Stevie Ray Vaughan - History of his Guitars

[@byronwheeler4210]

True story: In 1979 at Fitzgerald's in Houston Texas, my band was opening for Stevie and Double Trouble. Backstage - after we played - Stevie offered to buy my 1962 Gibson Epiphone thin, black, sun burst hollow body guitar...strung left handed. I'm left handed. He played it just fine upside down. If he had offered to trade me one of his, on the spot, I would have done it. I've always wondered why he was so suddenly obsessed with my guitar (it was our first meeting...we went on to play more gigs with him in Houston and Austin). Now, thanks to your video, I know. Very surreal...very cool!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Fantastic thanks Byron for the comment

[@jonnyf9049]

Hendrix once played somekind of epiphone, maybe it was similar?

[@billysunday7507]

This guy is a lair

[@Factory_Muff]

Byron, hope you’re still around on KZbin bud. I have so many questions for you. But what I really want to know is how old you are and do you still have that Epiphone?

[@byronwheeler4210]

@@Factory_Muff Hey Muff, I'm 76, and no, I sold it to my drummer back in 1989. Stevie was still alive - I didn't even think about it...and I needed the money. I did keep the guitar case. I gave it to one of my grandsons last summer. He plays bass and guitar and knows the Epiphone story. Something to tell his buddies.

[@everythingbobbywolfe]

My buddy saw srv twice. Once was when he was drinking and was cool, but really whacked out. Kinda all over the place, but nice. The 2nd was when he got sober. He actually remembered my friends name and chatted backstage with him for 2 hours. He said was was as if Stevie didn't want them to leave. He said he was just about the nicest human being he's ever met. He was treated like he was famous, yet he was in the presence of a a humongously popular srv, which really speaks to Stevie's character. My friend randy always gets really sad when Stevie's make gets mentioned. He made quite an impression on him, especially since my friend was only about 19 or 20 years old and was just starting to get his own band name or there. Rest well, Stevie... Rest well

[@v12dot]

Great story pal :)

[@xx-ev2sq]

I can confirm you're buddies impression. I saw Stevie several times. Once time I saw him with my date, a rolling stone photographer. She had taken pics of him and Albert King and wanted to give them to Stevie, so we went up to the green room/bands dressing room after the show. The entire band were very friendly/inviting. Stevie was sober by this time and he seemed extremely warm/friendly

[@mwyatt222]

I grew up a couple of blocks from Charley's guitar shop in Dallas and knew Charley and Renee well. I was lucky enough to play all his early strats while 'dusting' the guitars for strings as a kid. I met stevie and jimmy there in the late 70's. I saw stevie several times throughout his career and he always remembered my name. He was a genuinely good person. The best SRV shows werent at Antones like many believe but in Dallas at a club called Tango's. SRV and Eric Johnson played there together for a couple of years in the early days 2 or 3 times per month. They would do a Hendrix jam after their sets for another hour or so. Those shows were legendary.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Amazing memories - thanks so much for this!

[@gregmiller3120]

And no one recorded that

[@willythewave]

Made me cry man.

[@jerryconner5183]

was Stevie a shy person. He went through a lot of stuff. I am as interested in the artist as much as his art

[@Cyclingmasterseller]

Outstanding, you're a lucky man! Seeing BB King at the Palace Theater playing just two feet in front of me -- front row center aisle, that was as close as I got to a legend. All legends are great, for they are and were gifted humans bringing delight to millions.

[@jeffmckinnon5842]

I got to see his last Canadian performance that was a double billing with Joe Cocker. We had great seats that were right beside the stage. I was planning to learn some of his magical licks , being a guitarist myself, but when he stepped out on the stage with his feathery hat, poncho flaring and all of his bling, I was star struck. I just sat there with my mouth open. I must have looked like a little school girl. I don't think I looked at his fingers at all. Next thing I knew, the show was over. I promised myself that next time I'd make a better showing of myself but sadly, he died a few short weeks later.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Amazing comment - thanks Jeff!

[@johnnyroxx9551]

l go to the grave once a month and weep.....l live in Arlington between ft worth and Dallas......really hurts as he was my age and I've played 55 years now.

[@davidmcbride6911]

Say a prayer from me

[@joelalexander5338]

I never met him, but I’m familiar with the arrogance in the industry, as a former professional piano player. He truly stood out from others, with not only his remarkable talent, but with his very apparent humility and kindness towards others.

[@marklierly9381]

Back in 1985 I was a Tokai factory Rep and got to meet Stevie in person at the New Orleans NAMM Show and heard him play the Tokai Strat! He was a great talent, RIP Stevie Ray! :-)

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thats a cool story - thanks for sharing that with us!

[@scrap_metal_magic]

Maybe you can give some insight on the Tokai guitars Stevie had in the early 80s I know Tokai offered him an endorsement but he declined. I know the guitar he’s holding on the cover of Texas flood was a Tokai, but that was a few years before the endorsement was offered.

[@marklierly3627]

@@scrap_metal_magic All I can tell you was that Stevie seemed to be taken by one Tokai Paisley Strat at the NAMM show, his brother Jimmie was also there attending the show in New Orleans. Stevie and Dee Hoyt, the National Sales Manager for Tokai spent about 3 hours together talking about Guitars and an endorsement deal. Alvin Lee was also there doing demo's on his endorsed Guitar and chatting with Stevie as well for an hour or so. :-)

[@scrap_metal_magic]

@@marklierly3627 thank you for the response. Good info.

I would see him all the time on the National show "Austin City Limits"on PBS (Public Television Station) in the 80's. I was so memorized by his guitar playing! Thank you for the great post!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Please Jose thanks for watching

[@rhythmace1]

I heard ACL has been digitising all their footage; there are a couple of clips of Stevie available via the ACL website. Hopefully one day a full show will be available!

