Thanks for sharing. This was a great read. I recently started appreciating Steve Miller after kind of burning out on the hits listening to classic rock radio growing up. It happened in the most unusual way…
I have always loved Strats, but have been kind of “meh” about the 2 and 4 positions. I’ve never played a Strat that quacked the way some of those old recordings do. I know that each guitar is different and the balance of the pickups etc makes a difference. I’d just never found one that sounded great in those positions.
Recently, I acquired an original 1965 lefty Strat after searching for one for years. After getting it home and set up, I plugged it into my deluxe reverb, and started working my way through the pickup positions (still has the original 3 way switch). I got to the middle/bridge, and it just instantly had the most amazing quack I’d ever heard. Bright and plucky, without sounding thin or dull like most others I’ve played. For some reason, I was immediately inspired to play “Take the Money and Run”, and there was THAT sound. I had to go back and listen to the song. Having not listened to Steve Miller in years I was struck by how great the band was, and how Steve’s voice was so smooth. I had to keep listening and found that those songs are actually wonderful. Sure, they may not be particularly complicated, but they are instantly familiar, and damn if it isn’t hard to play something simple and keep it engaging.
Anyways, Steve Miller is awesome, and I had no idea he was a psychedelic rocker before breaking out with his more poppy stuff a decade later. Great band, and one of the all-time great Strat sounds.
getpocket.com
