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Post subject: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:33 pm
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Hi :)
Before I begin I want to say that this is just my opinions and ones that are shared by other guitarist I speak with.
They are of different genre than me, one friend is a blues player and one a contemporary Christian player.
We all agree that Jimi Hendrix was by far the greatest and unmatched Stratocaster player of all time.
But his tones were not the ones that were the best or sought after the most.

We all agree that David Gilmour has by far some of the greatest Stratocaster tones ever.
His timeless recordings on Wish You Were Here, Dark Side Of The Moon and The Wall, are simply divine.
I have also here witnessed time and time again posts referring to him and his sound.

His current signature model isn't even the one that got these tones they were just vintage standard Stratocasters.
The man was a genius.

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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 6:42 pm
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Hendrix had a lot of different tones in his recordings, quite a few were very nice. So I don't think Jimi should be so easily dismissed.

Chris Duarte and Robin Trower also have some nice strat tones.

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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:05 pm
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orvilleowner wrote:
Hendrix had a lot of different tones in his recordings, quite a few were very nice. So I don't think Jimi should be so easily dismissed.

Chris Duarte and Robin Trower also have some nice strat tones.


+1

And let's not forget Rory Gallagher, Randy California, Buddy Guy, and scores of other artists who've made a specific Strat tone their own.

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Wed Jul 24, 2013 8:36 pm
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ooooooooo thats a toughie! As much as I love the Gilmour tone....I believe it is just that....The Gilmour Tone! I've heard him play the black one, the red one, a Gretsch, a Les Paul...lap steel, acoustic, and even saxophone...All distinctly GILMOUR! It's hard to nail down to a particular guitar really IMHO. So many greats out there, using as we mostly all feel the greatest guitar ever built...to define which artist defined the most "strat tone"...Good luck brother!

Can't wait to see the array of opinions on this one...nice thread Donny!

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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:30 am
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Gilmour is my fave as well. I do think Eric Johnson's Venus Isle era Strat tone is almost as incredible! Also Ive always loved Tommy Castro's live at the Fillmore tone and Duane Allman's Strat tone on Herbie Mann's push push album. Just a few of my favs. :D


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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 6:36 am
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And let's not forget Rory Gallagher, Randy California, Buddy Guy, and scores of other artists who've made a specific Strat tone their own.

Arjay[/quote]

Another +1 on those 3 Arjay!!

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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:30 am
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The problem here is that y'all are talking about guitarists who use a good deal of effects and/ or overdrive. Indeed, as it was mentioned above, Gilmour will sound the same using any guitar through his rig. Eric Johnson is the same deal, he sounds exactly the same using his ES-335 as he does on the Strat. The folks that should be compared for Strat tone are those that use no effects with the possible exception of a bit of reverb. Those are the true tone masters. They include Mark Knopfler, Robert Cray, 70's era Clapton, and a host of greats from the surf era including Gerry McGee of The Ventures and my vote for best Strat tone, George Tomsco of The Fireballs. He played absolutely dry and clean through a Deluxe. Ultimately, the best Fender tones come from the Jazzmaster.
-Marty


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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:15 am
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Nokie wrote:
The problem here is that y'all are talking about guitarists who use a good deal of effects and/ or overdrive. Indeed, as it was mentioned above, Gilmour will sound the same using any guitar through his rig. Eric Johnson is the same deal, he sounds exactly the same using his ES-335 as he does on the Strat. The folks that should be compared for Strat tone are those that use no effects with the possible exception of a bit of reverb. Those are the true tone masters. They include Mark Knopfler, Robert Cray, 70's era Clapton, and a host of greats from the surf era including Gerry McGee of The Ventures and my vote for best Strat tone, George Tomsco of The Fireballs. He played absolutely dry and clean through a Deluxe. Ultimately, the best Fender tones come from the Jazzmaster.
-Marty


I see your point. However I think Castro and Allman's only effect was a cord.


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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 9:54 am
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Duane used a good amount of overdrive to get his wonderful sustain and also sounded the same whether he was using a strat or Les Paul. I'm not familiar with Tommy Castro but if he is strictly Strat tone, then add him to the Knopfler, Cray...list for comparison.