[@RavenMadd9]

Saw him live 3 times ....rest in peace ....first time in a old theater in salem,mass ....what impressed me was how nice he was to people......he did a ad for Tokai strats in mid 80's

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for the memories

[@MegaCherokee16]

Really Salem mass?!?! You remember where? I grew up in Salem

[@jimo7593]

He was extremely humble. Met him at Lake Compounce just months before he died. Shook his hand, thanked him for his music. He asked if i played, i did not. He told me to get a squire and a practice amp and just do scales and basic chords, and while watching tv to try and mimic the commercial jingles. I now own 3 strats including one of the very first SRV strats made...its never been played, just tuned on a regular basis.

[@Paulscottrock]

Tokai is a very good strat made in Japan

[@johnnysurfs]

I saw SRV open up for The Moody Blues in Omaha, Ne. The Moody Blues let SRV have full volume on the p.a. for his set. It was a blistering, soul piercing experience. They did a half-time section during Voodoo Chile, I've never heard a recording them doing that. God bless SRV and Double Trouble, they added so much color to my life. Thank you Moody Blues for giving them the run of the p.a. that night.

[@TheGuitarShow]

thnaks for the memories bro

[@mikeanglim8093]

What yr??

[@johnnysurfs]

@@mikeanglim8093 1983

[@dovthiessen]

Thank you for sharing. I love hearing these personal stories.

[@johnfair62]

Awesome information, Thank you for posting. Its hard to believe Stevie has been gone for 30 years!!!!! I feel like he is still here. His music sounds fresh every time I listen to it.

[@paulwood1657]

Number 1 was a 63 strat with 62 neck. Fender custom shop documented it when they stripped the guitar down. Also Rene said that stevie thought it had 59 pickups after looking inside and seeing 59 written on one in pencil. They were actually stock 63 strat pickups and somebody had written the resistance on the back of the pickup as 5.9

[@TheGuitarShow]

thanks for this!

[@WaRLoKWYATT]

@@robertr.9419 That is true. It had nothing to do with Jimmie Hendrix. Back then you didn't have aftermarket replacements, you had to pull parts from other guitars. Rene found a lefty bridge and made it work. Stevie got used to it and that was that. There's way too much misinformation for some reason. I know what video you are talking about and I was trying to find it to show the guy who makes these. Rene also talked about how Stevie liked a 12" radius fretboard, but he keeps saying it was a 10" radius. That was talked about in the same video. I swear I will find it, if it still exists.

[@cedarchoper58]

#1 was a 62, The neck date was dec 62

[@paulwood1657]

cedarchoper58 I've just read my comment back, I meant to write neck not body. Thanks for the comment 👍

[@cedarchoper58]

@@WaRLoKWYATT Stevie did the lefty bridge himself before he was famous and knew Rene. i use to know Stevie before he had a record deal and saw him play 100+ times :)

[@JimPoston1]

Enjoyed the video!! I grew up in Oak Cliff... same as Jimmy and Stevie. The guitar bug bit me in 1961. Over the years I played in San Antonio, South Texas and Austin... I bought three guitars from Charlie's Guitar Shop later in life (90's)... Still have em! 2 Strats & 1 Tele. I used to go into Ray Hennigs "Heart of Music" store in Austin regularly in the mid to late 70's. Thanks for the video.... brought back a lot of memories. Best Always, JP

[@TheGuitarShow]

thanks for the memories Jim!

[@catherinelynnfraser2001]

A beautiful story. Thanks for sharing. He is my number 1

[@TheGuitarShow]

My pleasure Catherine

[@charity6372]

Awesome video, thanks so much. SRV one of the greatest of all time. Surprise to hear he didn't get his first guitar until 6, I could have sworn he was born with one!

[@TheGuitarShow]

pleasure Charity

[@fuzzgutterwins3]

Stevie is the whole reason I fell in love with strats. Playing them is what keeps the marriage strong. 💪.....

[@TheGuitarShow]

fabulous!

[@jobu88]

I saw him in October 1985 in a tiny college gym in Missouri, I think that would have been the Texas Flood tour. Out of this world amazing.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Texas Floos is the album for me!

[@mikeferris408]

I saw his last show, i won 2 free tickets, ive played guitar since 88ish off n on.. n most of my friends are all in bands n 1 is related to a very very highly successful band... none of them knew who Stevie ray Vaughan was.. i did only bcz my friends parents has an album of his.. it has Rivera paradise, i herd it n i was in love instantly! So.. i went to his alpine valley show alone, which was his last. I still have my 2 tickets.. 1 completely intact. Ive got most all his music and hes in my top 3 all time favorite musicians. 👍great great Great Coverage on him.. your EXSTREAMLY asvy on him n thank you for all yr great info on him n his rigs ect.. new subscriber right here!

[@J.Dove3D]

The 1961 known as "Scotch" was bought by SRV at a great old club called "The Boathouse" in Norfolk, Virginia. My favorite guitar SRV owned.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for the info

[@ronniewoodinsteadofmt2615]

J Dove GO DAWG’s .

[@ede4961]

Been there! Cool club. I saw the Smithereens there in 89-90ish

[@J.Dove3D]

@@ede4961 Yeah man. It was a great club. Saw Blues Traveler there in 1996/1997. Saw the Smithereens the same year in the same area, for Hampton "Bay Day". Good area to be stationed in those days.

[@rchydrozz751]

I can still remember the first time I heard Pride and Joy, '83 I think. I kept listening on the radio to see who this was. His tone and the way he played just knocked me out. And years later, working for the same company. I know right where I was standing when some one told me he had died.

[@Cyclingmasterseller]

Excellent job describing SRV, you're the MAN!

[@TheGuitarShow]

pleasure!

[@jimmurihiku8009]

Very privileged to have seen Stevy twice and Jimmy once in Christchurch New Zealand . RIP to a great musician.

