Being a guitar player you’ll really appreciate this. It is a direct quote from Eric Clapton on SRV. Kind of long but it tells you what his peers thought of him... Eric Clapton: I don't think anyone has commanded my respect more, to this day. The first time I heard Stevie Ray, I thought, "Whoever this is, he is going to shake the world." I was in my car and I remember thinking, I have to find out, before the day is over, who that guitar player is. That doesn't happen to me very often, that I get that way about listening to music. I mean, about three or four times in my life I've felt that way, in a car, listening to the radio, where I've stopped the car, pulled over, listened, and thought, I've got to find out before the end of the day, not, you know, sooner or later, but I have to know NOW who that is. ...and I remember being fascinated by the fact that he never, ever seemed to be...lost in any way...It was as though he never took a breather...or took a pause to think where he was gonna go next, it just flowed out of him. It's going to be a long time before anyone that brilliant will come along again. I didn't get to see or hear Stevie play near often enough, but every time I did I got chills and knew I was in the presence of greatness.He seemed to be an open channel and music just flowed through him. It never seemed to dry up. I have to tell this story: We played on the same bill on his last two gigs. On the first night, I watched his set for about half an hour and then I had to leave because I couldn't handle it!. I knew enough to know that his playing was just going to get better and better. His set had started, he was like two or three songs in, and I suddenly got this flash that I'd experienced before so many times whenever I'd seen him play, which was that he was like a channel. One of the purest channels I've ever seen, where everything he sang and played flowed straight down from heaven. Almost like one of those mystic Sufi guys with one finger pointing up and one finger down. That's what it was like to listen to. And I had to leave just to preserve some kind of sanity or confidence in myself.

@cianconway7572

5 жыл бұрын

Great respect and awe for SRV. Clapton.... fantastic. But Rory Gallagher for me was the greatest influence and player. To quote Eric Clapton speaking about Rory Gallagher ... "He's the guy that got me back into the blues" Peace

@stephenspero3201

5 жыл бұрын

RMLtiger Wow! thanks for the Clapton quote! I've watched this reaction awhile ago and couldn't put it into words I have since commented on other SRV reactions /vids and I say he communes with God through the gifts he was blessed with via his musical mastery generated by his heart and soul. But that pales in comparison to ECs quote. I've been goofing on the guitar for about 40 yrs. Jimi layed the ground work for SRV. Check out this Taj Ferrare or something like that. Please check him out he's maybe 10yo. You tell me what you think. Peace. SRV RIP. ....

@tomlafleche332

4 жыл бұрын

Unless your saying that Stevie was a fruit I think you meant to say what his peers thought of him cause last I checked pears don't play guitars cause they have no arms or hands lol... other than that your right his peers were even in awe of him.

@robinfineman9894

4 жыл бұрын

Did you see them playing together live with 2 others? Stevie is off the left playing like only SRV can. The other three were all together on the far left grinning in awe with each other. Towards the end Clapton looked pissed.

@RMLtiger

4 жыл бұрын

Stephen Spero Sorry I’m just now seeing your response 8 months later. Lol Yes I’m subscribed to that young man’s channel. I believe he is the next SRV and he’s obviously influenced by him big time.

There isn't any debate about it, Stevie Ray Vaughan is the very best to have ever picked up a guitar, or ever will pick up a guitar, it's an absolute damn shame he died far before his time. The whole state of TEXAS still loves ya man. SRV 4 LIFE!!!!!

@Scoots1994

Жыл бұрын

I love Stevie, but I'm going to stick with Jimi at the top. Neil Young once said that if you put all the best guitarists in a sky scraper and put the better ones on the higher floor, Neil would like to think of himself on one of the higher floors, but to him Jimi was at the top of his own sky scraper in his own city since nobody else was close.

@davidwalker5054

2 ай бұрын

When you are on the level of Stevie Django and Hendrix there is no best guitarist comparing them against each other is childish

Stevie didn't read music, he was self taught and played by ear! Amazing!!!!!!!!

The greatest display of guitar mastery in the history of this planet.... He was on his own level...

