Stratocaster - Try again? Or punt...

electronpirate

Axe-Master
I hesitate to even post this...

Not sure why, but there is that damn'd voice in my head keeps saying 'You need a Strat...you need a Strat'. The Tele I have is outstanding, and thought that would keep my single coil itch in check...but...it just seems like there's a hole in my stable when I'm not able to successfully negotiate my way through an iconic guitar.

Now, I've been down this road before. I tried a number of them. Mexican Strat HSS, Classic Vibe (REALLY good value), Nash (surprised me that it just didn't sound great at all), American Strat (lower version...maybe $1000US?) The annoying part about this is that my nephew has a CV Strat that sounds REALLY good. I've tried to steal it from him many times...even when I've given him 2 acoustics that were really just lying around...no avail.

I could not bond with the ones I purchased. I LIKED them, but it always came down to a year later I realized that I haven't pulled it off the wall in 6 months.

I grew up on HB guitars, and if I had to play one for the rest of my life, it would be an LP, but that little voice...

In the past I've struggled with 'getting it right' with a Strat. I see players able to use all 5 positions and it's usable....I've never had that on any of the ones I've owned. The bridge is always ice-pick and/or thin, neck can be mud. Position 2, 4 I lived on (quack settings), sometimes okay with middle pup.

The range of the ones I've owned makes my just think 'you're never going to be a Strat guy.' But the universe will not let me go when Fender announced this:

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/elect...can-professional-stratocaster/0179303734.html

So Strat people, do I give up on this? Given my track record, I'm not down with a Custom Shop or even a used Suhr (basically spending 3k on potential wall candy. Or move on in a different direction, and get a Jazzmaster.

Not really looking for affirmation one way or another. Just curious if I've just had bad luck...or Strat ain't going to be my thing.

R
 
I like Strat bridge pickups that are a little beefier (e.g. the Dimarzio Injector Neck position in the bridge) and with the Axe FX/AX-8/etc, I've found I can get the tone and gain I want without going the full humbucker route. I use PAFs anyway so I like lower gain, bright pickups.

I should say that I don't like "normal" Strats (e.g. Fender) but instead prefer Super Strats (e.g. Charvels). I like big frets and Strats almost always have medium jumbos. If you get a Charvel with a pickguard it's easy enough to get a 3 SC version and just swap out the pickups.

I've got one Charvel set up like a Strat and I'm working on putting another one together.
 
My main guitar is a US Jeff Beck Strat I bought on Craig's list for $800. I put in a loaded pickguard from Siegler with Seymour Duncans and it sounds great on neck, bridge and in-between positions. On some lower gain patches with the volume knob down, it can sound a bit thin. It has both a treble and bass tone control and you do need to ride them to get the right sound. It doesn't good all the time with everything on 10.

My newest guitar is a MIM Charvel San Dimas. This has the six-pack of sound coil tap that gives you a lot of usable tones. The in between settings are a little beefier and less quacky than the stat. The humbucker settings are a lot beefier. I think the JB in the bridge may be too hot and I may replace it. The Charvel has a fantastic neck, though the fret end finishing is sloppy. It's a much easier guitar to say, play legato on, than the strat.
 
I had a US Jeff Beck strat, the second version, the one where the neck was no longer a baseball bat :). It's a nice guitar but I just used my EBMM Luke II super-strat more and more and got more stratty and high gain sounds from the HSS than the Jeff Beck one (sold the JB one) even if that one has more hot pickups than a normal strat (still single coil). Check out Lukes, nice guitars.
 
Strats can be sweet. When you're in a music store, grab them off the wall one at a time until you find one you gel with.

I think you might be a candidate for one that's weird so the tone knob works on the bridge pickup, which is where it really belongs. And if you find the neck pup muddy, redial the amp.
 
Last edited:
My Strat jones was satisfied by a Suhr Classic. I really wanted to like the stuff coming out of fender but just get on with it. My Classic is vintage sunburst with med jumbo SS frets, roasted maple neck, ML pickups, and a Gotoh trem. Sounds and plays great. It is my go to single coil guitar for performing. Very costly, but worth every cent, IMHO.
 
Subjective thing of course, but I love My EJ Strat. Some of my buddies balk at 12 inch radius and nitro finish. I float my bridge like JB does so I can go a step and half sharp, and it will not go out of tune...just won't. Have had a ridiculous amount of guitars over the years, and never seen anything like it tuning wise. I agree on the bridge pickup though...can be a little on the bright side and is the only thing I've considered changing on it. Was never a Strat guy until this one.
 
I have a PRS Silver Sky that is super nice! The pickups are the first stock single coils that I have liked. I also have a Mexican Strat with a David Gilmour EMG loaded pick guard in it that I got from 920D Custom Shop/Sigler Music. Those pickups are super amazing!
 
I hesitate to even post this...

Not sure why, but there is that damn'd voice in my head keeps saying 'You need a Strat...you need a Strat'. The Tele I have is outstanding, and thought that would keep my single coil itch in check...but...it just seems like there's a hole in my stable when I'm not able to successfully negotiate my way through an iconic guitar.

Now, I've been down this road before. I tried a number of them. Mexican Strat HSS, Classic Vibe (REALLY good value), Nash (surprised me that it just didn't sound great at all), American Strat (lower version...maybe $1000US?) The annoying part about this is that my nephew has a CV Strat that sounds REALLY good. I've tried to steal it from him many times...even when I've given him 2 acoustics that were really just lying around...no avail.

I could not bond with the ones I purchased. I LIKED them, but it always came down to a year later I realized that I haven't pulled it off the wall in 6 months.

I grew up on HB guitars, and if I had to play one for the rest of my life, it would be an LP, but that little voice...

