Roy Buchanan- what Tele exactly, & string guages?

[Joe B.]

Listening to Buchanan's Second Album there is a lot of quite thin-sounding
guitar with some amazing bends and i wonder what string guages he was using.
It couldn't possibly be 8s could it?

And can anyone tell me exactly what Tele (or Teles) he used- from pictures it
looks like it was a 52- did he have more than one?

[Jon]

His "signature" yellow Telecaster was actually a '53 which is now
owned by David Gilmour. He of course had other Telecasters and late in
his life often played a Guild. I've never seen any mention of what
gauge of strings he used but most of his effects were done just with his
fingers and turning the volume knob as he picked or bending the strings
just above the nut.

Post by Joe B.
Listening to Buchanan's Second Album there is a lot of quite thin-sounding
guitar with some amazing bends and i wonder what string guages he was using.
It couldn't possibly be 8s could it?
And can anyone tell me exactly what Tele (or Teles) he used- from pictures it
looks like it was a 52- did he have more than one?

[Mika]

Check out www.roybuchanan.com

His "signature" yellow Telecaster was actually a '53 which is now owned
by David Gilmour. He of course had other Telecasters and late in his life
often played a Guild. I've never seen any mention of what gauge of
strings he used but most of his effects were done just with his fingers
and turning the volume knob as he picked or bending the strings just above
the nut.

Post by Joe B.
Listening to Buchanan's Second Album there is a lot of quite
thin-sounding guitar with some amazing bends and i wonder what string
guages he was using. It couldn't possibly be 8s could it?
And can anyone tell me exactly what Tele (or Teles) he used- from
pictures it looks like it was a 52- did he have more than one?

[howldog]

On Mon, 15 Nov 2004 07:22:24 -0600, Jon

Post by Jon
His "signature" yellow Telecaster was actually a '53 which is now
owned by David Gilmour.

i thought Andy Powell from Wishbone Ash had Roy's old Tele. I've seen
him play it.

maybe there was more than one old Roy buchanan tele.

[Grifty121]

http://www.roybuchanan.com/links.shtml

[song writer]

On 11/15/04 7:18 AM, in article

Post by Joe B.
Listening to Buchanan's Second Album there is a lot of quite thin-sounding
guitar with some amazing bends and i wonder what string guages he was using.
It couldn't possibly be 8s could it?
And can anyone tell me exactly what Tele (or Teles) he used- from pictures it
looks like it was a 52- did he have more than one?

Ah, my compliments on your taste in guitar players! Roy Buchanan was a
fabulous guitarist! I only wish I went to see him when my friends did back
in the 80s.

[raymond o'hara]

Post by song writer
On 11/15/04 7:18 AM, in article

Post by Joe B.
Listening to Buchanan's Second Album there is a lot of quite

thin-sounding

Post by song writer

Post by Joe B.
guitar with some amazing bends and i wonder what string guages he was using.
It couldn't possibly be 8s could it?
And can anyone tell me exactly what Tele (or Teles) he used- from pictures it
looks like it was a 52- did he have more than one?

Ah, my compliments on your taste in guitar players! Roy Buchanan was a
fabulous guitarist! I only wish I went to see him when my friends did back
in the 80s.

you should regret it. but in the 70's and 80's it was hit or miss if he
showed up.
at paul's mall in boston in 74 he was killer at the orpheum, boston in 76
he was cancelled the night of the show. at a great place that used to be in
central sq in cambridge called nightstage i saw him for the last time , he
was murdered {fuck you fairfax va .pigs}two weeks later. i remember he
smiled during the show , he never did that before. his studio recordings
don't do him justice he was a true experience live.

[song writer]

On 11/15/04 7:18 AM, in article

Post by Joe B.
Listening to Buchanan's Second Album there is a lot of quite thin-sounding
guitar with some amazing bends and i wonder what string guages he was using.
It couldn't possibly be 8s could it?
And can anyone tell me exactly what Tele (or Teles) he used- from pictures it
looks like it was a 52- did he have more than one?

Hey Joe,
Maybe this article can help you.
http://archive.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/buchanan76.shtml

"I've never really considered myself a fast guitar player. A lot of it comes
from hammering-on. I fake a lot. One way, though, to build up speed is get a
felt pick and an acoustic with tough action and heavy strings. When you get
on an electric then, you'll find your speed has really picked up. And you'll
get those light gauge strings in your hand and be able to wrap them right
around the neck when you bend them."

[Joe B.]

Post by song writer
Hey Joe,
Maybe this article can help you.
http://archive.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/buchanan76.shtml

Excelent article! Thanks. Thanks for all the responses- very informative!

[Steve2000indeja]

Post by song writer
Hey Joe,
Maybe this article can help you.
http://archive.guitarplayer.com/archive/artists/buchanan76.shtml

Excelent article! Thanks. Thanks for all the responses- very informative!
--
Joe B >>

I looked through a bunch of the great sites (and hub type sites), had time to
read a few articles. Did any actually mention his exact string gauges?

Something in the back of my mind tells me Roy was a "Fender Rock and
Roll/Bullets" or maybe "Slinky' type guy using something like a .010 on the
first string. I could easily be wrong....

The deal in the 60s maybe into the early 70s was just being able to find light
gauge strings. Only one (of the two) music store in the nearby bigger town to
where I grew up even had light gauge stings (slinkies) in the late 60s.

Nobody minded using them once they were available. Most of the big name rockers
used 10s, 9s and even 8s (maybe Hendrix and possibly Neil Schon).

The big string big tone fad took off in the early 80s when SRV hit the scene,
with the Eflat tuning which made it easier to bend the big guys (though many
had used it before him) and surreal strength in his hands.

I wouldn't be surprised if Roy used 10s or lighter and even cheated up like
fellow telemaster James Burton did in the late 50s, using banjo and other light
gauge strings so as to pull of some of the crazy bends.

Of course the one article where Roy talks of learning or playing on (standard
for the time) huge gauge strings, then tearing it up when he got lighter gauges
makes total sense.
-----
I've read some recent interviews with Jeff Beck where he talks about starting a
tour with lighter gauge strings (9s or 10s) then taking em up a gauge heavier
as the tour goes on and he gets to his ulitmate strength.

Steve