Must-Know Strat Tunes

[fdesalvo]

So now that I'm content with my Strat rig, I need to know - what tunes should I learn? 

Let me have it!

 

[Wizard of Wailing]

    I always thought the solo from "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" was the stratiest of strat tones.  I found out last year Gilmour was using a Les Paul with P-90s on that solo.  Now I think the stratiest song ever is Hendrix's "Castles Made of Sand".  Of course for all my ears know, he could've been using his flying V on that track. 

 

[fdesalvo]

    I always thought the solo from "Another Brick in the Wall Part 2" was the stratiest of strat tones.  I found out last year Gilmour was using a Les Paul with P-90s on that solo.  Now I think the straiest song ever is Hendrix's "Castles Made of Sand".  Of course for all my ears know, he could've been using his flying V on that track.

Good suggestions. What makes me laugh is when people first realize some of Jimi’s most iconic tones comes from plugging direct into the mixing console.

Is that a spaceballs poster in your avatar?  How old were you there? 

 

[Wizard of Wailing]

    Yes it's a Spaceballs poster.  It was one of those that the video store would sell to you after they were done using it to advertise new releases. I also had one from the bike racing movie "Rad" in my room as well.  I'm probably 14 there (circa 1989).  That's my first guitar I got for Christmas in 1988.  It was like a Cort, only with no brand name whatsoever on it.  Once I got good at the guitar my parents let me pick out a 1991 USA Tele for my 16th birthday.
    "Castles Made of Sand"  is one of my go-to songs whenever I pick up a new guitar.  However, I don't own a volume pedal, so I've always just improvised the solo rather than try to make it somehow sound backwards.

 

[fdesalvo]

Hah!  That puts us about the same age. I had a ton of maiden posters on the wall and my first guitar was a hss squire.

 

[stratamania]

In no particular order here is a list of Strat tunes for you:

Little Wing, Jimi Hendrix
Sultans of Swing, Mark Knopfler
Apache, Hank Marvin, and the Shadows
The Road to hell, Chris Rea
Scuttle Buttin, SRV
Lenny, SRV
Wicked Game, Chris Isaak
Lazy, Deep Purple (Original Studio version may have been a 335)
Highway Star, Deep Purple
In fact all of the Machine Head album, by Deep Purple.
Slow Dancing In A Burning Room, John Mayer
Gravity, John Mayer
Down to the Waterline, Dire Straits
Cocaine, Eric Clapton
Bad Love, Eric Clapton
Clapton is God
Peggy Sue, Buddy Holly
Shine on You Crazy Diamond. Pink Floyd
Tender Surrender, Steve Vai (Studio version has quite a lot of Strat on it.)
Black Star, Yngwie Malmsteen
Hiroshima Mon Amour, Alcatraz

I am sure I might think of more but there is a start.

 

[Verne Bunsen]

[youtube]i5sqJNFFwqc[/youtube]
.

 

[fdesalvo]

Wow thank you!

 

[bagman67]

Francis, my friend, you're opening a hell of a can of worms here.


I think you could go through all the RHCP Frusciante-era recordings and find a lot to work with.  The video for "Under The Bridge" features JF playing a Jazzmaster, but who knows what's actually on the track.  The song screams "Stratocaster" to me.


Pearl Jam's Yellow Ledbetter basically rips off Curtis Mayfield by way of Hendrix, and is pretty easy to play (well, as long as you lock in the rhythm).


Have fun, buddy.

 

[fdesalvo]

Francis, my friend, you're opening a hell of a can of worms here.


I think you could go through all the RHCP Frusciante-era recordings and find a lot to work with.  "Under The Bridge" features JF playing a Jazzmaster, but who knows what's actually on the track.  The song screams "Stratocaster" to me.


Pearl Jam's Yellow Ledbetter basically rips off Curtis Mayfield by way of Hendrix, and is pretty easy to play (well, as long as you lock in the rhythm).


Have fun, buddy.

Indeed. Thank you.  The more I listen to Hendrix, the more I realize Mayer listened to Hendrix.

 

[stratamania]

How could I forget, lots of great stuff from Jeff Beck, here is one if you want to get into the tremolo and harmonics.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gw9g7hlPytQ[/youtube]

Big Log, Robert Plant. Robbie Blunt on Guitar.

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UTJn6CyEwuI[/youtube]

 

[rgand]

I'd have to say any of Clapton's solos. He can express so much with just a few notes.

 

[fdesalvo]

Tasty, gents!  Damn tasty!

 

[Pelagaard]

Pretty much anything by Earthless.

Also, for a show of how low a Strat with single coils can go, check out Sons of Otis.

 

[Rick]

what genres of music do you like?  You can play anything with a strat. 

 

[fdesalvo]

Pelagaard: nice, out of the box. Downloading Sons of Otis.

Rick: mainly looking for some classic blues and rock to cut my teeth on. Ready to tackle a new style.

 

[Rick]

Rock:
Beach Boys Surfin' USA
A blend of La Bamba and Twist and Shout

Blues:
Smokestack Lightin'
A blend of I'm a man that segues into Ring of Fire.

I have the music and tabbed them out if you want them.

 

[zebra]

Bagman beat me to suggesting 'Blood Sugar Sex Magic'-era Frusciante (I'd propose "Under the Bridge," "I Could Have Lied," and "Soul II Squeeze.")  Frusciante is another guy who's gotten great sounds overloading a mixing board - "I Could Have Lied" is a great example (FWIH).

Bagman also beat me to Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter," so the only other one I have to suggest is "River of Deceit" by Mad Season (Mike McCready on guitar).

You can tell I'm a child of the late 70s/teen of the early 90s, can't you?

 

[stratamania]

Sweet Home Alabama, Lynyrd Skynyrd also features a strat.

 

[spe111]

Some other DG stuff was mentioned, but I'd also add Time. And any Hendrix song that hasn't already been mentioned.