The B List: Top 10 Fender Guitarists
Once again it’s time for a special guest to take the reigns of the B List. This week, guitar-maker Andrew Olson of AO Guitars shares a list of his favorite Fender players. AO Guitars makes high-quality instruments for the discerning musician…
Hey everybody! I can’t say how thrilled I am to be back on the B List for a second edition of AO’s Top 10. If you recall the last one, I delved into my Top 10 Axes of all time, where I mentioned that I could have done an entire list on just Fenders and not even mentioned another guitar. Well, welcome to my list of Top 10 Fender Players. Screw the Gibsons, Guilds and small builders out there (for this Top 10, at least) and let’s look at some of the greatest players of all time who’ve adorned the work of the great Leo Fender. Beginning with the Telecaster and Precision Bass in 1951, and the first Stratocaster in 1954, Leo Fender’s genius paved the way for the small rock combo, changing popular music forever.
Now, we all know the real big guys…Hendrix, SRV, Clapton, and Jeff Beck to name a few—I don’t even need to put them on this list. I’m going for some of the unsung heroes that you might not hear every day, or to even turn you on to some you may never have heard of. Enjoy!
10. Steve “The Colonel” Cropper & Donald “Duck” Dunn
OK, I’m cheating and starting you off with a deuce, being that they were a pair for a very long time. If these names don’t sound familiar, trust me, you’ve heard them many, many times. You’ve seen Steve with his trusty Telecaster in the SNL Band and the Blues Brothers, and Duck is always sporting that P-Bass. You’ve heard them in the rhythm section of Booker T & The MGs. They were the session guys at the legendary Stax Records, meaning you’ve heard them on countless classics that Steve usually helped pen: Wilson Pickett’s In the Midnight Hour, Sam & Dave’s Soul Man, and my favorite tune in the world, Otis Redding’s (Sittin On) The Dock Of the Bay. (Suggested listening: The Blues Brothers Soundtrack and any of the original albums & Booker T & The MGs’ McLemore Avenue…which is an instrumental cover of Abbey Road)
READ ON for AO’s top nine Fender axemen of all-time…
9. Clarence White
Clarence cut his teeth in the business playing with his brothers in a bluegrass band called the Kentucky Colonels, bringing the acoustic to the fore-front as a solo instrument, which before him was almost strictly a part of the rhythm section. After dropping the acoustic guitar in favor of the Telecaster when the British Invasion took hold, Clarence ended up joining the Byrds in 1965, becoming one of the greatest Tele players ever.
With the help of band mate Gene Parsons, Clarence invented the B-Bender, shown above. By pushing the neck down towards the ground, Clarence was able to bend the strings’ pitch up and emulate a pedal-steel guitar sound, lending a very cool sound to albums like the Byrds’ Sweetheart of the Rodeo. He was killed in 1973 after being struck by a drunk driver while loading the gear after a gig.
8. Jaco Pastorius
Jaco was arguably the most talented electric bass player ever, and never really played anything but his ’62 Fretless P-Bass, known by Jaco as the “Bass of Doom,” shown here. Since Fender did not offer a fretless at the time, Jaco pulled the frets and filled them, followed by marine epoxy on the fingerboard. These treatments, plus the amazing feel he had for the instrument, lead to some of the greatest raw tone the world has ever heard. He spent years with Weather Report, had his own big band, did a lot of work with Joni Mitchell, where his singing ability on the bass doubled so well with her. Bi-Polar disorder and drug abuse lead to Jaco’s unfortunate early death at 35. Suggested listening: Jaco Pastorius & Shadows & Light (unbelievable live recording with Pat Metheny, Jack DeJohnette, Joni Mitchell and others)
7. James Jamerson
James Jamerson is regarded as one of the most influential bass players of all time. An integral part of the Funk Brothers, Jamerson laid down the foundation for more than 30 #1 hits during his time at Motown Records, playing on his Fender P-Bass, which he picked up after originally being an upright player. His style of playing broke the mold of root-fifth bass, leading towards the more improvised funk lines, eventually to be called the “Motown Sound.” Tracks like The Teamptations’ My Girl, Martha & The Vandellas’ Dancin In The Streets and Marvin Gaye’s What’s Going On and I Heard it Through the Grapevine, all feature Jamerson’s distinctive bass grooves. Suggested Viewing: Standing in the Shadows of Motown
6. Sonny Landreth
This guy is so scary that I had to add a video for you to check out. Considered by Clapton as the most underestimated player alive, Sonny is probably the most technically gifted slide player out there these days, and believe me, I’m a huge Derek Trucks fan. Sonny, however, is a totally different type of player than Trucks, so there’s no sense in trying to compare the two. What Sonny does, on his fairly stock collection of Strats, is different than anyone else on the planet.
