Bruce's guitars on tour, and the sum of the parts...

[bgohara]

I don't know whether anyone else has mentioned this - but I noticed that on this tour, Bruce is changing guitars quite a lot.
Others will be more familiar with his guitars - but he seems to be using 34346, the Oasis Strat, the Mick Johnson Sunburst Strat, and certainly at least one acoustic (looks like a martin).

I guess even up to 1990, both Bruce and Hank basically played with one guitar throughout a show - with maybe a spare - and we've seen Hank change guitar increasingly since 1990 - I guess due to different string gauges and setups (didn't he have one of these piezos to play 'Sacha' on one tour).

On this tour, Bruce is using the different strats - but is also using the acoustic on a few numbers - in the country, living doll etc - and I guess he is attempting to get the best 'sound' for each number. I have really enjoyed watching Bruce play on this tour - and as I think as others have said, he is a master of playing the right chord in the right place maybe even up the neck or whatever - and using little funny variants of chords. I know he has a reputation as a complete perfectionist - and perhaps not being the easiest man to work with - but it just reinforces to me that each member of the group, be it Brian, Bruce or Hank - is essential to the Shads - take one away and it's just not the same. I was listening to Bruce play the little arpeggiated bit at the end of sleepwalk the other evening, and I just thought - 'that bit totally makes the tune', for example - it's not all about the lead guitar. I think that even Hank would admit that - he describes his guitar as the 'voice' of the Shadows - but would acknowledge the contribution that Brian and Bruce make to the band.

(I know that others will feel the same about the original line up of Hank, Bruce, Jet and Tony - but to me I feel that each line up of the Shads has had something special).

Bernie

[wstagner]

Eggselent points, all!

Agree.

[Didier]

I have really enjoyed watching Bruce play on this tour

So did I at the Paris concert last week. Bruce did a fantastic job, and is fully part of the "sound of the Shadows" !...

Didier