“I’ve got something special to do tonight”: Watch Steve Lukather cover Jimi Hendrix’s Little Wing, with Jeff Beck's white Strat
The Toto guitarist revealed that Beck's camp has offered a number of other guitar heroes – including Billy Gibbons and John Mayer – a chance to use the Strat onstage as part of an ongoing tribute to the late guitar hero
Back in June, many an eyebrow was raised when John Mayer wielded a reverse-headstock equipped white Stratocaster during one of Dead & Company's shows at the Sphere in Las Vegas.
The guitar bore an eerie resemblance to Jeff Beck's Custom white Strat, and it was soon confirmed – by none other than Joe Bonamassa – that it was in fact the genuine article.
Last week (September 1), during Toto's performance at the Hollywood Bowl, Steve Lukather got his own turn on Beck's iconic electric guitar, using it, appropriately, for a soulful take on Jimi Hendrix's Little Wing.
In the process, the session legend also revealed that his and Mayer's use of the Strat was part of an ongoing project of sorts – spearheaded by Beck's widow, Sandra – to put the late guitar hero's late-career favorite in the hands of various prominent admirers onstage.
“I’ve got something special to do tonight,” Lukather told the enthusiastic crowd prior to the performance. “I normally don't play a white Stratocaster – I've owned them – [but] this is a special one. This was brought from England – it's Jeff Beck's guitar.
“His lovely wife Sandra and his closest friend and guitar tech brought this out, and they’ve been bringing it out to guitar players to put a little of love on it. Jeff and I were friends – we worked together a bunch over the years, in the studio and live.”
Lukather went on to reveal that other big names have been approached by the Beck camp – the aforementioned Mayer and Billy Gibbons, specifically. But, he emphasized, “they’ve probably got a long list.
Get The Pick Newsletter
All the latest guitar news, interviews, lessons, reviews, deals and more, direct to your inbox!
“I wish this would make me sound like Jeff Beck, but it won’t,” Lukather joked, perhaps underselling his subsequent cover, which was replete with fiery – but always melodic and graceful – lead guitar work.
Now, the big and obvious question is, who's next?
Mayer and Lukather have already taken their turns, with Gibbons confirmed to be in the wings as well.
Though one must take his encyclopedic knowledge of vintage guitars into account, Joe Bonamassa's role in confirming that Mayer was using Beck's Strat at the Sphere would seem to indicate that he's aware of the ongoing project as well.
Either way, we can't wait to see who takes the magical Strat for a spin next...
Jackson is an Associate Editor at GuitarWorld.com and GuitarPlayer.com. He’s been writing and editing stories about new gear, technique and guitar-driven music both old and new since 2014, and has also written extensively on the same topics for Guitar Player. Elsewhere, his album reviews and essays have appeared in Louder and Unrecorded. Though open to music of all kinds, his greatest love has always been indie, and everything that falls under its massive umbrella. To that end, you can find him on Twitter crowing about whatever great new guitar band you need to drop everything to hear right now.