True about the heavy gauge strings. I used to listen to him in clubs in Austin. He had powerful hands. And that sound, from the thin mics of a Stratocaster (single coil, not like the double-coil pickups on a Gibson)...the only way you can get that fat a sound from a Fender is to use heavy gauge strings and attack the strings heavily. Gibsons have a fatter sound naturally, but not the strats. SRV had to flail the strings and use the heaviest gauge he could find. Took a toll on his hands, too.

A good recording is one he did with Albert King...out on CD. A lot of SRVs licks came from King, and years ago, in Canada I think, they did a brief studio session together. Just happened to be passing each other and someone had the presence of mind to pair them up. You can hear the similarities of style on that recording.

SRV is the best all around electric blues guitarist I'VE ever heard. Another good guitarist from Texas is Johnny Winter. His first album, Progressive Blues Experiment, was WAY ahead of it's time, and he played killer electric AND National Steel guitar...35 years ago?