Thoughts on the Stratocaster

robert(original) · Post by **robert(original)** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:40 pm

my first guitar was a strat knockoff, just like everyone i suppose.
i just never really felt like it was right on me. i dig the shortscale, and the only full scale guitar i have is tuned baritone.

George · Post by **George** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:45 pm

In the cold light of day the Strat bridge pickup if voiced around the classic 6K mark is brittle dog shit compared to the middle and neck; the tremolo is a pain in the balls in any language.

kypdurron · Post by **kypdurron** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:49 pm

Why do touring musicians use them? because it's a guitar that works. I accept their place in history as described by jcyphe, but I just don't like them. I never was in a situation where I thought "hey, a Strat would suit this song better than what I have in my hand here". But maybe Iif I needed a guitar I can play every night in all my stuff without having to care about it, it woul dbe a STrat too. Because I would not care.

truth is: When someone says "Stratocaster" I 1st think of corksniffing snobs who throw lots of money on some pre-CBS or Custom Shop stuff. Then I think "why would someone pay 4000 to 25000 â‚¬ for such a boring guitar?" Can't be only because they want to play funk or bluesrock. And then of course nearly every shit guitar is basically a poorly made Strat type. Those are the extremes, and there is not much in between at first sight.

I actually played a nice Strat once, a late 80s Fernandes.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:50 pm

The strat tremolo is awesome if you can set it up. It will not go out of tune. Fact.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 7:52 pm

I love synchronized tremolos. I love three pickup single coil guitars, I love contoured bodies but I've spent the most part of my guitar playing years ignoring Strats for aesthetic reasons only. Every time I pick up a strat I always wonder why it is that I don't own one. Then I catch somebody else playing one from the corner of my eye and I put it back on the wall.

There certainly aren't many non-Strat shaped guitars out there with that feature set but with the Cyclone II in the rack, (thank god I never ended up selling it) I should be ok not having to resort to that body style for a good long time.

laterallateral · Post by **laterallateral** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:09 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:The strat tremolo is awesome if you can set it up. It will not go out of tune. Fact.

Plain and simple truth.
It's the only trem I'm really fucking good at setting up and it hasn't let me down, yet.

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:29 pm

I can say why I don't like strats:

The upper horn area is too big and the part where you'd rest your right arm is too small. I can't lean over the guitar to get a crazy chord without the horn digging into my chest. Then the contours on the top fuck up my right hand position for fingerstyle - puts my wrist at precisely the wrong angle.

Every position, but especially 2 and 4, sound like some weird effect when played clean. Too thin and scooped by far.

95% of strats don't have hum-cancelling PUPs or even proper shielding. The principles of hum-cancellation have been understood since the 20s and implemented with guitars since the 50s. It absolutely BLOWS MY MIND that Fender just doesn't seem to give a shit, despite TONS of great-sounding noiseless SCs on the market.

The pickguard is HUGE. I know it's to mount the electronics, but that much plastic with little intervening chrome makes the guitar look cheap.

Stringing through the body is ASSSSSS.

The whole guitar feels so constructed - so many screws and plates and pieces. There's no grace in the design.

HATE strats. It's actually more comfortable for me to play a FLYING V than a damn strat. I can't get over thinking it's just a hideous and awkward design.

onedaycloser · Post by **onedaycloser** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:45 pm

I enjoy the sound and feel of my Strat (a MIJ E Series Squier), others - not so much. I started on a Strat type knock off so the body shape just feels right to me.

As far as the looks go, sure some are fairly plane Jane, but there's a few combos that just do it for me ..

This one will be with me till the end.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 8:55 pm

Will wrote:The whole guitar feels so constructed - so many screws and plates and pieces. There's no grace in the design.

