The most influential guitarist of all time, Hendrix was an innovator and visionary whose pure artistry was expressed with fearless experimentation.
Eric Gales is no stranger to innovation. Over the past three decades he has managed to redefine the language of blues guitar with flair and finesse, drawing from all kinds of genres, styles and sounds to create a unique musical identity.
In that regard, before you even factor in how Eric ended up using right-handed Strat-style guitars upside down, there are many comparisons to be drawn between him and Jimi Hendrix.
Eric naturally counts Hendrix as one of his biggest influences alongside Eric Johnson, Stevie Ray Vaughan and Albert King. Here, he discusses why Jimi will never be topped in the annals of guitar greats…
Eric Gales – a lifelong Hendrix fan and student (Image credit: Future)
When you hear the name Jimi Hendrix, what are the first things you think of?
“It’s all about innovation. Jimi Hendrix was able to find new sounds by just sitting down and experimenting on his own. He found all these different techniques that seemed to work for him, things like using his thumb for bass notes over the neck. He was able to accomplish whatever he was hearing in his head. And it feels like he never gave up – that guy would do whatever it took to make it happen!
“He had big hands so he was able to use his own physicality to help him accomplish whatever he was hearing in his head. And it feels like he never gave up – that guy would do whatever it took to make it happen! It’s almost impossible to comprehend just how innovative he was and how he ended up influencing me.
“I’d actually say there’s nothing he did that didn’t influence me – from his legendary tone to the way he used chords to writing and everything else. I could sit here all day long trying to explain his contributions to the world in terms of guitar playing, songwriting and even lyrics. He could express himself beautifully.”
(Image credit: Chris Morphet / Getty Images)
Hendrix could draw from deep within, but he was also a shrewd observer – and therefore able to tell the story of the world around him.
“Yeah! Even all these years later, I’m still blown away by the sheer magnitude of how Hendrix was able to communicate and talk about things that were happening in his era, in his time. He was telling us about the world around him, and it was in a terrible state. He would channel all of that frustration and anger into his guitar.”
Which probably explains why his Strat could sound like bombs going off and missiles shooting down from above…
