List of Stratocaster players
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The famous Stratocaster Headstock.
The following is an alphabetized list of Stratocaster players. The Fender Stratocaster was designed by Leo Fender and Freddie Tavares in the early 1950s, and since its commercial introduction in 1954, it has became widely used among popular artists in rock, blues, and other genres.[1] The Squier Stratocaster is produced by Fender as a more affordable alternative to the Fender-branded version.
Due to the great popularity of this model, musicians are listed here only if their use of this instrument was especially significant — that is, they are players with long careers who have a history of Stratocaster use, or the particular guitar they used was unique or of historical importance, or their use of the Stratocaster contributed significantly to the popularization of the instrument.
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[edit] A-E
- Jeff Beck (b. 1944) A Grammy award winning rock guitarist. Beck is known for playing for various bands such as the Yardbirds and his own group The Jeff Beck Group, Beck primarily plays a Stratocaster and also has a signature Strat.[2]
- Ritchie Blackmore (b. 1945) A founding member of both Deep Purple and Rainbow and is currently a member of the band Blackmore's Night.[3]
- Marc Bolan (1947–1977) Founder/creative force behind T. Rex (band), played a white Fender Stratocaster with his trademark tear-drop emblem (as seen on the back cover of the 1971 compilaton, "Bolan Boogie") for much of the early 1970s.
- Tommy Bolin (1951–1976) Was the lead guitarist for Zephyr and for Deep Purple. Also had a solo career.[4]
- Creed Bratton (b. 1943) Is a long time Strat enthusiast. He played numerous concerts in the late 60's with a Strat touring with The Grass Roots.[citation needed]
- Bill Carson A country and western guitarist credited by Fender as "the man for whom the Stratocaster was designed."[5]
- Eric Clapton (b. 1945) A Grammy-award-winning guitarist who originally played Gibson guitars has been a Stratocaster enthusiast since the early 70's. Clapton bought his first Stratocaster in 1967, Brownie, which was used on Layla.[6]
- Billy Corgan (b. 1967) Singer and lead guitarist of The Smashing Pumpkins. He adopted the Stratocaster after years of using the Fender Mustang, when people started comparing him to Kurt Cobain.[7]
- Robert Cray (b. 1953) A long-time blues guitarist and singer. Plays a '64 Strat and had his own Signature model made in 1990.[8]
- Rivers Cuomo (b. 1970) Singer and lead guitarist of Weezer. Known to use various Stratocasters, including a sticker-covered Warmoth customized Stratocaster.[9]
- Dick Dale (b. 1937) Considered the pioneer of surf rock. He has been revolutionary in experimenting with the sound of the guitar by using heavy reverb and a unique playing style.[10]
- The Edge (b. 1961) Lead guitarist of U2, known for his melodic playing and use of delay, has used the Stratocaster as one of his main guitars throughout his career. He owns multiple Stratocasters.[11]
[edit] F-J
- John Frusciante (b. 1970) The guitarist of Red Hot Chili Peppers. Frusciante plays a '55 Stratocaster which was used in Blood Sugar Sex Magik.[12] After Frusciante rejoined the band, Anthony Kiedis bought a '66 Stratocaster for Frusciante to play on Californication.
- Rory Gallagher (1948–1995) Irish blues rock guitarist, often credited as one of the most influential Irish rock and blues guitarist of all time. He is well-known for his worn sunburst Stratocaster. He described his battered Stratocaster as "a part of my psychic makeup". "B.B. King has owned over 100 Lucilles, but I only own one Strat, and it hasn't got a name".[13][14]
- David Gilmour (b. 1946) Influenced in the blues, Gilmour is credited for his unique compositional approach and expressive soloing. Gilmour's guitar of choice is a Fender Stratocaster.[15]
- Buddy Guy (b. 1936) American blues guitarist and singer. Guy is well known for playing the Stratocaster throughout his long career. He is also known for his showmanship.[16]
- Albert Hammond Jr. (b. 1980) Guitarist for The Strokes. Ususally seen playing a 1970 Olympic white Fender Strat.
