5 Reasons To NOT Buy A Strat!
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- čas přidán 7. 12. 2021
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#fender #Strat #stratocaster - Hudba
Good timing, I just wasn't not headed to the store to not buy a Strat!
I had a stroke reading that.
Triple negatives aren't covered in Algebrenglish
another one?
@@johnworkman3950 lmao, thanks needed a laugh
Wait til the Tele vid comes out!!!
Too late. I'm DOOMED! I have 12 of them.
Could you elaborate about the fact that blocking the trem changes the sound?
Oh no i am sorry
Gross!
Gimme one pls
😄😄😄😄
"I'm gonna drag them through the mud" as he proceeds to have an absolutely killer strat rock tone 🤣🤣
By the way, if anyone finds that they keep knocking the volume knob and accidentally keep lowering the volume, there is a very simple but very effective fix that can be used on any Strat, including vintage, that is totally reversible. Pull the volume knob off, cut a small circle of soft foam, use a screw-driver to make a central hole, slip it over the volume spine, push the Volume knob back down - and you're good to go. The foam adds just enough resistance to stop the volume knob moving accidentally, but still allows smooth movement.
OR, here's a thought... buy a good guitar.
@@wizrom3046 the volume knob being what makes a guitar bad has got to be the worst take in history.
@@averyfroggie I agree!
I like volume knobs, I just hate Strats. 😎
@@wizrom3046 are you 12?
@@averyfroggie ... nope late 50's 😎
I am a Tele player. I resented Strats, even loathed them, until I appreciated that there are certain tones that you can only get from an SSS Strat (S-type). 2 and 4 are where the Strat earns its place at the table. And it does so as a Swiss Army Knife of tones. 90% of the sound you're looking for can be achieved on a Strat. It does not cover the HH or Tele twang bridge tone. It's light, glassy, and ready for whatever amp or pedal you throw at it. The Strat has its place in your tone arsenal. Take this coming from a die-hard Tele player who has a penchant for Gibson Explorers.
Im sold 💵
go get a Superstrat, the strat is ancient. That's like getting a Model T-Ford when you can get a proper internal combustion engine these days.
I have a fender strat hh model with a seymour duncan full shred bridge humbucker and seymour duncan 59' model humbucker neck and the bridge pickup does have a nice twang to it if you turn the volume down just enough. I also have a seymour duncan 500k volume pot, so that probably helps too.
@@giancarlom. Classic Strats make distinctive "Strat noises." Position #2 and #4 are the most easily recognized. Strats are not good for much else. Among single coil pickups, P90's and even more obscure Charlie Christian, Dearmond and other single coil designs are both more musical and versatile. People who want to pretend to be Eric Clapton should buy Strats. I have one I never play.
@@scottmcloughlin4371 I’m more on the Seymour Duncan Distortion, or DiMarzio Dreamcatcher, bridge humbucker and leave it on that position, just bridge humbucker on anything else kinda. 👍👍
My problem with the strat is that it's too easy (for me) to knock the pickup selector switch and accidentally change from the beautiful neck pickup to any other random pickup configuration.
bought a strat a week ago and this has been annoying the shit out of me.
Reverse the switch, you will see the magic
@@phxsunfan had the same problem. You get used to it and eventually learn to strum in a way to avoid the switch. It's not that hard.
@@Krustenkaese92 Exactly. I started with a strat and I’ve never had this problem or the middle pickup getting in the way as some people complain about.
Yeah, Fender got the Tele right by keeping everything out of the way, but failed with Strat's
For me, the volume control was the surprise annoyance… I sometimes struggle to get a nice palm mute without holding my hand in an unnatural position. When I switch over to the Les Paul, holding my right hand in its most natural position on the bridge is probably the first thing I appreciate!
Though I love my strat, so I just put up with it!
I find it amusing that Gibson/Epiphone feel the need to have the Rhythm/Treble disk under the pickup selector switch. Strats have a five-way switch but don't label it and no one I know has ever been confused by it.
I absolutely hate the middle pickup. It gets in my picking way lol
Exactly the same.
The volume knob kinda annoys me sometimes but i deal with it with Fandom.
Maybe lower it a bit. Might help.
Les paul is the most unnatural feeling guitar made.
I just started learning to build guitars and I have found the fretboard radius to be one of the most confounding aspects of building. And it's not as well thought about as other aspects. I just finished building my first bass guitar yesterday and I actually uploaded a video about it, and noticed a fretboard was curved a little too much.
Let me tell any aspiring guitar Builders out there, make sure the fretboard is consistent because getting frets to fit properly is very frustrating if you don't plan properly. I know a lot of people just buy guitar necks and then build bodies, but I wanted to do it from the ground up..
Come take a look at my work and criticize the hell out of me! 😀
I need it
They are what they are. That's why you buy more than one type of guitar. Each has their own sounds and feel. They're all great at something. The trouble comes from wishing one instrument would do everything. Nope. Just keep a few. Solves everything.
