Western Swing: January 2019 Archives

The Steel Guitar Forum :: Eldon Shamblin and the Stratocaster

"I've always hated Strats, but loved Eldon Shamblin's sound. I've never been able to figure out how he got such a fat, jazzy, un-Stratlike sound out of that guitar. Any thoughts?"

"I had the chance to play Eldon's Strat. a few times. He used heavy strings which helps fatten up the sound also. Most of the time he was on the neck pickup. Eldon liked to play through a tube amp but he didn't always have that chance. He always got a great tone to my ears no matter what he played through. He was a great musician and a funny funny man as well. What a talent!!!!!. I miss him so much...."

"In the few videos I've seen, I don't believe I've ever seen him play the same chord voicing for more than 2 beats. Great rhythm playing...."

"as far as i know, Eldon played the same strat and bandmaster combo for about 40 years until Bill Carson gave him a new strat with lace sensor pickups which he apparently loved. keep in mind, if you're listening to the Tiffany transcriptions or any Wills stuff from that era, that's way before the stratocaster when he still played a gibson...."

"The Eldon sound that really floors me is from the 'For the Last Time' era, since at that time I am sure he is playing a Strat. It's great, because it doesn't sound like a Gibson, but it's still got that fat sound that no one else has on a Strat."