Stratocaster - Try again? Or punt...

Unfortunately, I'm tied to the headstock. It's the reason I like my Charvel over a Jackson or my Ibanez. It's not logical but I WANT the Fender shaped headstock on my strat style bodies. I blame Jimi, Eddie & Stevie.

Me too. I love the Strat headstock, especially the large one. So glad Charvel is under the Fender umbrella and can use their headstock.
 
Strats are like people, every one is different. I have 3 Strats, ranging from a Mexican Road Worn, a 2011 American Vintage 57 and a Custom Shop 1963 Time Machine. Out of the bunch, I'd say the Custom Shop was really the only one that didn't need work out of the box to get it where it needed to be. All of them are good instruments after some work.
 
I was playing around w/ my MIM strat last night. Compared to my Charvel, which is a HSS configuration the MIM Strate sounds like garbage. I think the single coils are too hot and there's a good chance the vol pot is a POS. The Charvel's single, which is a Dimarzio SH6 gets that strat sound. The MIM Strat does not. Probably need to buy a whole new pick guard assembly. I definitely need to check the outputs of the single coils in both guitars. I suspect the MIM are juiced too hot and the volume pot is crap so it doesn't clean up when I turn down. The bridge single rocks. I can barely tell it's a single, which is not really what I want from my strat. I wanna hear the strat sound.
 
I bought an American Professional Strat (SSS) form Wildwood Guitars in 2017 and it has become my #1 guitar since the day it arrived. I did swap the pups out with some BKP's but it wasn't an absolute must.

I hardly touch my Suhr Custom Modern now because I much prefer the Strat trem over the locking Gotoh on the Suhr. It plays so sweet, stays in tune and has so many tonal variations. Just can't put it down.
 
I've had several nice strat type guitars but if I had to pick the best it's a toss up between a suhr and melancon. EIther sss or ssh.
 
Yea I know what you mean, took me 2 years to bond with my tele,after putting 4 sets of different pickups ,than I put the originals back in and I love it. Never bonded with a strat before. Then I went to a local pawn shop saw a black strat, mighty mite body and neck ,locking tuners ,Dimarzio bridge pickup, also has a mini switch that gives it a different tone between first and second position on switch, heavy ash body ,but sounds awesome. 150 bucks ,looked brand new . Now I sound like Stevie ,well kind of ,ok maybe alittle :)
 
Thanks all for the response'.

I'm going to carve out some time and head up to the glorious WildWood Guitars in Louisville, CO. Budget a few hours. We'll see what happens.

Dammit, I'm already talking myself into it...
If you're looking for conventional tone, stick with conventional build, wood & pickups otherwise you'll be rabbit-holing with mahogany bodies, body mounted pickups, HSH, specialized single coils etc.

Still gigging with an SSH Tyler Landau Classic. Haven't done anything except swap pickups. I needed vintage PAF and more conventional singles (less thick/bluesy). Bridge bucker is good even on semi-clean old-school. Here's last weekend.
 
99 Strat Deluxe sits in my rack and gets a dust off maybe 3 times a year. This post just inspired me to give it a blast. Feels like crap to play for first hour or so (right hand muting always feels awkward, poxy volume knob position etc) and then when I start to get used to playing it and remembering to hit a boost pedal instead of using the volume pot like I can do on my HSS guitars, the bloody thing breaks a string. It did exactly the same thing last time I played it too! F@@@er is messing with my head.

I can't bring myself to sell it though .... it does do that Strat thing that only strats can do ....maybe it's just I refuse to be beaten into submission by it :)
 
I have a 2007 Strat Deluxe I didn't warm up to it at first, but I loved the neck (jumbo frets and compound radius fretboard). Replaced several parts w/Callaham parts including bent saddles and brass block. Also replaced pickups w/Vintage Noiseless and Clapton mod. I learned how to adjust the wammy bar using Carl Verheyen's video. It's the most versatile guitar I own and will go from clean to mean...
 
