It's not easy to upstage Marty Stuart. Since 1989, when the Mississippi bandleader I signed his star-making deal with MCA and set out to "put the image back into country", he's walked the boards in scarves, rhinestones and hand-stitched bolero jackets, with that get-up topped off in later years by a shock of silver hair that makes him resemble an avuncular werewolf. "When you come out dressed up like Porter Wagoner and call your band the Fabulous Superlatives," he drawls, "you better be able to do something."
Of course, the main event at a Stuart show is the bob and weave of the man's picking, which drove him to commercial peaks on 1989's Hillbilly Rock, 1991's Tempted and 1992's This One's Gonna Hurt You (all goldsellers), and often thrills on this year's Altitude. But for all his skill and showmanship, you might find your eye wandering to the so-called 'Clarence' Telecaster that has spent four decades vying with Keith Richards' Micawber and Bruce Springsteen's Mutt as the most storied snub-nosed Fender in history.
To take you right back to the start, how did you first fall for the Fender Telecaster?
"It was from Luther Perkins' playing. And to this day, my favourite record of all time is Johnny Cash At Folsom Prison. Luther Perkins was my original guitar hero. Closely followed by Don Rich from The Buckaroos. And he was closely followed by Roy Nichols with The Strangers. These were the guys that I looked at when I was just a kid down in Mississippi learning to play guitar. I hoped to one day own a Telecaster, but I couldn't believe it when I finally got one. And it's still the guitar of my dreams."
What was the very first Tele you ever owned?
Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
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Denne historien er fra February 2023-utgaven av Guitarist.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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BASIC INSTINCTS
The sophisticated range of Swedish-designed guitars made by .strandberg* has lured thousands of players over to the headless side. But the company's new stripped-back Boden Essential model is its strongest play yet for the hearts and minds of mainstream players
Second String
As PRS's more affordable USA-made S2 line moves into its second decade, the series gets a revamp with - at last - USA-made pickups and electronics. What took so long?
PABLO VAN DE POEL
When a band from The Netherlands describes themselves as 'raw, psychedelic Southern rock', it may take a little cognitive processing to work out what that might mean. One listen to DeWolff, however, and you will be duly transported to the 60s for some fuzzed-out rock 'n' roll
THE BERNIE MARSDEN COLLECTION
With a fabulous collection of the late Bernie Marsden's guitars, amps and other highly collectable music gear going under the auctioneer's hammer on 11 June, we were thrilled to have the chance of a sneak preview
LENNY KRAVITZ
Some 35 years since the release of his debut LP, for his 12th record, Blue Electric Light, Lenny Kravitz is back again with equal doses of vigour and vibes, using vintage guitars and the purest valve amps
GEORGE VJESTICA
You may not know him at first glance, but the work of Stoke-on-Trent native George Vjestica has probably impacted some of your favourite albums and movies
DICKEY BETTS
Emerging from the shadow of Duane to write signature hit Ramblin' Man, the Allman Brothers guitarist was a hard-living pioneer of Southern rock
NICK GUPPY
It is with great sadness that we report the passing of our highly valued amplifier guru, who died suddenly in April
Lucky Break
Alex Bishop blends old wood with new in an attempt to fix a severely damaged guitar headstock
Tones Behind The Tracks
Cedric Burnside learnt at the knee of his fabled grandfather, but his latest album is a hill country blues masterclass on his own terms