Stars and their guitars

[stevie_bees]

Hendrix is known for his right hd strat adapted for left hd, Brian May built his own. What would they be playing if they started out today? There are more guitars available than ever, and so much choice for any aspiring musician to acheive their sound. I once saw a mock up of Hendrix if he had lived, and they had him playing a Parker Fly!!!
Any guitarist any era, what would they be playing today?

 

[stevie_bees]

Re: Stars and their guitars

And would Hendrix still be using a right handed guitar?

 

[Gearjoneser]

Re: Stars and their guitars

An interesting topic is 'what would classic guys play if we tossed our idea of what they should play in their hands?' I'm sure that's what you're getting at.

Hendrix? Strat!
SRV? Strat
Gibbons? LP
.....uh oh, I think they all make the right choices! Almost every classic guitarist I think of has chosen the right instrument for their style.....otherwise they wouldn't have become icons. ??? never gave it much thought.

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Stars and their guitars

This big thing you have to remember is, they would still sound just like they sound now! Jimi played several guitars before and after finding the Strat...Jazzmaster, SG, Flying V, etc...He said he landed on the Strat becasue of the Tremolo, and it had the best playibility when played upsidedown, ha also said he wouldn't play keft handed guitars because first, they were made off the standard production line and he was afraid that hey were not built as good, plus they were harder to find meaning he couldn't go into Manny's and buy a dozen Strats!

There are a few guys that are known for specific guitars...you very rarely ever saw SRV w/o a Strat...I have seen a few pics of him with a 335, and one with a Tele. But lots iof guys are maybe mostly associated with one type of guitar but play and own and use sevaral...Billy Gibbons...most people think about a burst LP, but Billy does lots of work on Tele's and Esquires, as well as Gold Tops with P-90's, even a 57 hardtail Strat!...and he still sounds like Billy Gibbons

Joe Perry is another good example...depending on what era of Aerosmith you are most familiar with you might think of Joe and think about Les Pauls, or Fenders, or BC Rich's, or Armstrong Plexi guitars, maybe it's the Travis Bean...either way, it's still Joe!

 

[Bludave]

Re: Stars and their guitars

I think Hendrix would still be playing strats. The only major problrm Jimi had with them was keeping them in tune. I could see him playing a Strat with a locking nut and a proper whammy for what he wanted to do. I also feel he would have experimented with ALL kinds of the "new" effects. He was really into playing in the studio, so I could see him spending a lot of time tinkering with different Amps, effects, and even guitars.

Clapton recently did the Cream concerts with his Custom Tweed and Signature Strat (to the disapointment of many on the LP forum). If you have never seen him Live...... it is hard to describe. His Live sound is Huge. So I think he has found what he is looking for for most things in a Strat. A few years back he was playing 335 and even a Super 400 for certain things, but for the most part he is playing a Signature Strat and a Signature MArtin!!

 

[GuitarStv]

Re: Stars and their guitars

What new effects would Jimmy experiement with? Back in the late 60s, early 70s almost all the effects that we use were available . . . Hendrix used octavers, fuzz, amp distortion, wah, chorus, flanging, delay, reversed sounds . . . there aren't many really new effects that he could try out!

 

[the guy who invented fire]

Re: Stars and their guitars

What new effects would Jimmy experiement with? Back in the late 60s, early 70s almost all the effects that we use were available . . . Hendrix used octavers, fuzz, amp distortion, wah, chorus, flanging, delay, reversed sounds . . . there aren't many really new effects that he could try out!

Oh, I don't know about that...if Jimi were still around I have a feeling that he would be ZVEX's number 1 customer!

 

[orbiter]

Re: Stars and their guitars

Jimi was quoted many times saying the flying V was his fav. (electric ladyland) but it did seemed he used strats for certian songs and humbucker equipped guitars for others .. at least later in his short life.

I love the pics of him w/ the black LP custom .. upside down ..

I've always felt jimi was a tweaker (not a methhead) .. I think he would've embrassed everything from the eventide harmonizer to roland synths .. and every gadget, pickup, and guitar, to come down the pipe since his death.. chances are we'd have some really different and way out pedals to mess w/ had he lived.

this is something I've wondered too .. seems like the classic guys change their axes and rigs ... but their tone isnt nearly as cool.

santana sounded way better playing SG's IMO.
same w/ clapton .. again IMO
beck and his oxblood 54

list goes on and on ..

 

[APB_4]

Re: Stars and their guitars

Brian May would play the same, he built his guitar because he was to poor to buy one.