak.

[cdhopkin]

What I like about Strats as they seem to allow the player's style and personality to come through. Sounds very psuedy and I first heard Gilmour saying that but I think it's true to some extent.

Proves that tone is in the fingers and not in the metal that you use to make your bridges or the snakeoil in your $20 caps...

[charliebrown]

Originally Posted by petebradt

You've been playing them wrong. Try one for slide. Listen to the solo. Can't get that with a Tele. I've played slide with a Tele, and I know. Strats are FAT slide guitars.

I have a Tele set up for slide (just beginning mind you). Mine's not your typical Tele though...6 saddle bridge, Lace Sensor Hot Gold pickups, 4 way switch...Almost a humbucker sound when the gain is cranked up.
I'm trying it until I can actually "play slide"...when I get to the point that I can discriminate a little, I'll set the Strat up for slide and do some comparisons...I may find that you are right and I'm an idiot...I'll let you know! LOL

Very nice sound clip, btw....very.

[sneakyjapan]

only reason I go to Starbucks here is...it`s the only coffee shop with no smoking. Others have no smoking sections but with no walls to seperate, whats the frickin point? Plus...I always have the same thing...what ever the coffee of the day is...no waiting for that...everything else has to be prepared but coffee of the day is immediately ready. I hate waiting around for anything. So in general I order, pay and am putting the honey in my mug within a minute...beauty.
Strats?...loves em. and teles and Pauls and SGs and my Yamaha acoustic Dynamics...in fact...there are very few guitars that I don`t find appealing in some way.

[OrovilleTim]

Ok, I think I have the definitive answer of why I feel I must own a Strat....

Why? Well, because as long as I own one, I won't need to waste time picking one up in a guitar shop to see if I maybe do really like them.

I got down to one Tele, and still don't regret that decision, and if I ever question it, I plug it straight into the Twin and all doubt is removed. But, the Strat thing was always "I think I should like it". I saw one that was beautiful... CP 60's in the pale blue. Bought it... took it back. Had one before that way in my past, although I chose to forget it (Squier Pro-Tone Fat Strat with Floyd Rose.) But, what I did was find one I was convinced was well worth the money. A 1997 Deluxe Powerhouse... most importantly, with Tele style knobs. GC price was $249 and I got it for less. I mean, how could I go wrong?

So, while I always feel "I LOVE my Tele (twang, sparkle)", I have bouts of "oooh I like this strat (quack, whacka whacka)". But these are followed by zipping it back up in the gig bag for a while until the next time I think "I might really like strats." So, I'm saving me a lot of time looking at them in the stores just by keeping one around. But, even if I do have an eye for the strat every now and again, at least I can whole-heartedly say 100% without a doubt that I am a Fender man when it comes to guitars!

[kp8]

Originally Posted by sneakyjapan

Strats?...loves em. and teles and Pauls and SGs and my Yamaha acoustic Dynamics...in fact...there are very few guitars that I don`t find appealing in some way.

so you are a kind of guitar slut then...

[sneakyjapan]

Originally Posted by kp8

so you are a kind of guitar slut then...

guess so...oh...and I`ve been called worse.

[riggergreg]

I too, Have never been a fan of the strat. Too many knobs, Hard to keep in tune, and that funny handle hanging off the bridge. Until I built this one.



Lightweight Pine body Only weighs 6.3lbs
Hardtail bridge
One volume- One tone-out of the way
BL Keystone pups
Big fat neck
Just the most comfortable guitar I have ever played

[Razzamatazz]

Are my eyes failing on me or is that body thinner than usual?

[T-bone Tone]

If you have to ask why, you're not meant to know.

I like both my fenders, but the stratocaster has to be one of the most beautiful designs, ever.....for anything, not just a mere guitar. The tele looks - and is - utilitarian - by comparison. So, one-nil to the stratocaster.

Three Pups. The only guitar that gets away with this, and how. Versatility, out of phase sounds. 3 pups on a tele? Hmmmmmm, doesn't look right.
Two-nil to the stratocaster.

Sounds. Weedy? Springy? What you actually mean is it's subtly different to the tele. Many find the teles lead pup too harsh and treble. The strats is just right. The Shadows. The Ventures. Surf guitar.
Jimi Hendrix. Enough said.
Three-nil to the stratocaster.

