Equipment review: Year of the Strat

“The person who inspired me to pick up a guitar is Andy Gill. I started listening to a lot of bands that were influenced by Gang Of Four before I even knew who they were and once I got into them I realised that Andy was the guy who invented this style of playing. This is the kind of guitar that he would have played.

I was quite sceptical about the Road Worn concept, I thought it would look a bit artificial but it’s actually quite convincing. You could probably persuade someone that the guitar is genuine vintage.
Sound-wise, it’s got quite a low output. It doesn’t feel compressed, it’s got a really rich, old fashioned sound. It might not be what I’d personally choose for my own guitar sound – but out of that context, it’s beautiful.
It feels nice to play. I loved the aged style of the neck. I thought maybe because it had been styled so much it would affect how it plays but you’re actually left with a wonderfully smooth fretboard, which I was really impressed by.
There’s something about the pick-ups that almost make it sound like it’s compressed, which leaves you with a very nice sustatin. Even though it’s quite a quiet guitar it sounds very smooth. By and large, apart from the way a guitar actually feels to play, the pick-ups are one of the most important things. The Tex-Mex pick-ups on this ‘50s Strat can probably be attributed to why the guitar has such a great sound.
I’m used to playing Japanese reissues and I really noticed the step-up in craftsmanship. It feels like a much better quality guitar. I tend to be quite rough with guitars so I’d rather have one that I could feel less bad about damaging.
This guitar would be great for anyone who plays something traditional like a blues musician or someone who wants to play classic rock ‘n’ roll. But because it’s so well made it’s very versatile. You could tailor it to suit all sorts of different styles.
I’m a big fan of Fender guitars and amps, that’s generally what I play, I always go for Jaguars and Jazzmasters so I like old style guitars. All the guitars I own are reissues of ‘60s guitars so the ‘50s Stratocaster was right up my street.”

Panama Kings play the Empire, Belfast (June 25) and Willowstone Arts Festival, Killyleagh (27).