Favorite Stratocaster Hero - Page 2

jkemmery · April 8th, 2009, 09:48 AM

[quote=hedegaardo1;60875]John Frusciante of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, QUOTE]

I would give a HUGE second to that! He is pretty amazing to watch play, and what's more is that his style is all his own ... a true artist.

d0nut · April 10th, 2009, 06:09 AM

I have to go with the 3 B's:

Blackmore
Beck
Bolin

Lobotomy Boy · May 20th, 2009, 02:16 PM

I don't think there's a wrong answer in this thread, and at a given moment I might pick any mentioned so far, but if I was able to play like any single person, I'd pick Mark Knopfler. He has tremendous feel for the guitar. He's one of those people who can listen with his hands. I've seen motorcycle racing tuners who are like this--they get information through their fingertips that is unavailable to the rest of us.

khallyboyblues/ · June 6th, 2009, 11:06 AM

damn..its like a "choose yer favorite child" type situation

Hendrix, Blackmore, Clapton before he went soft(its hard for me to say this as i am his biggest fan, saw him live 11th march 2009 i cried) Steve Hillage, cant mess with Knopfler dick dale is awesome too Sumlin is a genius Trower ahh RAW...

*thinks so hard he explodes the last 3 braincells he has left and passes out as he whispers "Hendrix" faintly with his last breath"*

kyle1167 · June 13th, 2009, 11:44 AM

Jeff Beck, my avatar was a dead give away for my choice. Also big fan of Gilmour, Hendrix, SRV, Dick Dale and Eric Johnson. Clapton never did it for me, nothing against him I just was never really impressed by him.
Not to get off subject but if it were Telecaster it would have to be Brad Paisley, that guy is a monster. He can play country, jazz, surf... you name it he can do it. His CD "Play" is amazing.

thunderbyrd · June 18th, 2009, 04:55 PM

Rory Gallagher.

Offshore Angler · June 19th, 2009, 07:35 AM

You know, I never really understood the whole Clapton/Strat thing. When I think of iconic recordings by him, I think Telecaster or Gibson. He really didn't start playing his Strat until after his most influential playing had been done and entered his poppy Muzak stage.

I think more of "The Traveler" when I identify a guitar with him. Where did the whole idea of identifying him with a Strat come from?

fenderaffection · June 19th, 2009, 07:48 AM

Someone had to mention Richard Thompson, he is an amazingly inventive soloist and uses scales that expand the normal expectations. Hendrix, EC, Gilmour and Jeff Beck of course.

ToneRanger · June 19th, 2009, 08:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Offshore Angler

You know, I never really understood the whole Clapton/Strat thing. When I think of iconic recordings by him, I think Telecaster or Gibson. He really didn't start playing his Strat until after his most influential playing had been done and entered his poppy Muzak stage.

I think more of "The Traveler" when I identify a guitar with him. Where did the whole idea of identifying him with a Strat come from?

Well, he does play a strat like 90% of the time since his "Derek & the Dominos" era - but I agree that my favorite tones from him are his Gibson/Bluesbreakers/Cream era - LOVE his tone on the cherry 335...

Ugh - do I have to pick just one favorite strat player? Virtually all my influences are strat players, but top o' the list are Eric Johnson, Gilmour, Knopfler, Hendrix, and yes, Clapton. I went through a "Stevie-Ray-Vaughan-abie" stage when I was younger as well.
Malmsteen also, but only off of his first solo album "Rising Force" - IMO it's the only one of his recordings that actually sounds like he's playing a strat...

Offshore Angler · June 19th, 2009, 08:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ToneRanger

Well, he does play a strat like 90% of the time since his "Derek & the Dominos" era - but I agree that my favorite tones from him are his Gibson/Bluesbreakers/Cream era - LOVE his tone on the cherry 335...

Ugh - do I have to pick just one favorite strat player? Virtually all my influences are strat players, but top o' the list are Eric Johnson, Gilmour, Knopfler, Hendrix, and yes, Clapton. I went through a "Stevie-Ray-Vaughan-abie" stage when I was younger as well.
Malmsteen also, but only off of his first solo album "Rising Force" - IMO it's the only one of his recordings that actually sounds like he's playing a strat...