In the past I've struggled with 'getting it right' with a Strat. I see players able to use all 5 positions and it's usable....I've never had that on any of the ones I've owned. The bridge is always ice-pick and/or thin, neck can be mud. Position 2, 4 I lived on (quack settings), sometimes okay with middle pup.

The range of the ones I've owned makes my just think 'you're never going to be a Strat guy.' But the universe will not let me go when Fender announced this:

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/elect...can-professional-stratocaster/0179303734.html

So Strat people, do I give up on this? Given my track record, I'm not down with a Custom Shop or even a used Suhr (basically spending 3k on potential wall candy. Or move on in a different direction, and get a Jazzmaster.

Not really looking for affirmation one way or another. Just curious if I've just had bad luck...or Strat ain't going to be my thing.

R

I say punt. I’ve finally had to admit to myself that I’m not ever going to be a Strat guy. I’ve owned probably 15-20 Strats from American Standard to AVRI to Custom Shop over the last 35 years and could never bond with any of them no matter how hard I tried.

Right now, I have a Select Strat and a MIJ Paisley and I’m thinking about putting those up for sale.
 
A few Stew Mac tools, a couple Dan Erlewine books... learn to set up your own Fender or Squire strats... add some high quality upgrade parts and... Rock on! Unless you're loaded... then buy Fender Custom Shop, Suhr, Anderson, PRS(LOL), etc....
 
I hesitate to even post this...

Not sure why, but there is that damn'd voice in my head keeps saying 'You need a Strat...you need a Strat'. The Tele I have is outstanding, and thought that would keep my single coil itch in check...but...it just seems like there's a hole in my stable when I'm not able to successfully negotiate my way through an iconic guitar.

Now, I've been down this road before. I tried a number of them. Mexican Strat HSS, Classic Vibe (REALLY good value), Nash (surprised me that it just didn't sound great at all), American Strat (lower version...maybe $1000US?) The annoying part about this is that my nephew has a CV Strat that sounds REALLY good. I've tried to steal it from him many times...even when I've given him 2 acoustics that were really just lying around...no avail.

I could not bond with the ones I purchased. I LIKED them, but it always came down to a year later I realized that I haven't pulled it off the wall in 6 months.

I grew up on HB guitars, and if I had to play one for the rest of my life, it would be an LP, but that little voice...

In the past I've struggled with 'getting it right' with a Strat. I see players able to use all 5 positions and it's usable....I've never had that on any of the ones I've owned. The bridge is always ice-pick and/or thin, neck can be mud. Position 2, 4 I lived on (quack settings), sometimes okay with middle pup.

The range of the ones I've owned makes my just think 'you're never going to be a Strat guy.' But the universe will not let me go when Fender announced this:

https://shop.fender.com/en-US/elect...can-professional-stratocaster/0179303734.html

So Strat people, do I give up on this? Given my track record, I'm not down with a Custom Shop or even a used Suhr (basically spending 3k on potential wall candy. Or move on in a different direction, and get a Jazzmaster.

Not really looking for affirmation one way or another. Just curious if I've just had bad luck...or Strat ain't going to be my thing.

R

I grew up on a strat. But when I changed to HB I found my home. Then I tried and tried and tried. One one of my guitars with SC pickups, which played amazingly well but sounded kinda meh, I tried 8 sets of pickups. I spent twice the amount I paid for that guitar (which was nearly 2K) in pickups! Later I bought an EJ strat. Love his sound and thought, "how can I go wrong", sold it off less than 2 months later.

I finally decided to hell with it. Punt! No more Strats for me. I love the sound .. when others play it. I need my HBs to feel good!

So I'm right with you!

Move on ...
 
I fixed some bad frets on a $220 dollar Squire Deluxe Strat that I purchased online on a whim while browsing laying down on a sofa 2008 or so and it's my backup guitar for years now. Hard to hear the difference between that one and an expensive Fender Strat.
 
A Stratocaster has a unique voice that is a must have to me, along with a Telecaster, Les Paul, Rickenbacker 12 string, and Gretsch Duo Jet. These guitars all sound completely different from each other. You can't make one sound like another. These guitars cover all of the iconic sounds for me.

I have been lucky enough to play one of Jimi Hendrix's Stratocasters, and vintage Strats belonging to several other famous guitarists. They all had the same thing in common that most new Strats don't. They were all very lightweight and very resonant. All had vintage low output single coil pickups. They all sounded great.

The way to go if you can afford it is to find a lightweight 50's or 60's vintage Stratocaster with the original pickups that sounds and feels good to you. If that is not possible, try out different Fender vintage reissues. Find the lightest and most resonant one you can find that sounds and feels great before you ever plug it in. Nothing else sounds like a good Stratocaster.
 
Strats can be sweet. When you're in a music store, grab them off the wall one at a time until you find one you gel with.

I think you might be a candidate for one that's weird so the tone knob works on the bridge pickup, which is where it really belongs. And if you find the neck pup muddy, radial the amp.

Did you mean to say re-dial the amp? My MIM Strat's neck p/u sound like mud.

I recall reading a post by Joe Bonammasa on his website's forum board that he liked a mod where one of the tone knobs is replaced with a volume knob for the neck position (or maybe both neck and middle). It sounds like REAL GOOD idea and I've always meant to get around to getting mine set up like that. Has anyone here tried this?
 
A used Custom Pro should be in the ~$1800 range FWIW. I think they're built better than equivalently priced Fenders.


If you like the neck. Some strat people like them thin, some fat.

I have a strat I like, not love. It's exactly the strat I wanted, and took a long time to find. It is an American Deluxe HSS, last year before they came out with the Elite. White, maple neck, LSR roller nut, locking tuners, boost circuit, etc. It feels great to play, but there is just some mojo missing I guess.

Someday I might stumble across one I like more. It's not an active pursuit.
 
Back
Top Bottom