[@ecowyatt]

Lenny is currently on display at the guitar center in Austin down the street from my house. I go there sometimes just to look at it.

[@tammyrogne1471]

Hendrix and Freddie King were both massive influences on SRV! I love how "percussive" his playing was!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Agreed Tammy

[@SciFiArtman]

His choice of heavy strings helped that sound too! Some would say he played Hendrix better than Hendirx, because SRV was fairly precise, and Jimi would often be much sloppier.

[@tammyrogne1471]

@@SciFiArtman Yeah for me SRV was the greatest to ever do it.

[@SciFiArtman]

@@tammyrogne1471 Yep, I never heard Stevie play anything on TV and radio that didn't amaze me with his style and drive to be the best! A sweet guy too, the brief time I knew him.

[@tammyrogne1471]

@@SciFiArtman 👍

[@mkivy]

What a fabulous player...I saw him a long time ago...he was born a month after me...miss u so bad SRV...what a player man...

[@jonmills6927]

It shows you that the music industry was a small world on a big planet. Great video.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure

[@InfinityMotorsports]

Great work - awesome images from the early days. So the story I heard about No 1’s lefty tremolo goes something like this: Stevie was very rough on his gear -namely the tremolo arm. His tech - Rene, kept a stash of spares until he ran out while on the road. In a pinch he scoured the local music shop but all they had were gold lefty units. He modified the rout to make room for the lefty system and the rest is history.

[@pamwitcher2853]

He was the greatest. Nobody other than hendrix can or ever could touch him. I still miss stevie

[@gbmwaz]

Gary Moore

[@Bob-Sacamano314]

@@gbmwaz 😂😂😂😂 r u crazy

[@jessebeall4523]

@@gbmwaz even gary moore said srv is better than him

[@subzero308]

Meh SRV wasnt all that he was just a fast playing blues player. Nuttin to impressive.

[@Bob-Sacamano314]

@@subzero308 and I thought that dude saying Gary Moore was comparable to SRV was dumb, but you sir have eclipsed his stupidity by infinity if you actually believe your statement... you obviously don’t play guitar.. because you’d know how difficult even his simplest song is and how his technique is unmatched second to only Hendrix

[@chevylandt.v]

Stevie Ray Vaughan is my favorite guitarist and he is number one in my books

[@TheGuitarShow]

Agreed

[@jonnybeck6723]

Thanx for another great vid... I really love and appreciate your no nonsense delivery and the slide show's good enough for a 2nd viewing... thanx again and cheers

[@Drpepper7916]

I like to breathe between my sentences.

[@allaboutdatGDA]

Jones hahaha 😂😂😂

[@TheGuitarShow]

Ain't got time to breathe

[@Inbusboutje]

I quit after 30 sec. Damn boring voice.

[@richsackett3423]

@@TheGuitarShow Maybe some less aggressive space deleting and more aggressive plosive treatment. Some MBC will hook them right up. Pop filters work.

[@TheGuitarShow]

@@richsackett3423 You know what? I have a pop shield but because I have a powerful voice it sometimes dosnt work - yes this was early days and thanks God I pace myself more now! Thanks for the advice though bro

[@alanoffer]

It’s not the guitar it’s the player . So often you see guitars that are cobbled together that on paper would be not that valuable . But in the hands of someone like Stevie it’s turned into something special

[@TheGuitarShow]

Excellently put 🙏

[@tgr822]

Great video SRV is so missed . I made it a point to see every show from NY and all over New England . I was very impressed with all the info on the #1 guitar . I always wanted to know the line up of a blues festival Stevie headlined at Great Woods in Mansfield Mass . I was 18 at the time not knowing much about blues . THAT show changed my world . That was Stevie's mission of enlightenment to the world of blues on the world . Thank you SRV for being in this world but for a far to short of a time .

[@johnmoore1537]

The first guitar I owned was a 66 mustang that I bought from Charlie. He sold it to me for a hundred bucks tax and all. I was 15 years old at the time and it seemed like a lot of money. I still have it and next to my kids, it's my most prized possession. When I bought it, they had one of Stevie's guitar's behind the glass wall and at the time I hadn't even heard of him. Charlie was one of the greatest ever.

[@joecalabrese5296]

I have one as well my mom got it for Christmas when I was 15 I'm 55 now and still have it . it is my baby .

[@johnmoore1537]

@@joecalabrese5296 I really wish I still had mine. I've been looking at them online and if fortunes work out I will have another one before I die. My advice is to pass it along to your grandchildren and keep it in the family as long as you can.

[@lord_beethoven1169]

Man. This guy was hard on his guitars. 🤘🏻

[@TheGuitarShow]

And himself, sadly but he did recover at the end.

[@duffman18]