I totally agree. Great Comment!!
Yes, plus you can keep your multiple instruments in different tunings.
Always need MORE guitars! Always!
Absolutely. They’re all just different tools for different jobs.
Exactly, and well said!
A Stratocaster is the most versatile widely used electric guitar in the world. You can basically play anything on them, metal, rock, country, jazz just by changing the pick ups. They stay in tune even when using the tremlo.....as a matter of fact most copies are copied after them. Just saying why on earth would you not buy one... They also sit well with no nose diving
I have a tele that does all of that with the same pickups its a beast.
Charvel 100times nicer
Les paul does everything better
You forgot to also add that they’re strong. You can throw them down a flight of stairs and they might get out of tune. I used to be a Gibson guy till I had to fix the broken head too many times. I still have it it’s just to fragile. I have five Strats
@@Davidxjdjdj Just don’t drop it, you’ll snap the head off. A start is stronger built
I've owned my black Stratocaster for 36 years, and over time the pick ups have turned yellow and sometimes there is no sound coming out on certain pick ups ( a toggle switch issue ). Other than that, I love my strat!
The yellowing is more feature than bug though.
@@aleji0 Exactly, I've purchased a fairly old Les Paul myself recently and I absolutely love the yellowing and general "age" the guitar is showing
Just the pickups? My 78' Olympic White Strat's patina has turned it (as I like to call it) Nicotine Yellow and I love it!
The magnets in pickups deteriorate and lose strength over time.
@@kyles5513 there are guitars from the 30s with pickups that work great. I would say it's a solder joint that needs to be reflowed or the switch needs to be replaced.
Love Strats, but one thing I really love about them is making them custom. It’s an easy guitar to work on by design. You don’t even need to go with Fender, you can build your own with your preferred specs with companies like Warmoth. Any neck profile you like, any fretboard radius, wood choice or fret size or material.
This 💯. That's why I like fenders in general.
That's what I mean to do with my "$35" Squier Strat. Only trouble is, are there any switches that are low profile like a Mustang / Jaguar switch, but are On/On/On _like a Strat 3 Pos. Toggle Switch?_ Where can I get one of these? I'm trying to have 3 different settings of Coil Taps here, but I don't want to just use a Strat 3 Pos. Toggle Switch, because that's too tall. And I can't just use Les Paul or Telecaster Toggle Switches, either - they don't function in the way I'm looking for.
One of my favorite setups on a Strat is to use a 3-way switch set up like a Tele, ie: Bridge, both and neck, and use the middle tone control for the middle pup volume. That way, you still have a master tone control. If you use a reverse wrap in the middle you get a humbucker effect , and you can blend them any way you choose. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
A good "Bend Face" is the cornerstone of every great guitarist. It's a must-have.
My little Strat story: it was the first electric guitar I ever touched. My cousins (a father and son) played, and brought their guitars over once when I was about 10. The electric guitar was already like magic to me. I was enamored with the idea of a flat slab of an instrument, that made all its sounds through a speaker. And now someone was playing one right in my living room! They let me play it. It was a candy apple red Strat, almost certainly a 90s American Standard in retrospect. The older cousin (the father) told his son to teach me some stuff, and went off into the other room with my folks. So he did, but he really wasn't feeling it (he was about 17, and just didn't have time for this shit), and my nails were too long to play. Still, I had stars in my eyes. The smell of wood and nickel strings. The stinging pain in my fingers as I tried to push down the thin metal wire of the b and e strings. The smooth-finished wood on the back of the neck. The plasticky, hollow-feeling pickguard hiding some kind of magical electronics underneath. I had to have one.
I begged my parents for a guitar. They eventually me one, but we all fell victim to the myth that "you should start on an acoustic cuz it will strengthen your fingers". Biggest mistake I ever made. Crippled my ability to learn/play lead work, and ultimately there wasn't a single acoustic artist I listened to. I only wanted to play electric... but couldn't. Anyway, money was tight, so no more guitars were in the cards anytime soon, but when I finally got my first electric at 18, I had forgotten all about my Strat experience, and I went with an FSR Tele I liked at a local music shop. It was a little heavy, weighing in at just shy of 257 pounds (ballparking just by feel).
Ever since then I've been somewhat of a collector (a hoarder is maybe more accurate); an opportunist, picking up various guitars and basses from classified sites when I see them pop up well below market value, and then I decide if I'll keep, sell, or trade them. Of all the instruments I've bought, I never had a strat (well, I did pick up a mid-2000s Squier, pre-Vintage Modified series, right before the Squiers started getting really good, but its basswood body always felt too "hollow" and cork-like to me, compounded by its weightless barely-metal hardware... it did not feel anything like a real Strat to me).
