Let's have out with it: the Stratocaster is seriously over-exposed

singemonkey · 2012-10-08T20:52:07+00:00

So I've been doing a bunch of gigs in the better part of the last 2 years. All have been in the Western Cape, so maybe things are different elsewhere. That incredibly well known guitar, the Les Paul, I've seen played by precisely four other gigging musicians besides me: Our Reinhard and Nick, the player in a band called Barre Code, and one time by a guy called John Paine (a nice old early '80s Standard with EMGs that he needs to change out ?). Telecasters... Kevin Floyd... not sure who else. I've seen pics of Manfred playing his wonderful home-made number in CT. Maybe one other person. Our EZ has started gigging so that's one more Les Paul and one more Tele. I've seen a handful of Ibanez. One 335. And everywhere, as ubiquitous as a bass drum or a microphone stand... the Fender Stratocaster. Every colour. Every pickup combination. Running through every kind of amp. Every kind of effects board. Played by kids and those who get pensioners rates at the movies. Band after band. Everywhere. Stratocasters. Stretching to infinity like they're trapped between mirrors. We talk about a lot of different guitars here. But statistically speaking, there is the Stratocaster... and a few outliers.

TapeHissandSparkle

it's not just the sense of them not 'wrapping around me', it's also the shape of the neck. And yes, seriously. ?

nick

Alan Ratcliffe wrote
TapeHissandSparkle wrote I just don't like Strats' feel. They don't 'wrap around you' like other guitars.
Seriously, are you saying that a Les Paul is more comfortable than a Strat? Thanks to the body contouring, the only time a Strat doesn't wrap around you is when you play really low down (but then I don't know any guitars with knee contouring ?). There are a variety of neck contours and thicknesses to suit every taste.

I find a Les Paul more comfortable than a strat.. but weirdly I like a tele.. :-[

TapeHissandSparkle

Jazzmasters are also pretty cool, so I'm not totally rejecting Fender. Just not that keen on strats.

ZarK

TapeHissandSparkle wrote Weird. Didn't think they would. I don't own one, but I've played a few but never thought to look out for it.
I guess Fender can use commercial lumber then, as their necks are flatsawn - as far as I know (not quartersawn, and hence the non-angled headstock you're talking about Alan) hence the design. Which is pretty commendable engineering. But I still don't like them. But that's just an opinion, and my personal taste.

Plenty of Fenders have quarter sawn necks...

Nitebob

I'm gonna put it out there cause I haven't seen it....

There is Strat copies everywhere...Pacifica...SX...Behringer...Bucklay...
There is LP copies everywhere...Cort...Ibanez...Epiphone....Sanchez...

Funny that Gibson doesn't make strat copies and Fender doesn't make LP copies, that could change this thread dramatically...unless I am wrong...in which case, it doesn't... :-[

TapeHissandSparkle

ZarK wrote
TapeHissandSparkle wrote Weird. Didn't think they would. I don't own one, but I've played a few but never thought to look out for it.
I guess Fender can use commercial lumber then, as their necks are flatsawn - as far as I know (not quartersawn, and hence the non-angled headstock you're talking about Alan) hence the design. Which is pretty commendable engineering. But I still don't like them. But that's just an opinion, and my personal taste.
Plenty of Fenders have quarter sawn necks...

This is where I got my info, maybe Fender doesn't make necks like that anymore, but I haven't seen any quartersawn ones.

"The Fender style bolt-on neck was a key feature in the design of Leo's solidbody guitars. These necks were typically fashioned from one piece of 1"-thick flatsawn maple (it was less expensive than quartersawn)"

http://www.stewmac.com/freeinfo/Neck_relief,_building_and_repair/i-5200.html?actn=100101&xst=3&xsr=36197

ZarK

I've seen flat-, rift- and quarter sawn necks on Fenders...

AlanRatcliffe

Nitebob wrote Funny that Gibson doesn't make strat copies and Fender doesn't make LP copies, that could change this thread dramatically...