Comfortable, thin, contoured body. Far better looking headstock. Classic design vibrato. I could go on, but, as I say at the start; if ya gotta ask, stick to your telecaster. After all, it's still the second best guitar in the world!

[kp8]

Originally Posted by T-bone Tone

If you have to ask why, you're not meant to know.

of course this question was asked on May 4th, 2005, 07:40 PM

[fezz parka]

Strats good, Teles good. It's when I stray away from these to that I tend to be, uh, a little dissapointed.

[Cheesehead]

The thread that wouldn't die!

I just watched Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival DVD last night. Should have been called Stratfest! Clapton, Buddy Guy, Eric Johnson, Jimmie Vaughan, Joe Walsh, John Mayer, Robert Cray, Doyle Bramhall II (Clapton's guitarist). So many great tones and styles -- okay mostly blues, but shows ya' how many great different tones you can get. (Check out Clapton, Guy, and Vaughan on Rock Me Baby.)

I'm sure Jimi's been cited a number of times in this thread. I love all the tones he was capable of getting. But the tones I love most are not the effects laden tones, but the slightly overdriven Plexy tones, like on his BBC recordings.

I also love SRV. What a muscular, impossible-to-duplicate tone.

I own a Jimmy Vaughan Strat and Muddy Waters Tele (can you tell I'm a blues fan) and love them both.

[Stuco]

I guess we're going for some kind of record with this thread now. I've just built a Frankenstrat with a squier standard guard and pickukps/electronics, mim fender neck and SX body and hardware. Its great.

[Brad J]

Weedy, springy? Gary Moore thinks different....

[KC]

well, I only read the first page & part of the last one but I hope somebody mentioned Lowell George in there somewhere (and his sidekick Bonnie Raitt). He's the reason I bought a strat in the first place. Him and Magic Sam. Oh yeah, and Ike Turner.

[boris bubbanov]

If for some reason the Telecaster did not exist, and every time a Tele or Tele-type build was attempted it spontaneously blew up, I suspect most of us could find a way to love Stratocasters unconditionally. Yes, I understand the hypothetical is ridulous.

The real question is Mustangs and Duo-Sonics, why?


Bubbanov

[Tremo]

Originally Posted by maestrovert

3 words for ya:
Bridge of Sighs

'course, it's jest m.h.o.

And heavy use of the Rotovibe/Dejavibe/whatevervibe.

Actually I like that tone and that song and respect Trower, but the tone on that track is so heavily effected, it really masks a lot of the Strat. I personally prefer Strat tones with less effects. Listen to Matt Schofield, he pulls some excellent Strat tones.

If you don't like the Strat "quack" tones, stay out of positions 2 and 4, problem solved.

No offense to my Tele wearin' brothers, but I much prefer a Strat's neck pup tone to a Tele's.

[backalleyblues]

Johnny...you...must...be...assimilated...and...pla y...strats... :D

Seriously, strats are about the most frustrating guitar you can own, in a lot of ways. First finding the RIGHT strat is a really tough thing, especially if you've ever played a great one... my buddy who's a luthier had a '61 in for a complete redo, top to bottom (it was just plain wore out!) After he finished getting it back into playing shape, he handed it to me to play, through a brown '61 deluxe that served as his bench amp. Never played a better strat in my life, there was lotsa meat in the tone, plenty of cluck and dimension to the sound, sustain almost as good as a LP, just overall a fabulous guitar, wish I had $1000 that day (1988) it could've been mine.

Been through quite a few strats over the years, I like the tone of a good one, it's getting one that's comfy and resonant that's really the trick here. Currently, it's a Fernandes from the late 80's, I believe, same as the MIJ Squiers of that era, very nice guitar, especially after it received a proper setup. Still not as good as that '61, but a hell of a lot cheaper...