Finally this year, at the age of 31, I picked up my first Fender Strat: an all-white, maple-board, HSS player-series. It's got me scratching my head as to why I never picked one up before. It's just... perfect. It IS the electric guitar to me. I'm glad the Strat was the first electric guitar I ever touched, I think it contributed to sparking that fire in me that made me HAVE to have one.
I also now wonder if I should reach out to my cousins and see if they've still got that candy-apple red Strat, and if they'd ever sell it... lol. Whoops, there I go again. GAS is an incurable disease, guys. Perhaps the best reason not to buy a Strat is because buying one Strat means buying two Strats.
Gotta have that 3rd one bruh
I got 2 strats and a Epiphone Sheraton. I have three kids who will one day get 1 each in their inheritance. Now they have a few years to prove that they don't deserve to be the unlucky one.
Holy shit you guys read this-
me gawking at 257 pounds
I think maybe the Strat had become mythic and unatainable in the back of your mind.
The standard Strat bridge can be set up to feel great, hold tuning and stay that way. It takes time though. I have leant a lot in 40 years of playing them but it still takes me time. A lot of things are fiddly on a Strat but you adapt. I definitely use a wider vibrato on a Strat than I do on my Les Paul: the tone is there but it is a (rather wonderful) fight!
I'm a Gibson Guy and I just bought my first Fender American Strat. I am blown away at the silky fret board and neck feeling. Feels great. The position of the pickup selector is strange and makes me have to play closer to the neck than I am used to but honestly pretty impressed. I own a Les Paul T, SG, EB3 Bass, Hummingbird, J50, B25 12 string, WM 45...Happy to welcome the Fender Start.
Ditto... An American Sunburst Fender DeLuxe.... a beautiful guitar - to look at, to play - and to enjoy the sound of.. so nice..! I can so understand why Clapton moved from Gibsons to Strats. It's that unique sound..!
The Strandbergs are 20” and they’re great. Holdsworth used a 24” I believe.
Wow thats insanely flat!
@@RobertBakerGuitar ever play a classical guitar?
17" in my Ibanez prestige. One of the best necks I've played and I believe I'd like it even flatter
I own strats ranging from 1957 up to present date and they all play great!
Shawn Lane played a Vigier with an infinite radius---flat as it gets---and very low action.
My stock, MIM Strat is my favorite, "straty" strat. It just happened to have a great sounding bridge pick up with byte and cuts through, not thin, cuts through with just the right mid range, and not overly thin treble. My other strat has a humbucker in the bridge position cuz' its stock pu didn't quite cut it.
I discovered it works great for heavy rock or even metal-ish riffs and simple lines (not shreddy stuff), and yes, I know that's heresy to the humbucker loving metal guys.
Trem was meant to be floated, doesn't feel or sound the same to me when locked down.
I don't mind the thinner sound of single coils...I have amplifiers that are warm and midrangy and need single coils. I also have humbuckers that pair well with brighter amps. Also some pedals like one setup over another. Its good to have variety...with instruments that is.
I love strats. I bought my first used strat in 1996. It was a Japan made System 1 that had the fender branded Floyd style bridge. I unfortunately traded it for a bass because my band needed a bass player. I just recently found one on reverb that was identical so I bought it. The control layout doesn't bother me. Infact it makes volume swells much easier in my opinion. But the strat doesn't keep me from owning several Les Pauls. Great video. Keep the content flowing. 🎸🤘
My first real playable guitar was a 2001 Squire Strat, and it took me a while to get used to anything with a lower neck radius. It was not just the left hand feel but also the difference in string heights when picking.
It's not the guitar in your hands... it's the hands on the guitar!
guitar got hands
I'm a film composer and played Gibson's for most of my life. Bought a new American Elite HSS Shawbucker in 2017. It was definitely an adjustment but I LOVE my strat. So versatile. Like you mentioned I kept hitting the volume knob, so I had custom pickgaurds made so I only have a dual tone switch on the bottom and the volume knob moved lower and the pickup selector. Worked out really well. Technically not your really traditional strat with the humbucker but I can still get that strat sound on the neck pickup.
I agree. I have the knob problem too with the volume knob. As for the pickups i swapped the bridge pickup to a single coil humbucker. That gives me more punch for the rough stuff without having to rout the body and pickguard and it still almost looks like a single coil. I'm happy with that configuration.
What I don’t like about a strat is that I don’t have more of them to play. 😁 Great guitars, just like so many others.
With some minor mods, a strat is amazing, I did a master tone knob, it emptied the volume knob slot, added a toggle switch for a 7 way switch, and the volume knob has a push pull for series parallel...you're not carving into the pickguard, or changing out the sss configuration
That sounds similar to what I ended up doing with mine. I had two separate toggles for the 7 way and in series options. Moving the volume knob and going with a master tone is the way to go.
Some 'minor' mods. I just got rid of the middle pickup and went master vol master tone, 3 way switch
@iceman do you have the schematic still around?