- Jimi Hendrix (1942–1970) Known for developing blues in a modern context, Hendrix played mainly Stratocasters along with the Gibson Flying V and the Les Paul. He is noted for his use of the Stratocaster during the Woodstock Festival.[17]
- Buddy Holly (1936–1959) Holly has been identified as "the first Strat' hero." A statue of Holly in his home town of Lubbock, Texas portrays him playing his Stratocaster, and the guitar is also engraved on his tombstone.[18]
- Eric Johnson (b. 1954) A Grammy-award-winning guitarist from Austin, Texas, Johnson has played Stratocasters regularly during his career and has played many different types of music.[19]
- Mick Jones (The Clash) (b. 1955) Lead guitarist with The Clash. Seen playing a black Stratocaster in the 1979 Wessex Studios footage.
[edit] K-P
- Mark Knopfler (b. 1949) Known for his work with English band Dire Straits, Fender now produces his Signature Stratocaster.[20]
- Alex Lifeson (b. 1953) Guitarist for Rush since 1969. Started using a Stratocaster in 1980 and continued to use the model as his main guitar for most of the 1980s.[21][22]
- Yngwie J. Malmsteen (b. 1963) Known for his work in the neo-classical metal genre. Influenced by an array of musicians, Malmsteen is regarded highly influential for his use of heavy classical-style chord progressions, interesting phrases and arpeggio sweeps. He is known for playing Stratocasters with scalloped fretboards.[23][24]
- Hank Marvin (b. 1941) Lead guitarist of The Shadows, was the owner of the first Fender Stratocaster in the UK (given to him by Cliff Richard). The guitar was finished in a shade of Fiesta Red, sometimes referred to as 'Salmon Pink'. This guitar, with its tremolo arm, contributed to the Shadows' distinctive sound.[25]
- John Mayer (b. 1977) A Grammy-award-winning singer/songwriter has enjoyed recent popularity. Mayer has played Stratocasters throughout his career and recently has had a Fender Signature Model made.[26]
- Mike McCready (b. 1966) A lead guitarist of Pearl Jam. A 1959 Stratocaster is his primary guitar[27]
- Tom Morello (b. 1964) Former guitarist of Audioslave & Rage Against the Machine. His main guitar is his "Soul Power" Stratocaster.[28]
- Dave Murray One of the three guitarists of the NWOBHM band Iron Maiden.
- Mike Oldfield (b. 1953) A British guitarist who plays a wide range of guitars and instruments. His "Salmon-pink" strat, bought at the time of his hit Moonlight Shadow, is his favourite guitar.[29]
[edit] Q-Z
- Bonnie Raitt (b. 1949) An American blues/R&B guitarist, singer and songwriter. She plays a '69 Stratocaster and she also plays her own signature Strat.[30]
- Richie Sambora (b. 1959) Lead guitarist for Bon Jovi.[31]
- Adrian Smith (b. 1957) A member of Iron Maiden. One of his preferred guitars is the Fender Stratocaster.[32]
- Richard Thompson (b. 1949) An English musician, best known for his guitar playing and songwriting, and a founder member of Fairport Convention. He uses a '59 Sunburst Stratocaster, with a maple '55 neck.[33]
- Pete Townshend (b. 1945) A guitarist for The Who. He used a Stratocaster during the Monterey Pop Festival in 1967 and has exclusively used a modified version of the Eric Clapton Signature Stratocaster since 1989.[34]
- Robin Trower (b. 1945) A British rock guitarist known for his work in the band Procol Harum and his solo career. "The sight of him onstage with his signature Stratocaster is as characteristic to his fans as his classic songs."[35]
- Ritchie Valens (1941–1959) was a pioneer of rock and roll, mostly famous for his Latin Rock song La Bamba, played with a sunburnt strat.[36]
- Stevie Ray Vaughan (1954–1990) Known for his Texas blues style guitar playing. Vaughan was an American blues guitarist and is considered highly influential for his driving guitar style soaked with rhythmic style playing. Vaughan is noted for playing a Stratocaster equipped with a left-handed vibrato system. He is also known for tuning his guitar down a half-step and using heavy strings.[37][38][39]
- Dean Ween (b. 1970) Stage name for Michael "Mickey" Melchiondo, Jr., of Ween fame. Deaner has used the same red Stratocaster for the band's entire history. He is well known for his elongated guitar solos, sometimes spanning more than half the song.
