smitty stratocaster

Early life and career

Smith grew up in the town of Hanceville, Alabama. As a young man he worked as a session musician for various country music performers, including playing guitar on tour with Hank Williams Jr., Mel Tillis, Reba McEntire and Jerry Reed. He was in a rock band in high school called The Rockin’ Chevrolets who played at the talent contest at the Jaycees which he won several times.

The song “Act Naturally” made number one on both charts in 2003; Smith wrote it with Dick Gimble in 1965 while working with Buck Owens and still considers it his biggest achievement since then.

He is currently signed to OF Records Nashville (a division of Open Road Recordings, co-owned by Smith and his son-in-law Jeremy Foster), with whom he released the album Outlaw in 2002. His follow up record called Naked, came out in 2005 and was much more successful than its predecessor.

How to pick smitty stratocaster

Step 1: First, make sure all the components of your Strat are set up properly. Strats require a lot of fine-tuning to sound their best; you shouldn’t be able to notice any buzzing or rattling noises when you’re not playing the guitar. If it’s possible, visit a music store that specializes in guitars and ask for help from an experienced employee. Be willing to pay them for their time if they need to tighten the truss rod, adjust the height of your pickups, re-solder a wire, etc.

Step 2: Tune up your guitar. Chances are that if you’re buying a used Strat from a private party or an online vendor that doesn’t specialize in guitars, it will be out of tune. Out-of-tune guitars can become very frustrating to play and it’s impossible to make chords sound good when they’re not properly tuned. Learn how to tune your guitar by ear with this tutorial .

Step 3: Examine the neck of the guitar for bumps and uneven frets. It may be necessary to remove the strings for easier access to these areas or have somebody help you hold down each string at fret position so you can examine the neck for these problems. You should also check to make sure that there are no loose or missing screws around the bridge, pickguard and neck of the guitar, especially if it’s a vintage model.

Step 4: Check all electronic components carefully. If you’re buying an older Strat, chances are it will need at least some work on the electronics (potentiometers/knobs) replaced if not entirely rewired. Make sure this is done properly so they don’t pose any problems in performance or functionality later down the road!

Step 5: Play every string on your guitar individually. Strings rarely go bad but if there is something wrong with them they’ll need to be replaced before you begin playing your guitar again. Step 6: Play your guitar as you normally would, if the intonation is bad, you’ll notice it immediately. You can use a piano to help tune your guitar with this method .

Step 7: Have a qualified professional examine your Strat and give you an estimate of what needs to be done. Most technicians will charge around $75 for their time, but this will typically include any new string work that may need replacing as well as adjusting the pickups and hardware. The frets on a Strat should not need to be leveled unless they’re extremely worn down from constant play. In most cases, all that’s needed is a simple truss rod adjust which can save you anywhere from $45-$150 over having the manufacturer do it!

Step 8: Look for cosmetic flaws in the finish, especially around the headstock area. Cracks, chips and scratches are common on older Strats so don’t expect to find a pristine looking guitar! The color of newer guitars is much more vibrant than that of vintage models due to different qualities in paint back then.

Step 9: Ask about what type of case comes with the Strat when you purchase it. If there isn’t one included, be sure to factor this into your final price because cases can get expensive especially if it’s a hardshell or molded design . It’s always better to have a case included when buying an instrument instead of having to go out and buy one later on down the road.