need a strat. educate me!

[Guest Farnsbarns]

People of the forum. I need a strat, I turn 40 this year and hope I can do it this year.

 

Thing is, apart from knowing I want to get the clasic strat quack from it I really don't know where to start. I know, in a store, I'm just looking to work out what my minimum budget is. I'm not worried about Mexican vs usa unless I should be. You all know I like to keep it traditional and simple. I quite like the aged thing although I've never bought an aged guitar and I'm as happy to age it myself over a long period but I do find worn to be a nice aesthetic. Perhaps the finish should be considered too. Does poly "age" per se?

 

What should I be looking for?

 

Edit, I've always had a yearning to have a guitar from 76 (my year). What should I know about 76 Strats?

[jdgm]

The poly finish on my MIJ 80s Strat hasn't aged.

 

Some considerations:

Maple or r'wd board?

Board radius (some of the USA high-end ones have a compound radius) can be 7.5", 9.5" or 12" (I think - Forum members please correct me if wrong).

Pickups - 3 scs or sc/hb combination?

To trem or not to trem?

Body weight; the last Strat I bought was a Crafted In Japan black 'Aerodyne' Strat which I loved the look of.

However shortly after getting it I realised I didn't like the neck radius (9.5" I think) and it felt too lightweight for me as well. May not be an issue for everybody.

 

Good luck.

[Guest Farnsbarns]

The poly finish on my MIJ 80s Strat hasn't aged.

 

Some considerations:

Maple or r'wd board?

Board radius (some of the USA high-end ones have a compound radius) can be 7.5", 9.5" or 12" (I think - Forum members please correct me if wrong).

Pickups - 3 scs or sc/hb combination?

To trem or not to trem?

Body weight; the last Strat I bought was a Crafted In Japan black 'Aerodyne' Strat which I loved the look of.

However shortly after getting it I realised I didn't like the neck radius (9.5" I think) and it felt too lightweight for me as well. May not be an issue for everybody.

 

Good luck.

 

 

Good point. I like the finished maple boards and I'm fairly sure I want sss. All my guitars are hh right now.

[capmaster]

When about "tremolo" - vibrato is the correct term -, it's mainly about leaving it alone in most cases. Only Floyd Rose systems are useful, and they only make very few MIM models with them.

 

Hum and buzz or noiseless is another point. All of my Strats originally came as HSS FR Strats and were modded as planned with Fender SSS Noiseless pickups.

[Versatile]

Hi Farns...I imagine every Strat owner has their own story to tell

 

The Strat and it's soulmate the Tele have caught the world's guitar playing imagination like no other guitar....from their elegant simple construction to their ability to satisfy so many tonal requirements...

 

From Hank to Jimi, D!ck to Stevie Ray, Buddy to Eric et many al....

 

How long is a piece of string?

 

Maybe, just maybe a starting point is to study favourite players' gear and build a picture of what may be a keeper within a personal budget...from surprisingly good Squiers up to the USA made models....

 

V

 

[Guest Farnsbarns]

I don't have a trem equipped guitar, maybe it would be fun but I really have no great desire so I'm easy on th trem/vs hardtail thing.

[capmaster]

I don't have a trem equipped guitar, maybe it would be fun but I really have no great desire so I'm easy on th trem/vs hardtail thing.

Sadly they don't make next to no hardtail Strats anymore, let alone on a budget. :(

[sparquelito]

farnsbarns,

 

A vintage 1976 Stratocaster will cost you £1,100 to £1,500 sir.

My recommendations, if you want a nice Strat, but don't have unlimited funds;

 

* Avoid the Squiers, go for a genuine Fender.

 

* If you buy used, play before you pay.

The Strat is the most commonly-faked guitar in history.

There are a LOT of counterfeit Stratocasters out there is what I am saying, and you don't want to pay a tall price for a fake piece of junk.

 

* The quality difference between an American-made Stratocaster and the ones made at the other licensed Fender factories (in Japan, Mexico, and China) is negligible.

I have held Fenders made in all four countries, and to be quite honest, I can't tell a difference. They are all terrific.

 

* If you go for a used one, try to find one that is bone-stock. If you want that genuine Fender squawk, you want it all-original, in my opinion.

 

* The best bang-for the buck that I have witnessed lately is the Fender Standard Stratocaster with the maple neck. Made in Mexico, the guitar is a fantastic value.

