Of all the divides in guitardom, perhaps none seem so insurmountable as that between traditionalists and fanned fret enthusiasts. While some players look for speed, extended range, and fluidity, there remains a school that believes nothing will ever top a Tele, Strat, or Les Paul, so why even bother?
John Mayer, of course, has been known to release a fair bit of blues music, in addition to the guitar-based pop that started his career. He famously subbed in for no less than Jerry Garcia when touring with the Dead. And his latest signature model, the PRS Silver Sky, is about as close to a Stratocaster as any company not named Fender is allowed to get.
Tosin Abasi—lead guitarist for Animals as Leaders and the founder of Abasi Guitars company—comes from a decidedly different camp. But last night, he shared a video on his Instagram account of John Mayer playing one of his eight-string Larada models.
As if offering an olive branch across the chasm, Mayer picks through some traditional blues changes, using the extended range of the instrument to lay down his own bassline while playing licks. Take a look for yourself in the Instagram post below.
Think more blues players should give fanned frets a try? Let us know in the comments.