Something deep in the SRV lore that I absolutely _LOVE_ is that SRV owned Jimi Hendrix's wah pedal, the same famous wah pedal that Hendrix had used on songs like Voodoo Child (and so the wah pedal that SRV used on his own cover of Voodoo Child was literally the exact same wah pedal that Hendrix had used on the original). I think it was a Vox wah. But yeah Hendrix gave it to Jimmy Vaughan as a gift. And then eventually Jimmy gave it to his brother, Stevie Ray Vaughan, who by that point was already the world's biggest Hendrix fan. Just imagine that, you're the biggest fan of a musician in the world, and you've dedicated years years of your teenage years to learning absolutely every single Hendrix song note for note and can play them exactly as they sound on the records, with every subtle tiny touch that Jimi did, which are really difficult to be able to recreate exactly, it's not just about playing the same notes, it's about HOW you play them. And yeah so teenage SRV is the biggest Hendrix fan, and then his brother comes home to visit one day and says "here Stevie, happy birthday, here's Hendrix's own wah pedal". That's just so crazy to me. The equivalent for me would be when I was a teenager, when I became an absolutely enormous SRV fan, my dad gave me a birthday present one day that happened to be the _EXACT_ tubescreamer that SRV himself owned and used. It would be absolutely insane, to own the exact tubescreamer that he'd used on all my favourite songs of his. Jimmy wasn't the greatest brother in the world, him and Stevie Ray always got into fights and stuff. But they did seem to really love each other. They always forgave each other after they'd had a fight, either physical or verbal, and that brotherly love really stuck through and kept going through every argument they had. And this was an example of that, Jimmy giving Stevie the one and only wah pedal that Hendrix had so extensively used on every record he made. Seriously, just comprehend that. Jimmy had something that was given to him by a now long dead guitar hero, the most celebrated guitarist in history, who sadly died very very young. He could have sold that wah pedal for a LOT of money. Going by other similar auctions for famous guitars or amps or pedals owned by famous guitarists, he could probably have got over $1 million for it. Or at least hundreds of thousands. Either way, a lot of money. But he decided instead to give it to his brother, this insanely valuable pedal, because he knew the value he'd get from making his brother the happiest kid in the world was worth way more to him than any amount of money would he worth to him. He knew his brother was the biggest Hendrix fan in the world, and so who better to give Hendrix's own wah pedal to? Nobody would cherish it and protect it and love it and use it as any great pedal should be used (instead of just sitting in a glass case in a museum somewhere) as much as the world's biggest hendrix fan would. Man, what a brother.

[@shable1436]

Hendrix carried around a box full of those, not just one. He had them constantly modded, same with fuzzes, he didn't have a board, but his roadie and techs would fix them and swap them out constantly

[@diyautoschool]

seems like almost every guitar he owned was a gift from a friend..

[@TheGuitarShow]

Wish I had those friends lol

[@Kaikoura72]

Must have been a top bloke...you only buy gifts for good buggers!

[@HeavyMetalNerd]

@@TheGuitarShow A friend of mine gave me her old children acoustic guitar nearly 3 years ago. Was on the firewood stack outside but still playable. Bought some strings and now I play it regularly besides my 100€ supermarket SG copy set.

[@duster71]

What's up My Friend Pete,nice to see you here.

[@jared305]

God, at this standard, I need better friends.

[@lovedofgod.4905]

Ive always loved watching musicians play, more so of those that truly loved playing. Ive listened to alot of artists. SRV is my favorite guitarist, and always will be. Im a graphic artist of sorts, I have favorite tools. And I have an eye for detail and for beauty. Stevie made beauty when he played... thankyou for this video.

[@Rocky-ui5st]

I knew Steve back in Dallas. He was a year younger than me but, we shared the same birthday month. Steve's first really serious band, Blackbird, was House Band at the Zodiac Club [Johnny Nitzinger's place in Ft. Worth] for a time. The lead singer for Blackbird, Christian DePlique and I worked together at the original Neiman Marcus downtown. He and I used to take our lunch breaks at McCord's Music just a few blocks away. I'd pull a bass off the rack, plug it in and groove the bottom end, tapping my boots on the tile floor, while DePlique sang Blues and Soul tunes. DePlique, who was known as "Professor Plique, Doctor of Soul", invited me several times to go out and hear his band but, I was gigging on my own and seldom had a weekend night off. When I left that band I finally, had the opportunity to hear my friend's band, Blackbird. It was a really good band but, not a GREAT band. He was only 17 and had yet to become the "animal" he grew to be several years later in Austin. Those were Steve's Epiphone days. We jammed, did more than a few lines, etc. and got along really well, being of similar personalities. At one point, it looked as if I would be going into his future with him but, I changed my mind at the last minute. Surprisingly, I'm glad I did. I wasn't ready for the craziness and all the nose bleeds that followed around him. DePlique came back from Austin and lived at my Apartment for a while. I'm still friends with DePlique. He lives in Europe now, doing Blues, Jazz or Gospel festivals. That's my part of his story.

[@Rocky-ui5st]

@DH No one? Well, DH, I don't know why you so easily call me a liar, especially without presenting any evidence to the contrary. I have no desire or need to prove myself to you or argue over my life story. I've lived a very full life in 44 countries. A full life that doesn't need to build up a body of lies that make me somehow larger than life in the eyes of others. I wasn't implying that Steve and I were the very best of Buds, but, I can assure you that I knew all the people I mentioned. One more thing that may really send you over the top is that I was even asked to sing at his funeral. You can ask the pastor who officiated the funeral. Geez, even my EX wife would confirm the story cause she lived part of it with me. So, again, to say that "no one" believes my story, DH, is simply you typing empty words from no foundation of fact. Have a good day.

[@PC-jq2hn]

I believe you 100%...wish I grew up in Dallas instead of Akron

[@Paulscottrock]

Kim Davies played guitar with blackbird and later with point blank . I met Kim a couple times and hung out .

[@Rocky-ui5st]

@@PC-jq2hn Adventure can be found anywhere, P C. That's one reason I've lived such a full life for 67 years. I'm always looking.

[@dennisjones2124]

Thanks, did not know of all theses guitars. He could play anything better than anyone. RIP SRV, the best ever in my opinion.

[@rgarrison1819]

Thank You for Doing this Video about The History of Stevie Ray Vaughn's Many Guitars!,The Greatest Guitarist of All Time!!!!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure

[@earleburtonjr9292]

Still wants to bring tears to my eyes

[@vintagedrummer]

One of my friends Alan Haynes has a red guitar (edited) from Stevie that he Still jams on til this day... It looks like the one at 7:57 but has no paint on the upper half now after many years of use

[@scottybratcher197]

Alan's is not sunburst underneath as far as I know. Different red strat, while still a gift from Stevie

[@vintagedrummer]

@@scottybratcher197 you are right. I edited the original comment. Alan's is a 1960. I just had commented before listening to the audio. Looks very similar minus the paint worn off on upper half.

[@stingylizard]

Haynes can play!

