Who, exactly, has laid hands on a Fender Stratocaster in the rock-o-sphere? Here’s a list of some of the most influential Strat players.
1. Dick Dale. Dale was one of the original players in “Strat pack,” and also one of the very first owners of a Fender Stratocaster. Leo Fender gave Dale his strat in 1955, which he used to popularize surf rock.
2. Eric Clapton. A great guitarist and genuine asshole, Clapton grew up on Gibson guitars but transitioned to the Strat (which he nicknamed Brownie) in 1970. He has used nothing else since then.
3. Jeff Beck. Jeff Beck rose to fame with the all star band The Yardbirds, but you also may know him from his more recent band, The Jeff Beck Group. Jeff stopped using the Les Paul in 1975 in favor of the Stratocaster for its unique tone.
4. The Edge. You know Bono. You’ve heard of U2. If you’re a fan, chances are you’ve heard of The Edge, U2’s lead guitarist. He prefers the Fender Strat.
5. Jimi Hendrix. The man that reinvited the blues guitar style into the rock scene, Hendrix used nothing but a Fender Strat. Interestingly enough, he played in the same way that my buddy John does. He played a right-handed guitar left-handed and upside down, with the strings reversed.
6. Ritchie Blackmore. Blackmore’s most notable historical achievement was his part in the bands Deep Purple and Rainbow. After using Hofner and Gibson for years, Blackmore switched to Fender guitars in 1968 after being wooed by Hendrix’ talent.
7. David Gilmour. Pink Floyd’s guitarist, David Gilmour, prefers a custom modified Fender Stratocaster. He owns the model #0001 Strat manufactured in 1954.
8. Stevie Ray Vaughan. Simply put: Vaughan was one of the meanest players ever, and all the magic happened on his signature Fender strat.
9. Yngwie J. Malmsteen. Although I despise Malmsteen as a musician, he is definitely the most “metal” of Stratocaster players.
10. George Harrison and John Lennon. Despite Don Randall’s, Leo Fender’s son, work to convince the Beatles guitarists to convert to the Fender way, Harrison and Lennon used the Fender Stratocaster sparingly. None the less, they used it on occassion and made it their own.
11. Ronnie Wood. This Rolling Stones guitarist has been using the Sunburst Strat since 1975.
12. Buddy Holly. Essentially the poster child of the Fender Strat, Holly brought the guitar model into the spotlight when he took it to the Ed Sullivan Show in 1957.
13. John Mayer. The recently popular singer/songwriter has used a Stratocaster for his entire career.
14. Pete Townshend. Serving as the lead guitarist for The Who, Townshend uses a modified version of the Clapton model Fender Strat.
15. Alex Lifeson. Lifeson started using a Strat on Rush’s 1977 album A Farewell to Kings. He continued to use the guitar throughout the 1980’s.
There you have it. Stay tuned for tomorrow’s list of famous Gibson Les Paul players!
This week’s guitar destruction is brought to you by Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters. The story goes that Grohl started playing the Foo Fighters’ “But, Honestly” on stage. A few moments into the song, Grohl decides that he doesn’t like his guitar’s tone. So he smashes the hell out of it.
Those who weren’t afraid to raise some hell. The most metal of bands. They have invaded millions of minds with philosophies of death, blood, violence, sex, destruction and general loudness. Here is strumstrum’s list of the five most metal songs ever made.
At number 5, Slayer takes the title for the song Raining Blood. Truly one of the greatest thrash metal songs of all time, Raining Blood is absolute metal bad ass.
Numero 4 on the list is AC/DC’s Back in Black. A very recognizable song in rock n roll, there is no question of AC/DC’s influence on metal.
Metallica claims the 3rd spot on the list with Master of Puppets. What would metal be without Metallica? Less technical of a guitar style, perhaps?
At number 2, Guns N’ Roses kicks some hair-metal ass with Welcome to the Jungle. Listen to those vocals baby. Not to mention Slash! Welcome to the Jungle is pretty fucking metal.
Finally, the number 1 metal song of all time is Black Sabbath’s Iron Man. Say what you will about the man, but Ozzy Osbourne is one very metal dude!
Nobody wants him
They just turn their heads
Nobody helps him
Now he has his revenge
Heavy boots of lead
Fills his victims full of dread
Running as fast as they can
Iron man lives again!
The Floyd Rose bridge and tremolo setup, also known as the Locking Tremolo, is a system used on some guitars (especially 80’s metal-era guitars) with a lock on the nut. This holds the strings in place so that if pressure is applied, the tuning heads wont slip. The floating bridge, which is the easiest give away for spotting a locking tremolo, is just what you would think it is. The bridge floats above a cut it the body and can be wiggled using the whammy.