That said, I would also highly recommend the Anderson Icon, having bought one recently.

I have an Anderson Drop Top (Super Strat), and it's hands down the most precise and perfectly made guitar I've ever owned....so this is an easy win.

I've been a Les Paul guy most of my life (have a closet full of vintage). When I decided to try a Strat, I built a dual hum partscaster (and used Anderson pickups actually). It absolutely crushes, and it was blast to build.
If you have some screw and glue skills, go on eBay and search for MJTele (Mark/Matt Jenny - father/son team).
They sell Strat bodies and necks and they're outstanding.
They're very similar quality to Nash - which by the way, if you didn't like the one you want, try again. Most of his guitars are great players and have outstanding tone.

So my recommendation would be:
1) Anderson
2) Nash (again)
3) Build a Parts-caster with MJTele Parts
 
Bought a MIM HSS Strat about 6 months ago. The mechanical aspects of that guitar are terrible, probably the nut needs some work so the strings stay where they're supposed to. But it sounds so awesome with its stock pickups that my other guitars hardly get any love anymore.
 
I have an Anderson Drop Top (Super Strat), and it's hands down the most precise and perfectly made guitar I've ever owned....so this is an easy win.

I've been a Les Paul guy most of my life (have a closet full of vintage). When I decided to try a Strat, I built a dual hum partscaster (and used Anderson pickups actually). It absolutely crushes, and it was blast to build.
If you have some screw and glue skills, go on eBay and search for MJTele (Mark/Matt Jenny - father/son team).
They sell Strat bodies and necks and they're outstanding.
They're very similar quality to Nash - which by the way, if you didn't like the one you want, try again. Most of his guitars are great players and have outstanding tone.

So my recommendation would be:
1) Anderson
2) Nash (again)
3) Build a Parts-caster with MJTele Parts

I do think about Nash, the one I had just didn't sound great...not sure why. I have a Nash Telecaster that blows anything else that I've played before into the dust. Anderson's are about the same in price.

As others have intimated, I'm absolutely terrified to go to WildWood. That the one I might 'find' will cost me a chunk...and before I know it, it will be in the car and me wondering what the hell happened.
 
I have given up on single coil guitars of any variety, I tried many times. It's okay, I'm glad they work well for others, it is what it is.
 
I do think about Nash, the one I had just didn't sound great...not sure why. I have a Nash Telecaster that blows anything else that I've played before into the dust. Anderson's are about the same in price.

As others have intimated, I'm absolutely terrified to go to WildWood. That the one I might 'find' will cost me a chunk...and before I know it, it will be in the car and me wondering what the hell happened.
Do what I did with my Collings. Find "the one" in that shop, find "the one" in a couple shops, sleep on it for a night or two, gauge your feelings and get the one that speaks to you. You'll know when you know, you know.
 
I do think about Nash, the one I had just didn't sound great...not sure why. I have a Nash Telecaster that blows anything else that I've played before into the dust. Anderson's are about the same in price.

As others have intimated, I'm absolutely terrified to go to WildWood. That the one I might 'find' will cost me a chunk...and before I know it, it will be in the car and me wondering what the hell happened.

I always have buyers guilt in those same situations. It usually goes away after a couple weeks (when the hole in my wallet is filled) and I'm happy I have the guitar.

I went to the Dallas guitar show last year with a pile of cash, expecting to find something that blew me away (and I'd likely overspend). But I didn't fall in love with anything. So hey, you may or may not fall in love with anything at Wildwood.
Take it as 'this will be a chance to see/play some killer guitars, if nothing else'. And if something rubs you the right way - you only live once!

Side Note - I almost bought something from Wildwood, and spoke to the guys on the phone a bunch...REALLY nice people, and zero pressure to purchase.
 
I spent dollars on an American strat - to be honest it’s my least favorite guitar - I keep meaning to get rid of it but haven’t got around to it. Must have chosen pauly.
Thanks
Pauly
 
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:smilingimp:
 
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