[@gagemoss1075]

The amount of research you do and the info you deliver is phenomenal!! Keep up the good work. New subscriber.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Many thanks indeed Gage!

[@thespiritof76..]

I saw a video once were Stevie was playing with the Thunderbirds and it was announced as well as you can see Stevie playing a six string baritone Danalectro

[@davidbradley1735]

Thanks for putting all this together. Jimmy Hamilton would be a good resource. He worked on SRV's guitars and still designs and builds guitars in South Florida.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Many thanks David

[@leonardlangford1260]

This is a true blues guitarist.He left too soon.

[@PipeCat1965]

Saw him live at the P A Beach Club in Gardner, MA a year before he died. He had just gotten clean. It was the most fun I ever had at an outdoor general admission show. We were hit with a sudden downpour and he quickly started "The Sky Is Crying." He mostly played #1 and the butterscotch Strat that day. A photo of my sister and me at that show was buried with our dad in 1991.

[@TheGuitarShow]

thanks for the beautiful memories

[@timthegunguy47]

Ah shit man, first Stevie then your Dad! That's tough for sure! Lost my Dad when I was 41, and that changed my life forever. Only saw Stevie live once in 1986 in Baltimore. Got Chris Layton's sticks from that night and that was a big deal for a young budding drummer, I thought that was the shit! What a show and I cried the day Stevie died! Man made everybody feel like close friends! Gone too soon for all of them! God speed.

[@PipeCat1965]

@@timthegunguy47 Thanks for sharing, bro. Great memories!

[@SRV89Fender]

PipeCat i have that bootleg concert from the PA Beach Club.

[@PipeCat1965]

@@SRV89FenderWow, no way! Can you hear him say "The Sky Is Crying!" to Tommy & Chris? And can you hear him talk about "the party was over and it was time to go home"?

[@lancel71]

Stevie is incomparable.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Agreed

[@nassertanga766]

Hendrix ??

[@lancel71]

@@nassertanga766 I dig Jimi and that was Stevie's hero but for me Stevie is at the top of the list.

[@mindeloman]

I never knew#1 belonged to Christopher Cross before Stevie acquired it. What a weird connection.

[@TheGuitarShow]

I know!

[@mindeloman]

@Talkin Bout Nawlins - i never meant any disrespect toward CC. He's an incredibly talented artist and musician. It's just a connection i never expected.

[@everythingbobbywolfe]

Definitely unexpected and so cool

[@TheseStars]

I started to cry when I heard that part ... he just walked until he found the Guitar that talked to him. I didn't I could love him anymore than I already do.

[@thiscorrosion900]

@@mindeloman It was "not far down to paradise...." Just down to Chris Cross' guitar shop.

[@samuelhamilton46]

What an amazing work, thank you very much man, I love your show!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure Samuel!

[@clicheguevara5282]

I would LOVE to hear SRV's Rickenbacker tone. I bet that was interesting! Also.. the left handed vibrato on Number One was a result of needing a replacement on a sunday on tour and only being able to find a lefty one. Also.. the neck on Number One was replaced because the original broke when some gear fell on it. That's according to his guitar tech, anyway..

[@solarismoon3046]

THAT was the neck that was on it at the time. Even Stevie said in a Guitar Player magazine article once said this. That wasn't the original one. Fenders' Custom Shop made the neck that replaced it when it got smashed . That was the accident that almost killed Stevie - he was missed by only a few inches!

[@oldgit4260]

I've got an original 1965 strat, it's had four new necks and six new bodies since then. Apart from that it's totally original.

[@TheGuitarShow]

nice! hahah!

[@andrewhillband]

Cool video! Long time player and fan, saw Stevie a couple times 89 and 90 but didn't know some of this info. Very cool thanks!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@philsipad]

He was playing at the University at Buffalo spring fest in 1984. I was a student but I didn't know he was going to play nor was I that much into him so I missed the show. One of the big regrets of my life.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for the Phil!

[@srvcoldshot]

Pics by Eddie Malluk of the Les Paul at about 12:00 in the video. Way more than just one

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks

[@andrewcerecedes4757]

Regarding the Tokai guitars, no Stevie did not want to be endorsed by them. His manager was trying to push for that but Stevie just was not a fan of their guitars. In a book titled, "Stevie Ray Vaughan: Day by Day, Night After Night" by Craig Hopkins, the Tokai story is explained in full detail.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for this

[@pauleckert882]

I used to see Stevie play quite often around the Lubbock,Texas area starting in the late 70's. The Cotton Club, Fat Dawgs, Stubbs and I think a bar called the Rox or Roc Z. I can't remember, a good time was had by all.

[@bigcatdaddy76016]

The tall guy in striped pants to the left of Stevie is actor Steve Tobolowsky, the sheriff in Wild Hogs movie......who knew? I like the part where Stevie was told he had picked out a junker guitar....HE MADE HISTORY WITH IT!!! What a talent!

[@TheGuitarShow]

thanks for this!

[@mikejacques6516]

Very cool! thanks for posting...

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks Mike

[@Watzline]

Jim Hamilton , moved to Ft. Lauderdale Fl. and was my guitar tech, good friend, a great guy, hope you are doing well Jim.

[@WaRLoKWYATT]

If you look close at number 1, have you ever noticed that the low E is almost at the end of the frets above the 12th fret and the high E is way further up than usual strats? The strings don't line up straight down the fretboard. It's obviously because of the lefty bridge. But if you watch Stevie play, sometimes you'll see him bend the B string downwards, instead of up. I think that was because of that extra space.

[@WaRLoKWYATT]

Rene says he compensated for the difference with that lefty bridge, but he didn't do it right. But I think Stevie liked it that way.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks I did notice that regarding the E string

[@TheGuitarShow]

I noticed in the museum it's like that not sure if it was like that say in 1985?

