• richp
  • richp
  • Bronze Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 30

Topic: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

Don't get me wrong....Joe is AMAZING and can do just about NO musical wrong in my eyes. But being a die-hard Strat Guy myself, I was a bit disappointed that he "jumped camps" and is suddenly a 'Les Paul Guy'. I think some of Joe's more amazing playing was done on his Strats. (Goldie and the Clapton Strats for example) I understand that being a musician, he has to seek out new inspiration and sounds.....but you can't get more versatile than a Strat!! If he wanted a Humbucker type of sound, there are some WONDERFUL HSS formatted Strats out there. (I know...I own 6 !!) I just liked having a personal musical "LINK" to a master such as him......oh well.....gotta buy a Les Paul now!!!

"One of Chuck's children out there playin' his licks"
  • From: Heading west on 80....
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 864

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

I think it changes as his sound matures and changes. Some of my most favorite Joe sounds came out of the red LP that he played on the first few songs of "A New Day Yesterday Live" DVD.......my second favorite Joe sounds are when he really bears down and plays the stuffing out of the Gold Strat.

PC

“A friend is someone that will help you move............a TRUE friend will help you move the bodies." -- anon

3 Reply by richp (edited by richp 2006-09-28 18:46:03)

  • richp
  • richp
  • Bronze Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 30

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

"I think it changes as his sound matures and changes".

I NEVER really thought of Strat sounds as 'immature' musically. A Strat is harder to play than a Les Paul  because of it's scale length.......so you really got to make each note count! I'm just a biased Strat lover....that's all!  The clean sound of a Les Paul CAN'T compare to the beautiful clean sounds of a Strat. IMHO!!

"One of Chuck's children out there playin' his licks"
  • From: Harrison, Arkansas
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 3,155

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

I don't think it has anything to do with maturing. I think it's just what Joe likes now. Heck, he might go back to being a Strat guy.

"And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make"

My ReverbNation page for Dees & Friends - check us out!
www.reverbnation.com/deesfriends
  • From: Heading west on 80....
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 864

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

That's not the context of "maturing" that I intended. I mean like fine wine.......or as his sound evolves.


PC

“A friend is someone that will help you move............a TRUE friend will help you move the bodies." -- anon
  • From: Angola NE Indiana
  • Registered: 2006-04-28
  • Posts: 33

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

I think Joe's tastes are most likely based on what fits the application tone-wise. Strat's do put up more of a fight though.

FlyinLow's Website

  • From: Southwest MI
  • Registered: 2006-06-05
  • Posts: 87

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

I think the Les Paul's fit his style a little better now, since he's heavly into the British Blues/Rock thing and called You & Me his British album. Also being a guitar geek, which I am, you tend to play lot's of differnt guitars and go through phases. I'm a long time Strat Guy and I'd be the first to tell you, nothing pulls of the British thing like a Paul and cranked Marshall.

  • From: Angola NE Indiana
  • Registered: 2006-04-28
  • Posts: 33

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

I was most knocked out by his 335 last June. Does he still use that on Asking Around for You?

FlyinLow's Website

  • gsj
  • gsj
  • BONAMETAL
  • Offline
  • From: North Essex, England
  • Registered: 2006-09-21
  • Posts: 2,149

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

He did at The Borderline in London last week.

FlyinLow wrote:

I was most knocked out by his 335 last June. Does he still use that on Asking Around for You?

never give up, never slow down
never grow old, never ever die young

10 Reply by Ges (edited by Ges 2006-09-29 17:14:18)

  • Ges
  • Ges
  • Titanium
  • Offline
  • From: NW England
  • Registered: 2006-09-25
  • Posts: 845

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

He played the 335 in Sheffield as well.

I must say that I prefer the Les Paul both in looks and sound for the overdriven stuff, but I do agree that a strat has a clean tone all of its own. I also think that a Les Paul is like a fine piece of art or furniture and I wouldn't dream of treating one in a rough way. Can't say the same about Strats - although I still wouldn't purposely bash one. They seem more like workhorse guitars. Horses for courses anyway depending on the sound you're after. They're both beautiful whatever smile

I have a Les Paul Standard and my son has a Strat (we changed the bridge pick up for a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails Humbucker straight away) and we both smile a lot. We're so lucky to have access to such great instruments. Pity I'm crap playing it !!

  • richp
  • richp
  • Bronze Member
  • Offline
  • Registered: 2006-05-08
  • Posts: 30

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

Okay....that's just where his head might be at.....FOR NOW......but if you go on YOUTUBE.com and type in BLOODLINE in the search engine...you will get some UNBELIEVABLE vidoes of a 16 yr. old Joe beating the SH&* out of a vintage STRAT!!  Hey when I'm in a British blues mode, I pull out my HSS equipped Strat and pull off a convincing era sound! Here's the hypocricy though....in my main "baby" (a 2005 Cocoa Brown HWY 1 Strat HSS) I have in the bridge ...a GIBSON 498T...and yes....I LOVE the sound!! But I'm only a pickup selector switch notch away from all the traditional Stratty sounds!! I got the best of both without sacrificing my devotion to Fender!