I guess that is part of the joy in owning a modular design guitar, but is it still really a Strat after all that? (That said, I did exactly the same to my first Stratocaster copy: years of modifications and incremental improvements over time.)
@@redrum22 i dont have a schematic of it, I watched a youtuber breja tone works, watched the master tone switch video mod, then the 7 way switch mod, and then did the series/parallel mod afterwards... do one at a time, and make sure each one works before going to the next one. Hope this helps!
Excellent video, thank you for helping to leave more Strats for the rest of us!
I agree with the sentiment with older Strats. They did evolve well. A flatter radius, bigger frets and moving the truss rod adjustment to the headstock were welcomed here. I’m def a Strat guy first, and there really is no better platform to mod to your needs. FWIW, I like them decked or hard tail and prefer a master tone and mid boost circuit. That makes it pretty much the most versatile guitar of all time!
Yep. 9,5 radius, medium jumbo's and truss rod access at the head were all huge improvements. I learned to play on a strat, so naturally, all those complaints about the position of the knobs sound really weird to me. But if you learned to play on a completely different guitar I can understand. I strum close to the neck anyway so there's no issue for me there.
I adore Teles, and love Es-335's, LP's and SG's as well, but the strat remains my main go-to guitar. I'm not saying it's the best guitar out there, it just works best for me. It's home.
Also: I didn't block the trem, but I have the strings at a tension where it's pretty much decked. Can't say it made any noticeable difference to The Tone.
Or the G&L setup on the Legacy with the PTB system is super versatile.
Pickup selector is my only "problem". In any case, I like vintage strats more. There's just a certain quality to it.
Ps. That bend face and the Mrs. Baker reaction, priceless! :)
Video synopsis:
Reason 1: Your preferences may vary but you can easily get what you need
*hot buttery Strat licks*
Reason 2: You’re better off not modifying because it’s already good
*hot buttery Strat licks*
Reason 3: Not really an issue
*hot buttery Strat licks*
Reason 4: The very reason strata are great
*hot buttery Strat licks*
Reason 5: Relatively speaking not really an issue
The Strat is undefeated
Lmao wanna add a *hot buttery strat lick* to round off your comment even more?
I love strats, tele's, mustangs, jaguar's, les pauls, V's, explorer's, sg's, and on and on! I love them all. Its all the differences and diversities that make them all special. Thats what makes them all loveable. This was a great video. God bless you RB🙏💜☺👍
Love my strat ! I used to hit the volume knob years ago when I was learning to play , but not anymore. To me the Strat is the most versatile and best sounding guitar out there...but thats just me
Never really liked a flatter fingerboard idk why. Im still rocking a 96’ squier strat. It has the full 1 3/4” body so everything drops in fine. I upgraded the pickups, and have a the second tone knob to work for the bridge pickup. refinished to neck to give it a more satin/relic finish and upgraded the nut, fret dressing and electronics. Still has all the original knobs and 3ply pick guard and refinished the whole guitar to a sparkly lavender that looks dope.
I need to see it now, it sounds beautiful and exactly like what I wanna do with my squier
So rad, I think we'd get along good.
Yeah sounds killer
I never, ever use the bridge pickup on a strat, so putting a HB in actually makes it useable. As for decking the trem, a ton of famous players have done that. The only one that would ever really hear any difference is the player; still a strat to everyone else. A strat is way more than sound. It is literally the sexiest, most comfortable guitar out there. Literally nothing feels like a strat.
As for the heel, you get used to it over time, and since the design is probably the most copied in the world, I would bet a very huge percentage of guitarist's first electric was some straty type thing with that blocky heel. Considering the numbers of famous players who have and still do play the strat, not to mention the countless amateurs who are literally obsessed with the strat, I don't see any issues there, either. Thanks, Leo!
I mean I know I'm weird but I prefer my strat's bridge pickup to my SG's. You just have to roll down the treble a bit and you basically get 90% mids, which is what I like for an overdriven tone.
I like it, it has a pretty nice look and it's very comfortable, besides that it has a great variety of combinations you can do with the 3 singles, but the only thing that get me annoyed it the knob and the key that are too near to the string and I end up hitting the key when I'm playing. I think it should be like Les Paul that has it above and far from the strings.
The thing I love and hate the most at the same time on a Strat is the volume knob position. Volume swells are easier but it also gets in the way of your picking hand.
I've owned 3 Stats and finally found one I love. It's a sonic blue Fender special with texas special pickups and it sounds so nice! I normally play one of my Teles, PRS or Les Paul but this Strat is so fun and different than those.
I've hard tailed all my strats and I think it actually makes them sound better. Same tone and twang but with better sustain. I also should say that the new switch that fender has put in to allow the bridge and neck pickups (and all three for that matter) to be used together makes the bridge pickup infinitely more useable (I never used it prior to that addition). It's now a great guitar (and I'm a Gibson guy!).