- James "J.Y." Young of multi-platinum rock band Styx has been using a Stratocaster as his principal guitar almost exclusively since 1967. [40]
- Frank Zappa usually played a Gibson SG, but in the late 70s and into the 80s also played Les Pauls and Stratocasters, including the Strat that Jimi Hendrix had set aflame at the Miami Pop Festival in 1968.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Bacon, Tony; Day, Paul (2000). 50 Years of Fender: Half a Century of the Greatest Electric Guitars. London: Balafon. ISBN 0-87930-621-1.
- ^ (Chapman 2003, pp. 25-17)
- ^ (Kitts & Tolinski 2002, p. 42)
- ^ Cauffiel, Lowell (March 1977). Tommy Bolin interview. Guitar Player. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ (Duchossoir 1994, p. 6)
- ^ (Chapman 2003, p. 153)
- ^ (Kitts & Tolinski 2002, p. 14)
- ^ Interview. Robert Cray interview. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
- ^ Equipment history. Weezer official website. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ (Kitts & Tolinski 2002, p. 56)
- ^ (Kitts & Tolinski 2002, p. 94)
- ^ John's guitars. Red Hot Chili Peppers Guide. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
- ^ Gallagher, Dónal (2004-05-11). Rory's Fender Strat. Strat Collector. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ Minhinnett, Dave (1994). Rory Gallagher Interview. Modern Guitars. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ (Chapman 2003, p. 161)
- ^ (Kitts & Tolinski 2002, p. 30)
- ^ (Chapman 2003, pp. 190, 192)
- ^ (Duchossoir 1994, p. 16)
- ^ (Kitts & Tolinski 2002, pp. 44-45)
- ^ Mark Knopfler Stratocaster. Fender Products. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
- ^ Alex Lifeson. MusicToyz. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ Geiger, Jim. Rush Gear & Gizmos: Alex Lifeson. Rush Archives. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ (Kitts & Tolinski 2002, p. 45)
- ^ (Bennett 2002, p. 93)
- ^ Bacon, Tony. Electric Guitars:The Illustrated Encyclopedia. Thunder Bay Press, pg. 70. ISBN 978-1-59223-053-2.
- ^ John Mayer Stratocaster. Fender Products. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
- ^ Mike McCready's gear. Pearl Jam official website. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
- ^ Tom Morello's gear.
- ^ Maconie, Stuart (2001-04-26). Tubular Net. Seven More Days That Rocked The World. Retrieved on 2007-01-12. “My favourite one is a salmon-pink Stratocaster, it's the same sort used by Hank Marvin in the Shadows”
- ^ Information on Bonnie's Strat. Guitar player, Bonnie Riatt Stratocaster. Retrieved on 2007-01-13.
- ^ Sharken, Lisa (February 2001). Richie Sambora - Crushing the New Millennium. Vintage Guitar. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
- ^ Adrian Smith of Iron Maiden. GitarGeek. Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
- ^ Gear & tunings. Richard Thompson official website (2006-12-20). Retrieved on 2007-01-14.
- ^ Pete's equipment. Who Tabs (2004-03-01). Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ Holland, Brian D. (2006-02-23). Robin Trower Interview. Modern Guitars. Retrieved on 2007-01-11.
- ^ Musicians who played a Stratocaster (2006-03-16). Retrieved on 2007-03-16.
- ^ (Kitts & Tolinski 2002, p. 27)
- ^ (Bennett 2002, p. 188)
- ^ (Chapman 2003, p. 61)
- ^ James Young- The Guitar Player Interview. Guitar Player (1981-07-01). Retrieved on 2007-02-21.
[edit] References
- Chapman, Richard (2003), Guitar: Music, History, Players, DK publishing, ISBN 0-7894-9700-X.
- Bennett, Joe (2002), Guitar Facts, Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0-6340-5192-X.
- Duchossoir, A.R. (1994), The Fender Stratocaster: A complete guide to the history and evolution of the world's most famous guitar, Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0-7935-4735-0.
- Kitts, Jeff & Brad Tolinski (2002), The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time!, Hal Leonard Corporation, ISBN 0-6340-4619-5.