All the bridge tricks mentioned in this thread are on the money, and it was the first thing I ever did to any strat I ever had. I don't do floating bridges, mine are all clamped down so you hafta work the twang bar to get it to move the bridge, this does help with the natural tone. Strats need resonant body woods to sound decent, moreso than other guitars, and a proper assembly the first go-around is critical. If the neck ain't joined properly to the body, and the trem is ever-so-slightly off the mark, (not to mention the tremolo block and claw) it will ruin what otherwise would have been a fine guitar, and it's about impossible to get that back. Pickup choice and placement seem more critical as well, for some reason; I can tell when the pickups aren't balanced properly on the Fernandes (the pickup screws are kinda loose and the pups want to go down in the body, throwing off the top-end balance and "cluck positions"). Good thing they're easy to work on, otherwise nobody would have wanted them to begin with.

Some other examples of great Strat tones IMHO...

Buddy Guy-Junior Wells "HooDoo Man Blues" the whole album is Buddy straight into a tweed bassman. This is what that '61 sounded like...

Eric Clapton "Just One Night" Another cluck classic, Blackie going through a MusicMan amp (a 130, I believe). "Double Trouble" (starts side 3) is what got me into playing to begin with, the subtleties of a good strat in a great player's hands are never more apparant than on this track.

Bonnie Raitt-Luck Of The Draw-great slide tone, only as Ms Raitt can dish out, and almost always a Strat on the neck pup.

Robbie Robertson used a strat a fair amount over the years (and lotsa tellys too!) Most of the Last Waltz was on a modified strat w/buckers.

Enjoy it for what it is, and what the guitar gives you, then you'll finally find something about it to like. For the record, I can't stand the feel of an LP, though I love the sound-I usually get an SG instead (go figger!)... to each his own...

Franc Robert
Back Alley Blues Band

[micpoc]

The main reason I would own a Strat if I owned a Strat: George Harrison's solo on "Nowhere Man". He never used that tone again, maybe that's what sets it apart for me.

[K.E.B.]

Post #194.

Here are a few reasons...

A–E
Eric Clapton in a Switzerland concert on June 19, 1977.

* Randy Bachman (born 1943), a founding member of both The Guess Who and Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Bachman favored Stratocasters and custom Strat-style guitars.[2] Though his bands are mostly known for their simplistic rock-radio anthems, Bachman's soloing often revealed complex melodies and jazz-inflected phrasing. Among his Stratocasters used are a '63 standard and a '71 four-bolt hardtail. He has listed guitar influences as varied as Lenny Breau, Leslie West, Wes Montgomery[3] and Hank Marvin.[4]

* Jeff Beck (born 1944), a Grammy award winning rock guitarist, Beck is known for playing for various bands such as the Yardbirds and his own group The Jeff Beck Group. Beck primarily plays a Stratocaster and also has a signature Strat.[5] He is noted for his innovative use of the Stratocaster's vibrato system.[6] Up to 1975 Beck had been, primarily, a Les Paul player. In an interview with Jas Obrecht about switching to the Stratocaster Beck stated "With a Les Paul you just wind up sounding like someone else. With the Strat I finally sound like me."[7]

* Ritchie Blackmore (born 1945), a founding member of both Deep Purple and Rainbow, currently a member of the band Blackmore's Night.[8] After starting his career using various Hofner and Gibson guitars, Blackmore switched to a Stratocaster in the late 1960s after seeing Jimi Hendrix perform with one. Blackmore's Stratocasters are modified; the middle pickup is lowered and not used (sometimes disconnected completely) and his Stratocaster fingerboards are all scalloped from the 10th fret up. Through the early/mid 1970s Blackmore was notorious for onstage abuse of his guitars sometimes destroying them completely. By the late 1970s the guitarist had found a Stratocaster model he was content with and it has remained his main stage and studio guitar up until it had to be refretted.

* Tommy Bolin (1951–1976), a versatile guitarist who is noted for his influence in genres ranging from acoustic blues to hard rock and jazz fusion. He was the lead guitarist for Zephyr, James Gang and Deep Purple. He also had a successful solo career, and collaborated with artists like Billy Cobham and The Good Rats. Bolin played by ear and was known for his improvisational skill. His primary guitar was a stock 1963 Stratocaster.[9][10]

* Bill Carson, a country and western guitarist credited by Fender as "the man for whom the Stratocaster was designed."[11]

* Eric Clapton (born 1945), a Grammy-award-winning guitarist who originally played Gibson guitars but has been a Stratocaster enthusiast since 1970. Clapton bought his first Stratocaster that year, Brownie, which was used on Layla.[12] Blackie, a composite of three different guitars, went into service in 1970 and was regularly played until its retirement in 1985. It was sold at charity auction for $959,500 in 2004. In 1988, Fender introduced the Eric Clapton Stratocaster, the first model in their Signature series. Clapton has been a long-standing client of the Fender Custom Shop.