See, that's something that I see the complete other way round from you, and it's one of the things I love about Fenders in general. I love the idea of taking cheaper materials and designing an instrument in such a way as it'll sound as good (or better), be easier to mass produce, be easier to maintain and last longer than the alternatives. It's a completely different approach to the Gibson solidbody, which involves taking the biggest piece of the most expensive wood, making a complicated and fragile neck, gluing the two together so that neither can be removed from the other, and then bolting the strings directly to that construction.

The Gibson way seems brutish and simplistic to me. Heavy and ineffective.* There Fender approach demands a certain grace in the design.

* Obviously it isn't ineffective, but it ought to be somehow. Like a big heavy car, getting trounced by a smaller Lotus or something.

Billy3000 · Post by **Billy3000** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:14 pm

I'm not a huge fan of trem bridges either, I just don't really use them, so I'd prefer to have a hardtail. Another reason I like the feel of my Tom Delonge strat. Also, I do volume swells and I'm still able to accomplish them pretty easily with the placement of the knob on it.

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:39 pm

BacchusPaul wrote:
Will wrote:The whole guitar feels so constructed - so many screws and plates and pieces. There's no grace in the design.
See, that's something that I see the complete other way round from you, and it's one of the things I love about Fenders in general. I love the idea of taking cheaper materials and designing an instrument in such a way as it'll sound as good (or better), be easier to mass produce, be easier to maintain and last longer than the alternatives. It's a completely different approach to the Gibson solidbody, which involves taking the biggest piece of the most expensive wood, making a complicated and fragile neck, gluing the two together so that neither can be removed from the other, and then bolting the strings directly to that construction.

The Gibson way seems brutish and simplistic to me. Heavy and ineffective.* There Fender approach demands a certain grace in the design.

* Obviously it isn't ineffective, but it ought to be somehow. Like a big heavy car, getting trounced by a smaller Lotus or something.

There's also an interesting subtlety - my Dano is just as constructed as any strat, it just, for some reason, doesn't feel that way. I think partially because there are so few screws.
A Les Paul or SG really isn't any more graceful than a Strat or Tele, but an L5 is by far. But then you're into a completely different type of guitar. There's just always been some level where I feel a Fender is a tool more than an instrument. Like a keyboard vs. a piano.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 9:51 pm

Will wrote:
BacchusPaul wrote:
Will wrote:The whole guitar feels so constructed - so many screws and plates and pieces. There's no grace in the design.
See, that's something that I see the complete other way round from you, and it's one of the things I love about Fenders in general. I love the idea of taking cheaper materials and designing an instrument in such a way as it'll sound as good (or better), be easier to mass produce, be easier to maintain and last longer than the alternatives. It's a completely different approach to the Gibson solidbody, which involves taking the biggest piece of the most expensive wood, making a complicated and fragile neck, gluing the two together so that neither can be removed from the other, and then bolting the strings directly to that construction.

The Gibson way seems brutish and simplistic to me. Heavy and ineffective.* There Fender approach demands a certain grace in the design.

* Obviously it isn't ineffective, but it ought to be somehow. Like a big heavy car, getting trounced by a smaller Lotus or something.
There's also an interesting subtlety - my Dano is just as constructed as any strat, it just, for some reason, doesn't feel that way. I think partially because there are so few screws.
A Les Paul or SG really isn't any more graceful than a Strat or Tele, but an L5 is by far. But then you're into a completely different type of guitar. There's just always been some level where I feel a Fender is a tool more than an instrument. Like a keyboard vs. a piano.

I think I see that tool type thing, but I think there's a part of me that really likes lots of parts working well together, even if I know it's loads of parts. Interesting that you mention pianos and keyboards, I've never really seen that tool/instrument thing there. One of the things I love about pianos is when I have to do whatever bit of work I can do on my one, or I love opening up a grand piano and getting stuck into the inside of it when composing. I love the way you can see that they really are fantastical mechanical machines, amazing things.

I see some of that brilliance in a strat and in a piano. I don't see it in a Les Paul.

