Joe Strummer's guitars

Pabcrane

Years ago I read an interview with Mick Jones where he was talking about Joe's guitars (he was saying he found them bloody difficult to play!) and other gear stuff from The Clash days.

I was wondering if anyone recognised this and knew what article it was from? Or if you had any other good guitar interviews with Mick, or Joe, to hunt down.

Bod

I've got a copy of the Select mag Clash special - I'll have a look through there. 

EDIT : It's NME/Uncut actually.

thermionic

Going by Strummer’s style of playing I’d imagine they had quite a high action and/or heavy strings. I’ve been a Clash fan since I was a teenager but I found it quite surprising that Joe played with a very clean sound, often through a JC120.

TheOtherDennis

I saw a pic of his favouite Tele once, it was in quite magnificently shocking condition. I'm sure there were potatoes growing in the ashtray bridge, but it looked utterly fantastic, in the way that anything does when it's been seriously used for years.

'Patina' I believe they call it in the antiques trade. You can usually get it off with some cleaner, but you'd need a blow torch and some paint stripper to clean Joe's.

I've always believed guitars should be in just one of two conditions - pristine or like Joe's.

Pabcrane

Bod said:

I've got a copy of the Select mag Clash special - I'll have a look through there. 

EDIT : It's NME/Uncut actually.

Cheers mate

Pabcrane

thermionic said:

Going by Strummer’s style of playing I’d imagine they had quite a high action and/or heavy strings. I’ve been a Clash fan since I was a teenager but I found it quite surprising that Joe played with a very clean sound, often through a JC120.

Yeah, he also used a Music Man and a Twin.

I love how he said the clue is in the name, I play six stings or none!

RandallFlagg

My fave live clip of The Clash

Sassafras

I always liked the punk ethic of not obsessing over gear.
Or sound.

stonevibe

I used to cover Tommy Gun in my old band, along with a load of other Clash tunes. Was always a belter to play live and lots of fun.

Deadman

His Tele was used throughout his 101ers career too so I'd  bet it was pretty trashed even before The Clash.

Redlester

Sassafras said:

I always liked the punk ethic of not obsessing over gear.
Or sound.

I do actually think that Mick for one was a gearhead and worked really hard on his sound. But he never overdid that and the image was one of a real ‘guitar hero’: style and substance 

HAL9000

As an aside - I heard a story that the Strummer moniker came about as Joe was naturally a left-hander but, against his wishes, was taught right-handed. He chose Strummer to be a continual reminder to his teacher. As much as I want it to be true I don't know if it's actually is.