* Ry Cooder (born 1947), a guitarist, singer and composer who is well-known for his interest in American folk music, his collaborations with other notable musicians, and his work on many film soundtracks. Cooder's bottleneck slide guitar playing, heard on such works as the soundtrack to the 1984 film Paris, Texas, influenced other guitarists such as Bonnie Raitt and Chris Rea and contributed to the popularity of the Stratocaster as a slide guitar.[13] He uses a 60's Stratocaster for such playing.[14]

* Robert Cray (born 1953), a long-time blues guitarist and singer, Cray plays a '64 Strat and had his own Signature model made in 1990. The signature model, manufactured by the Fender Custom Shop, combines aspects of Cray's '59 Strat and the '64, omits the standard Stratocaster whammy bar, and includes custom pickups.[15]

* Dick Dale (born 1937), one of the first owners of a Stratocaster; his was given to him personally by Leo Fender in 1955. Considered the pioneer of surf rock. He has been revolutionary in experimenting with the sound of the guitar by using heavy reverb and a unique playing style.[16]
* The Edge (born 1961), lead guitarist of U2, known for his melodic playing and use of delay, Edge has used the Stratocaster as one of his main guitars throughout his career.[17]

[edit] F–J
David Gilmour in 2006

* John Frusciante (born March 5, 1970), the guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Frusciante owns many pre-70's Stratocasters (most notably his 1962 Strat), and is most known for using them on all the Red Hot Chili Pepper's albums he was involved with, including Stadium Arcadium, By The Way, and Californication,[18] and earlier in his career on Mother's Milk,[19] and Blood Sugar Sex Magik,[20] In all cases, Frusciante has relied on the versatility of the Stratocaster to help forge the unique Chili Peppers sound (as well as that of his solo work).

* Rory Gallagher (1948–1995), an Irish blues rock guitarist, often credited as one of the most influential Irish rock and blues guitarists of all time. Gallagher is well-known for his worn sunburst Stratocaster. He described his battered Stratocaster as "a part of my psychic makeup". "B.B. King has owned over 100 Lucilles, but I only own one Strat, and it hasn't got a name". Gallagher's Stratocaster has also been reproduced by the Fender Custom shop, to the exact specs of the original one.[21][22][23]

* David Gilmour (born 1946), as a solo artist and guitar player for Pink Floyd, Gilmour is credited for his unique, blues-based compositional approach and expressive soloing. Author Tony Bacon stated "his solo on 'Comfortably Numb' remains for many a definitive Strat moment."[24]. Gilmour's guitar of choice is a custom modified Fender Stratocaster.[25] He is the owner of Strat #0001, which was manufactured in 1954 but was not the first Stratocaster made since Fender does not use sequential serial numbers.[26][27] Gilmour's signature black Stratocaster, used frequently in 1970's concerts and on the blockbuster albums Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and The Wall, is featured in a new book by his long-time guitar tech Phil Taylor: Pink Floyd, The Black Strat -- A History of David Gilmour's Black Stratocaster.[28] Gilmour is considered to be one of the more influential Stratocaster players since the instrument's invention.[29]

* Buddy Guy (born 1936), an American blues guitarist and singer, Guy is well known for playing the Stratocaster throughout his long career. He is also known for his wild showmanship; Jimi Hendrix and Stevie Ray Vaughan both pointed to Guy as an influence on both their playing and their stage shows. Fender has issued several different variations (black with white polka dots, red with white polkadots, white with black polkadots, a two-color sunburst and a honey-blonde finish) of a Buddy Guy Signature Stratocaster since the early 1990s; the guitars generally have gold Lace Sensor pickups and modified circuitry.[30]

