Neville’s advocate
Nev Marten explains why he loves to play the field when it comes to guitars
This guitar thing is fickle. My allegiances change almost on a weekly basis and I find it impossible to remain faithful to just one instrument. So... Strat, Tele, Les Paul or 335?
I love good guitars because of the different things that they are and the different things that they do. But, since childhood, my love has always been for Gibsons and Fenders. But that’s not surprising, really, because the moment I began to take my playing a little more seriously than just strumming Beatles chords, the guitarists I looked up to played Les Pauls, ES-335s, Strats and Teles. So these were what I aspired to.
Complete Collection
As I’ve said many times, I’m not a guitar hoarder as such. But I’m definitely on the edge of that ballpark, and I have to have one of each of my four favourites to feel complete… Thus part of my current collection comprises modern reissues of all four, having traded in and up to get here.
My red Strat has previously graced the pages of this publication; my Les Paul ’57 Goldtop (Murphy aged) featured on issue 432’s cover; my 335 was used for the Cream gig with Mick Taylor and Jamie Dickson; and my Tele is a Candy Apple red, bound-bodied Custom that I bought used. I mention these instruments because at various times each one could be that ‘best guitar of all’.
When I’m in Tele mode I genuinely justify it as the essence of what the solidbody electric should be. Its purity, clarity and simplicity make it the supreme workhorse for any clean-toned task. But crank up the gain on the bridge pickup and it’s a thing of wondrous beauty – just ask Jimmy Page. So my Tele becomes my main gigging and recording guitar and I wax superlative about it... until a few weeks later when I get the 335 out of its case.
Then of course it’s more of the same: it’s the perfect instrument, the summing up of all Gibson does best; it can handle any role from blues to jazz, or rock to indie; it will always do you proud. It’s the only guitar I need. But then I happen to find myself noodling on the Goldtop...
There’s something about a Les Paul. While the ES-335 can do all those other things, it can’t quite do ‘that’ thing. Yes, it’s more dynamic and will visually and sonically fit in anywhere, but it can’t quite do ‘express train at full pelt while still being utterly controllable’. I like the fact the Goldtop is not blingy like the more ostentatious ’59s, but I have to confess of the four models here the Les Paul is the one I’ve struggled most with over the years. I’ve had so many, of all persuasions, but they don’t seem to last. The only one I regret selling was a fab P90 Goldtop, so perhaps I’ll find myself back there again sometime.
It’s obvious why I’ve left the Strat till last, isn’t it? It’s the guitar I’d have to make my desert island electric. With a tone control on the bridge pickup it can do almost everything the others can do, plus it has those extra Strat-only tones I always think I won’t use because they’re clichéd, but then find myself reverting to all the time. Plus it has a brilliantly designed vibrato.
My Strat is perfect. It’s the right colour (same as the first one I ever played), it plays and sounds amazing, and Fender built it for me. I feel so attached to it that I’ve even had Heister-camp make me a red leather strap for it – with conchos!
Of course, modern brands have bettered the old designs, with the aid of hindsight, modern construction processes and so on, and I really do love them all too. But Peter Green played a Les Paul, Jimi a Strat, Jimmy a Tele and Eric a 335 and I simply can’t get away from those formative influences.
I’d love to hear which players influenced you to lust after the instruments you do, and which guitar would be your ‘one and only’.