Lets praise strats :P

SonataGuitarist · #1 05-24-2006, 07:54 PM

Alright, being the Fender fan that I am, i got a bit "steamed" when I saw the bash thread, and my first instinct was to race in there and be the voice of opposition. Well, I decided not to disrespect Ibanez2005, and run in there negate his thread off the bat, lol. I'll just use this thread, and provide some, erm, competition.

This one however is only about Fender Strats. Flagship guitars as they are, I don't think they get enough credit for their quality and playability, IMO.

My first guitar was a MIM Fender Fat Strat (HSS), and til this day it's my favorite. It overtakes my Ibz S Series and even my Gibson SG for sheer comfort, smoothness, and especially versatility. Alder is my favorite tone wood, and with it's Evo bridge and Virtual 2 neck, my strat can cover all grounds. The neck is perfect for me, as are the medium jumbo frets, which gives the guitar a very personal feel, and flawless accuracy.
It's solid built, and holds it's tuning against my sinister bends and double stops. After many attemps to change it's appearance, I've found it's original look to be the best (midnight wine, white pickguard). If I want, it sounds like Vai (like, JUST like vai, gotta be the alder), and if i want, it sounds like Satch, and any other sound, it'll match :P Its such a sweet axe! Yeah!

Anyhow, my rant over. What do you think is completely awesome and fantastic about strats!?! (Or if your opinion is a lil more toned down, thatll work too

) Thanks.

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ibanezcollector · #2 05-24-2006, 08:01 PM

well im not a fender man by any means. BUT I RESPECT there guitars.

I do however absolutly love the Neck position with a clean tube amp and a dash of reverb. I almost bought a Fender just for that tone.

Fenders are by far some of the most respected guitars in history and if you read the bash thread I wasnt afraid to speak up. And Im not a Fender man for one reason, Humbuckers.. Although I was about 2 secs away from buying a used Big Apple strat a few weeks ago.

SonataGuitarist · #3 05-24-2006, 08:13 PM

Well said. I actually find the whole Humbucker dispute quite funny. For a long time I wanted a neck hum for my strat, since it was a Fat Strat it already had bridge hum(and I wanted matching Evo). Well after months of debate and coming this || close to a router, I opted out. Especially after reading Jemsite and seeing all the people (ibz owners) who were jonesin for a single in the neck pos! I learned, mostly from here, how valuable HSS is for a setup, and now appreciate it. But you can route anything.....

24 frets is another story, lol.

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Eddie_UV777 · #4 05-24-2006, 08:24 PM

i like scalloped necked strats

, cause i own one!

ChopTart · #5 05-24-2006, 08:34 PM

Strats are great guitars, and IMO, no guitarist's collection is complete without at least ONE quality strat-style guitar. It rings perfectly with those vintage bell-tones that most modern guitars (Ibanez and such) come close to, but don't replicate.

In terms of versatility, Ibanez still wins the contest for me becuase of their better trems, HSH, and the shredder necks are just more comfortable for me (and I'm definetally not a shredder

) However, strats are such great overall rock guitars, just a classic by tone, feel and definition!

ChopTart · #6 05-24-2006, 08:36 PM

By the way, what was Ibanez2005's strat-hating thread? could you post a link to this?

SonataGuitarist · #7 05-24-2006, 08:46 PM

Not exactly a strat-hating thread, but it was enough for me to rise and defend my strats honor!

http://www.jemsite.com/forums/showthread.php?t=47813

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**elcid** · #8 05-24-2006, 09:08 PM

A Strat is a great guitar and as previously mentioned no one's collection is complete without one. No matter how many people try to copy it, nothing else sounds like a strat.

Gex · #9 05-24-2006, 10:04 PM

Although I dont own one, I love them

I dont know why people bitch about single coils so much. . I love them. Crisp, clear, glassy, DYNAMIC (you cant make a humbucker "speak" like you can a single coil)

I love humbuckers too, I also have an equal admiration for single coils. As long as their not too noisy, they're great with loads of gain. . . sound great!

The necks are great, and a scale that im used to. (25.5 . .like my RG550s) and they're beautiful.

mi2tom · #10 05-25-2006, 03:18 AM

Strats are great but I just really don't think they can come near any jem IMO

Rotti · #11 05-25-2006, 07:48 AM

If they say they just don't like Strats thats fine. If they try and say "Strats are all the same", or "they don't stay in tune", or anything like that then they just don't know what they're talking about. It would be like someone from the Fender forum saying that a floating bridge guitar wont stay in tune and is a pain in the butt just because they had a bad experience with one or don't understand how they work. Example from the Strat bashing thread.