[@WaRLoKWYATT]

@@TheGuitarShow It's hard to say with all the neck changes. But that's how it is with the original neck back on it.

[@thedevilinthecircuit1414]

The strings are out of alignment because the neck is shifted in the neck pocket. All six-screw Strat bridges (lefty and righty) center the strings on the body. Guitar tech with 30 years experience here.

[@airtechmech6681]

The first few times I saw Double Trouble, at Little Bit O Italy in Austin either in 1979 or 1980, he was always playing a Fender Jaguar. Seems like it had a metalflake finish. For a long time, I wondered what all those switches did. We knew then that we had found a special guitar player. (Bass and drums, too!)

[@TheGuitarShow]

thanks for this - it could have been a loaner from the same guitar shop he got his number one from

[@maxnix346]

Sure it wasn't The Rome Inn?

[@TexanUSMC8089]

I've been in Ray Hennigs music shop in Austin many times. I sat in the talking to him and Ray Benson one time.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Fantastic would love to visit myself sometime

[@cuauhtemocmorisco3493]

@4:52 stevie was a comedian😂😂😂 I've seen that picture so many times it cracks me up. God bless his soul.

[@HeyLiem]

I am always shocked by how rough SRV would be on his #1 guitar. In the El Macombo DVD you can see him strangle the neck with both feet on the back of the guitar. I saw him do this, too, to #1 on the Couldn't Stand the Weather tour in Oklahoma City, on an outdoor cement stage at the Zoo Amphitheater. There and then he reenacted Jimi Hendrix at Monterey Pop setting his guitar on fire, after Stevie played a 20 minute encore of Hendrix songs! I guess guitars are a whole lot tougher than I realize.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Yes I agree- one person commented that he may have even got fender to make some copies - although as yet that is unconfirmed.

[@HeyLiem]

I could see the use of cheaper duplicates for rough play, but I'm not sure if it lines up with the timeline of his struggling-to-successful career arc. I'm glad SRV quit getting high in the successful last half of his career, but I think he was a little more wild and crazy before he turned sober. I think smashing and trashing guitars was more in the early wild SRV days. I saw SRV at the Ohio State fair towards the end of the 80s, the sober era, and he did not do a wild and crazy tribute to Hendrix as an encore and he did not set his guitar on fire, I was a little let down that he did not get as crazy as he had early in the decade. But during the sober era, he still ended his show by hamming it up a little, playing behind his head, behind his back, etc. Towards the end of his career he was very successful and recognized, as Fender was developing his SRV signature model, which he unfortunately passed away before it could be released and his brother saw it through to completion with Fender. So I wonder if the sober successful last half of his career was most likely when Fender would be willing and able to provide duplicates for smashing trashing and setting on fire, but maybe less likely for Fender involvement earlier in his career when these chaotic occasions are mentioned more. Maybe I could also cite his live performance DVDs where it is easy to see when they occurred and what happened. El Macambo was the wildest finish and that was touring on the first album. BTW: tonight in my hometown north of Dayton Ohio, came Stevie's drummer, Chris Whipper Layton on stage and touring with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who is opening for Buddy Guy. Another SRV influence tonight was that both Buddy and Kenny played Hendrix Voodoo Chile, which I credit SRV for making it into a blues favorite. Whipper was also in Cincinnati in March, as the main drummer for the 2019 Experience Hendrix tour, (where Zakk Wylde outperformed the other famous guitarists that night). SRV lives on in our hearts!

[@HeyLiem]

I could see the use of cheaper duplicates for rough play, but I'm not sure if it lines up with the timeline of his struggling-to-successful career arc. I'm glad SRV quit getting high in the successful last half of his career, but I think he was a little more wild and crazy before he turned sober. I think smashing and trashing guitars was more in the early wild SRV days. I saw SRV at the Ohio State fair towards the end of the 80s, the sober era, and he did not do a wild and crazy tribute to Hendrix as an encore and he did not set his guitar on fire, I was a little let down that he did not get as crazy as he had early in the decade. But during the sober era, he still ended his show by hamming it up a little, playing behind his head, behind his back, etc. Towards the end of his career he was very successful and recognized, as Fender was developing his SRV signature model, which he unfortunately passed away before it could be released and his brother saw it through to completion with Fender. So I wonder if the sober successful last half of his career was most likely when Fender would be willing and able to provide duplicates for smashing trashing and setting on fire, but maybe less likely for Fender involvement earlier in his career when these chaotic occasions are mentioned more. Maybe I could also cite his live performance DVDs where it is easy to see when they occurred and what happened. El Macambo was the wildest finish and that was touring on the first album. BTW: tonight in my hometown north of Dayton Ohio, came Stevie's drummer, Chris Whipper Layton on stage and touring with Kenny Wayne Shepherd, who is opening for Buddy Guy. Another SRV influence tonight was that both Buddy and Kenny played Hendrix Voodoo Chile, which I credit SRV for making it into a blues favorite. Whipper was also in Cincinnati in March, as the main drummer for the 2019 Experience Hendrix tour, (where Zakk Wylde outperformed the other famous guitarists that night). SRV lives on in our hearts!

[@SciFiArtman]

From what I knew and heard of him, he didn't make love to his guitars (like so many of us do, including me), but he saw his guitars simply as tools to get the sound and feel he wanted. Hence the lack of popular bells and whistles, and even finishes on his guitars. We used to joke he spent more time applying stickers to his guitars than any real care or maintenance. Hand him an axe with heavy strings and he was off to the races!

