Friday, January 23, 2009

Guitar Fridays: The Stratocaster


by M A N



This is my guitar. There are many like it, but this one is mine (you can tell by the Cthuloid Cephalapod sticker).

The Fender Stratocaster is one of the most recognizable guitars on the planet. Even on the off chance that its double cutaway shape and signature headstock don't look familiar to you, you no doubt have the sounds of this versatile instrument lurking somewhere in your music collection. From the bell-like chimes in blues, twang of country, clackety-clack of funk, full-on shred of metal, to the warm and smooth tones of jazz, you've heard this guitar.

The Stratocaster hasn't changed much in the 50 plus years it's been in production. I guess when you get it right the first time, there's no need to. The body is usually made out of ash, alder, or basswood, though some more exotic woods are used from time to time. It has a maple neck with either a maple or rosewood fingerboard (mine is rosewood) then ends with the most recognizable headstock in history (as you can see, mine has the cool fat 70s style).

Wood, hardware (bridge and tuning pegs) and electronics (pickups, volume and tone pots) can vary in quality. American made Strats are considered a higher quality guitar than those made in Mexico or Taiwan and always fetch a higher price. As a general rule, the more the price goes up, the higher the quality of the components used to make the instrument and, usually, the better the sound. But this is not always true (this goes for any guitar, not just Strats).

I used to work at a music store in Buffalo and one of my duties was maintaining the hundreds of guitars we had hanging on the walls. I got to know those guitars rather intimately and knew which ones felt and sounded the best. And it was never the most expensive ones. Though the pricey guitars sounded and played wonderfully, they weren't necessarily the best in the store (though certainly worth the money). It's also how I was able to tell which customers were the serious players and which ones were just wannabes. The real players would always ask me, if I had a choice, which guitar I would buy. Wannabes (and the occasional collector) always went for the price tag. *

One of the most amazing things about the Stratocaster is how it helps define the musicians who play them. These guitars have become physical extensions of the players themselves to the point where seeing them without a Stratocaster makes them appear naked. The instrument has become such a significant part of their personas that seeing them with another instrument feels like you are staring into a bizzarro world where everything is somehow wrong. Don't believe me? Look here and tell me what you think. Doesn't seem quite right, does it?

I readily admit that my taste in music is not only poor, but also dated. The examples below of Strat players and their Strats in action are pretty one dimensional, so if you know of any others that should be recognized, let's hear about them in comments. Have a great weekend everyone.

Jimi Hendrix ex: "Machine Gun"
Buddy Guy ex: "Sweet Home Chicago"
David Gilmour ** ex: "Marooned"
Eric Clapton ex: "Hoochi coochie Man"
Stevie Ray Vaughn ex: "Little Wing"
Eric Johnson ex: "Cliffs of Dover"
Dick Dale ex: "Miserlou"
Yngwie Malmsteen ex: "Icarus Dream Fanfare with Orchestra" Wanktastic!


Next week: the Gibson Les Paul.



* My favorite story regarding the sound quality of a Stratocaster involves Steve Vai. While recording the song "The Boy From Seattle" ( a tribute to Jimi Hendrix) for his Alien Love Secrets album, he scoured the land for the perfect Stratocaster. After play-testing hundreds of Strats, he finally settled on a cheap Mexican made model he found in a pawn shop because it simply had the best "Strat" sound.

** David Gilmour is the proud owner of the Fender Stratocaster with the serial number 001 (which, incidentally was NOT the first Strat ever made).

46 comments:

Anonymous said...

Great article. I know there's a lot of argument as to which guitar is better, either the strat or Les Paul but I love the strat. I think, like David Gilmour said, that it's much easier to create your unique sound with a strat. And as for which other song should also be on the list I think you should add 'Where the street has no name' by U2.

Anonymous said...

<3 my Strat. The sound and the shape are nothing less than iconic.

Chris McMahon said...

Jeff Beck: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Ej3BdMpgZw

In this case playing a twisted little Mingus tune.

Kevin Wolfhard said...

Love the Rifleman's Creed/Full Metal Jacket reference up top. Fun article.

deepstructure said...

i prefer richie blackmore's classical to yngwie's:

blues & beethoven

Anonymous said...

Just a small note: Eric Johnson usually plays a Strat for his live shows but the album version of "Cliffs" was recorded using a Gibson ES-335.

Also, thanks for the guitar-buying tip. I will probably use that in the future.

John said...

Not that the Strat isn't great and all, but I love my Telly and always will...

Unknown said...

@ Chris McMahon -- Jeff Beck! How could I forget? My personal favorite album of his is Guitar Shop. The harmonics/whammy manipulation in "Where Were You" is simply jaw dropping.

@ deepstructure -- Yngwie can get pretty old pretty quick. He really is just a one trick pony. But damn if he isn't good at that one trick.

@ anonymous -- I never knew that about the "Cliffs of Dover" recording. The ES-335 is my favorite guitar and I hope to have one someday. I'll be showcasing that one for sure.

@ John -- The Tele is a great instrument (and one that I'll be showcasing in the future as well) but I could never bring myself to buying one. Which is really a shame since it's an amazing guitar with a pretty stellar ancestry.

Anonymous said...

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The Minstrel Boy said...

i love strats. they fit. they sound great. i've taken to building my own, with an off the books assist from a guy who works as a master builder in the fender custom shop.

my favorite wood is the swamp ash. it gets a warmth and helps keep the sustain going.

the shape became iconic on account of how perfectly they fit the body of the player.

another strat player of note was jeff "skunk" baxter. dude flat plays.

Doom/Blondie said...

wow.

I've returned to my blog after a hiatus and mostly everybody has moved on or... morphed....

good to see you guys around

Anonymous said...

I'm not a guitarist, but "I used to work at a music store in Buffalo" made me think of your rival in Rochester. What truly awesome late night ads.

The Minstrel Boy said...

tools of my trade electrics

not a bad line up. i have also fallen in deep, abiding, geek love with the line6 variax

the genius of these guys is that they don't waste a bunch of channels trying to make it sound like mandolins and banjos (and changing the channels that they do waste is simple). they make it sound like guitars. i love it. it has also produced an small income sideline. i go to music stores, work out on the variax and all the wannabees go "if i buy that axe i can sound like him..."

Christina said...

I love Stratocasters and prefer to play with them over Gibsons.

You know who gets a good strat sound? You're gonna kill me...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YfYBudVXXw

John Mayer. When he did that power trio thing with Pino P and Steve Jordan, I finally got him.

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