I was channel surfing the other night and came across the Biography channel, they were running Hendrix's bio. As I was watching I saw Hendrix playing Epiphone, Gibson V's, SG, Jazzmaster, and of course Strats. So it got me to thinking. What if Hendrix played a V instead of a Strat would the Strat be the rock icon it is? Would my first "real" electric have been a Strat way back then? Or would we all be playing a V? I would like to have a V just for the heck of it, but for me I guess I would have still bought the Strat. What about you?

I wonder, I'll bet if he were playing a V he wouldn't have been so popular. And the Strat would still be #1. I hate the looks of those things. I may be a narrow minded SOB but I'll bet I'm right. Clapton with a V / Bonamassa / SRV, OMG Parish the thought.
----Danny,

Hendrix played his V quite often and handpainted decorative flowers and stuff on it also,he must have really liked it....but I don't think he turned many people on to playing them or would have,even if it was his main guitar,there's just something unnatural about them.
The Strat enjoyed it's revival partly because of his association with them and credit needs to go to Clapton also....but I still think that somebody else would have picked one up and influenced younger players,the Strat's design is classic and timeless no matter who is popular with it.

Not sure about SRV but I think everyone else so far named on this thread has been seen playing a V now and again. Bonamassa has been doing several numbers a night on his V for two or three years now. ...Doesn't make me want to go out and buy one!



This is the crux of the issue. The Strat is so popular because it is one of the two or three archetypal electric guitar designs. Everything about it works so well. It is the leading guitar model because it's good, not because of who played it.

Cheers - C

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I don't think it would have mattered one jot.

The Strat is/was/will always be bigger than any one player. I'm with Ceri on this. One of - if not THE - definitive electric guitar formats. It must have seemed like it came from Outer Space when it first appeared, and still does as far as I'm concerned. Familiarity hasn't bred contempt..

Thank god for Vs, Firebirds, Explorers, Pauls, Telecasters et all, but ask someone to draw an electric guitar, and I'm sure most will image a Strat of some sort.

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!