Bruce's Decision to Play a Stratocaster

[Uncle Fiesta]

My god they really were young then weren't they?

(Weren't we all!!)

By the way it looks as if Hank's bridge saddles were in more or less the correct positions in that photo.

[abstamaria]

In an interview, Bruce said that he solved his tuning problem by asking one of the band members, I think Licorice, to tune his guitar for him for a weekly fee. That does not seem like a problem with the guitar.

Andy

[Hank2k]

In an interview, Bruce said that he solved his tuning problem by asking one of the band members, I think Licorice, to tune his guitar for him for a weekly fee. That does not seem like a problem with the guitar.

Andy

I think it was John Rostill if I remember correctly from Bruce's autobiography

[Iain Purdon]

Definitely John. For £10 a week.

[abstamaria]

Yes, I recall now John Rostill. Poor memory.

If the guitar's issues went away if John tuned it, the problem was not the guitar. Bruce also mentioned that was the period when he had emotional difficulties, unless my memory fails again.

[Iain Purdon]

Maybe, maybe not. John's arrival almost coincided with the delivery of the Burns instruments

[shadows_guitarist]

I think when John arrived they continued to use the white Fenders at least until early 1964.

The Shadows late 1963 - early 1964.JPG

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Probably the first recording to feature the Burns was "Flingel Bunt". Anyway, I wish they had played with the white Fenders at least for a little longer as they had a nice sound - think of "Shazam","Blue Shadows", "Theme for Young Lovers" and probably even the whole "Los Shadows" EP.

[Paul Childs]

The story has varied over the years.
Sometimes it has said tuning problems and other times it has said intonation problems.
Hank must have been less fussy about it even though his Strat would have gone out of tune more with constant tremolo use.

[Uncle Fiesta]

... I wish they had played with the white Fenders at least for a little longer as they had a nice sound ...

Not to mention the fact that a white Strat with white covers and knobs, and a torty scratchplate, looks unbelievably cool!

[Iain Purdon]

I think when John arrived they continued to use the white Fenders at least until early 1964

Quite right, that why I said 'almost' coincided!

However, apart from some PR photos and a recording session with Hank & Brian, John's first job with Cliff and the Shads was to fly out to Gran Canaria and make the Wonderful Life film. I don't know how many Fender appearances there were after that but it can't have been many.