Completely agree with all the good things you’ve said about Robert. Fantastic artist. Glad you are shedding some light on him. I always admired that he plugged straight in. He gets all of his sound through volume and tone knob manipulation, pick up selection, pick attack etc. wicked stuff!
In HS circa 1980 I was hitchhiking across the tideflats to the marina on the other side where the bus didn't run. I got picked up by a guy in a '63 Ford falcon he said he was on his way from a band practice and popped a cassette tape in the car radio. To this day I believe it was Robert Cray.
I had Showdown! it's a collaborative blues album by guitarists Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland, released in 1985 through Alligator Records. Incredible!
Agree completely agree. He was up there with the big A listers on the big stage for a short period of time, during the big blues revival 80’s into the 90’s but then just dropped off the map. He is hardly ever talked about, but deserves way more attention by us guitar players and blues players. Also I prefer poly. I have a 26year old Gretsch that still looks like it was made this year. Growing up playing strats it was always poly, it wasnt until I could afford my first Gibson that I played Nitro and to be honest, I wish they used poly. That said all my strats, teles and gretsch are poly. If I had the choice my Gibsons would be too.
Love Robert Cray 😌 Great Soul Vocal with Blues and Clean cool bright Tone. We play "Phone Booth' in my 3 piece Rhythm and Blues/Funky Blues Grooves band, fun to rip up the Strat for it, even though majority of the time I use my 2021 Standard 60s Gibson, The best Tone I love. Always liked the idea of the hard tail as well, my Strat I screwed the bridge flat to body, never use the Wang bar 😂
Thank you for this video. Like you, I've put a lot of effort into researching Robert Cray's tone. If you put your guitar through a super reverb you should get pretty close. The pickups in the RC strat are CS wound Texas Specials. So well spotted. They sound slightly different to the SRV strat because of the hard tail.
I want more hardtails. I respect him for bringing one of the few hardtail strats to the market. Plus people don’t freak out over him like they do tom and jim driving prices up
I'm surprised they use poly in the custom shop. It must have been requested by Robert at the time of designing the guitar. Wasn't the Buddy Guy custom shop guitar the same? Come to think of it, Fender did almost complete stop using nitro finish paint for a while. Maybe this guitar was made at this time. But it really sounds great.
I’ve got a Robert Cray MIM Violet Strat but a put a Robert Cray Custom Shop loaded pickguard in it. Its fantastic! It rivals my custom shop deluxe strat. I don’t understand why the finish isn’t nitro
For the question about the finish, i think 2 things go hand and hand, in a more technical safety poly is safer. But 2 thats a preference of the player. Also robert crays sound for solos or single note playing he is always in between positions(2&4
@@PedalPawnthe whole Strong Persuader album is pure gold! Nothin’ but a Woman is my favorite Robert Cray tone track. Has his signature sound splashed all over it.
The custom shop Clapton signature model has also a poly finish. I think it is not that significant in terms of sound and I can imagine Léo Fender would have chosen that finish in 1954 if it had been possible.
I hear a significant amount of albert collins in Robert Crays playing. If ever you wanted a lesson in pure power, then Alberts your guy. Stevie and Robert both have a significant amount of his style in thier playing.
Robert Cray is amazing, he had some wonderful, soulful blues in the id 1980's, and even though I was in Middle School/Junior High and had yet to know a woman in the Biblical way, or loved a woman, I could feel what I had not yet experienced, The Strong Persuader album talked to me. I didn't care for his more pop style stuff in the late 80's early 90's, but he also was a victim to the Blues Revival of the 1980's that died with the tragic, untimely accidental death of the Late, Great, Stevie Ray Vaughn, one of my guitar 'idols' I have tied in second place after the number one spot, which will always be Jimi Hendrix.