John Mayer fender Strat has been the only useable bridge pup in a strat
New switch? Gilmour been doing that since the 70s.. it’s called the Gilmour switching and anyone can do it
Funny; I almost always only use the bridge pickup.... Being primarily a rhythm player, I need a sound that can cut through a mix without much fuss and the bridge pickup does just that.
first thing i do to every strat i ever owned is install a tremol-no. you are 100% correct, the sustain gets better.
@@jambajoby32 I use my bridge pickup all the time in my player series with alnico pickups. I just dial the tone knob to 7 and it sounds better than a humbucker to my ear. Also, sometimes I’ll dial the tone knob to 10 during a solo to really bring out the tone and it sounds great. Running with a deluxe reverb with the treble at 6 and A tumnus OD and fuzz. It never sounds harsh to the ears.
I like your strat. My best strat was a 64 in Olympic white. I loved the neck, so comfortable. I like the 7.5 radius. Regarding the bridge, I don't use the tremolo. As a former professional guitarist just deck the bridge and add all 5 springs. This will give you the strat sound without blocking.
Great video. Lotta good points. I am forever knocking the selector switch out of the neck position which really sucks and or hitting the volume knob that is a real issue. The heel joint doesn’t bother me - strat was my first guitar so I guess I’m just used to it. I like the flat neck radius of my Schecter guitar much better. And I just ordered a super Strat, the Sire S7 FM which I am looking forward to. David Gilmour is my favorite guitarist -so certain songs like shine on you crazy diamond you pretty much need a Strat. But if I try to play Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath or anything heavy it just doesn’t work. I guess a good argument for having different guitars in your quiver for different tones I do like having a tremolo arm . I may keep my Strat. Depends on how the S7 sounds. I think fender is really dropping the ball. The S7 is a $650 guitar loaded with high-end features comparable to an American professional. It absolutely blows the player series out of the water…and it’s less $ !!!
Robert is showing signs of maturity with a strat. He was a shredder a few years ago. Soon he'll talk about rhythmic patterns in jazz, stereo panning in music production and maybe even artistic value of lyrical ideas...
😀😀😀 ✌
HSS Strats in my opinion are the greatest guitar. So versatile. Still has the beautiful neck pickup. Goes hard in the. Bridge. And has a tremelo.
Totally agree! Love the HSS.
Ive got a HSS player plus, all the guitar you'll ever need imo
I can get a free player plus hss for my work anniversary. Never had or wanted a strat but it’s real tempting. But I’m a metal dude with 9 electrics at the moment.
@@MikeSmith-ey7ku don’t underestimate a strat for metal!
That thinness is a thing for real! Looking for my first electric uke, and I fell in love with how a particular model (that imitates a stray) looks, but the sound I love to hear most is much warmer than it puts out. It does have a hum bucker with a single coil, so I’d probably be fine, just need to learn it. Then again… anyway, thanks for the video!
I like everything, the strat sound is what I was going for and it inspires me to play different than humbucker guitars do. But I really dont like the knob blocking my strumming hand. Such a strumblocker also picking blocker...but still overall the guitar is something else
I like my upgraded Squire (Seymour Duncan hot-rail on bridge then SS), but I currently use a 10W practice amp. My Tagima ja-3 has an HS hot-rail setup with a coil switch. The hot-rail just gives it that little extra from the neck it needs.
Squier.
I have been playing guitar for 20 years and this is first time someone has very clearly explained fretboard radius. Thank you, seriously!
20 years and you just figured out fretboard radius? Yikes.
@@Lovell93 What a kind and thoughtful comment. I hope you have a wonderful day.
I love my mid 2000'2 Ceramic Pickups on my Standard Strat. They don't sound too thin, yet have that Strat goodness, in a more mellow manner. Most underrated Fender pick up ever in my opinion
I just got an EJ Strat 2-burst. It’s beautiful. Feels nice and sounds excellent! It’s the first Strat I’ve owned. EJ is one of the reasons I started playing guitar. And the first guitar I’ve owned with a tremolo bar. Excited to noodle around on it.
I've had my Dave Murray MIM Fender Strat for about a year, really cool and comfortable guitar. Love the fact that it has a Floyd Rose or else I would constantly knock it out of tune. Only complaint is the vintage style tuners, not a fan.
Nice vid! Of course Strats rock! And they cry, bleed and sweat musical expressiveness. They’re bluesy, rocky, jazzy, and, when needed a little poppy. They fit against you like they’re part of you, not some slab-sided other. Play them right and they make you understand what life’s about.