* George Harrison (1943-2001), lead guitarist for the Beatles, Harrison got his first Stratocaster in 1965 and used it for the recording of the Rubber Soul album. Fender's Don Randall met with the Beatles to try and convince them to use more Fender products. The band bought several different instruments including Harrison's famous rosewood Telecaster. Harrison hand-painted his original Stratocaster with a psychedelic paint job that included the word "Bebopalula" painted above the pickguard and the guitar's nickname, "Rocky", painted on the headstock. He can be seen playing Rocky in the Magical Mystery Tour film as well as The Concert for Bangla Desh.[31][32]

* Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970), known for developing blues in a modern context, Hendrix' main stage guitar through most of his short career was a Fender Stratocaster.[33] In 1990, the white Stratocaster used by Hendrix at the 1969 Woodstock Festival sold in a Sotheby's auction for $270,000, a record price at the time. Although Hendrix played left-handed, he did not normally use a custom left-handed Stratocaster. Instead, he is noted for playing a conventional right-handed Stratocaster flipped upside down because he preferred to use the controls in that position. Like Buddy Holly, Hendrix was responsible for a large increase in the Stratocaster's popularity, especially in his favorite finish, white. In reference to his famed on-stage Stratocaster burning, Hendrix is quoted as saying, "The time I burned my guitar it was like a sacrifice. You sacrifice the things you love. I love my guitar."[34] In 1997 Fender produced a limited edition Hendrix tribute model Stratocaster.[35]

* Buddy Holly (1936–1959), identified as "the first Strat' hero." A statue of Holly in his home town of Lubbock, Texas portrays him playing his Stratocaster, and the guitar is also engraved on his tombstone.[36] Although the initial release of the Stratocaster came in 1954, the guitar did not begin to achieve popularity until Holly appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1957 playing a maple-neck Strat.[37] Holly was also pictured on the cover of The Crickets' 1957 album The "Chirping" Crickets with a sunburst Stratocaster, inspiring The Shadows' Hank Marvin to adopt the guitar.[38]

* Eric Johnson (born 1954), a Grammy-award-winning guitarist from Austin, Texas, Johnson has played Stratocasters regularly during his career and has played many different types of music.[39]

Page 1 of 2

[K.E.B.]

[edit] K–P
Mark Knopfler in a Hamburg concert on May 28, 2006

* Mark Knopfler (born 1949), known for his work with British band Dire Straits. Fender now produces his Signature Stratocaster.[40]

* John Lennon (1940–1980), the Beatles' rhythm guitarist, acquired a 1961 Stratocaster during the 1965 sessions for Help!. It was used on the track Nowhere Man. Lennon also used the guitar during the Sgt. Pepper sessions. A different Strat was used on the Imagine album.[41]

* Alex Lifeson (b. 1953), the Guitarist for Rush since 1968, first recorded with a black Stratocaster on the Rush 1977 album A Farewell to Kings. In 1979, he modified the '77 strat with a '57 classic humbucker, a floyd rose (first ever made), a gibson toggle switch on the lower bout, and rewired with master volume/tone. He used that same guitar for the leads and direct recording for 1979's "Permanent Waves." In late 1980, Alex Lifeson acquired two more strats in red and white, modifying them exactly the same as the former.[42][43]

* Yngwie J. Malmsteen (b. 1963), known for his work in the neo-classical metal genre. Influenced by an array of musicians, Malmsteen is regarded as highly influential for his use of heavy classical-style chord progressions, interesting phrases and arpeggio sweeps. He is known for playing Stratocasters with scalloped fretboards.[44][45]

* Hank Marvin (b. 1941), the lead guitarist of The Shadows, Marvin was the owner of the first Fender Stratocaster in the UK (given to him by Cliff Richard). The guitar was finished in a shade of Fiesta Red, sometimes referred to as 'Salmon Pink'. This guitar, with its tremolo arm, contributed to the Shadows' distinctive sound.[46] Guitarists such as David Gilmour and Mark Knopfler credit Marvin and the The Shadows, who had "the first Strat that came to England", with influencing their own decisions to buy Stratocasters.[47]

* John Mayer (b. 1977), a Grammy-award-winning singer/songwriter has enjoyed recent popularity. Mayer has played Stratocasters throughout his career and has had a Fender Artist Series Stratocaster made in both standard and limited edition form.[48][49] Mayer's use of the Stratocaster in a wide range of musical genres is noted as a testament to the guitar's versatility.[50]

* Mike Oldfield (b. 1953), a British guitarist who plays a wide range of guitars and instruments. His "Salmon-pink" strat, bought at the time of his hit Moonlight Shadow, is his favorite guitar.[51]

[edit] Q–Z
Stevie Ray Vaughan performing on Austin City Limits.

