The Fender Stratocaster — Jimi Hendrix, SRV, David Gilmour, Eric Clapton, John Mayer. The bright, glassy single-coil tone of the Strat has a particular affinity for certain modal choices. The right scale choice makes a Strat sing.
Hendrix played everything through minor pentatonic on a Strat. The bridge pickup's bite gives pentatonic licks a cutting edge. Position 1 (open to 3rd fret) and position 4 (5th position) are the sweet spots.
The Strat's clarity lets every note of Dorian breathe. SRV's "Pride and Joy" and John Mayer's "Slow Dancing in a Burning Room" — Dorian on a Strat is one of the most expressive combinations in guitar history.
The Strat's quack (positions 2 and 4 in-between) + Mixolydian = funk and soul guitar tone. David Gilmour's melodic rock phrasing over major chord sequences often lives in Mixolydian.
David Gilmour frequently uses Lydian for his most ethereal, floating lead lines. The neck pickup on a Strat through a clean amp with Lydian is transcendent — "Comfortably Numb" solo territory.
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