I got this beast slab rubbin' against me.... When I rip into it, it freaking growls and I forget all about the shape and don't feel anything but how chunky it sounds. I named her Honey-B
My first guitar was a strat so I’m used to how it feels and where everything is. I love it
My very first guitar was a used strat, because I liked the look of them. Didn't know anything when I bought it. Played it for a couple years, learned a ton. My second guitar was an Ibanez RG570. Fixed all the things I didn't like about the strat. Humbucker in the bridge position to get that RAWK sound, decent floyd rose style bridge that stays in tune despite thrashing the crap out of it, flat fretboard, thin neck, just fell in love with Ibanez RGs back in the day. I love the idea of Charvels which are basically hotrodded strats, I think they look fantastic, and I want to love them, but... somehow I just don't get on with them. It's kind of frustrating, because I look at them and think, "yeah! That's the shit!", and then play it, and somehow it just doesn't fit me, I want to like it so bad, but I just don't.
I lean on the side of humbuckers of singles, but I do like both. A strat is arguably the most comfortable guitar to play and the medium C neck is my favorite.
Insane timing on this, have been looking at potentially getting my first ever strat, a change from the starter kit squier I'm currently playing on lmao (and also a change from the 7 string schecter I started first playing guitar on). I got quite the high budget, and want to get something that’ll satisfy me long into the future
LesPaul Classic
Hmm, this guys says not to buy a strat....but all the greats play them, I think your pretty safe with a strat.
How good was the starter pack tho?
I've had a strat with the gold lace sensor pickups since the early nintys. I've heard they not so good. But it's all I've known. Would getting pickups with the 6 metal heads be better? Or worth doing? Or what types are available. I like a good rhythm rock sound.
My biggest issue - I find it too far removed from my tele, SG and LP (all w/ low output pickups). Have to readjust amp and pedal settings, the bridge pickup is weak by comparison, the radius doesn't work with a capo, I find it gets lost in a band setting, and I somewhat disagree with the "most versatile guitar" comment I hear often. To me, the second I pick up a strat, it's SRV and Hendrix noodling on the neck pickup. I feel like it lends itself better to 1 guitarist per band, half solo half rhythm ala Mayer...I play a style that calls for none of that, so I struggle to find a use for one. I'd love to own a custom strat that meets my needs, but nothing I've played does it for me...yet!
The Strat has always been my favorite guitar, even though I love and appreciate many more styles.
I also learned to play on a Strat, so being used to that control layout means I never thought about complaining on ergonomics. After buying 5 other guitars (a Tele and, funnily, all Gibsons) I still find the Strat to be the most comfortable of the bunch - with the SG a close second, because of lightness and upper fret access.
The only thing I have changed on mine is wiring the second tone control to the bridge pickup, very useful for taming some highs and especially for rock tunes. At first I tried wiring the tone to both middle and bridge PUs but ultimately I left the middle wide open, in my Strat it sounds better although I rarely use it alone.
Maybe the only mod I would do is having neck+bridge in position 3 for a bit of Telly vibe (as I was saying, I don't use middle pickup alone that much). For all the rest I like Strat as it is, with vintage radius and vintage appointments... I just want to pair my swamp ash + maple neck with an alder + rosewood one :)
This is the correct amount of Rock 'n' Roll.
I would say that if you don't really use the middle pickup perhaps if you like your fuzz it might be an idea to use the middle when you play with fuzz as it helps get a defined mids especially if you're using a silicone fuzz which has a slight mid scoop
@@gabrielmumbray4287 Great suggestion, I’ll try and maybe give new life to position 3. By the way I do love fuzz+neck or bridge :)
@@robertomurgia6928 I'm the same to be honest I either use neck to get a wooly sound and the bridge to get a more lead tone as I've got a higher input bridge that I swapped in
@@gabrielmumbray4287 this! I have my strat wired the same way as the op (middle pickup wide open) and with a fuzz, that middle position adds a lot of poke, almost like a cocked wah. I also dig it with a tube screamer in a studio setting where you just need this really nasally sound for a lead part to stand out.
Just gonna pretend this video doesn't exist.
Every strat player does...
Great piece. I appreciate that you acknowledged that strats can sound a little thin. I had a mexi strat for years, and foolishly sold it. I have too many guitars, and when I wanted a tone of clean perfection... nothing came close to the strat. Even had a guitar custom made for me, a Garcia 'Tiger' replica... but I still come back to my strat. Like Papa John stalking his first Camaro to re-acquire it.... I tracked the boards around my beloved mexi strat I sold to that dude in Boulder so I could buy the bass. After a couple years of this, I found the same model, same color, and actually a better neck (rosewood). We are back together again! It is simply the most versatile guitar
Got a 62 reissue. It’s actually like 20 years old now. Biggest problem I have is adjusting the truss Rod. I got it floating from the factory. And it pulls up a nd stays in tune better then my rusted Floyd rose. It’s a cool change from my SG. Love them so much as well
Thoroughly enjoyed the Tim McGraw reference!! Traditional Strats are perfect for the type of music I play. I'm "Old!" (I started playing in 1962.) I'm not into metal much less playing metal (or much after the 70's for that matter) at all, so what a lot of people see as drawbacks with a Strat I will never even come across. I have a couple of Les Pauls, and 8 Fender and G&L Strats. I'm perfectly content. Well, almost...Right up until I find another Fender or G&L Strat that I just "have to have!!!" Great Video!!