Quote:

I just don't like old tech, and Fender is old tech. A tremolo that goes incredibly out of tune, single coil pups on most strats that aren't suited to gain of any type, and the design?"

All wrong. Vintage Strat trems stay in tune great if setup correctly. I can do all kinds of trem work with my Strat without it going out of tune and I don't even have locking tuners. Also I have a strat with vintage single coils that LOVE gain. When I add tons of gain the guitar just screams, cuts through any mix, sounds heavy as hell. No feedback, very little noise, wicked harmonics. Of course the clean sound is awsome. I think it does take a little more skill to sound really good on a clean Strat verses a heavily distoted humbucker equiped guitar. Things like vibrato, pick attack and string bending have to be good and thats what shapes the sound. As far as the design goes a strat is super comfortable to play. I say if you don't like Strats then maybe you just haven't played a good one. God knows there are a lot of Strats out there with terrible setups.
Okay I'm done defending the Strat. Those that know and appreciate the Fender Stratocaster know what I'm talking about. Those who don't are missing out big time.
Maybe we should post some pics and sound clips to add to the "Strat appreciation" thread.

no1spretty · #12 05-25-2006, 09:29 AM

My friend has an american standard strat. Incredible sound, looks great, but feels wrong. Probably because of the poor factory set up. Still, I <3 Fender strats

Thanks for this thread, SonataGuitarist

jamiewitt1 · #13 05-25-2006, 09:35 AM

I've got a fender strat, and I've got to say its disapointing. The neck is lovely and it sounds great, but the controls are right in the way, I always find myself turning the volum down or changing pickups my mistake when I'm getting into my playing. It may be because I've got big hands but it seems like a massive error for such a company to make. They are a bit overated in my opinion, but its still a great guitar! I love the 'Sultans of Swing' tone yo can get from them.

shredfreak · #14 05-25-2006, 09:58 AM

I love this thread because I love Fender Strats!

I'm going to buy a Fender Stratocaster pretty soon and MIM 60's classic Strat seems to be really great. I already have one Tokai Strat.

Their are fantastic guitars, especially 60's and early 70's style Stratocasters. But actually I don't like American series and Highway One series Strats, they feel kinda boring to me. They just don't have that something, probably with better setup I would like them more but it's the neck and body I don't like. I guess modern C-shape neck isn't for me.

But American Deluxe series guitars are awesome! I don't know if they have different neck shape but they feel really comfortable and they look great too. Signature series guitars are nice too, I love Knopfler Strat, Jeff Beck Strat is really nice too, Yngwie Strat and Clapton Stratocaster has really nice neck shape. Eric Johnson model is really interesting too. Best thing about Strats is that they are so versatile. Usually I don't like their bridge and neck pups. Single coils aren't for my taste but there are few exceptions, I usually need humbuckers. Another bad thing about vintage Stratocaster is that they have vintage frets, well actually it's not that bad thing, I can deal with them but medium jumbos and jumbo frets are better.

But as I said they are very versatile, with a bridge humbucker you can play anything you want, blues, pop, rock, hard rock, heavy metal, punk and the list goes on and on. They look nice and they feel fantastic, '62 C-shape neck is my favorite and V-shape is nice too.

And in the other hand they are pretty simple guitars, it's easy to modified them. I have to disagree with Ibanez2005 when he said that Fender doesn't have enough selection. You can get Strat with HSS, SSS or HH pup configuration, with or without figured maple top, with koa top, alder, ash or basswood body, with maple, rosewood or ebony fingerboard, 21 or 22 frets, hardtail or vintage or Floyd Rose bridge, lots of different colors, lots of different neck shapes and that's not all!

That's why I love Fender Stratocasters so much!

Rotti · #15 05-25-2006, 01:17 PM

Well people are probably getting sick of pics of my custom Strat but I'll post a couple here to counter the Strat bashing thread.

Ash body (I painted it close to Daphne blue)
Ebony Fretboard
22 Jumbo Frets
Fender USA hardware
Graphtec nut and string tree
CTS pots
Sprague Orange drop caps
Fender USA Vintage pickups
TONS of sheilding in the body cavities
Strung with D'adarrio 9's

Outdoor pics are always nice....

Thanks for looking.