To start, he does what has been dubbed “playing behind the glass,” where he wears the glass slide on his pinky while fretting his so-called ghost notes behind it. At the same time, he uses his right hand to pluck and tap each string with a different finger while muting other strings with the fingers not used.
Sound confusing? As a player myself, it’s totally mind-boggling to me. A regular member of John Hiatt’s band, he adds incredible texture to Hiatt’s amazing songwriting. He has his own thing going, as well, and you ever get the chance to see him, don’t miss it. Suggested Listening: Sonny’s From the Reach, John Hiatt’s Crossing Muddy Waters and The Tiki Bar is Open…especially the last track Farther Stars for some searing slide work
5. Robbie Robertson
As much bad mojo as there is surrounding Robbie for what happened to The Band and, more specifically, Richard Manuel, you can’t refute Robbie’s playing on some of the greatest albums ever recorded. He has such a distinctive sound coming out of his various Strats, mostly due to his picking attack and usage of harmonics (check out the solo on It Makes No Difference). Also, instead of the usual three single-coil setup of most Strats, Robbie usually had a humbucker in the bridge position, giving him a fatter, crunchier sound when he needed it.
After The Last Waltz, Robbie had the 1958 Stratocaster shown here bronzed, retiring it from service forever. It has since been considered one of the most valuable guitars in the world. Suggested Listening: The Band, Music from Big Pink, The Last Waltz
4. Danny Gatton
Sadly known as “The World’s Greatest Unknown Guitar Player,” Danny was in an entirely different league of players, almost always on a 1953 Telecaster with custom made pickups (Fender has since released a signature model). I often get Tele players into my shop, and I can’t get over the amount of blank stares I get when I ask if they know of Danny’s stuff.
An absolute virtuosic picker, Danny’s trademark twang, incredibly speedy licks and “chicken pickin” still go unmatched. He was also adept at grabbing a half-full beer bottle and playing slide, like the picture above. He toured with pedal steel great Buddy Emmons with his Redneck Jazz Explosion, and was performed incredible covers of popular songs like Linus & Lucy (Charlie Brown) and the Simpsons theme song. Danny is also no longer with us, after taking his own life back in 1994. Suggested Listening: Redneck Jazz Explosion, 88 Elmira St. Check out this video for a taste of what Danny could do…not the best quality, but utterly jaw dropping.
3. David Gilmour
David Gilmour’s addition to Pink Floyd took the band to entirely new universes after Syd Barrett’s departure, both with his songwriting and guitar playing. He brought what I consider to be a “spatial” quality of his playing, lending very anthemic leads and solos to what was to become both his and Floyd’s signature sound. He was never known to be a fast player, relying more on very open, melodic, emotional solos to fit the mood of songs like Comfortably Numb and his lap steel work on Breathe.
The guitar shown here was his main axe: a modified 1970 Strat, with which he created some of the most memorable solos ever recorded. Gilmour also has the distinction of owning Stratocaster #0001, though it is not technically the first Strat ever built. Suggested Listening: The Wall, Dark Side of the Moon & his solo 2006 release On An Island
2. Roy Buchanan
Here’s yet another heartbreaking story of one of the greatest guitarists of all time that you’ve never heard of. I get even more blank stares in my shop talking about Roy than I do Danny Gatton, and it’s painful that he didn’t get the recognition that he deserved. Shown here with Nancy, his prized 1953 Telecaster, Roy had a direct link from his soul to his fingers. His trademark volume swells (a technique of fading into a lick) made his guitar sing and scream, often making his guitar cry and wail with so much emotion you can hear the pain the guy was in.