Wait, your wife is a strat player too?!Time to get you both playing together on video!
Thanks for the tips, bro. But I could have used this advice back in 1993 when I bought my first electric guitar - an American Standard Strat. I still have it and I love the neck pickup tone for soloing; but it's a crappy rhythm guitar. For gigs I use the much more versatile LP humbucker setup.
I was lucky and got an Ibanez talman t730 for $180. Threw in some SD five two pickups and it sounds amazing. I’ve never had locking tuners before and man am I grateful!
Very informational vid man... 👌 👏 Taught me a lot of what I didn't know about Strats. But I'm still a Strat guy 😆 rock on ladies n gents
Tuning stability on a trem system has always been a challenge for me so I usually go for the hard tail.
I blocked the tremolo on my Jackson Guitar, it sounds pretty much the same. Might get a hardtail after a few years, but most guitars I see have a god damn Floyd Rose.
Lube the nut with a pencil, don't use the string trees, that's how I made my $100 strat copy stay in perfect tune after heavy tremolo use
After one of my bridge saddles stripped on my strat, I upgraded them all to some stainless roller saddles, the tuning stability is phenomenal, on par with a floyd
Regarding fretboard radius, I like a 9.5" to 14" compound radius. More curved on the lower frets to facilitate chords and flatter in the upper register to facilitate string bending w/out fretting out.
I've grown to come to love Strats. Never found the controls to be awkward. Love hammering a Les Paul, but those volume knobs are a mile away from your picking hand! Prefer a 22 fret neck, but I can adapt.
I'm not a fan of the 7 1/4" fretboard radius. I went with the G&L Legacy for my SSS itch. At first I didn't like the bulkier trem... but the way the guitar plays and sounds for me, I learned to even love Leo's newer trem design (he was still here when I got mine!) Besides that radius, I Love me a good ol' vintage style Strat.
If 7.25" was good enough for Buddy Holly, it's good enough for me! ;)
@@carlitobrigante330 I get that. But I'm very glad that we have choices so that we can can choose the best playing option for each player. Rock On!
Everything you touched on is totally true. I love strats. I have two MIM strats. Both modded. Love love love. I work through the issues. Also a Les Paul fan. The guitars compliment one another and it's a beautiful relationship. Clearly they have been the most copied guitars of all time. Some people do it well too. I've become interested in Sire. Pretty sure I'm going to pull the trigger on their copy of a 335. Anyways, cool video and all true brother.
We just picked up a all single coil Powerhouse Strat used for my nephew and wow does it have a big hog of a noise. He started looking at new squires, then i put the cost of a new squire into reverb for used strats and bam, out this thing popped being mint and cool AF. Neat.
The volume knob problems is really the only turnoff for me. But, I used one of those rubber strap holders and placed it under the knob. It holds, but if you really want to change the volume, you can.
I enjoy my strat, it is amazing, tunning stability is the best, floating bridge, big brass block's sustain, mint green pickguard, steel saddles, even the 9.5 radius, it is an HSS and I don't like that there is no tone pot for the humbucker, it is a working beast, but still love the LP and the SG a hair more. Take care.
The original Stratocaster design has some issues indeed. However - to me it is one of the most iconic designs of the 20th century. Remember: It is from 1954. Elvis Presley started his career in 1955. The Beatles appeared in 1962! Back in the 50s there was no Rock Music. The design has been improved meanwhile, my modern Strat has a compound radius, a tone control that affects the bridge pick up, the newer kind of tremolo system, an improved neck joint which is more ergonomic and so on. But I also love to play my two old style strats!
I recently cut a circle of craft foam and put it under my volume knob to prevent it from turning down on accident while playing. Worked like a charm.
It's the 4"x5" craft foam that is around 1/8" thick. I bought a pack of 100 from the craft section of Dollar Tree. Or maybe Michael's. Or Walmart.
Had my 90s strat hardtailed years back. The more I learn, the more I realise it now sound less like a strat. Time to have it reset!
One thing I've found is having an always on boost pedal when using a Strat to fix the 'thin' issue. I'm using an Xotic SuperSweet because it has a selected low mid and upper mid boost.
Ts808 all the way
I've got & owned more Strats than I care to admit but I'll just say that I think Leo got it right the first time and they don't need improvement. The same goes for Telecasters ( even though Strats were meant to be an improvement on them! ) They're both just basic, workhorse guitars and if you can't find what you're looking for in them you aren't trying hard enough.