Ankhanu · Post by **Ankhanu** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:00 pm

I don't dislike Strats... exactly... I'm just not a fan.

Some of it has to do with how common they are, some of it has to do with the look... but I think most of why I don't care for Strats comes down to how many goddamn AWFUL ones I've played over the years, from a variety of makers. So many Strats are just sub-par instruments. The synchronized trem system is terrible (imo), most of them have shit pickups and hardware... and most just don't feel very nice in hand.

That said, my friend owns one that is an absolute dream to play, and I love it. It's a black and aged white, maple necked American Fat Strat circa 1999 and has some great features, and practically plays itself.

Sound wise, I quite enjoy a good Strat, and would like to have one, but I'm not going to drop the cash to get one... there are other, more interesting guitars that I can get that'll emulate the sound with a little tweaking of their controls (ie. I'd rather get a Schecter Ultra III to dial in a Strat sound).

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:03 pm

In 20 years of playing i've owned a lot of Strats; various Fender, Tokai, Fernandes, Squier, etc. but never settled on the design. Yet at the same time i cannot deny it is the ultimate electric guitar.
The volume knob position irritates me a little but besides that it is a joyous design to play; stood up or sat down, perfect balance, comfortable, looks good and feels right. Sonically it is pure class, whilst i prefer humbucker sounds there is nothing touches a good Stratocaster. It is a transparent guitar that hides nothing; if you are bad you will sound fucking awful but if you are good it is a very expressive instrument.

I admit i had hang-ups with the stereotypical negatives associated with the Strat and always saw it as a 'safe bet' purchase or a guitar for retirement (to an extent like Les Pauls) but then you remember Hendrix or see someone like Nick Zinner and realise your just being a pratt. Its still cool as fuck and i suppose that transparacy thing comes back here too... it is only uncool if you are uncool.

At the moment i just have Tim's old Tokai, bizarrely my first serious guitar was a gold spaghetti logo Tokai as well. Everyone should own a Strat, it should be mandatory, even if its just an Affinity model.

hotrodperlmutter · Post by **hotrodperlmutter** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:18 pm

the strat is the model t of guitars. it's a timeless design, and the versatility is the overall intrigue for me. definite workhorse, and my hum-cancelling works fine.

Thom · Post by **Thom** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:19 pm

The Strat Neck pup and Neck/Middle sounds are simply fantastic.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:43 pm

Thom wrote:The Strat Neck pup and Neck/Middle sounds are simply fantastic.

Echoes my point during a debate with James at Doogfest a few years ago. For instant "whoah" the Tele bridge sound is better but the Strat bridge pup is so clear it lends itself to processing. Malmsteen or Marvin, the clarity is the main factor of their melodies. The bridge/middle position is also a trip into Funky Town with a few 9 or 11 chords.

NickS · Post by **NickS** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 10:56 pm

I've always been a Strat lover and bought my first in '73. I stopped adding damage to it and bought a new one a couple of Christmases back, when I found out the silly money that '73 Strats were now fetching. It's a tool, but it's also classic and good-looking. I've never had a problem with the tremolo - I have more tuning problems with my Flying V. Yes, you have to manage the hum and these days I don't use the bridge pickup as much as I did 30 years ago.

Oh, and the '73 is 3-colour burst, which used to be the cheapest finish back then and now costs extra. Why?

DanHeron · Post by **DanHeron** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:00 pm

It's probably the only guitar my dad knows the name of.

Will · Post by **Will** » Fri Sep 17, 2010 11:03 pm

Someone help me find a picture of a fat middle-aged guy in a Hawaiian shirt and straw hat and khaki (or cut-off jean) shorts and socks with sandals playing a sunburst strat.

Bonus points if he has either that strap/harness thing that goes over both shoulders, or a leather strap with a ridiculous number of turquoise-inlaid conchos because he thinks he's native American.

Also, this article:
http://www.theonion.com/articles/afflue ... lues,1511/