The only person who plays a Hendrix song better than Jimmy himself.......SRV...RIP

@Shannonrenees

8 ай бұрын

A men dude🙏

@michaelscottibelli7813

2 күн бұрын

Sorry but nope

The G.O.A.T. hands down in my opinion. I like jimmy, but love stevie.

@brentwunderlich4634

4 жыл бұрын

Stevie is just better even tho Jimi was an inspiration to him

@rayjohnson6912

3 жыл бұрын

Agree. Jimi was a lil sloppy technicallly but made up for it in natural musical talent.

@AtomicSquirrelHunter

3 жыл бұрын

@@rayjohnson6912 I agree but Jimi wrote better music.

@_MOORE_1986

3 жыл бұрын

I agree! SRV was just 15 or 16 years old when Jimi passed at the age of 27. The amount that Jimi had acomplished in that short of time is mind blowing. Jimi helped pave the way, and was a huge influence on SRV, and also SRV outlived Jimi about 9 years as well. So we have to factor all that in as well!

@Successor123

3 жыл бұрын

I've always said, Jimmy was the genius, Stevie was the master!

I would love for you to watch his performance of Texas Flood Live at the El Mocambo. Its an absolute texas blues powerhouse song, and is an unbelievable display of his all around talent. Its from the same show as this one you just watched. Also, again from the same show, his song "Lenny" is just a beautiful guitar masterpiece that he had written for his then wife. It was the first time I had ever seen him play, and watching the "Lenny" video was a legitimate spiritual experience for me. It's the reason I love watching people react to SRV. I sort of get to vicariously live that moment again.

@susankruckemeyer4365

4 жыл бұрын

Has to added advantage of his major vocals!

@kat_c225

4 жыл бұрын

Texas Flood will blow your mind, and yes , he did use 13's. If you ever make it to Austin there is a statue of him that's worth checking out. We Texans have a lot to be proud of and he is right there at the top!

Jimi was the genius, but SRV was the MASTER!

Saw him no less than a dozen times in concert. Just as amazing each and every time. G O A T !!!!!!

He's fucking incredible RIP SRV

shout out to Double Trouble, keeping up with Stevie was no mean trick. That double-time they do towards the end was something.

@shatner99

2 жыл бұрын

And one part at the end of double time he calmly swing and misses, but return with laser precision back into changing time, 3/4, 4/4, 3/3, layman here.

The only way to describe it: filthy SRV - the greatest ever!!!

I am honored to say that I was at the final show. RIP SRV and thank you for the music.

He just takes the air out of the whole room - every time. Something about Texas we damn sure some of the best guitarists in the world - Amazing

“Fuck you, you beautiful bastard.” Is exactly what I say when I listen to old SRV. R.I.P you absolute legend.

I don't know enough cuss words to do justice to this other-worldly talent.

His hand strength must have been off the charts to bend that gauge of guitar strings.

One of the if not the best guitarists to ever live.

@florencemiller7826

9 ай бұрын

LEGENDARY 💔

He would actually break a string from time to time. I think there is a performance from Austin City Limits, where he changes guitars (because he broke a string) with out missing a note. Unbelievable he is the G. O. A. T.!!! I don't care who you throw up against him. If I was wrong on the performance, please let me know. Dude I love how you elaborated on the gauge of string...it adds to his lure, and legend!!!

“Texas Flood” Live at El Macombo!

@rlfromchatsville3986

5 жыл бұрын

RMLtiger in my opinion the best live performance ever

5 жыл бұрын

R L Stanton Agreed

@Johnny1.0

5 жыл бұрын

Absolutely

@TheRiboka

5 жыл бұрын

Please!

@MD17345_

4 жыл бұрын

Nope. Texas Flood Performance is better on show "A Celebration of Blues and Soul". My opinion.

This is my FAVORITE SRV. Just because simply of the guitar greatness.

The most powerful player I've ever heard......top of the mountain......

he was able to bend them 13s with his absolutely MASSIVE hands!

