Strats - what's the fuss about? - GuitarTalk Community

Strats - what's the fuss about?

flatfourfan

I have mentioned a few times that I don't really understand the hype with strats and last night I got to play a US fender strat and urm.......yeah.

I know that my style/ taste of music isn't really suited to a guitar with single coils, but I found the feel of the guitar somewhat akward. I'm a die hard fan of the super strat shaped guitars as they are comfortable to play and remind me of Elvis, the early years when he was young/ lean and fast.

The fender strat just makes me think of Elvis the later years when he was overweight, passed out in a pool of his own sick on a toilet while singing my way to a bunch of old age pensioners at ceasers palace.

So strat players, why do they do it for you? And please don't start the whole thing of comparing it to an ALFA by using words like passion and soul and whatnot. I'm just curious to knwo what makes it your choice................

MikeM

By far the most comfortable guitar for me to play. Just fits perfectly. Iconic tone and very versatile.

However they're more unpredictable in the sense a high-end one might suck and you might get a cheap gem IMO.

SvR65

However they're more unpredictable in the sense a high-end one might suck and you might get a cheap gem IMO

That's definitely true! You get a strat, and then you get a STRAT (just like most makes of guitars)!! If you play one of the gems you'll know immediately what the hype is about... and that's coming from a Telecaster owner! Haha

flatfourfan

MikeM wrote: By far the most comfortable guitar for me to play. Just fits perfectly. Iconic tone and very versatile.

However they're more unpredictable in the sense a high-end one might suck and you might get a cheap gem IMO.

Well the one that I played last night was a custom shop 1960 heavy relic, I think he said he paid about R50 000 for it and it got me thinking why???? It doesn't play 20 times better than my R2500 RGA. Maybe you're right with the cheap gem comment. I think i was more upset with this guitar being so expensive and not living up to the hype.

IceCreamMan

you know i cant answer that in lingo that would actualy make sense ....

this morning as i took the strat off its wall mount to practice it struck me by how easy it comes to hand and just "fits" and feels familiar.

Strats were designed before "ergonomics" was a real profession but they got it close to perfect i reckon and i guess that can be shown by the lack of changes over the years ...

i loike my strat so much i even started a thread about my love for it

Bob-Dubery

flatfourfan wrote: I have mentioned a few times that I don't really understand the hype with strats and last night I got to play a US fender strat and urm.......yeah.

I think people underestimate the difference that neck width and scale length can make. My guitars are all a "Fender" scale length. If I play a Gibson (acoustic or electric) I feel the difference straight away. I'm not saying it's bad, just that it's noticable. When I got my Cort strat copy I was a bit taken aback at first by the much narrower neck. It's probably a 1/4 or 3/8 inch narrower at the nut - which doesn't sound like much but again you feel the difference. That's bugging me less now as I get familiar with that guitar.

Maybe if you play different guitars all the time you find these changes less of an issue.

Also my acoustics are set up the way I like them (or are used to) and were both set up by the same guy. Possibly a guitar I borrow or play in a shop has a setup that doesn't suit me so well. WHen I first played my Larrivee I was most unimpressed, but did know enough to tell the guy in the store that maybe the truss rod needed tweaking. They did that and I got interested. Once it was setup (a bit later) I started REALLY liking that guitar.

[deleted]

If you get your hands on my Strat... You will know what the fuss is about ?
The same one SVR65 is taking about ?

I have played Custom shops and been disappointed, more so with the prices..
But there are some that just feel so good.
And the Strat sound, you either love it or you hate it.

aubs1

SvR65 wrote: That's definitely true! You get a strat, and then you get a STRAT (just like most makes of guitars)!! If you play one of the gems you'll know immediately what the hype is about... and that's coming from a Telecaster owner! Haha

If I could only have ONE guitar, it would almost definitely be a Strat!! I have three, each with it's own characteristics. When you come on Saturday, I will let you play them, and you'll see what I mean. But they still have that unique Strat-DNA ...... (does that sentence make sense?)

I also have a Deluxe Tele, which is rated (tone-wise) better than the Strats by 2 out three of the people who have played it. I think it's just a superb Tele, with awesome Tele tone!

Ok, what does it for me? Versatile, comfortable, awesome tone (IMO), excellent playability, (but then again, set up for my liking).

I can understand you saying a Strat does not do it for you. To make an example. Of all the guys who have played most of my guitars, each has a favourite, and it differs from Ibanez, to Strat, to Tele, to LP, etc etc.

I can't picture Elvis playing a Strat, because AFAIR, he played Gibson acoustics, never seen him play a Strat. But I may be wrong......hahaha :-[

Brentcgp wrote: And the Strat sound, you either love it or you hate it.

+1. It's just like that!!

aubs1

flatfourfan wrote: It doesn't play 20 times better than my R2500 RGA.

