Most classic clean strat sound?

[CoolerKing]

My upcoming Robert Cray concert got me thinking: what's your favorite clean strat sound? For me, it's mostly late 70s early 80s groups. Not distorted overdrive, but the more "clean strat" sound, know what I mean?

So, my examples are:

Robert Cray--Because of Me (Right Next Door)
Dire Straits--Sultans of Swing
Eric Clapton--double trouble
Stevie Ray Vauhan--little wing


What do y'all think?

[Steel and wood]

My clean often (but not always) involves vibrato, reverb and sometimes delay. (Think Hank Marvin, the Vanduras, James Calvin Wilsey, Americana, country and rockabilly, surf, spaghetti western soundtracks, etc.).

It always involves Fender amps also!

[clintj]

Pearl Jam's "Yellow Ledbetter": Strat + tweed Bassman with added reverb.

Chris Isaac's "Wicked Game": beautiful neck pickup tones there.

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[Steel and wood]

I hit a musical turning point when I heard Chris Isaak's Wicked Game and its seminal guitar tones. (The amazing but totally underrated James Calvin Wilsey and his Stratocaster).

You only have to listen to James' work on earlier/subsequent Chris Isaak albums to appreciate his tasteful playing and spectacular tones.

[6L6]

Hank Marvin & The Shadows.

Hank's bottom TONE control knob is rewired to control the Bridge pickup. He rolls it off to "7" to get that tone.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LIdxrSnTUPQ


"I hit a musical turning point when I heard Chris Isaak's Wicked Game and its seminal guitar tones. (The amazing but totally underrated James Calvin Wilsey and his Stratocaster)..."

Agreed! I love covering this song (did it most recently at Thursday Open Mic). Neck pickup and a BOSS RV-3 set (l to r) at "10:30", "10:30", "12:00", "7" into a PRRI gets me right there.

[ALCO]

These are for me, all the right notes in the right order.

[verstft]

Robert cray hands down.

In a different genre, Stephen Malkmus can rock a clean strat through a orange amp like a boss.

[pieterh]

My two favourites are probably "Once Upon A Time In The West" from Dire Straits' second album and Pink Floyd's Another Brick In The Wall Part 1 (not Part 2, which was done on a Les Paul with P90s direct into the mixer and then re-amped post-production).

[Acoustic_Stevo]

Anything by British blues guitarist Matt Schofield.
He has a tone to die for.

[BTF]

I can't believe no one has mentioned His Holiness, Mr. Buddy Holly!

Here he is (somewhat subdued) on the Arthur Murray Dance Part, sunburst Strat and Bassman!:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEl3UUl1Fmw

Or the great Peewee Crayton:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geQdPg3jFi8

I can't seem to get Youtube videos to properly embed, so I just included the links.

[gmr]

I don't know exactly what the word classic would involve here, but Vince Gill's strat tone and his playing style is easily my favorite strat tone. I like the clean, clear simplicity of it and his manipulation of each note is really cool to my ear. He is a fantastic example of a "less is more" approach in many of his guitar solos. Not a tone that fits the music of many classic strat players but pristine nonetheless

[guitararmy]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5j6sV_7RnMM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IS97aNwcFpk

[clintj]

Classic surf guitar Strat tones. The Beach Boys, supported by a backline of blond Fender amps.

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[jim1960]

When I think strat, I think Knopfler.

[CarryOn]

Steve Miller, maybe? I think that's a Strat on "Rock'n Me."