The Strat - fashion vs function

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pure.fusion

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Wow. How hard is it choose a strat?

I've never owned a strat, only a strat copy when I was young. Followed by a Ibanez Jem (which to some degree started based on a strat) and a Gibson copy.

Now that I'm recording, I find myself looking for a strat because *nothing* I have will get me that neck pickup strat sound.

But I find that a lot the people trading these guitars aren't "players" at all! They even have collections of expensive strats and they're not even being played. This is bad news for me - it only means higher prices :(

Im just beginning to sort out the levels of quality between the models. The Standard strat vs the American etc - cause the prices vary a lot.

No doubt, like buying my cheap Gibson copy, the American made vs Mexico made thing will surely pop up and become a point of desicion for me. I was searching the web for a site or article that simplified the huge range of models and pointed out wood and hardware differences etc. Haven't found one yet. Do you know of any?

Basically, like all my gear I guess, I don't want to buy crap. The stuff of the bottom shelf is usually not for me and you can usually get better quality if you pay a bit more. But only up to the point where you're paying more 'cause some guy named Yngwie Malmsteen had something to do with it. I don't think this is an eficient use of money!

Anyone play a cheap Standard Strat?

Cheers,
FM
 
I play both a "cheap" (Fender Squier Standard) and a "pricy" (MIA Standard) Strat, both lefty, both currently loaded with Texas Special pickups- and both play and sound nearly the same. I upgraded the tuners on the Squier to match the ones on the MIA Strat (didn't do it to make them alike in that respect, it just happened that way,) and both have the "modern" whammy bridge and non-locking nut, so both stay in tune about the same, too. You could not have two guitars as much alike, yet as different, as these two- so I feel imminently qualified to answer your question.

Honestly, as I said, I can hardly tell the difference. I even recorded the same simple riffs with both guitars, and played them back, and the MIA strat sounded a little better, but as it was not a double-blind test, I couldn't be sure I wasn't "hearing money."

Don't get me wrong- I am very happy and proud to own the MIA strat- but it's largely a pride-of-ownership difference, rather than a toneful one.
 
well, i've played a standard strat, and idk. it's not the same feel as an american, IMO. i've got an 89 USA Strat plus (which was a precursor to the american deluxe; had lace sensor pickups, tremsetter, wilkinson nut, 2 point bridge) and that thing plays wonderfully. compared to a mexican strat, it plays beautifully!
 
80's MIJ strats are among some of the best ever made. Having said that, remember there are lemons of all models in all years. Never buy a guitar without first playing it.
 
Just buy some decent parts and build your own strat. Screw paying extra money for a sub-standard guitar just to have a fender decal on the headstock.
 
stevieb said:
I play both a "cheap" (Fender Squier Standard) and a "pricy" (MIA Standard) Strat, both lefty, both currently loaded with Texas Special pickups- and both play and sound nearly the same. I upgraded the tuners on the Squier to match the ones on the MIA Strat (didn't do it to make them alike in that respect, it just happened that way,) and both have the "modern" whammy bridge and non-locking nut, so both stay in tune about the same, too. You could not have two guitars as much alike, yet as different, as these two- so I feel imminently qualified to answer your question.

Honestly, as I said, I can hardly tell the difference. I even recorded the same simple riffs with both guitars, and played them back, and the MIA strat sounded a little better, but as it was not a double-blind test, I couldn't be sure I wasn't "hearing money."

Don't get me wrong- I am very happy and proud to own the MIA strat- but it's largely a pride-of-ownership difference, rather than a toneful one.
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Awesome StevieB. This makes me feel a lot better about the Standard. Even in these early stages, I look at the American and get that feeling that the nicer hardware and finish will translate directly into my recordings. It works on my mind!

I actually want a fixed bridge. After discovering that a factory fixed bridge strat is super rare (or never was produced), I know I'm up for the block thing. Yet to discover whether or not this is a DIY or a legit Fender part.

FM
 
ocnor said:
Just buy some decent parts and build your own strat. Screw paying extra money for a sub-standard guitar just to have a fender decal on the headstock.
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Yeah? Are you serious? Can you do that?

Maybe I get a standard Strat and *if* I think anything is sub standard, I go for these parts you speak of...

FM
 
Get a pre lawsuit Fernandes strat copy - better sound than a US strat at a tenth of the price :)
 
ocnor said:
Just buy some decent parts and build your own strat. Screw paying extra money for a sub-standard guitar just to have a fender decal on the headstock.
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^^^^^^^ this ^^^^^^^

the two very best 'strats' I've ever owned were both partscasters. I still have both and got rid of a lot of 'real' strats thru the years.

