So Lee and I are in the workroom the other day, detailing guitars and I pulled out this Strat. Of course, I am not what is known as a "quiet" person, so I piped up, "Hey man, This Strat is a hardtail and it only has one volume knob. What in the world am I supposed to do with this thing?" Lee never even turned around. "Just get her cleaned up and restrung, young cub. I'll show you what to do with it in a bit" and so, 45 minutes later, I'm ready for this grand demonstration. "Do we still have that '59 Bassman reissue?" he asked. I nodded and he told me, "Go warm it up and get me a wah pedal." Feeling a little like the Hunchback of Notre Dame, I gathered these things up, got them all plugged in and looked at the guitar- playing half of this company. "Well? I asked. "You ready?" and he sauntered over to the rig and tuned the guitar up. "What you are looking at," he said "is a pure rhythm machine. No muss, no fuss- you just play it, dummy" and off he went. He jumped into some old, Ohio Players- type wocka- wocka strumming and I'll be tied if it didn't sound just like those old R & B records I grew up on. Then, he dirtied that Bassman up a bit and played some old Montrose and Faces stuff and in both cases, it sounded just like the real thing. I was actually surprised- most Strats I handle have two volume knobs and a trem bar to keep up with, but this Smith Strat is a pure and simple rhythm beast, if you know how to use it. And, as if to make me look like an even bigger knucklehead, he ripped into a Thin Lizzy lead as if it were nothing at all. Come to find out, you can play lead on these things too! I guess you learn something new everyday and I now have a new- found respect for these instruments. Looks like a Strat doesn't have to have clay dots and be from the 50's to be cool and we say that this little '83 is officially 'Elk approved. Thanks for stopping by 'Elkland and call us today on yet another great six- stringer!