Why isn't Robert talked about as much as others? He's not flashy. Also, maybe because he's R&B/blues. Obviously, Clapton respects him since he was a staple at most/all Crossroads guitar festivals. Another top guitarist in my book is Robin Trower. He has tasty and unique bends and vibrato. I told him that after a show and he thanked me and said he's worked very hard on those techniques So, get a Trower signature guitar, tune down, a Gypsy Vibe and the Blues Print - and a fixed wah - and add him to your techniques reviews, Chris!
Robert is awesome. Sadly I don’t like the pickup’s in his guitars. They are shockingly ceramic magnets. That’s why they sound so different. At least on his regular signature Version of this guitar. The non custom shop version. When I was building a Partscaster I found some Robert Cray Custom Shop pickup’s on Reverb and they were not at all what I was looking for in sound. I quickly jerked them out of my guitar and sold them off. Just not my style tone.
I was at his concert last Thursday in Warsaw. He and his band are amazing. I couldn’t believe he sings and plays so great being over 70 now. Awesome 😊
świetny koncert!
Ja się cieszę, że kolega namówił na ten koncert. Też się dziwię, że nie jest tak rozpoznawalny jako legenda bluesa.
Completely agree with all the good things you’ve said about Robert. Fantastic artist. Glad you are shedding some light on him. I always admired that he plugged straight in. He gets all of his sound through volume and tone knob manipulation, pick up selection, pick attack etc. wicked stuff!
In HS circa 1980 I was hitchhiking across the tideflats to the marina on the other side where the bus didn't run. I got picked up by a guy in a '63 Ford falcon he said he was on his way from a band practice and popped a cassette tape in the car radio. To this day I believe it was Robert Cray.
Robert Cray is amazing....loved when the Memphis Horns backed him. 🎸🎸👍 Like 198.
I had Showdown! it's a collaborative blues album by guitarists Albert Collins, Robert Cray and Johnny Copeland, released in 1985 through Alligator Records. Incredible!
One of my favorite albums!! Great compilations by incredibly talented artists ❤
Love Robert cray !
Saw Robert Cray live yesterday. Amazing guitarist and vocalist!
Oh gee ! Just listen to it on you tube. Not good publicity for him to sing that. Democrat People complain , about anything referring to a gun.
He is one of the best vocalists in blues
Agree completely agree. He was up there with the big A listers on the big stage for a short period of time, during the big blues revival 80’s into the 90’s but then just dropped off the map. He is hardly ever talked about, but deserves way more attention by us guitar players and blues players. Also I prefer poly. I have a 26year old Gretsch that still looks like it was made this year. Growing up playing strats it was always poly, it wasnt until I could afford my first Gibson that I played Nitro and to be honest, I wish they used poly. That said all my strats, teles and gretsch are poly. If I had the choice my Gibsons would be too.
My wife and I saw him open for George Thorogood about a month ago here in Minnesota. Great show!
Dang ! You are amazing. Could listen to you every day ! Bitchen !!!!
His performance on ACL was spectacular. Would love to go to texas eventually and see him.
Love Robert Cray 😌 Great Soul Vocal with Blues and Clean cool bright Tone.
We play "Phone Booth' in my 3 piece Rhythm and Blues/Funky Blues Grooves band, fun to rip up the Strat for it, even though majority of the time I use my 2021 Standard 60s Gibson, The best Tone I love.
Always liked the idea of the hard tail as well, my Strat I screwed the bridge flat to body, never use the Wang bar 😂
Thank you for this video. Like you, I've put a lot of effort into researching Robert Cray's tone. If you put your guitar through a super reverb you should get pretty close. The pickups in the RC strat are CS wound Texas Specials. So well spotted. They sound slightly different to the SRV strat because of the hard tail.
I want more hardtails. I respect him for bringing one of the few hardtail strats to the market. Plus people don’t freak out over him like they do tom and jim driving prices up
I'm surprised they use poly in the custom shop. It must have been requested by Robert at the time of designing the guitar. Wasn't the Buddy Guy custom shop guitar the same? Come to think of it, Fender did almost complete stop using nitro finish paint for a while. Maybe this guitar was made at this time. But it really sounds great.