SRV played .013's. According to Rene Martinez (SRV's guitar tech, and an industry legend himself) his set was composed of .013 - .015 - .019p - .028 - .038 - .058

@MetalBikerDudeReacts

5 жыл бұрын

Ridiculous! You know I read an article about Jenny Lee going on tour and rubbing his fingertips on sandpaper every night just prior to the tour. You would have to do that to play 13s

@PaulScherdell

5 жыл бұрын

Piano strings!

@mkllove

5 жыл бұрын

He (RM) also used to buy old mustang necks for the narrower fingerboards SRV liked... in this video you can see how he can reach around and fret with his thumb the top 3 strings, but again, SRV also had hands like a basketball player... they're so huge !

@johndeeregreen4592

5 жыл бұрын

In Eb tuning, though, so the tension was about like 11s in E standard.

@PaulScherdell

5 жыл бұрын

@@johndeeregreen4592 More like 12ths and he played a wound third. Play that 201 times in a year 2hrs a night or more plus in the limo, at sound check, hell he might have had it lap style on the toilet! lol

SRV doesn't just wiz out scales like Joe Satriani -he feels the Blues and puts his soul into his guitar playing (which is a part of him, not separate). SRV demonstrates a master level of inflection and improvisation, all-the-while able to succinctly, perfectly, hit the pocket and ride there while building solo runs up and down the neck, 'then returning to sync into the pocket once again. Amazing!

Dude !!!Texas Flood from the same concert, Best live performance EVER !!!!

not only did he use 13 gauge strings, but he also set the string height off the neck by a country mile to compensate for the intonation with those huge stings. John Mayer had one of the best descriptions of SR's playing I've ever heard... It was a "rage without the anger."

I've had the honor to shoot 3 Presidents, Stones, so many others in my 40+ years as a magazine/editorial photographer. In a year or so I had known Stevie, I had never asked him to shoot some photos of him. Then I had THE dream. I have remembered having one other dream, in my entire life. Days after the dream, I was having lunch with Stevie in Whole Foods in Dallas. I had to tell him about the dream, but I did not know HOW. He looked at me and said, "spit it out, man!" I told Stevie "I had a dream. I have never had another dream in my life! I was "told," in the dream, I am supposed to take some photos of you, your mom, and Jana (fiance)." "Not for a record cover, tour poster, nothing commercial... just some nice photos of you & mom. And Janna. And Number One guitar!" When's the last time you 3 had some simple photos taken?" Stevie looked at me, chewing his food... smiled and said "Great idea! But getting all of us together at the same time... is next to impossible!" "You up for it if the gods make it happen?" "Sure, man he said. Great idea!" Time passed. One day I was in Califonia shooting an assignment, and I checked my answerphone. From the slightly laughing sound in his voice, I could tell Stevie was ginning. "I guess the Gods want this to happen. You got 2 hours in your studio on... and he said a date." End of message. The best day of my life. Those two hours in the studio. I had the lights, everything ready, except makeup, when the three of them arrived. After all makeup was on, I shot 10-12 photos of Stevie & mom. Next Jana & Stevie. That photo is my avatar on KZread, seen here, next to this post. Then, it was just SRV and me. Everyone else I had go to the far corner of my 2000+ sqft studio. My idea mind went blank. I had to stall for time. I had Stevie sitting on a plastic 4-gallon jug milk crate on the floor. #1 Guitar in hand. Then I said to him... "Stevie, close your eyes. You are sitting now in your most favorite place in the world. All by yourself. No one there but you. You have recently written your greatest song. Play that song now the greatest it will ever be played." Stevie looked at me, as my words wandered around inside his head, he bent his head low, and the song he started playing I do not believe I heard before, or since. Minutes later, I said, "that's it. I have some good photos. And you & Jana have to get to the airport now." Stevie picked up the guitar, body on his knee, the neck over his shoulder. Stevie looked at me and grinned. "Man... that was the best idea!" He bowed his head to me. I instinctively clicked the Hasselblad camera's shutter. Some days later he was dead... Probably the last studio photo session of SRV. I call the photo "The Final Bow of SRV". The Best Day of My Life.

SRV❤❤❤ I saw him three times? I was so blessed. He was amazing ! I love him!!!