[@SciFiArtman]

@@HeyLiem When I jammed with Stevie, back in the Jurassic period, he walked in the door with a joint behind his ear, and I thought, "What an idiot! You get stoned, forget the doob, get pulled over, and pow!" (before I knew who he was). We ended up smoking that joint, and then jammed on a few Hendrix tunes and 30 min. 12 bar blues, and he was excellent (on weed), and this was on another guy's guitar - a LP Custom, I believe (we had both arrived to checkout some PA speakers). I personally never heard him play sloppy or out-of-control. He was always focused, fairly accurate (more so than Hendrix!), and intensely driven to perfection of his sound. Drugs may have caused problems in is life (they usually do, as does drink, and women, and...), but I never heard anything negatively affect his playing, but I haven't heard everything he released. A sweet guy with a quick but shy giggle, the brief time I was with him.

[@massimos6863]

Awesome Share SRV 💖 always Remembered an awesome Guitarist and a great Man with a heart of gold.

[@GodInTheMachine]

The inlay on Lenny is a pick guard from a vintage Loar made Gibson mandolin. Love your videos.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for this bro

[@MrWhitmire]

Lenny is on display at a Guitar Center in Austin, TX. I saw it last weekend.

[@austinknowlton1783]

Interesting Christopher Cross connection. Christopher Cross was also friends with Lowell George and had (or has) a strat that Lowell gifted him. His song Ride Like the Wind is dedicated to Lowell. So stoked to hear you talk about Stevie's Tokai connection! I met Lonnie Mack backstage when I was just a kid starting to play. He was so awesome, let me play one of his V's a little which I of course did not realize the honor he was bestowing on me as a mere child. The other thing I remember was that he had just gotten off tour with Stevie and showed me a flyer with SRV endorsing Tokai. I've been telling people for years that he endorsed Tokai and I'm pretty sure most of t thought I was full of it.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thank you

[@s74gx8]

Tbh my mind was blown to find out that Chris Cross owned #1 - wonder what he thought when seeing Stevie shred on it for years. Lol

[@andrewvitale2700]

This was the best rundown yet thanks.

[@stankyst4nk39]

He also had a gibson L-1 (the same model Robert Johnson used) that he only used in one acoustic recording I've seen. Also a seafoam (I think) green Benedict Groovemaster made by Roger Benedict in Minneapolis, MN. There's only one pic and maybe a few bootlegs of him playing it. Great vid!!

[@TheGuitarShow]

yes that's right - thanks for watching

[@trinitymarkmusic1920]

the 1980 Voodoo Fender Stratocaster Large Head, LH Neck w/ Serial#S972270; is #1 of rumored 25 or so prototypes Fender supposedly produced, which has a stamp on the back that says "Original Prototype, Not For Resale, Fender Musical Instrument". Many say that they will never admit it, due to a possible pending suit. Most of the guitar dealers in that region wound up with them. When the Hendrix family found out about them, they threatened a lawsuit and mysteriously almost all of those prototypes vanished into thin air, as if they were never made, .....but they were. There's an interesting article on that #1 prototype, and how Stevie wound up with it, if you search the net. I have a lot of close-up pictures of this guitar. I recall seeing Stevie play about 30+ times, back in the old milk truck days, before his album deals with David Bowie or Jackson Browne.

[@nedmodelo1988]

Nice presentation. I love SRV, Jimi, Clapton etc and strats of course! But it was cool to see Stevie's non strat collection as well.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure Ned thanks for watching!

[@kardstore]

check out him playing Third Stone from the sun from Live at the El Mocambo, can't do that with a Gibson. (no offense to Gibson)

[@TheGuitarShow]

Great rendition thanks

[@normcote270]

No you can not with a Gibson, the headstock would fall off, Stevie's Fender #1 really is #1!!! 🎸

[@crrs2332]

In shock the whole time, it didn't break ? some incredible sounds seeming accidental, but intentional.

[@SuperHeliboy]

Great rundown of SRV's axes. Thanks.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure

[@sonjalee1977]

I love anything SRV, blues, & Texas. Thank you for the video! 🦚❤️

[@davidf8749]

Awesome research. Thanks for putting in the effort for us "guitar nerds" :) . This is a great series.

[@TheGuitarShow]

pleasure David

[@mattjohnson6916]

Great video! Did you ever find anything out about the GIbson Flying V he's seen using in a few TV appearances in Japan? The neck pickup is flipped and even thought it's a Gibson, it sounds like SRV all the way.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Ill see if I can find any more info - I love that he also played a Firebird.

[@christopherspohn8071]

What is great about SRV story is that his family stayed close an brothers always have love hate relationships, i mean words like knifes are more often spoken between brothers but always done out of love. It's proof in that most of the info on SRV came from his brother. Who is also a great musician.

[@ErGoyoTV]

Thanks for sharing all the info you've put together. Good that you highlight his heavy string use and how he weared the frets of his strats like nobody. Also seems is always an ES335 playing a big role in the way all of our guitar heroes play, I didn't know about that and the other guitars he used early in life.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure bro thanks for watching

[@Troy_nov1965]

I grew up in Austin and in the 70s i remember him playing with a group called the Cobras, what guitar he used i can not tell you because it was long ago and I was really young.

[@kelleyotto4714]

The same one he used when played with blackbird

[@tjclt250r]

awesome video...theres a story i read about an 80s Hendrix signature series prototype that the custom shop made 10 of or something like that...a white right hand body with left hand neck and lefty bridge and bridge pickup...similar to the voodoo strat that came out in the early 2000s...anyway one showed up in a texas guitar shop and a local guy put a big deposit on it and was gonna pick it up that friday on payday...that thursday night he went to see stevie and a club and stevie was playing one of the 10 prototype hendrix guitars he went to the shop the next day even more jazzed that he was gonna have one of the same guitars stevie did...only to find the store owner handing him back his deposit and offering a big discount on any guitar in the shop...saying i had to man it was stevie ray vaughan...

[@ede4961]

What a cool story!

[@LaserRanger15]

How interesting that Cross owned that strat first

[@TheGuitarShow]

I know! Thanks for watching Michael

[@TeleNikon]

Absolutely riveting video. Great work.