I don't like buying used from the internet, but companies like Amazon make buying NEW a real joy, especially with their return policy and satisfaction guaranteed.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Fender-Standard-Stratocaster-Maple-Fretboard/dp/B005J3S276/ref=sr_1_1?s=musical-instruments&ie=UTF8&qid=1454236811&sr=1-1&keywords=Fender+stratocaster

 

Scroll thru the color options, they are all beautiful, especially the white one and the brown sunburst.

 

:mellow:

[btoth76]

Hello.

 

I bought a Am Special last year.

 

It is a great guitar at very nice price. It came with gigbag, though, but with lots of candies. Including an informative user's guide, a wrench, and polishing cloth.

 

The guitar lacks all the modern features of Am Standard: no neck-tilt system, it's equipped with classic vibrato system, and no locking machine heads. It's heel is not contoured either.

 

It has a seventies style big headstock and logo. An excellent feature is the satin finished neck. It has a great feel - I prefer it over the full gloss one.

 

The pickups are hot Texas Specials. The middle one is very sensitive. If I touch a polepiece accidentally, it reacts with humming. Otherwise, they sound very aggressive overdriven, nice and twangy clean. It kind of encourages playing it hard with strong picking attack.

 

The vibrato is reliable when set up properly. It's just not for me. I had set it up, but rather than using with the bar, I use it with the edge of my palm for Bigsby-like, delicate vibrato effect.

 

I think, this model supposed to be the "Studio" of the Strats. But it's appearance doesn't make it obvious.

 

I can highly recommend it. I am not a Strat guy, I didn't wanted to spend much on it. But nor do I feel that I miss anything by not getting a Standard.

 

Good luck... Bence

[btoth76]

This might be helpful:

 

http://thehub.musiciansfriend.com/guitar-buying-guides/stratocaster-buying-guide

 

Bence

['Scales]

My former bandmate has 4 of the things. To be fair they sound really nice to me in the 2 and 4 positions as well as the neck position. a couple of observations:

The relic'd maple fingerboards (at least MIM) look awful, though the bodies are fine, IMO, if you go that way.

Invest in one of those 'all 6 strings at once' tuner pedals if you like to use the whammy - speeds things up for your bandmates...

Remember to leave space when playing to do the little 90' pivots to try and find the least buzzy angle to the amp - invest in a swivel chair if playing seated..

 

 

...nice guitars all the same in all seriousness. All the best with the pursuit!

[capmaster]

...

It has a seventies style big headstock and logo. An excellent feature is the satin finished neck. It has a great feel - I prefer it over the full gloss one.

...

Would always have liked a Floyd Rose Strat with 70's peghead, ash body, maple neck and natural finish. They didn't make some. :(

 

All of my Strats' necks are extraordinarily fine, three with rosewood board and satin maple back, one glossy one-piece maple neck. They play very comfortably and make me even forget their 9.5" radius. :)

[kidblast]

There are as many strats as you can count these days, I'm not really one way or another on the "Aged" aspect...

 

The American Standard series is a reasonably safe bet all around, (about $1,300/$1,400 US) I have a 2014 Standard, and it's a fine guitar. The standards are stock w/Fat 50s pickups which are very good "traditional" sounding strat pickups. I have another strat with Texas Specials, and these are more aggressive, hit the amp a bit harder and have a little more top end bit. the 50s are smoother with (I call it... ) more glassy bottom end.

 

The Mexican strats are pretty good all around, but the pickups are usually the weak link. If you plan to swap those out, you could still be ahead $ wise with a MIM after a pup upgrade. you should do some comparisions so you can see what the differences are. The MIM like Epi's are coming out a bit cleaner these days.. 10 years ago, they were clearly inferior, and you could tell the minute you compared to the other. (USA vs MIM)

 

the biggest thing for me with Fenders is the fret profile, I'm not real big fan of vintage frets on strats and teles (which are very thin) especially on a glossy maple neck, tuff to get under the string for bends. the standards are fitted with medium jumbos, (AFIK). so if that's something you'd be considering, I think if you stay away from the 50s vintage style, you're ok.

 

If you're looking to go "state of the art" you can take a look at the new Elite Series, noiseless 4 pups S1 wiring, and some other innovations.

[cody78]

* Avoid the Squiers, go for a genuine Fender.

