Gilmour: "Strat Players more recognizable"

[Ken Ho]

Or, you could approach this by asking yourself which of Mark Knopfler's tones is more recognizable. His Strat or his LP ?? The answer is both. You can recognise him instantly on either, as you can Glimour, whether he is playing Strat, Gretsch or LP (or lap steel for that matter)

[ben_allison]

One thing I think is very ironic:

David Gilmour say, "guitar players who play a Strat more readily than you can those who play Gibsons," but then, he relies on a Big Muff for many of his lead-tones!

There's no more homogenizing pedal than a Muff. They totally take over your tone.

I'm thinking a Gibson through XYZ amp is going to be more pure/true than a Strat into a Muff into XYZ amp. Just funny.

Of course, even playing through a Muff, he's still recognizable. It just goes to show that the entire argument is moot: use what tools you enjoy using. You'll sound like you, no matter what.

[Spankyrigor]

hi all. longtime lurker here

I AGree with Mr Gilmour there. IMO if you'd listen to soundclips of some really good, but relatively obscure, guitar player, if he was playing a strat, you'd notice it right away. if on the other hand if he was playing an LP, it's not as readily obvious.

[KazJY]

This is about recognizing the player who is playing the Strat or Gibby - not the guitars.....

[edgewound]

Originally Posted by JGD5150

Eh, what do I know? My main guitar is a strat with a (gasp) JB in the bridge.

Apparently you know plenty...since that's how the Jeff Beck sig Fender Strat is setup.

Why can't we just appreciate all there is to appreciate.

My dream do-all guitar would be a set neck double cutaway w/EMG-89/EMG-S/EMG-89/SPC with splitters for the humbuckers and 3 on/off switches.

Wait....I have one in the works only its a strat style with bolt on neck.

Every tone...well, you know what I mean... in one guitar

[karmadave]

It's the player not the guitar...

[hb_nz]

Originally Posted by atomicmassunit

I think Strats are more easily identifiable. You can instantly hear when someone is playing a strat, and that's exactly the problem with them. IMO they tend to obscure the player with their overall 'strattiness'. They sound great, but if you play one you have to overcome sounding like generations of strat players. Especially in the blues style, a lot of guys who play strats sound exactly the same. I don't play them for that reason, I can't help but sound more like SRV or Hendrix and myself when I play one. Gimme humbuckers.

Funny that's basically the same argument that Gilmour and many others have about the Gibby style guitars - that they force you to play a certain way and sound a certain way therefore reducing any individual personality. Personally SRV, Hendrix, Gilmour, Gallagher, Knopfler, EJ, Jimmy Vaughan etc etc all sound completely different from each other to me.

Either way, it's amusing to see this "Gibson vs Fender" rage on...I guess it comes down to which you prefer and being such a finicky lot, guitarists like to poo poo on the instruments they don't prefer. Horses for courses, different strokes and all those other cliches, I reckon.

[deltaboy]

strats are just better. its been scientifically tested and is now a theory on the fast road to being a law

[rog951]

Gilmour plays a strat? I thought he played a compressor, delay and reverb box!

[shane88]

if a strat has a paf in the bridge it could be ok

[5E3]

That was a really good interview. I just read it this evening. :AOK

[Somniferous]

I know Page got started on a Tele, but most people recognize him with a Les Paul.

[xroads]

It's really the player, then the PU type (HB or SC). The guitar itself is not that recognizable. Take Gilmour: there are rumours out there that some of his solos are actually recorded with Gibsons with P90s (expl.: The Wall solo). Second expl: there are lots of discussions on this board about which guitar Page used on what recording. In the end. we cannot tell for sure.

[Ohmie]

I guess one could ask whether or not Eric Clapton is more easily recognizable on his Gibsons or his Strats. The Strats would pick up the snap of the string attack quicker but they would not have that true body of his earlier work on his Gibsons. I think that one can pick out the percussivness of one's playing better on Strats--you really have to work them to get some sounds. A Gibson doesn't seem to fight back. That's neither good nor bad, IMHO.

I can tell you one thing, I can pick out Lifeson, Betts, and Randy Rhodes' Gibsons from the crowd of their other humbucker equipped guitars.

[oscar100]

indiv player comes thru more on strats - i agree