Joe Perry on Strats being his weapon of choice when recording Aerosmith songs in the 70s
The musician also explained why Gibson Les Pauls are better live instruments than the Strat.
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Aerosmith guitarist Joe Perry has opened up about why Fender Strats were his weapon of choice when recording the band’s songs in the 70s.
In the new issue of Total Guitar, Perry explains why despite his enduring love of Gibson’s Les Pauls, the Strat remains the superior instrument for studio sessions.
“I played Les Pauls pretty much throughout the ’70s,” the guitarist said. “But I recorded most of my stuff with Strats. I always loved having the vibrato arm, and it seemed easier to get different tones out of a Strat.”
“I was more concerned about writing songs than I was about the particulars of which amp I used or whatever.”
“That said, I would say with a fair amount of confidence I used a Les Paul on Eat The Rich [from 1993’s Get A Grip], Toys In The Attic [1975], Pandora’s Box [from 1974’s Get Your Wings] and Nine Lives [1997],” he continued.
“I would bet that at least one of my [guitar] tracks on Walk This Way [also from 1975’s Toys In The Attic] is a Les Paul, and then everything I did after that was with the Strat.”
While the Strat was a certified studio workhorse, Perry maintains that the LP is the better beast — and hence his pick — during live shows.
“The tone you could get out of a Les Paul was heavier,” he said. “And it was easier to get distortion with less noise. I think a lot of the reason that guitar plays so well in general is because it has its roots in Spanish guitar.”