"One of Chuck's children out there playin' his licks"
  • Registered: 2006-05-19
  • Posts: 197

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

Les Paul tones are awesome no doubt, and I have heard Joe say that he prefers Jimmy Page with a Tele than a LP.  Im a strat guy because of the feel.  I have a 2002 Les Paul Custom Silverburst and damn it heavy..too heavy

13 Reply by NPB_EST.1979 (edited by NPB_EST.1979 2006-10-13 11:53:18)

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

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

Joe has talked in past conversations about "smooth & power" as being key components of guitar sound.  Sounds like a LesPaul to me!  HSS strats just don't have a place in my soul.  You might as well play PRS guitars - that's what Santana did!  But as far as 'turncoats' take Eric Clapton for example - Joe's gateway to the blues started out as an SG/Les Paul guy until he converted to strats. I think the european blues/rock is only partially dominated by Fenders. Even Hendrix played some gibsons on occaisson.

Lastly, I never considered JB a strat guy. More of a Telecaster guy.  I have heard him talk about telecasters more than any other model guitar as far as what he may have in common with other players, etc. I believe his first electric guitar was a tele.

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: South Brunswick, NJ USA
  • Registered: 2006-04-21
  • Posts: 133

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

Ballgame wrote:

Les Paul tones are awesome no doubt, and I have heard Joe say that he prefers Jimmy Page with a Tele than a LP.  Im a strat guy because of the feel.  I have a 2002 Les Paul Custom Silverburst and damn it heavy..too heavy

Hey Ballgame, try a Gibson Les Paul Historic...mines 8-1/2 lbs.  Still a bit heavier than most Strats but MUCH better that most production Gibson Standards and Customs.  The lighter mahogony bodies on the Historics are solid too - not chambered or weight relieved.  The historics are much more resonant and not too bad on the back!

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

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

I have been wielding heavy gibsons since I was 15.  I have '73 LP custom and a '79 Explorer... strapping on a strat feels like a toy.

On tele's I don't own one yet, but I can tell in music when something was recorded with a tele. You can just hear it.

Anybody ever play one of those LINE6 variax guitars???
I did, it felt like I was playing a $100 Fernandes guitar.  It did sound decent I guess. It just felt terrible.  I know warmoth.com makes custom bodies and necks for the variax - and wonder how much better it would do the guitar system there...

laterz,

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool
  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-05-25
  • Posts: 34

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

Stratocasters, Telecasters, and Les Pauls are all great guitars and sound totally different from each other.  In my opinion one isn't better than the other.  I have played plenty of crappy LP's at guitar center that felt like toys.  When I finally plunk down the cash to buy an LP, I think I'm going to have to go the custom shop route. 

A good analogy would be to think of different guitars as different colors in a pallet to paint with.  I don't think you would hear Joe saying that his Les Pauls are better guitars than his Strats.  He is just going through a phase right now where he prefers his LP's.  The same thing happens to me.  Right now I am in love with my Stratocaster, but two months ago I wouldn't play any guitar other than my PRS McCarty.

  • From: San Diego, CA
  • Registered: 2006-05-25
  • Posts: 34

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

NPB_EST.1979 wrote:

Anybody ever play one of those LINE6 variax guitars???
I did, it felt like I was playing a $100 Fernandes guitar.  It did sound decent I guess. It just felt terrible.

I have to agree with you on this one.  The Variax feels about the same quality as an entry level Squire Strat.  I owned a Variax 500 for about two weeks.  It did sound great in general, although it was a little bit sterile sounding, but I couldn't get over the cheap feel of the guitar.  It's just really hard to feel the music no matter how good it sounds if you are playing a guitar that feels like it's cheap quality.  The fretwork felt really rough.  Their higher end guitar is much better, but the wood grain on it looks horrible.  It also looks a little strange to see an electric guitar without pickups in it.

18 Reply by NPB_EST.1979 (edited by NPB_EST.1979 2006-10-30 12:38:56)

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

Re: Joe's recent "Strat Guy" departure!

Its one of those "buying a guitar" techniques where you close your eyes when you play it.  What you hear is decent, but what you feel is crappy.  If the guitars were cost effectie enough, I would go on Warmoth.com and get one of those custom bodys that you can drop the variax electronics into it.  Bravo to Warmoth for identifying a problem and making a quality and seeminly profitable solution!

- Nic from Detroit... posting on JB's Forum since 6-2-2006
Ask me about my handwound Great Lakes Guitar Pickups
Since 2010, Bonamassa fans have taken advantage of my JB friend discount = my cost + shipping. cool