SRV was the only one that could play such heavy strings and make them sound the way he did !! SRV greatest of all time no doubt !

Only a experience guitar player can understand the true talent of SRV.

Only got to see him twice. We lost one of the seven wonders of the world when we lost Stevie. There will never be another.

@ramseydaugherty5515

4 жыл бұрын

I'm so damn envious that you got to see the greatest guitar player of all time, dare I say he was a savant

Plays with such raw passion and makes it seem completely effortless at the same time....simply otherworldly

@timothyqueen7286

10 ай бұрын

I call it perfection.

Yes, like so many are saying Please do Stevie Ray Vaughan Texas Flood, Live at the El Macambo! It's mind-blowing.

Stevie is a F'n BEAST. I just have to laugh when he takes his hands off and just slaps his axe around like it's nothin'. What a FREAKIN' MONSTER.

Guitar god, genius. Say no more!!!!

This is a guitar masterpiece.

30 years this year think of all the the great music we all missed out on

Tommy on bass was always right there in the groove with him. Fun fact: He played with Edgar Winter at Woodstock.

@justinthyme3396

4 жыл бұрын

The good old days...from Australia....

Stevie could just transfer feelings through the guitar and just make it look so easy. Legend!!

His guitars name is Number One, his wife. Perhaps the most famous strat on the planet now. When Fender first introduced the tribute replica it was priced at $25,000.00. Sold out before they were released.

He's going up more than a note - he's going up 2 1/2 steps in places, which as you say, with the gauge of string he favored is just insane....

That whole set at El Mocambo was incredible!

Stevie Ray the greatest yesterday,today and forever.

On top of bending so well and accurately on those strings Stevie also does full cord vibrato, so he's bending multiple strings at once . . . Insanity

All I have to say is more Stevie please and thank you for your reaction.

Cables for guitar strings is right! lol Insane player...miss him

First time I have landed on your channel! This would seem like the first time you witnessed Stevie RY? I appreciated your technical knowledge and sharing it. So he actually played 13's up until he got sober. After rehabbing from long standing abuse issues, he was so grateful to be alive, healthy, and sober! He did use to lose his calloused fingertips and he had a whole method of harvesting palm skin to patch his tips and crazy glued the calluses back on. Gulp! But interestingly after sobriety he went down to 11's. He said it felt liking taking boxing gloves off and he could feel his fingers again! And yet when you hear him play for those years with his "boxing gloves" on he was so clear and crystal clean it was mind blowing. The intensity of his intimate relationship with music and guitar in particular is on another level‼️🎶.

Please react to Texas Flood Live at El Macombo. In my opinion it’s the greatest live performances with. Guitar I’ve seen. Plays behind his back better than anyone can play the conventional way. Trust me on this please! It will change your life and your subscribers lives as well! 😂

SRV leaves us speechless ..sick

If I am not mistaken, Eric Clapton said it was sometimes intimidating to play with him on stage because he was so good.

Saw him 3 times, phenomenal.

Yup. That’s sick. Thank you for your reaction.

I've watched this reaction probably 5 or 6 times, great review! Thank you!

What I love most about this performance, is that Jimi only made the album version of this song less than three minutes. And it is the perfect little song. Then Stevie thought, “it could just loop around and around indefinitely” then the way this clip ends. I feel like whoever said “the music will return. . .” Was probably giving Stevie the signal for awhile, and his whole plan all along was to go as long as they let him and then finish with the ending to a whole other Jimi song. . . . It’s almost like jimi’s songs, the way Stevie sees them, are not separate from each other. You can start with one and end with another and Jimi is smiling from the clouds.

Riviera Paradise is probably his most beautiful composition.

Finally, someone reacts that can explain what I'm seeing. Great reaction video!

Ten Pan Ally live from Montreaux with Johnny Copeland is amazing! Always do live SRV!! You’ll never be disappointed!

@proudarmymom8657

5 жыл бұрын

RMLtiger only way to listen to Stevie Ray Vaughan is live his recordings do him no justice and as great as they are they’re nowhere near what it’s like to see him play live!!!