Last one I built cost me around 500 bucks in parts.

Warmouth usually has a bargain bin section where they have stuff people oredered and never got so they're way reduced. It limits your wood choices to what's available but there's usually some nice stuff.
 
I own a Fender Squier. I'm not really a guitar "tone" expert. But I can't really tell a significant difference between my guitar's neck and body from the other 4 Strats I've played. What I can tell you is that everyones axe has quiet a learning curve for me. I think this is because everyone I know sets their string height different, along with the string brands and thickness. For me, my finding is that 90% of the "tone" comes from the pick ups (single/humbucker & magnets used) and amp used rather than the neck and body.

My ear's tell me that my $99 Fender played through a free VSTs played on a PA totally smokes, my fellow band member's MIA played through $1000 worth of separate pedals played into a 12" Peavey Bandit.
 
Heh. No big deal on the fixed bridge - I thought it was a super-rare thing.

I just realized you can buy a Robert Cray model Strat. I imagine they are *not* routing a hole for a trem before they screw a bridge on.

FM
 
I'm primarily a Tele man but I've been messing around on S-types and Les Pauls of late. I think you're right in that one of the Start's unique points is its neck pickup. There's so much snap to be had there, and stock Teles are definitely more mellow in the enck position. I used to love positions two and four purely for the clarity on offer - strats clean up very well here when the distortion kicks in. The start is always cited as the most versatile guitar around, simply because it is just that - incredibly versatile.

Regarding the Mexi/US debate, there has been considerable talk about it on this forum over the years. If you'd like to go the Mexi route, I suggest you play as many models as possible as QC does seem to be that bit more lax. The cost of fret-work and set-up might mean that you'd be better off springing for a US-made model.

I'm gonna break out my US standard tonight, so thanks for the inspiration!
 
i was surfing for bass amp info...but the Strat question....

i bet if you have $500 cash and can find a used US Strat in playable shape thats a good deal.

a MIM is probably a great gig-worthy axe....

If your not looking for a collectors item it shouldnt be hard. I think GC offers about $300-$500 for US Strats used, no case.

your post states your NOT a collector so you can enjoy a MIM. a great guitar for even cheaper, and you dont care about stickers or US made...so thats a great built guitar of the Strat family.


i love my squier 51 these days... but I miss the front bullet jack/plug of the Strat....how cool, and the edge cable thing the cable just sits out there looking for someone to set it down and snap off the plug....daaang....
 
in addition to my post above.....

i do have to say though, that i'm still playing my 40th or something anniversary squier strat from around '95 or something. my brother bought it off a friend when he first learned guitar. it predates the affinity series stuff, so it was a pretty decent squier. i'm still playing it now, after many mods. i put on the fender locking tuners, completely rewired it with a duncan SH4JB in the neck (although back then i was stupid and didn't know wtf f-spacing and regular meant, so i ordered a regular and i always wondered why the strings didn't go over the poles towards the GBE....DUH) and it's got a neck mighty might single coil..i have a 2 way killswitch in it, and a 3 way toggle. no tone at all, just two volumes and the toggles...and i mean, for my shotty craftsmanship, i like the thing. i use some really heavy guage 12's on it with a wound G string (daddario light jazz i believe) and i use it for lower tuning riff stuff. it's just noisy as shit because i wired it bad obviously lol but other than that, i mean it's a pretty good playing guitar...and i threw that thing around A LOT.
 
TelePaul said:
I'm gonna break out my US standard tonight, so thanks for the inspiration!
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Hey, no Problemo.

Yes, I kicked off a buy American made vs Korean made thread a year ago. Great thread. The summery/outcome was that unless you were somehow emotionally attached to the MIA thing (which is fine of course!) then you can get just as playable units made offshore, but only if you do the hard yards, play all the units in your city and find the good 'one' in the batch.

I did this for my cheap gibson copy. Very time consuming though.....

FM
 
Now we need a sub thread that addresses the price factors in Australia & whether it'd be cheaper to fly to the US to buy a guitar.
The prices down here for brand names are silly expensive & the thought of buying online & importing, site unseen/unplayed, is unpalatable too.
If there's a place somewhere between a rock & a hard place it's Australia for music gear.
It's too much of a lottery for the cheaper end of the brand market yet there are squillions of lesser brands guitars that are available to be tried out & a good one/deal/feel/sound found, somewhere, amongst them.
 
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