NEVILLE’S ADVOCATE ...
Neville Marten recently got to try his P-90 LP through Aynsley Lister’s high-gain wet-dry rig, and relive the wonders of the ‘dodgy’ 70s Strat
Now, I don’t want to bore you with why I now have a Les Paul Goldtop with P-90s, so I’ll just say I traded the Jazzmaster for it. It’s actually from the first ever run of 12 Tom Murphy aged ones, ordered by a big Japanese dealer in 2000. Mine was made just before Tom started secreting his initials in the cracks on the top, but it has been verified by GuitarGuitar, from where it initially came, and double authenticated by World Guitars, from whom I got it.
Anyhow, I love it. But – the usual ‘but’ with a P-90 guitar – it’s pretty darned noisy. So, chatting to Aynsley Lister about his gig at the Cheese & Grain in Frome (where Macca recently played his infamous pre-Glasto show), he said, “Why not bring it to soundcheck and try it through my rig at decent volume?” Great idea!
Aynsley’s setup has changed a lot since That Pedal Show’s Mick Taylor helped him sort out a few choice pedals, and devise a ‘wet and dry’ two-amp rig to give him a huge, expansive tone that works amazingly in the trio format. He uses his signature Rift amp dry, and a Fender Vibroverb reissue, wet. His band is seriously impressive, with Craig Bacon on drums, and Jono Martin on bass and backing vocals. You must definitely go and see them when they’re playing near you.
While Mick was helping Aynsley with his sound, they inevitably talked about guitars and played each other’s instruments. It was then that Aynsley turned him on to 70s Strats. These guitars have everything ‘wrong’ with them – big headstock, bullet truss rod, three-bolt ‘tilt’ neck, polyester finish, 184mm (7.25-inch) radius neck, cast saddles and small frets (although both their guitars had larger wires installed). BUT! Find a good one and they really do scream. They can be very light in weight, too, and those dull saddles tend to take away any harsh top-end. I know all about 70s Strats, too, since a black ’76 was my main guitar for many years. It was wonderful and I wish I still had it. Mick and Aynsley both sounded immense, Mick with an ES-335 and 70s Strat through his new Two-Rock monster. They didn’t play too shabbily, either. But no, before you ask, I don’t need another Stratocaster…