* Bonnie Raitt (born 1949), an American blues/R&B guitarist, singer, and songwriter, plays a 1969 Stratocaster as well as her signature Strat.[52]

* Robbie Robertson (born 1943), guitarist and principal songwriter for The Band. Robertson's main guitar choice was a Stratocaster, despite using a Telecaster early in his career. For The Last Waltz Robertson had a Stratocaster bronzed especially for his use in the film.[53] More recently Robertson made a very rare live appearance at Eric Clapton's 2007 Crossroads Guitar Festival using a Stratocaster.

* Kenny Wayne Shepherd (born 1977 Kenneth Wayne Brobst), lead guitarist and lead/backup vocalist for The Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band. Born in Shreveport, Louisiana, Kenny started his playing career at age 16, while attending Caddo Magnet High School, and has performed internationally with many of the great blues legends.[54]

* Richard Thompson (born 1949), an English musician best known for his finger-style guitar playing and songwriting, was a founding member of Fairport Convention before becoming a solo artist. For many years Thompson played a '59 Sunburst Stratocaster, with a maple '55 neck.[55] That guitar is currently unserviceable and Thompson now uses a '64 sunburst Stratocaster with a rosewood fingerboard.[56]

* Pete Townshend (born 1945), the guitarist for The Who, used a Stratocaster during the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and has exclusively used a modified version of the Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster since 1989.[57]

* Robin Trower (born 1945), a British rock guitarist known for his work in the band Procol Harum and his successful solo career, has his own Signature Stratocaster made by Fender. "The sight of him onstage with his signature Stratocaster is as characteristic to his fans as his classic songs."[58]

* Ritchie Valens (1941–1959), a pioneer of rock and roll mostly famous for his Latin Rock song "La Bamba", played with a sunburst Strat.[59]

* Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954–1990), known for his Texas blues style guitar playing, was an American blues guitarist who is considered highly influential for his driving guitar style soaked with rhythmic style playing. Vaughan was noted for playing a Stratocaster equipped with a left-handed vibrato system. He was also known for tuning his guitar down a half-step and using heavy strings.[60][61][62]

* Ronnie Wood (born 1947), The Rolling Stones, a guitarist since 1975. Wood's main stage instruments are 1956 and 1957 Sunburst Strats. He also uses a Telecaster.[63]

* James "J.Y." Young, guitarist of multi-platinum rock band Styx, has been using a Stratocaster as his principal guitar almost exclusively since 1967.[64]

not necessarily the end...

[K.E.B.]

Albert Lee plays a custom strat. Okay, it's a Music Man by Ernie Ball. I used to work for Mr. Ball. Saw Albert Lee at a free staff only concert. Man, this guy can play! It would sound different on a tele, but he plays it like one!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qjbR_Os9GWE

[vegetablejoe]

Originally Posted by JohnnyCrash

...
I am a heavy bluesman as well, so I think TexGoneNW's posting hits ME closest to home... I cannot get enough P90s... I was even looking into a P90 Strat briefly... unfortunately I dislike alot of Strat blues sounds/tones (don't hate me).
...

"heavy bluesman" ... Walter Trout and Gary Moore come to mind. Strat tone can't possibly get any thicker than theirs. And Robin Trower remains my top favorite.

[K.E.B.]

This is a classic meaty strat through a beautiful sounding amp. Watch it till the end and compare the LP humbuckers. To me the LP sounds muddy. The strat sings. My opinion of course.

Edit: Oh yeah, the link might help. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tmg6z...layer_embedded

[redstringuitar]

Couldn't do without my Strat, higher maintenance than non-trem guitars though, you have to set them up right.