[@TheGuitarShow]

pleasure!

[@inertiallychallenged]

A local musician in Memphis, where I lived then back in the 80's and 90's told me Stevie had 3 "Number 1" guitars that he saw back stage at our local Music Fest. It's quite possible he did since this could have been the beginnings of the Relic line that the Fender Custom Shop came out with later on. At some point his original number 1 may have just worn out. It would make sense that Fender produced replicas for use on the road. This would have been after Stevie got clean from the booze etc.

[@TheGuitarShow]

That's really interesting - be great to more confirmation of that - thanks!

[@inertiallychallenged]

@@TheGuitarShowIts tough to know for sure but does seem plausible. I've looked over old vs later photos of him with Number 1 and you can try to compare the wear and tear of the guitar finish. It's hard to say for sure.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks - well its a great theory!

[@BlindMellowJelly]

I only saw Stevies Guitars once, Merriweather Post Pavilion 1985. His action was insane on all of them I mean it looked like a violin. Strings so high it was amazing he could play them so well. Not to mention the size of the strings he used......my God.

[@kellylee5842]

Very interesting just goes to show you can buy all the expensive gear in the world it's all about the musician not the gear the sound in the soul is in your fingertips

[@TheGuitarShow]

Very true!

[@salvationbyjesus]

Those guitars were some of the best ever made and nowadays the most expensive The broadcaster alone is worth more than 20k The 60’s strats go for about that nowadays too.... These were really fine instruments....

[@jamesthe-doctor8981]

Photographer Eddie Malluk took several photos of Stevie playing that Les Paul at the NAMM Show that year. They're all over social media, and easy to find on Pinterest.

[@TheGuitarShow]

yes true!

[@Les537]

Nice format with your work here. Nice and clean.

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure bro

[@dt90891]

Bill Lawrence made the xl500 pickups that Dimebag Daryl used in his bridge position on almost all of his guitars. Dime loved them. I had one for a while. Mounted in a Les Paul. It was a hot and mid-range strong pickup. Wished I still had that guitar. Bought at a guitar shop in Clear Lake Tx I think but I can’t remember the name. Maybe daddy’s junky music or Danny’s. They had Robin guitars all over their shop tho and I wanted one of them too. Like 95’ to 96’ era.

[@stephenfiore9960]

...How did you get all this info...I can hardly remember what I ate yesterday...

[@TheGuitarShow]

Trust me - this one took a while -not about what to put in - but as well what to leave out - a lot of mis information on forums so I tend to stick to official channels like books that have been well researched

[@bensblues]

This is virtually all from srvarchive.com

[@gregbennett5338]

Very good vid heaps of information. Great job. Best vid on SRV guitars

[@johnswimcat]

I've not long discovered Stevie Ray Vaughan but, for me at least, the man was a true legend. This, in my seven decades of experience, is something, someone, very rare

[@TheGuitarShow]

Agreed John thanks for watching!

[@arnyarny77]

i bought a guitar from ray hennig himself, back in 92 or 93, it was a trans blue ultra with trem setter, roller nut, lace pickups, i wish i would have kept it, big regret , i traded it for a studio les paul when i went up to alaska (i was army)... oh well , but i also bought a solid state fender combo amp from another shop he had in temple , memories!!!

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for the cool comments!

[@billyrogers4855]

On my guitar I wrote my initials W.A.R on my scratch plate which is the tortoiseshell to replace the original White guard, plated gold hardware from tuning pegs two screws and bridge, change the pickups with a Seymour Duncan ssl-6 in the bridge which screams, and two SSL-1 in the neck and middle and I even muted the middle tone control so it operates like a tele

[@charlesgallagher1376]

I missed the Buffalo concert unfortunately but days later met Jim Hamilton of Hamiltone Guitars.

[@lancethrustworthy]

Thank you! Mighty nice recounting.

[@travisguide4516]

Excellent video thanks for the information so many guitars! We usually hear about #1, scotch, red, lenny, and Charlie and sometimes the riviera

[@TheGuitarShow]

Pleasure Travs

[@aflbrwon]

My band 'Daniel' headlined a show case at the Studio Club in Dallas circa 1972 at The Studio Club. There was quite a buzz when one of the lessor bands with our agency was doing the set. 'That's Jimmy Vaughan's little brother Steve. He will probably be a monster' . His brother was already a legend among Dallas players so we assumed Steve would be good too. All I remember about their set is that they performed 'Livin' in the USA' by Steve Miller. No idea the name of his band at the time. Jimmy Vaughan actually played in a thrown together band at my Plano high school prom when I was a Junior. That was 1967,

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks so much for such a cool comment - its great to hear these memories - thanks Alfred!

[@dougreed9843]

When I heard he died I was going to work on riute 80 in NJ had to pull over I was so shook up ar that time I had only hesrd of SRV a few years prior I had my wifes cousuns husbsnd had boirkeg taoes of licak concerts at the Capital theater in Passaic since closed and s supermarket, oddly the same cousin tutned me onto the Allman Bros Band i was so sheltered I love both groups to this day are my favorites. Thanks I subed just last video thanis

[@eternalme6077]

My God......You.( I could not make out your name, shame on me), are so Beautifully AND Brilliantly Thorough, WOW! I DO NOT SUBSCRIBE to channels ( Rarely if Ever ) BUT......After hearing You, I Just had to. This is the first time I've seen your Channel, I Cant wait to see MORE of you! I'd like to add that I was Blessed to see Stevie about a Month before his Accident, ALSO the Fabulous Thunderbirds opened for them, How AWESOME IS THAT!!! It was an open air concert in San Antonio pretty close to the River. Anyways Thank you so VERY MUCH for Posting this Beauty. R.I.P. STEVIE.............🎸♥️

[@TheGuitarShow]

Thanks for a great comment! You are so lucky to have seen that concert best wishes, R.