 

Squiers are great for the money. I have an old battered affinity Strat which was second and only cost £99 back in 2001. I always played Gibson and Epi Les Pauls when I was younger, but had joined a funk/ rock band so wanted a thinner sound. I'd never been a big fan of Strats, but the Squier I used for loads of gigs and even during my music student days as I didn't want to always carry around more expensive guitars. It plays really nice and sounds pretty good and I've had quite a few compliments about the sound of my old Squier too! I also have a Mexican Strat which is pretty cool too, but I've had problems with the neck on that one.

[BigKahune]

.

IMO the extra steps involved in neck work on the AM Std version is worth the money - very nice feel. There's also added switching (S1) capabilities on the AM Dlx (pricey). Good luck in the hunt.

 

 

.

[pippy]

If you do decide to go down the '76 route (as opposed to Route 66) bear in mind the Strat will have a three-bolt neck.

 

In principle not a bad idea but not great in practice because in many cases IMX the neck could shift laterally; usually because of a wild playing technique allied to a poorly cut neck pocket. I had a few early '70s Strats and they all had this issue. They (i.e. I) were OK 99% of the time as I have a fairly restrained playing style but if it moves then the whole guitar goes WAY out of tune in an instant and by a BIG degree! That said I kept one as my backup all the years I was playing out and it only went out once when playing a gig.

 

Modern Strats are very good in the main.

If you fancy trying my '62 style 'Classic Series' for a while to see how you get on with it give me a bell and you can pop over to pick it up.

 

Pip.

[sparquelito]

Squiers are great for the money. I have an old battered affinity Strat which was second and only cost £99 back in 2001. I always played Gibson and Epi Les Pauls when I was younger, but had joined a funk/ rock band so wanted a thinner sound. I'd never been a big fan of Strats, but the Squier I used for loads of gigs and even during my music student days as I didn't want to always carry around more expensive guitars. It plays really nice and sounds pretty good and I've had quite a few compliments about the sound of my old Squier too! I also have a Mexican Strat which is pretty cool too, but I've had problems with the neck on that one.

 

Cody78,

 

No insults to either Squiers or to you intended, sir.

 

I have just seen and held too many Squiers that displayed inconsistent quality-control features.

 

Some are splendid guitars with smooth fret ends, and always stay in tune. (Like yours.)

Others that I have worked on (for close friends) have rough fret ends, off-kilter paint finishes, and wouldn't stay in tune no matter what you did.

 

One of the sweetest Squiers I ever heard (played live, in a blues band) was a butterscotch Franken-Tele.

The owner used the Squier body, installed his own pickups and electronics, and a Warmoth neck.

It had very little of the original guitar in it!

 

All that aside, Farnsbarns seemed to indicate in his original posting that he wanted a genuine Fender Stratocaster, though not in so many words.

That's just where I proceeded when I posted back to him.

:)

[JayinLA]

I would go for ESP instead. More choices, pickups, guts, and woods and stuff..Custom shop Japan will be +/- $900 U.S. However if this is some kind of life's mission, and its the "big reward" for yourself and you want to do it right. Call the Guys at Fender USA Custom Shop and get something badass that is unique to you. You can even choose your Luther with Fender CS.

 

In the mean time get a MIM or a ESP cause it will be about 2 years before they finish your order.

 

That's My Opinion, I don't give advice.

[JayinLA]

 

$899 List.

[ZettaVita]

 

$649 list

[pippy]

No offence intended but I'm pretty sure wants a Fender.

I'm sure there are hundreds of makers who build 'Strats' as good as or even better than Fender but only Fender builds Fender Strats.

 

IMX the closest currently available to the real vintage Strats are the MIM Classic Series which are offered in '50s maple 'board and '60s rosewood 'board versions.

When looking for something to replace my '64 I bought one of the latter and it's amazingly close to how the 'real' guitar felt. Identical in every practical respect.

The p'ups are possibly a bit more vintage than the '64 and are more like those in the '59 I owned briefly but that's a mere detail.

 

If I was looking for one right now then THIS is stupidly cheap;

 

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/electric_guitars_detail.asp?stock=150722288243002&gclid=CMPQx6Gt1MoCFagewwoddtMNSw

 

Other colours are available but cost a bit more.

 

Pip.

[merciful-evans]

I've said elsewhere that I had a 70s USA Strat for 25 years and never got along with the tight radius and general shape of the (maple) fretboard.