Yep. It's been so long since some of the guitar heros recorded their stuff that lots of the people who worship them wern't even born when the stuff was done. So the master narrative has become accepted as fact. Case in point - Carlos Santana. Ask anybody under 40 what guitar he is associated with and they will answer PRS, yet Carlos did all his best stuff on a Les Paul. It wasn't until he had a comeback and was doing his stuff retreaded that he switched to his signature PRS. Somehow, the marketing made the myth more real than reality.

xashanx · June 29th, 2009, 11:47 AM

kotzen plays strats? hmm thought he was mainly into ibanez.. i'd go with blackmore, eric johnson, clapton, knopfler and doug aldrich

Lobotomy Boy · June 29th, 2009, 11:55 AM

I was thinking about starting a thread called "Most Overrated Strat Guitar Hero," but decided it would be too contentious. I know Hendrix, Clapton, and SRV would all get votes on that thread, and since I dig all three of them I decided to not stir up that particular pot.

strat_techie · June 29th, 2009, 12:26 PM

The guitarists that inspire me kinda change with my moods....the most recent (strat playing) one was SRV.

firesgt911 · July 3rd, 2009, 09:30 PM

I am going go with Billy Corgan. Maybe not much of a shredder, but MAN does he have some great tones! But hey, I'm a fuzz fanatic.

StratMajik · July 3rd, 2009, 10:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by hwy1strat

[b]

JOE BONAMASSA (BEFORE HE BECAME TICKED OFF AT FENDER!!)[/B]

I haven't heard this story, can you share it?

I would have to say SRV, he brought me back to music, and turned me on to many great blues guys. He also introduced me to the newer greats.

So,
Chris Duarte would also be a choice as well as...
Joe Bonamassa

Kevin

bowhunter · July 7th, 2009, 04:45 PM

Hendrix,,,Uli Roth(Scorpion days),,,Blackmore,,,,Beck!!!

AllroyPA · July 7th, 2009, 04:50 PM

John Frusciante, Clapton, Beck, Hendrix, and Gilmour
(Did Jake E. Lee play strat?) His stuff was pretty killer w/ Ozzy

Steve_2020 · July 7th, 2009, 05:11 PM

So many of my favorite guitarists play strats. Can't choose just one but if forced to, Jeff Beck is my guy.

This being said, I saw EC last week with Steve Winwood. GREAT CONCERT.

(warning: rave alert)
While Eric hasn't learned a new lick in 40+ years, like BB King, he learned a bunch of good ones long ago. Now he seems to be hitting a late career peak with his live playing.

Yeah, it's (just) Eric Clapton dong his bluesy triplet licks, but they sure sounded good last week. And he invented/derived/whatever....Came Up with a bunch of those licks decades ago - and still does "EC" better than anyone. He knows all the feel good notes and the crowds love it. Clapton also has the world's best guitar soundman. The lead guitar was cranked on top of everything else when it needed to be.

They ended the main set with a great version of Voodoo Chile and with EC playing long, Loud, spooky solos...and I could almost feel Jimi and SRV smiling down. I had seen SRV do his Big Loud Guitar version of VC in the same arena in 1989..

I've seen Clapton a zillion times over the years, starting with Derek and the Dominos when I was a kid. He's always been ok to good live, but I hadn't been to one of his shows in over 10 years when a friend dragged me to his 2007 tour. This one had Derek Trucks in the band and they played tons of 60s/70s stuff. They played several songs from the Layla album better than the Dominos (a 4 piece) did in 1971-2, and EC has long since stopped being hung up on semi-clean toned leads in concert like he was in the 70s. His current tone isn't my favorite tone from him, but it's ok and certainly works in concert.

So after hearing magical EC-style playing at the second show I've caught from him in 3 years, I’ve put Eric Clapton back onto my "just go" list of players I like to see/hear live.

Steve Winwood was also a huge bonus on this tour. I hope they do it again..

I'm sure I'll settle down in a bit, but this was a very enjoyable concert on many levels.

(end of rave

)

I like most of the great players mentioned on this thread. Dunno if anybody has mentioned on Sonny Landreth. He's way excellent.. Too shy to be a hero. Just a great, slidin strat player.

Steve

bowhunter · July 7th, 2009, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AllroyPA

John Frusciante, Clapton, Beck, Hendrix, and Gilmour
(Did Jake E. Lee play strat?) His stuff was pretty killer w/ Ozzy

I think Jake played a Charvel.

pfogle · July 8th, 2009, 06:17 PM

Well, I don't know who it was, probably Hendrix, until I got the DVD of Jeff Beck week residency at Ronnie Scott's in 2007. OMG - I never thought a guitar could do that stuff

So he's my hero now..

YouTube - Jeff Beck at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club...

The Noo · July 8th, 2009, 07:23 PM

It has to be David Gilmour, Tone, Phrasing, Touch. Just Epic.

SteveJames · July 8th, 2009, 07:42 PM

Mark Knopfler, Chris Rea, Marc Bolan, Dave Gilmour, Hank Marvin, David Evans, Buddy Holly, Gary Moore, Eric Clapton.

WHY???? Cos ever single one of them got a different and memorable sound out of the same guitar. "THE STRAT", That's the sign of a truly great instrument & musician in my opinion.