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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 10:08 am
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I like to keep in mind that there is no right answers here, only opinions.
That being said, for my part in this, I was just amazed that 3 guitarist of completely
different genres all agreed on two things.
No. 1 Jimi Hendrix was the greatest Stratocaster player ever but...
No. 2 David Gilmour had the best Stratocaster tones recorded.
The only thing we all have in common is we all 3 play American Stratocasters with Fender pickups.
I play southern rock metal. They play contemporary christian and traditional blues.

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Last edited by donnycraven on Thu Jul 25, 2013 2:33 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 12:08 pm
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Arnold Layne wrote:
ooooooooo thats a toughie! As much as I love the Gilmour tone....I believe it is just that....The Gilmour Tone! I've heard him play the black one, the red one, a Gretsch, a Les Paul...lap steel, acoustic, and even saxophone...All distinctly GILMOUR! It's hard to nail down to a particular guitar really IMHO. So many greats out there, using as we mostly all feel the greatest guitar ever built...to define which artist defined the most "strat tone"...Good luck brother!

Can't wait to see the array of opinions on this one...nice thread Donny!

Agreed - the number of times I've heard someone preach..."And of course, the most distinctive strat tone ever in the Another Brick 2 solo..." OOps! Was a Les Paul P90! That being said.....my most distinctive Strat players are:

Gilmour
Clapton (Brownie/Dominoes phase)
Knopfler


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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 2:45 pm
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merello wrote:
Arnold Layne wrote:
ooooooooo thats a toughie! As much as I love the Gilmour tone....I believe it is just that....The Gilmour Tone! I've heard him play the black one, the red one, a Gretsch, a Les Paul...lap steel, acoustic, and even saxophone...All distinctly GILMOUR! It's hard to nail down to a particular guitar really IMHO. So many greats out there, using as we mostly all feel the greatest guitar ever built...to define which artist defined the most "strat tone"...Good luck brother!

Can't wait to see the array of opinions on this one...nice thread Donny!

Agreed - the number of times I've heard someone preach..."And of course, the most distinctive strat tone ever in the Another Brick 2 solo..." OOps! Was a Les Paul P90! That being said.....my most distinctive Strat players are:

Gilmour
Clapton (Brownie/Dominoes phase)
Knopfler



Speaking of Clapton how about the spongy velvet tone in How my guitar gently weeps?
I believed it to be a Strat forever but that's a Les Paul Lucy he gave to George Harrison.

My favorite Gilmour tones really date further back than 1980.
I love the things he did in Echos on Live in Pompeii and Animals Wish you were Here and Dark Side of The Moon.
The Wall and Final Cut being my personal least favorites of the real and original Floyd.
But then purest will say that Sid was the real and original but I didn't care so much for his stuff either.

I was totally aware of Gilmours Les Paul with P-90s
I can hear a Fender a mile away.
I am a Fender pickup freak also.

I custom built my neck pickups out of Fender Hot Alnico 3s
I used Alnico 5 Magnet rods from Fender Standards. So I basically have a 12 kohm Standard Single.
I use the Atomic/Hot Rod Humbuckers so my Fenders are Fenders.
People are surprised because our originals are BLS Godsmack Zombie sounding.
But that's really just ZZ Top on steroids now aint it lol. :)

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Last edited by donnycraven on Thu Jul 25, 2013 8:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 3:53 pm
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Ahem...speaking of Eric Clapton...Best Strat tone? Hendrix? Good but Nope. Gilmore? a bit better than Jimi, but Nope.

EC's Strat tone on Derek & The Dominos is the best IMO. Just his fingers, a 56 Strat and Tweed Champ and he got that tone? Listen to "Have You Ever Loved A Women" and tell me that is someone in complete control of their tone and playing.

T2

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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 4:43 pm
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T2Stratman wrote:
EC's Strat tone on Derek & The Dominos is the best IMO. Just his fingers, a 56 Strat and Tweed Champ and he got that tone? Listen to "Have You Ever Loved A Women" and tell me that is someone in complete control of their tone and playing.


+1

Or "Bell Bottom Blues".

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: The greatest Stratocaster tones ever captured.
Posted: Thu Jul 25, 2013 5:20 pm
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Donny I too am a bigger fan of Gilmour's earlier tones. Meddle up to Animals. I did however like the tones he was getting on the "On an Island" tour. the "Remember That Night" show was quite excellent.
Some of Gilmour's earlier Floyd work was also done on a tele.
Some pretty cool tone on Atom Heart Mother as well.

Derek and the Dominoes was quite "Stratty" indeed.

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