When Hendrix turned his strat upside down, did he restring it?

duo8675309 · #1 05-01-2007, 09:45 PM

By this i mean, did he reverse the strings and then turn it upside down so it would play like a normal guitar just with the controls up top and the tuners on bottom or did he leave the strings as they were and literally played it upside down? just a thought.

Turock · #2 05-01-2007, 10:00 PM

AxtoOx · #3 05-01-2007, 10:07 PM

Yes, again. He played a right handed strat for a couple of reasons, lefty's were hard to find, and cost more IIRC. He was also used to it from the Army where MWR ( or whatever the Army calls it, I was Air Force) only had right handed guitars around to play. The Bass Player in Band of Gypsys, (wasn't it Billy Cox?) he played with in the Army.

duo8675309 · #4 05-01-2007, 10:50 PM

Ok. I was just curious, because I always thought it would be pretty hard to play with the highest string on top.

SundanceChile · #5 05-01-2007, 11:06 PM

Sometimes. If it was his Strat, yes. If he was borrowing someone else's, no.

Turock · #6 05-01-2007, 11:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duo8675309

Ok. I was just curious, because I always thought it would be pretty hard to play with the highest string on top.

There is a very good guitarist in my area that plays like that. I have read that Hendrix could play it without reversing the strings, but I have never seen any footage or pictures of him playing that way.

Atoz · #7 05-01-2007, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by duo8675309

Ok. I was just curious, because I always thought it would be pretty hard to play with the highest string on top.

Doesn't Dick Dale play like that? I know Jerry Casale from Devo plays his bass that way.

FreeSpirit · #8 05-01-2007, 11:36 PM

I also think the dude from the Ataris plays lefty but strung as a right handed guitar, even though he buys lefties IIRC.

oldrocker · #9 05-02-2007, 06:24 PM

Doyle Bramhall III plays lefty strung upside down, high pitched string on top.

BellBottomBlues · #10 05-02-2007, 06:27 PM

My friends room mate learned guitar upside down. Plays righty guitars lefty, and they're strung righty.

Rugaar · #11 05-02-2007, 10:26 PM

Several notable guitarists play with their strings 'reversed.' In addition to the ones already mentioned, Albert King, Otis Rush and Coco Montoya immediately come to mind. I've also read accounts that SRV was experimenting with it before he died, as Albert King was one of his major influences.

lawsonman · #12 05-03-2007, 05:27 AM

Our Lead player plays lefty and not restrung.It looks weird and hard to do but he's a hell of a guitarist.

Ricky Daion · #13 05-03-2007, 06:27 AM

I'm one of those lefties who play a right handed bass without restringing it.

Nappa · #14 05-03-2007, 10:00 AM

Another reason i think he played a righty was because he adjusted a tremmolo in such a way that a slight pull and it would bend the strings to just about breaking point or maybe to a point where it barely did anything( will be explained later). Having a left-handed player using a right-handed guitar puits the controls in perfect reach which Hendrix loved. This style of playing put his wrist at a resting position on the tremolo bar. These styles mixed with a fuzz pedal = very nice music.

acesclone · #15 05-03-2007, 12:16 PM

I have a friend who can play lefty with the strings EITHER WAY! In fact he can do it with ease at anytime. Totally freak like.

He's GOOD as well.