• From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Topic: Channeling SRV

In the past I played stratocasters in about every band I've been in trying to sound like Eric Clapton.  This band I'm in now I have been playing a Gibson SG or a Gibson Les Paul almost 100% of the time.  An old band mate from a forever forgotten band we were in saw one of our shows this month and he couldn't believe I was playing Gibson's, to which I explained our other guitarist was using a Telecaster and it seemed to fight for the midrange alot.  After his talk I fooled around with a Strat my dad owns, that I haven't paid much credit or attention to.  For some strange reason even though I've never played a SRV lick in my life I hold this guitar and the feel, the tone, and the look just scream SRV to me...  whats funny is I found myself trying to phrase like Stevie (poorly but phrase none the less) Even funnier thing people have come up to me and tell me they could see a lot of SRV influance in my style playing.  Which makes me wonder is it a man that plays a guitar or the choice guitar that makes the man play?

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  • From: York, PA
  • Registered: 2010-08-27
  • Posts: 1,749

Re: Channeling SRV

All I can say is when I get out my Ibanez Jem I immediately tear into a quick (and only) sweep picking lick followed by a tug on the whammy bar..

  • mbcl
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Re: Channeling SRV

I am a true believer in good guitars find their owners. I have had too many uncanny 'great' guitar finds to not believe this.

Martin
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  • Devan
  • Devan
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  • From: Darwin, Australia
  • Registered: 2010-04-13
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Re: Channeling SRV

I'd agree with you AD3THREE - I do play differently on different guitars.

I am guessing that the style and scale length of a Strat kinda makes you 'work' the guitar a lot harder to get a good tone, so yeah, I tend to dig in a bit more and wrestle with my Strats a lot more than I do with my Les Pauls.  With my Yamaha SA2200 semi acoustic, I play almost daintily.

All of which results in a slightly different style.  The same terrible licks, but in a different style... smile

JBLP Gold Top #129 - redubbed "#1 in Oz"
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2010-11-23
  • Posts: 192

Re: Channeling SRV

Devan wrote:

I'd agree with you AD3THREE - I do play differently on different guitars.

I am guessing that the style and scale length of a Strat kinda makes you 'work' the guitar a lot harder to get a good tone, so yeah, I tend to dig in a bit more and wrestle with my Strats a lot more than I do with my Les Pauls.  With my Yamaha SA2200 semi acoustic, I play almost daintily.

All of which results in a slightly different style.  The same terrible licks, but in a different style... smile

+ 1 :-) !

  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Channeling SRV

I've been a Strat player for years now and never got the SRV bug but this guitar everytime I pick it up I wanna play Pride and Joy or  Couldn't Stand the Weather!  I don't even know how to play them!  I'm totally an Eric Clapton freak so I try to play like he did in the 70's.  This guitar SRV nothing else.  Not a bad thing at all!

Devan wrote:

I'd agree with you AD3THREE - I do play differently on different guitars.

I am guessing that the style and scale length of a Strat kinda makes you 'work' the guitar a lot harder to get a good tone, so yeah, I tend to dig in a bit more and wrestle with my Strats a lot more than I do with my Les Pauls.  With my Yamaha SA2200 semi acoustic, I play almost daintily.

All of which results in a slightly different style.  The same terrible licks, but in a different style... smile

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  • From: Detroit
  • Registered: 2006-06-02
  • Posts: 5,807

Re: Channeling SRV

This is a great thread.

Funny you mention channeling SRV. With your Gibson, as a control test, you should try channeling Albert King and see how it compares to the strat SRV stylings. Since Albert King played a Gibson V, he got some thin smacky blues similar to SRV who modeled his licks after King. Pundits would claim you should be able to nail both with either guitar, but I agree - it's a feel thing... or quite simply the mood you're in to pickup THAT guitar vs. another...

I'd like to think that I change my playing style from guitar to guitar, and even string guage to string guage. The fenders with 11's I play different than the Fenders with 9's. But even from Les Paul to SG, I feel like my style is different - or fits in different with what Im playing.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
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  • From: Adelaide, South Australia
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 1,339

Re: Channeling SRV

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

This is a great thread.

Funny you mention channeling SRV. With your Gibson, as a control test, you should try channeling Albert King and see how it compares to the strat SRV stylings. Since Albert King played a Gibson V, he got some thin smacky blues similar to SRV who modeled his licks after King. Pundits would claim you should be able to nail both with either guitar, but I agree - it's a feel thing... or quite simply the mood you're in to pickup THAT guitar vs. another...

I'd like to think that I change my playing style from guitar to guitar, and even string guage to string guage. The fenders with 11's I play different than the Fenders with 9's. But even from Les Paul to SG, I feel like my style is different - or fits in different with what Im playing.

Very true!!

I feel when I play an SG I do all I can to make it sound like a Les Paul haha!! tongue

http://www.stefanhauk.com

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  • Devan
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  • From: Darwin, Australia
  • Registered: 2010-04-13
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Re: Channeling SRV

stefanhauk wrote:

Very true!!

I feel when I play an SG I do all I can to make it sound like a Les Paul haha!! tongue

Whenever I play my SG, I want to put on my shorts and school tie and spin around in circles on the floor whilst hammering out open G5 chords...

JBLP Gold Top #129 - redubbed "#1 in Oz"
  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Channeling SRV

When I play my SG I channel Eric Clapton live Cream vol. I my Les Paul I am after Duane Allman live at the Fillmore, or Jimmy Page, and a telecaster... I'm a Mike Cambell fan from Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers.  Couldn't play Albert King if I tried on anything.  Don't play my strings upside down.

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  • From: Adelaide, South Australia
  • Registered: 2011-10-14
  • Posts: 1,339

Re: Channeling SRV

When I play a Telecaster I channel 'Takin' The Hit' At Rockpalast!

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  • From: North Carolina
  • Registered: 2008-10-26
  • Posts: 2,926

Re: Channeling SRV

I've never had the chops to play Bonamassa, but I can play a couple riffs from 2 of his songs.  Love him to death, but I came up with the idea if I was going to cover somebodys song I try to go for the feel of it, the tone of it, but it would come from me and wouldn't be note for note.  Everytime I try something note for note its like I'm thinking about what I'm doing and it comes out like I'm trying too hard.  When I cut loose and play like me my soloing seems to flow better even if it isn't brilliant.  But Billy Gibbons always said "You ain't gotta be the best'in, just be a good'in!"  And just being a good'in is good enough for me smile

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