@RMLtiger

5 жыл бұрын

Tammy Rhoads 100% agree

@rlfromchatsville3986

5 жыл бұрын

Stevie live , I will put him up against anyone live, Eric Clapton said how would you like to follow that!

Stevie had 1 inch holes in his finger's of his left hand when the calasis would fall off he would take bakin' powder and Super glue and glue em back on. He did his own skin grafting. He was my brother but he all made are jaws drop to the ground. He alway's had a guitar in his hand's. He would ride down the street and play his guitar down the road all over Dallas. When he was 8 year's old. He was something elseman.

When you are in the presence of greatness, no words are needed. You just shake your head and walk away with the feeling like you've been blessed to hear it.

SRV used to tune down a fret like Hendrix, so if your going to have a go at those strings, tune down, it'll give you the tone and you 'might' not end up with Stumps. Amazing and Beautiful tribute Stevie.

Makes me cry every single time..

Please do more SRV Sir!!! Love your reactions!

I get emotional whenever I see this. So great.

I saw another video where they said he used 18 gauge strings. I looked that up and found from interviews with former band members that it truly was 18 gauge strings. WOW. That's like using piano wire on a guitar. How is it that he could break strings that thick?

My favorite part of this performance is at 10:58 when he comes out of that trance and looks over at his bass player and smiles lol he has 100% complete control over his guitar and the sounds he made. He really was a master.

THE best closing comments on a review of a guitarist EVER!!!!!

Thanks for reacting to a true guitar genius! Still remember the first time I heard him on the radio back in '83! Please watch and react to his cotton club videos, either "Life without you" or "Voodoo chile", both are awesome recordings!!

Brilliant reaction vid, sir. I loved it. Thanks for sharing.

I has the pleasure of seeing him in concert in 1986

One of the best breakdowns I've heard what SRV is doing. He is just doing it though. Legit guitar God.

10/10 for your continued "you seein' this shit" expression. SRV was a monster guitarist!

Stevie played with 15s for a while before he didn’t want to keep beating his hands up. Lowest he ever went was 13s I believe. Dudes hands were of another world

I love how during the deepest of the deep end part of the song, the bass player literally stops playing to see what the drummer is doing and figure out what the hell he should be playing...hahaha

That fuck you was perfect. Tommy Shannon(the base player) once remarked after Stevie died that many times , in the early days, when they were playing he would have panic attacks thinking Stevie got lost and Tommy thought that there was no way back, but every time Stevie would find his way back without missing a note.

It was 1991 and I was was at work when the news came over the radio...I dropped everything and literally fell and cried. Nothing will ever hurt that much again except the master, kieth...why do these men have to be human?..

Back in 84 I believe, my biker friends and I were watching MTV and SRV's Official vid of Cold Shot came on and we sat there and watched it with rapture almost. Our normal genre was Southern Rock; Lynyrd Skynyrd, Molly Hatchet, ZZ Top etc. so SRV was a bit on the different genre but we fell in love with his style right away. When he came to town we all went, then went again the next time and then the 3rd time. We would have gone the 4th but he was killed! We were stunned over this unspeakable genius of an artist that hooked us from the beginning and then was taken from us. Thanks for your Reaction, it makes me very nostalgic. For a look at the new gen of rockers; the family of kids LILIAC kills it. Their LIVE performance of "Mars" is huge. Anyway we all need to support the new gen who is trying to keep our rock alive. Thanks. BTW, I love the way, Stevie uses his xtra long thumb around the neck like Jimi did. His secret weapon. lol He called that guitar his 1st wife.

The Guitar Man, G.O.A.T!

Outstanding reaction. ❤️❤️SRV❤️❤️ He reaches inside you and pulls your fucking soul out every time.

Loved your reaction & commentary. Stevie added some tasty lines, but never lost the original vibe of the Hendrix track. He's sweatin' 'cuz he's really workin' hard. Such a beautiful song done right!

@rtxf

5 жыл бұрын

And sadly because of cocaine

@ewoe21

4 жыл бұрын

He sweating because he’s doing 7 grams of coke a day back then, and a 5th of crown royal.