Sometimes you get used to a particular sound/ tone, and you like it, and it's difficult to like any other sound/ tone ...... just my opinion.

giggsy

I must admit that I am with you on this one - the only reason I have one now is that I paid a pittance for it and am going to go to town on it without any fears of 'hurting' it. Any Strat would not be in my list of 50 most wanted guitars. Maybe not even in the top 100.

flatfourfan

Aubs1 wrote:
SvR65 wrote: That's definitely true! You get a strat, and then you get a STRAT (just like most makes of guitars)!! If you play one of the gems you'll know immediately what the hype is about... and that's coming from a Telecaster owner! Haha
If I could only have ONE guitar, it would almost definitely be a Strat!! I have three, each with it's own characteristics. When you come on Saturday, I will let you play them, and you'll see what I mean. But they still have that unique Strat-DNA ...... (does that sentence make sense?)

I also have a Deluxe Tele, which is rated (tone-wise) better than the Strats by 2 out three of the people who have played it. I think it's just a superb Tele, with awesome Tele tone!

Ok, what does it for me? Versatile, comfortable, awesome tone (IMO), excellent playability, (but then again, set up for my liking).

I can understand you saying a Strat does not do it for you. To make an example. Of all the guys who have played most of my guitars, each has a favourite, and it differs from Ibanez, to Strat, to Tele, to LP, etc etc.

I can't picture Elvis playing a Strat, because AFAIR, he played Gibson acoustics, never seen him play a Strat. But I may be wrong......hahaha :-[

Brentcgp wrote: And the Strat sound, you either love it or you hate it.
+1. It's just like that!!

Aubs, thanks, I'll take you up on that. I never actually used to like Ibanez until I got a decent one and then was blown away, I thought that it would be the same with the fender strat........I kept on looking over at my RG's case thinking that I'd rather be playing that guitar than this thing.

But then again, I remember the first time I tasted dom perignon and thought..........." man I feel like an Amstel now..............lol"

That's what make playing guitar so awesome.............no-ones tastes/ requirements are exactly the same.

chris77

Well, hype and it's historic signifigance certainly attracted me when I started playing. Now it's a bit of that, and a whole lot more. I like the feel and love the sound. Also the way it can be modded to suit tastes and moods is a real bonus for me.

DonovanB

Plug a Strat into a Fender Bassman, volume at 7.... nuff said.

guidothepimmp

YAWWN!

lol, yeh i dont get the fuss either.. same for a les paul actually... played both, can afford both, find nothing spectacular about either.. Of course this is my opinion and everyone has theirs..

Tone has nothing to do with it IMO... I can get the same sort of tone of a les paul using my Artist 300, and the neck is more comfortable..

Mind you that said, I have some superstrats that are AMAZING!

And again, comes down to feel. For me one of the best shaped neck EVER are the necks on my Charvels.. two different models, same necks barre the inlays. Same with my JAckson fiddle..

So for me feel is a big part... and of course they sound great.

Im not saying I dont like the sound of strats and les pauls... Im saying I can get those with more comfortable fiddles (again... my opinion)

I wont buy a strat because guitarists swear by them... I have a RS405 with Kinmans that not only feels better to me but gives me the fabled strat quack. And yes, I have played my RS405 alongside a gen- you- wine US Strat from 1970, so i feel I am justified in saying that..

to each his own though.. I always ha a thing about SG's, then I played one and hated it..

slyd

I guess if my strat could push itself in front of my Peavey T60, wrt the "favourites" stakes, then it is deserved of all the accolades!
???
A good guitar is just a good guitar ! My strat ROCKS *!

flatfourfan

guidothepimmp wrote: .. I always ha a thing about SG's, then I played one and hated it..

don't even get me started on SG's.lol.

Norman86

For me, its the look, its the feel!
I have played on a few other guitars now, but none are comfortable as my strat!!
And i prefer my rounded Strat to the sharp pointy eye gougers! in terms of looks!

My strat fits me like my girlfriend does - perfectly!
The right size, the right curves in the right places! not underweight, nor overweight, just perfect!

singemonkey

It's cool that we like Strats. But are we actually answering flatfourfan's question?

You say you like super-strats. Then in a sense you do like strats. Super strats are just the stratocaster concept - kit and kaboodle - modernised. A better comparison than your Elvis analogy would be this (original strat):

vs. this (super strat):

The '80s model has better road holding, a more powerful engine, and the whole deal - even though it's still evolved from the same stingray.

My point is this: Superstrats are everything that made the strat great made more so - fret access, body comfort, vibrato bridge, lightweight, etc.. But for a lot of players the end result was not better. Just like I, personally, would rather have a '56 Stingray than an '82 Stingray.

The original strat has tonal characteristics - both from pickups and the old-fashioned vibrato, and also aesthetics that many of us prefer. It still has the basics of what you like in a super-strat, and we're prepared to accept the compromises because we prefer the more idiosynchratic sound, and the '50s aesthetic.

DonovanB

Norman86 wrote: My strat fits me like my girlfriend does - perfectly!

Wow that's amazing! My strat fits me like your girlfriend does as well ?

sorry, couldn't resist....

Norman86

Very nice analogy Singe ?

There is something about the old school charm!
I'll have a '56 if you're giving one away ?
Both Stingray and Strat
Thanks! ?

Donovan Banks wrote:
Norman86 wrote: My strat fits me like my girlfriend does - perfectly!
Wow that's amazing! My strat fits me like your girlfriend does as well ?

sorry, couldn't resist....

Don, you wish ?
You're too far anyways! lol!