You can break it down to the two types of Strats; maple and reosewood.

For maple: Hendrix

Rosewood: SRV

_________________
Custom Shop '59 Strat with John Cruz Master Design Pickups
Vibro King
Fulltone Clyde>Deja-Vibe>TS-808>TS-9>Boss Tuner

Walter Trout wailin away! Mike

_________________
The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

I think the first song I heard where the guitar just blew me away was Sultans of Swing. So Knopfler. Heard a good deal of Jimi early on too, but nothing stuck in my head like Sultans of Swing.

A few years later, SRV released Texas Flood and I was sold.

Somewhere along in here Pink Floyd entered my consciousness. Jeff Healey fit in around here too. Saw him once and was just blown away that I'd never heard him before.

Eric Johnson wrapped the whole deal up with Cliffs of Dover. I played this tape until it got stretched and wobbly.

I grew up in Texas, parents of the hippie generation. There was never really a doubt that Fender was THE guitar. Those guys and my exposure to them just sealed the deal. Doesn't hurt that my step dad was a Fender guy too. First electric I ever really messed with was his Mustang, I think a '67, that he still owns.

Jeff Beck, one of my all time faves, has a completely unique tone, not very "vintage", but man he does some wicked things with a strat. And damn, can that man squeeze some tones out it.

Tough call, but in no particular order

Knopfler - "Sultans"
Blackmore - anything off DP album "Who De We Think We Are"
SRV - anything really
Hank Marvin - anything really
Robert Cray - "Smoking Gun" (the tone, not the playing)
Dave Gilmour - "Shine On You Crazy Diamond"

Highwaychile,that is a good term for STEVIES sound metal grinding I know exactly where your coming from on that one.