They have both dipped their toes in the others' bathwater through the years. I've seen a lot of Epi branded Strats. There was quite a hullabaloo over the Jimi Hendrix signature guitar by Gibson recently (so much so that it was quietly shelved before it went on sale). Fender also owns Hamer, so they cover the G-style guitars pretty well (just like the Jacksons cover their superstrat side of things these days).

ZarK wrote I've seen flat-, rift- and quarter sawn necks on Fenders...

Me too. The Johnson signature is quartersawn.

arjunmenon

Here's a cool video that might offer some idea as to why Strats are seriously over-exposed

AlanRatcliffe

Great video Arjun. Thanked.

vic

Alan Ratcliffe wrote Great video Arjun. Thanked.

ditto....I really enjoyed this .

arjunmenon

Thanks gents... here's another take on why Strats trump LPs (okay,maybe not...)

singemonkey

I feel that this is relevant here:

=

Tokai-SA

Nitebob wrote

Funny that Gibson doesn't make strat copies

http://www.denniskalichuk.com/EpiphoneStratocaster.html

?

Psean

Tokai SA wrote
Nitebob wrote

Funny that Gibson doesn't make strat copies
http://www.denniskalichuk.com/EpiphoneStratocaster.html

?

A mate of mine has one like that in seafoam green - same headstock shape, and the HSS setup.

Nitebob

I bow to the collective superior knowledge...never heard of those, but I'm learning.... ?

StefStoep

Could this be regional? That strats are more popular in the Cape Town area or do the Joburg and Durban guys experience the same thing where they live?
I stay in Nelspruit and i can't say the same for here, strats are not the most popular guitar here not even close! Or at least in the community that i am involved in. I'm gonna use the church i go to as an example, it is quite a large church and we have 5 bands with 6 electric guitars between the 5 bands, Benji from CraigAmps also lives in Nelspruit so I'm gonna include him in my explanation.

7 Guitarist and their guitars:

1) Gibson LP Goldtop & Gibson LP classic sunburst
2) Gibson LP Classic Black & Musicman Luke
3) Epiphone LP
4) Epiphone LP
5) Fender Telecaster Blacktop HH
6) Epiphone Dot
7) Gibson SG & Fender Strat

So........ There are 5 LP's and only one strat, and all the guitars are full humbucker guitars except the Musicman HSS and the Strat SSS.

So could it be regional.............. Just a thought ......... Maybe?

[deleted]

StefStoep wrote Could this be regional? That strats are more popular in the Cape Town area or do the Joburg and Durban guys experience the same thing where they live?
I stay in Nelspruit and i can't say the same for here, strats are not the most popular guitar here not even close! Or at least in the community that i am involved in. I'm gonna use the church i go to as an example, it is quite a large church and we have 5 bands with 6 electric guitars between the 5 bands, Benji from CraigAmps also lives in Nelspruit so I'm gonna include him in my explanation.

7 Guitarist and their guitars:

1) Gibson LP Goldtop & Gibson LP classic sunburst
2) Gibson LP Classic Black & Musicman Luke
3) Epiphone LP
4) Epiphone LP
5) Fender Telecaster Blacktop HH
6) Epiphone Dot
7) Gibson SG & Fender Strat

So........ There are 5 LP's and only one strat, and all the guitars are full humbucker guitars except the Musicman HSS and the Strat SSS.

So could it be regional.............. Just a thought ......... Maybe?

As @worshipsound guy on twitter would tweet.

"The guitarists dont have stratocasters. what?!"
#no one got saved"
#saved by base

Arno-West

Maybe this is why Strats are so popular......just my 2c.
=

guidothepimmp

Funny how I can't stand a strat with a pick guard, yet give me 1 minus the bath tub rout and pick guard and I think they're sexy..

Besides .. If strats were as great as everyone says surely eddie van halen would have played a stock standard strat in his infamous jump video?! 8)

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