 

However, I persisted with it for that long because I was in love with the sound. The classic SSS is unequaled IMO.

 

You should have a pretty good idea what kind of necks you like already, but try some anyway.

 

If I was going back to a Strat I would try out a couple. I would certainly compare USA to MEX. All other things being equal, I imagine the Mexican with standard sss pups would be the one I would go for.

 

Good luck and enjoy the hunt.

[cody78]

Cody78,

 

No insults to either Squiers or to you intended, sir.

 

I have just seen and held too many Squiers that displayed inconsistent quality-control features.

 

Some are splendid guitars with smooth fret ends, and always stay in tune. (Like yours.)

Others that I have worked on (for close friends) have rough fret ends, off-kilter paint finishes, and wouldn't stay in tune no matter what you did.

 

One of the sweetest Squiers I ever heard (played live, in a blues band) was a butterscotch Franken-Tele.

The owner used the Squier body, installed his own pickups and electronics, and a Warmoth neck.

It had very little of the original guitar in it!

 

All that aside, Farnsbarns seemed to indicate in his original posting that he wanted a genuine Fender Stratocaster, though not in so many words.

That's just where I proceeded when I posted back to him.

:)

 

No offense taken sparquelito, it's all good. I think I was just lucky with mine, especially with it being a second! I can imagine some may not be quite up to standard. I did have to do a bit of work on it when I bought it, but that only involved tweaking various things and adjusting the truss rod. I always look after my instruments very well and keep them in near pristine condition, but with the Squier I let it get quite beat up which I regret now as it is a surprisingly good guitar, however, I rarely play it anymore and it has taken early retirement and now lives out its days in its case in a cupboard!

 

If I was to get a Strat now I'd like one of the American Standard Strats in sienna sunburst or a deluxe in aged cherry or perhaps tobacco sunburst finish. They look sweet

[stein]

 

IMX the closest currently available to the real vintage Strats are the MIM Classic Series which are offered in '50s maple 'board and '60s rosewood 'board versions.

When looking for something to replace my '64 I bought one of the latter and it's amazingly close to how the 'real' guitar felt. Identical in every practical respect.

The p'ups are possibly a bit more vintage than the '64 and are more like those in the '59 I owned briefly but that's a mere detail.

 

 

 

Pip.

I have had a LOT of Strats, and this is pretty close to my current favorite.

 

With different pups, of corse.

[stein]

People of the forum. I need a strat, I turn 40 this year and hope I can do it this year.

 

Thing is, apart from knowing I want to get the clasic strat quack from it I really don't know where to start. I know, in a store, I'm just looking to work out what my minimum budget is. I'm not worried about Mexican vs usa unless I should be. You all know I like to keep it traditional and simple. I quite like the aged thing although I've never bought an aged guitar and I'm as happy to age it myself over a long period but I do find worn to be a nice aesthetic. Perhaps the finish should be considered too. Does poly "age" per se?

 

What should I be looking for?

 

Edit, I've always had a yearning to have a guitar from 76 (my year). What should I know about 76 Strats?

Farns, if you want maximum classic Strat quack, the recipe is low output pups, equal wind and strength, NOT "reverse wound" in the middle. Taking it a bit further, for classic Strat sound, ceramic disk cap of 1 volt (as opposed to .5 volt), CTS pots are brighter in the very top.

 

To me, weight is important, and has everything to do with the sound of a Fender. There are exceptions, but when seeking one, looking for light weight will 99% of the time result in a good sounding one. 7 to 7 3/4 pounds is ideal.

 

As for poly vs nitro, it can and does have an effect on sound, but much of it is myth. Many of the "custom color" Strats of the 50's and 60's (read anything not sunburst or blonde) were acrylic, and not nitro anyway. It's the metallic colors that can be tough, as many are 3-4 coats and quite thick, which adds weight and dampens tone. Again, there ARE exceptions, but in my searches, there have been many metallic colors I have seeked and not been able to find in a good sounding one.

 

Japanese Fenders have a scary, correct shape and contours. If you find one in a good weight, chances are VERY good you will achieve Strat Bliss with a pup replacement, as good as ANY Strat. The Mexican "vintage" series is also close, as close as the American series in shape and body woods. I would judge that they are likely closer than what the American "vintage" series is doing currently, as the few I have seen recently have been off the mark.