This all sounds great… except for the fact that its a huge pain in the ass! Not only will the Floyd Rose tremolo throw your guitar out of tune all of the time, but it’s also very easy to break strings. For the most part, you can get the same effects of a Floyd Rose using a few effect pedals. Not to mention how long it takes to change the strings on a locking tremolo guitar (hint: call in sick to work).
I highly recommend that you avoid any guitars that utilize the Floyd Rose get up. The only reason to go for one is if you like to do a lot of dive-bomb stuff. But if not, the locking tremolo will cause you more trouble than anything else.
There are my 2 cents. What do you think about the Floyd Rose?
If you are familiar with the video games F-Zero or Wipeout, imagine those games combined with Guitar Hero and Rock Band, plus a little Tetris on the side. What you’ll get is a unique indie PC game called Audiosurf.
Audiosurf is a driving game where you control a spaceship/racecar thing. But instead of driving on race tracks, you drive on music tracks. Clever, eh? The best part about the game, however, is that you can play on any music from your computer. And I mean anything! The game will render a completely original track for the song you choose based on the songs properties.
Audiosurfing on Through Fire and Flames video
As you can see, the tracks mimic the music itself. There are two basic objectives: 1 is to collect all colored notes. 2 is to avoid all of the walls. The game is available for demo on Steam (which is a must-have for any PC gamer).
You can crack/hack/unlock the Audiosurf demo with an easy patch available here. The password for the archive is www.digitalpowered.info . However, if you like the full game enough then I really recommend purchasing an authentic copy or donating to Audiosurf.
Perhaps one of your strings broke while you were shredding on some Slayer. Or maybe you’re just getting sick of all the grease build-up from those late night pizza orders. In any case, I’ve put together a simple guide for changing the strings on your electric guitar. Please note, this guide is not compatible with a Floyd Rose Bridge. If you don’t know what that is, (a) do you have a wammy? (b) does it lift your bridge up when you press down on it? If you answered no to either of these questions, you do NOT have a floyd rose. Here is the guide.
Also: Some guitar models will require you to remove the cover on the bottom of the guitar. Others, such as the Les Paul, give you full string access on top of the guitar. So have tools ready as you may need to spill your axe’s guts.
Step 1: Remove old string
The first step is to, obviously, take the old strings off. Loosen the sixth string (the fattest one) first. You will come back to the other ones later. Strum the string as you loosen it to make sure that it’s not being tightened. Once it’s loose enough, unwind the string from the tuning peg and pull the string out from the opposite side. Do this by grabbing the bulb and pulling it out through the bridge. TIP: I find it easier/safer if I cut the string with some pliers before I pull it off.
Never take more than one string off at a time. You can seriously damage the neck of your guitar if you are hasty about relieving the pressure!
Step 2: Clean your guitar
Using a rag with a little bit of warm water, wipe down the newly exposed part of the neck. You will appreciate doing this while the strings are off.
Step 3: String the new string
Feed the sharp end of your new string (the thickest one you have) back through the bridge (and through your body if the guitar is designed so). Rotate the tuner so that the hole is going the opposite direction of the string (perpendicular). Leave some slack on the string before you thread it. Finding the right amount of slack depends on your guitar, so just estimate. I would recommend a couple of inches.
Now bend the string where you plan to thread it, so that the string makes a right angle. The sharp end should be perpendicular to your guitar. Now bend it again slightly after the first bend (see picture).
Bending your new string
Step 4: Tightening the string
Now its time to tighten that sucker up. Turn the tuner in a counter-clockwise direction. As you turn the peg, make sure that the string is falling into place on the fret board and bridge. Note: If your guitar has 3 pegs on one side and 3 on the other, you will change direction for some strings. The third, second, and first strings should be tightened clockwise.
How you wrap the guitar string is a personal choice. I suggest that for the first loop that the string makes, push it above the exposed string. After that, put all of the coils underneath the exposed string. This will help keep your guitar in tune. Most important here is that the string gets wrapped around the peg at least 3-4 times.
Step 5: Tuning and finishing touches
After the new guitar string has been tightened, bring the string into tune. Always tune up. If the string plays sharp, drop the tune way down and gradually tune it back up. Next you will want to stretch the new string out. This will help to keep your guitar in tune. Grab the string using your entire hand, and gently pull away from the pick guard approx 1 1/2″. Re tune the string, repeat stretch, and re tune. Using pliers, cut the excess string from the tuning peg. Leave at least 1/4″ of excess string - I recommend a half an inch for the first couple of days.
Congratulations! You’ve changed 1 electric guitar string! The good news is that you know how to do it now, so the next 5 will go a lot faster.
Pete Townshend has been playing with The Who for over 40 years, 1 of which is rumored to have been in the womb. The Who is not one of my favorite bands, but they were certainly influential on the rock era, not to mention their amazing live performances. With out further ado, here is the first in our new weekly segment of guitar smashing!