To get the full effect of his style, sound, and technical ability, sit back and check out this video of The Messiah Will Come Again. Story has it as well that he turned down an offer to join the Rolling Stones in the early ‘70s. After battling alcoholism for most of his life, Roy was arrested for public drunkenness, and hours later was found after hanging himself in his cell. Suggested Listening: That’s What I Am Here For, Sweet Dreams: The Anthology, and the new DVD Roy Buchanan Live at Austin, TX
1. Mark Knopfler
Knopfler could very well be my favorite guitarist. Through his work with Dire Straits and now his very successful solo career, his playing has always intrigued me. His unmistakable tone, style and songwriting skills have created such enormous guitar-driven hits as Sultans of Swing and Money For Nothing, while also producing beautiful ballads like Romeo & Juliet. His playing is, to an extent, very simplistic, yet entirely his own. I think he is the most tasteful player ever—never playing too much or too fast, but very lyrical and melodic lines—and he only really has a handful of licks, repeating them often…all leading to his most recognizable sound.
Pictured here is his famous ’61 Strat that he used for many years when developing Dire Straits, and showing his fingerpicking style of his right hand. He’s now one of the most sought-after guitarists, producers, composers and songwriters in music today. Suggested Listening: Dire Straits’ Communique, Mark’s Kill to Get Crimson, Mark with Emmylou Harris All The Road Running and Mark and Chet Atkins’ Neck and Neck
Honorable Mention (There’s just too many players!): Albert Lee, Eric Johnson, Buddy Holly, Richard Thompson, Lowell George
- Previously on HT: The B List – AO’s Ten Favorite Guitars
Sonny isn’t on “Crossing Muddy Waters”. Get his “South of I-10″. You can hear the Cajun mojo!
Jimi Hendrix… I know it’s an obvious choice, but to at least say that this is the top 10 after him would be a start.
Well, that’s why I put Hendrix at the top as an No Need To Mention…he’s a given, the greatest of all time, and everyone knows it.
My top ten (or at least the honorable mention) would include another strat player that would probably draw a few blank stares at AO’s shop: Ireland’s late, great Rory Gallagher. Yet another underappreciated gone-from-us-too-early blues rock talent. Suggested listening: Irish Tour ’74, suggested viewing: Rory Gallagher at Montreaux- phenomenal stuff.
oh man good call on Rory. Like I said, there’s just way too many to list ‘em all. As I wrote the list, I realized that a lot of the great Fender players seemed to have tragic, young deaths.
Great article.
And good call, AlbanyKevin, on Rory Gallagher. That man could play!
you made a mistake on jaco, on the shadows and light record the drummer is don alias, not jack dejohnette.. also, you should start with jaco’s first two solo records.. also hejira by joni mitchell and of course the first four weather report albums with jaco are all essential..
Marty McFly would like a word with you.
didn’t Marty play a Chiquita at the beginning and then a 335 at the dance? I’m trying to remember a Strat…
Nice post, although I would argue that Gilmour/Floyd’s “Animals” deserves to be on the recommended listening list over all three of those albums. “Dogs” has simply some of the most brilliant guitar work Gilmour ever recorded.
agreed, Nate…I happened to be listening to Dark Side when I wrote that, so it clouded my judgement :)
Just listened to Nils Lofgren’s “Crooked Line” CD from ’92,he plays a mean strat,hope you can find it.
for the most part part i agreee with this list, and sgreed on animals. but i think i would have to throw maybe… marcus miller on as a bassist. And where’s stevie ray vaughan? always on a fender, and unbelievable what he accomplished. surely that cant be disputed?