How did 'SuperStrats' first come about?

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:25 am

Were people chopping up their strats for better playability or was there a company who first came up with the radical SuperStrat shape and features? Who made the first pointy Strat?

Will · Post by **Will** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:31 am

Look no further:

EVH was the first to start pushing the strat form-factor. He put in a PAF from a 335, added jumbo fretwire, a brass nut, and stripped everything down to the bare essentials. Most of the designs in the 80s were based on that formula; the Floyd Rose was just the icing on the cake and really designed to get the type of sounds Eddie was getting by modding and abusing Star trems.

Bacchus · Post by **Bacchus** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:34 am

Shredders in the late seventies were modifying their guitars with humbuckers and such. Floyd Rose invented the Floyd Rose (HE INVENTED HIMSELF). Luthiers started making guitars with twenty-two and twenty-four fret necks, whilst making the bodies look a little faster by changing their style slightly. As far as I know, Jackson started off as one guy making this type of guitar (I'm probably wrong about this). Larger companies such as Ibanez, Charvel and Jackson started churning them out. Sponsorship deals became a big thing, any shredder worth his salt had some one making a signature model for him.

That all took place between about 1976 and 1984.

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:22 am

It's proper interesting stuff. Seems like it was a huge revolution in guitar design, since people had been using guitars based on 1950's (and earlier) ideas without any major change.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 2:19 pm

It was quite a big thing, older players will remember shops being full of Superstrats in the 80's/early 90's, you had no chance of finding Jags, Mustangs, etc. It was'nt until Nirvana exploded they started to appear, in the UK anyway.

chisa · Post by **chisa** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 3:48 pm

along with jackson, wayne charvel was a massive influence in this period.

the EVH strat was apparently a cheap neck and body he found in charvel's shop, put them together, routed the humbucker position with a chisel, put a PAF from a 335 in there directly nailed to the body, tried numerous bridges before the floyd came out, later changed the PAF for a pickup he wound himself.

the developments in these days were basically taking a strat body and making the cutaways bigger for access, and using big radius skinny necks.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:11 pm

I thought EVH originally used a maple Kramer 'Striker' neck, w/teh banana headstock?

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:30 pm

i've always heard it was a fender body with a knot in it and a neck that had some birds eye to it. at least thats what his frankenstrat started as
good stuff in here though

[youtube][/youtube]

Pacafeliz · Post by **Pacafeliz** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:37 pm

...didn't eddie put his yellow-striped strat in dimebag's coffin? or is that a replica?

Pat.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 4:40 pm

Pacafeliz wrote: ...didn't eddie put his yellow-striped strat in dimebag's coffin? or is that a replica?

Pat.

he says in part 2

[youtube][/youtube]

but yes, that was the real guitar

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:05 pm

That video was cool, I never knew anything about Van Halen and I've only heard 'Jump'. I thought that red Strat was properly built by Charvel, not hacked up by EVH himself.

Haze · Post by **Haze** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:12 pm

yep, quite the guitar story, if you will. Deffinately one of the most iconic guitars.

euan · Post by **euan** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:15 pm

The Jackson/Charvel history is a bit intertwined. I'm sure Charvel was Jacksons repair guy and they started making Jackson branded guitars. Then they split and each went their own way making Superstrats.

kim · Post by **kim** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:18 pm

oh look it's another strat thread

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:20 pm

heavium wrote:oh look it's another strat thread

pffy. don't you like them white strats with gold hardware? (i forget what they're called).

gold hardware.

stewart · Post by **stewart** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:24 pm

eurg. the guy in one of the bands we played with last night had a les paul with gold hardware. i resisted the urge to stand right in front of him when they were playing and go "look! look everyone, look at his horrible guitar with gold bits on it!" but i think it spoke for itself.

Reece · Post by **Reece** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:26 pm

forum search reveals it to be the mary kay strat.

wut.

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:26 pm

Mary Kaye strats cause they're fuckin awesome?

edit- beat me to it

The Frankenstrat had a 50's strat trem when he recorded "Eruption".

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 5:46 pm

heavium wrote:oh look it's another strat thread

Leave my thread in peace!

paul_ · Post by **paul_** » Sun Mar 29, 2009 7:00 pm

chisa wrote:
the EVH strat was apparently a cheap neck and body he found in charvel's shop,

He bought them out of catalogues for a combined $130, not that cheap for strat parts at the time. Neck was Charvel and body was Boogie Bodies. I don't think he hung out in Charvel's shop prior to fame.

edit- whoops, guess he did go buy them @ Charvel, my mistake