What a fantastic video have a wonderful day Chris ❤❤❤❤❤❤😊😊😊😊😊😊
bought a robert cray strat as my first strat (aftermarket neck). hard tail rules!!!!
I’ve got a Robert Cray MIM Violet Strat but a put a Robert Cray Custom Shop loaded pickguard in it. Its fantastic! It rivals my custom shop deluxe strat. I don’t understand why the finish isn’t nitro
For the question about the finish, i think 2 things go hand and hand, in a more technical safety poly is safer. But 2 thats a preference of the player.
Also robert crays sound for solos or single note playing he is always in between positions(2&4
Awesome❤️🔥 I might look myself into Robert
Nice one mate, he is such a cool cat 🚀
I just realized I’m the first one to comment😂
@@PedalPawnthe whole Strong Persuader album is pure gold! Nothin’ but a Woman is my favorite Robert Cray tone track. Has his signature sound splashed all over it.
The custom shop Clapton signature model has also a poly finish.
I think it is not that significant in terms of sound and I can imagine Léo Fender would have chosen that finish in 1954 if it had been possible.
Please make some Robert cray playing style content 🙏🏻🙏🏻🙏🏻
like Hendrix he is a great singer and songwriter
I hear a significant amount of albert collins in Robert Crays playing. If ever you wanted a lesson in pure power, then Alberts your guy. Stevie and Robert both have a significant amount of his style in thier playing.
I had the same guitar too ;)
Robert Cray is amazing, he had some wonderful, soulful blues in the id 1980's, and even though I was in Middle School/Junior High and had yet to know a woman in the Biblical way, or loved a woman, I could feel what I had not yet experienced, The Strong Persuader album talked to me. I didn't care for his more pop style stuff in the late 80's early 90's, but he also was a victim to the Blues Revival of the 1980's that died with the tragic, untimely accidental death of the Late, Great, Stevie Ray Vaughn, one of my guitar 'idols' I have tied in second place after the number one spot, which will always be Jimi Hendrix.
Why isn't Robert talked about as much as others? He's not flashy. Also, maybe because he's R&B/blues. Obviously, Clapton respects him since he was a staple at most/all Crossroads guitar festivals. Another top guitarist in my book is Robin Trower. He has tasty and unique bends and vibrato. I told him that after a show and he thanked me and said he's worked very hard on those techniques So, get a Trower signature guitar, tune down, a Gypsy Vibe and the Blues Print - and a fixed wah - and add him to your techniques reviews, Chris!
I've always wanted the Mexican made version
🎩
😁
👕👍Great!
👖
What a nice marketing campaign for a Cory Wong strat!
Saw Cray live. He refused to play "Smoking Gun". He's dead to me now.
Public doesn't like singing about a gun, democrats
I saw him in Ft Wayne Indiana and as expected he put on a excellent show but he did not do smoking gun or was he try not to offend the P.C. police?
Yes, not good for his rep to sing about a gun...😮 democrats must have complained about it.
He may very well be one of them anyway.
I am in my 60,s listening to blues is my business, Robert Cray is an underrated Master 😊
I have always thought Joe Walsh is underrated as well.
The most underrated guitarist is someone you've likely never heard of. If Cray is earning a good living playing music, he's not underrated.
Robert is awesome. Sadly I don’t like the pickup’s in his guitars. They are shockingly ceramic magnets. That’s why they sound so different. At least on his regular signature Version of this guitar. The non custom shop version. When I was building a Partscaster I found some Robert Cray Custom Shop pickup’s on Reverb and they were not at all what I was looking for in sound. I quickly jerked them out of my guitar and sold them off. Just not my style tone.
Cray is an underated gem🤔
Cray is a great blues man, musician and song writer but I lost a ton of respect for him with the way he treated his long time friend Eric Clapton.
He is a great player and singer, but he doesn't have any great songs. Too clean for me too!