Great reaction! Nice job on explaining some of the technical aspects. I knew about the heavy gauge (I thought he used 13...but can’t remember) but didn’t know about how the simple act of changing the volume changes the dynamics so much.

There is no one comparable to SRV. The great Eric Clapton once said he could only listen and watch Stevie for one or two songs before he had to leave or he would never be able to play a guitar again. Stevie was that amazing. SRV makes every human being want to pick up a guitar, and everyone who plays one just want to throw it into the corner.

Hendrix was the innovator and SRV is the standard that other guitarists are judged.

@ramseydaugherty5515

4 жыл бұрын

Amen brother

You should check out his MTV Unplugged (the very first unplugged session btw), and watch what he can do with a 12string acoustic Guild!

He lived in my city, Austin.. We loved him well, still do.

My son was born four years after Stevie died, and my wife and I decided we would name him after SRV.

No guitarist was ever more one with their ax than Stevie was. Eric Clapton said as much.

You might not have heard this but Stevie would start off his tours on 10 strings, but by the end of the tours he would be on 13's. He's been playing since he was 10. nd he's been ripping them since then, and playing til his fingers shredded, then sticking them back on and carrying on. He was a guitarist, extraordinaire.. A fucking legend.

Thanks for the education! And LOL'ed when you said "Fuck you." It was appropriate. And let us not overlook Double Trouble, the best fucking rhythm section on the planet. It's appalling that he left us so soon, taking all that talent with him. I still miss him. Beautiful reaction ❣️ Also try Riviera Paradise. It will send you to another dimension...

Not sure why he played 13s. I can't even imagine it. I've tried 12s just screwing around and could really only play chords. He would break the 13s as well. Ungoddamnbelievable. There will never be another.

@modsquad20

4 жыл бұрын

He played them for tone.

@arizonacatfishforum364

4 жыл бұрын

nostrilnick I’d say he played them because he could

Wish Jimmy could have been around to see him play his stuff.

@jinov191

4 жыл бұрын

Jimi

@CDJF1

4 жыл бұрын

when Jimi died he gave his gift to Stevie because he knew srv would pick up where Jimi left off and make them both great. IMO.

Thanks for the video..I have LPs but never got to see him in person...love this so much

In case anyone thinks he’s over exaggerating saying those strings will “rip your fucking fingers off”, Stevie used to occasionally have to literally super glue his fingertips back on. A flap of skin would tear off sometimes and he’s just flap it back over and hold it down with glue lol

It's good to hear a metal guy respect a blues rocker. I have heard that Stevie tuned to Eb, which would help a bit on string bending. One person mentioned that Stevie wasn't feeling much pain in those early days, making the heavier strings more tolerable to him. It's just somebody's thought. I have also read that he changed to lighter gauge strings, later on. No matter, his power and skill was way over the top, and would impress on any gauge strings. In addition, Clapton said that Stevie did a lot of on the spot improvisation. That is even more impressive to me. He continues to be a great inspiration to me.

His hands were so freakishly strong that he broke the neck on one of his guitars

Your reaction at 9:04 was perfect after that one hand magic.

@stevemal

4 жыл бұрын

Came here to say this. The only time 'fuck you' actually equals 'I love you so much but I wish I could do that so badly it makes me angry'.

He was an extension of his guitar. Or his guitar was an extension of him. Either way you want to see it doesn't change that Stevie Ray Vaughan is THE BEST GUITAR PLAYER OF ALL TIME! I had always given that to Jimi, but I have come to realize that Stevie Ray's UNEARTHLY solos are just so much crisper and just simply better than Jimi's UNEARTHLY solos. I can only imagine the wonderful sounds they play side by side on the other side. Thanks Jimi. Thanks Stevie Ray. Shred In Peace

superb reaction

There's a reason why many people consider him to be at the top tire of guitar players - not only technique but able to emote feelings to this degree puts him in a league by himself.

Its been nine months since the last SRV reaction!! I keep checking back but no luck lol. Would love for you to do Texas Flood live at El Macambo please🙏 Tick Tock... Time keeps on slipping into the future! Lol💞💞💞💞💞💞💞