Steve

prettyboy829 · July 8th, 2009, 11:43 PM

SRV. Kurt Cobain first inspired me to pick up a guitar, but after a couple of years I stopped playing because grunge lost its appeal to me. Years later a roommate tossed in "Texas Flood" in the CD player on a road trip and I've been addicted ever since. When I heard Stevie play (and it still holds true) I thought to myself, "That's what your supposed to do with a guitar". Inspired me to start playing again, and I haven't stopped and thanks to SRV I never will.

angelmaniac · July 9th, 2009, 04:59 AM

SRV - definately. That is the reason why i pick up a strat.

ToneRanger · July 9th, 2009, 06:39 AM

If I had to pick one - Eric Johnson. Hands down. He plays almost the entire spectrum of guitar music (sans punk and death metal) and gets so many classic sounds out of a single instrument - his playing is both beautiful and exciting at the same time.
After EJ would be David Gilmour, Mark Knopfler, Sonny Landreth - and the obligatory Clapton, Hendrix, SRV...

Fender-man007 · July 9th, 2009, 07:12 AM

i thinned it down to three....SRV, Clapton and Beck

ToneRanger · July 9th, 2009, 08:41 AM

Oops - forgot to mention Jeff Beck - he's the reason I switched to a strat to begin with...

casualofender · July 9th, 2009, 09:03 AM

Lobotomy Boy · July 9th, 2009, 11:42 AM

I have an indirect, non-musical connection to Jeff Beck. I'm a writer and have published a number of books on cars and motorcycles. These are illustrated coffee-table books with hundreds of photos. My automotive photographer is also a Strat player who knows Jeff Beck. They aren't buds or anything, but Mr. Beck is a car nut just like my photographer and I. My photographer crosses paths with Mr. Beck just often enough to give him a copy of whatever book we have recently published. Since I've gone down the path of yammering about my day job, I might as well plug our latest book--anyone who give's a poop about Pontiac's GTO can pick up a copy at

Amazon.com.

BlueDog · July 9th, 2009, 01:01 PM

I don't think any guitar "hero" has ever limited himself to a single guitar. They've probably lived too long, tried to capture too many tones and had too many endorsements to stay with only one their whole career. Jimi and Stevie died young and that probably kept them from straying too far from the Strats they played. The bottom line is, Stevie, Jimi and EC are known for the Strats they held, but really are known for the talent they poured into them. Man, would that be a concert to see.

Lobotomy Boy · July 9th, 2009, 01:06 PM

Quote:

Jimi and Stevie died young and that probably kept them from straying too far from the Strats they played.

Hendrix played a remarkable variety of guitars, including a lot of Gibsons. He had three Flying Vees, at least one SG, and at least one Les Paul, and he used all of them in his concerts. All three guitars that he burned onstage were Strats, and he was filmed playing Strats in his most iconic concerts (Monterey, Woodstock), but at least two of the guitars that he burned were borrowed.

illinoisboy · July 9th, 2009, 02:43 PM

I have to vote for SRV, he was the reason I first wanted to play guitar.

musclecar64 · July 29th, 2009, 10:23 PM

John Frusciante. He is the one who made me really want to take guitar seriously, and also the one who made me fall in love with the strat. He is so inspiring to me. His style and ability as a guitarist and his ingenuity as a musician in general is incredible. Plus he is the benchmark of tone IMO.

tonyw · July 29th, 2009, 10:30 PM

Rory Gallagher

codenamesimon · July 30th, 2009, 12:55 AM

My top 3 are Hendrix, Clapton, and SRV (not in any particular order)

Sonny · August 9th, 2009, 09:02 AM

Tough one... Hendrix, Clapton, SRV, Knopfler ... Walter Trout (If you dont know him, try it out)

ZL1LoVeR · August 23rd, 2009, 02:26 AM

Hendrix, SRV, and John Mayer all have left their mark over here... and after listening to them and their distinct tones I decided that my next guitar would be a Strat...

But my hero - as you can tell by my signature

- would definitely be John Frusciante... I learned from him that the less busy and flashy your playing, and the more simple you keep it, the better sound and feel would come out... He opened up a lot of spaces and added many dimensions to guitar playing AND songwriting, whether it be funky rhythem, or spaced out chord "noodling"... He is definitely a virtuoso in his own right!

stevej · October 16th, 2009, 12:12 PM

jj cale

NorthShore · October 16th, 2009, 02:46 PM

Knopfler for feeling and subtlety.

SRV for power and speed.

AllroyPA · October 16th, 2009, 02:48 PM

Leo ~! Leo ~! Leo ~! Biggest baddest hero ...