Examples of musicians playing against type.
Posted by: JamieL_v2 on 10 November 2011
I was not quite sure how to title this thread, but watching Steve Howe with Yes last night playing a Fender Stratocaster, I began to think of other predominantly Gibson players who let themselves loose on 'Strats' to great effect.
Of course it is not just guitar, trumpet players who do not usually use a mute could have a recording with that, an electric bass player trying an upright acoustic bass, or vice-ser-versa. The many acoustic verses electric crossovers. There must be numerous examples on many instruments.
The three musicians who made me think of this are Steve Howe, Jimmy Page and Steve Hackett, all accomplished guitarists predominantly known for playing Gibson guitars, guitars that accentuate the players picking and fretting, but have a high action, and unless customised, no tremolo arm, so do not have the light and fluid sound of the Fender Stratocaster with its low action, light strings and tremolo to pitch bend.
Here are the tracks that I could think of by the above guitarists, all unusually playing a 'Strat'.
Steve Howe 'Tempus Fugit' from the album 'Drama' (1980) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78BivgombIE)
Steve Hackett 'The Steppes' from the album 'Defector (1980) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3k0brnwiu_Y)
Jimmy Page 'For Your Life' from the album 'Presence' (1977) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_Your_Life)
Jimmy Page 'In the Evening' from the album 'In Through the Out Door' (1979) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEmPr525z5w)
There must be numerous examples, both good and bad, from many genres of music, those are a few to make a start.