So like 20 starts? That's reasonable right, 20? (Says the guy who have 19)
@@ZappaSheik No, way more than that. I don't have an exact number since I'm constantly buying and haven't taken inventory in a while but I own over 350 guitars and basses. This is since 1985, I have a lot of Kramer's, Jackson's, Charvel's, Hamer's, Squier's, Gibson's, Epiphone's, ESP, a few small brands most people may not know, and of course, about a third of what I have is Fender. Other stuff is custom homemade stuff built by me or for me by someone else off of eBay. A large part of it (25 percent) is all in parts, bodies, necks, pickups, etc from guitars that I took apart for what ever reason, all parts are still in great shape and in boxes in bubble wrap. I have it all in a storage locker away from the house. I keep a few guitars at home and every few weeks rotate them out. "Guitars of the month" kinda thing. I'm not rich by any means, I just don't spend money on anything else but me and my family. It's easier now that the kids are grown.
Leo got it all right. Then idiots came along thinking they could do better. Nothing beats original strats, teles, and jags. Nothing!
Oh yeah.... can I have a strat? Ha! Just asking. You do have 350. 🤣
I agree with your first sentence - but one improvement is beneficial - 5-way selector.
I luv my 2011 strat..never goes out of tune..feels great..very well made
I was a massive green day fan as a kid and I bought a cheap Mexican strat from a pawn shop and put a Seymour Duncan hambucker in the bridge spot and it has been my absolute favorite guitar for about 8 years now. It's such a good combination
The 5 reasons not to buy a Strat are
1. You don’t mind looking uncool with a generic axe.
2. You hate Hendrix, Clapton, Knopfler, Beck and Gallagher.
3. You can’t appreciate its beauty.
4. You don’t like classic rock tones.
5. You’re too cool to admit it’s brilliance.
Good luck with that!
In all my 35 years with Strats I never accidentally turned the vol knob up or down while playing. Once you know your instrument the controls become part of you.
you mind looking generic with a generic axe* you mean strats are generic right?
I have a Strat and I cannot stand Clapton.
@@DunedinMultimedia2 I have a Clapton signature and I’m not into Clapton. Crazy guitar though.
I'm guessing you don't palm mute much and pick your strings all the way up by the neck? I play like Billy Gibbons, my palm never leaves the bridge, and I'm constantly hitting the volume knob!
@@louaguado995 I do palm mute. I never use a pick. Strats and Teles are the greatest guitars ever made. Just listen to all the albums they’re on!
Love the sound of a strat! Rolling the volume down accidentally has been my only learning curve! Awesome video Robert!
You summed up very well. Most of all I agree with the weakness: only the neck pickup is convincing me. The first position with only bridge pickup often makes me disappointed
When I was a young teen, many years ago, and taking guitar lessons at a guitar shop, I used to look at this Strat hanging on the wall there. I thought it was the best looking guitar that I had ever seen. (And at 16, I had easily seen a few dozen 😁 ) Anyway, the years went by and eventually I ended up buying one. I loved that guitar, I loved the way it looked and how balanced it felt. I also loved the tones of that guitar, the blocky neck thing never really bothered me. It did have a set of lockers on it when I bought it. With all the equipment you have there in the background, I would imagine that you can make yours sound anyway you want it to sound. 😊 Thanks for the review.
The volume knob placement in the only real drawback to a Stratocaster, in my opinion. It’s a very versatile sounding guitar, but it’s difficult to play fast, palm-muted parts without the volume knob getting in the way, especially when playing on the B and high E strings.
I just can't palm mute on my Strat. I can put up with all the rest but can't believe this wasn't on the list
True. But once you get used to it I find where the volume knob is pretty convenient. All I have to do is roll my pinky
@@sniffrat3646 hmm I have no problem
Tell that to the millions of strat players. Keep practicing
@@brooklynboy1000 Jesus Christ you guys are easily offended. I like Strats just fine. I’ve played them for over 20 years. The volume knob placement sucks. It makes technical playing more difficult than it needs to be. Great for blues though.
The strat is my favorite because of the controll locations.
That’s exactly why I don’t prefer strats.. I just find it hard to manipulate and maneuver my hand around the volume knob, and I always hit the pickup selector when playing funky tunes
I have a small collection of Mexican strats all roughly 20 years old or so, there's something about E flat tuning and a Vibe pedal that I just love it's like they were just meant to be played that way
I love the classic look of the Strats, but honestly I truly do love the feel of an Ibanez
I have a Player Strat HSS with a Floyd Rose and I absolutely love it. The tone, the playability, hell even the body of the guitar all feel unique compared to other Strats I've played on. The only problem is I end up taking it to be set up once every couple of months! And the Floyd itself is not great, but still I like having a guitar that you don't see a lot of other people have!
I absolutely love the knob and switch layout of a Strat. I hate it when the volume knob is too far away from my picking hand.
Hendrix and many others (Jeff Beck, Eric Johnson) had no trouble with SC pickups. I don't either. I even play Van Halen with SC's.
The volume knob placement is brilliant, reachable with my little finger WHILE continuing to play.
Thanks for the great video.. i have always dreamt of having a strat since i was aged 14, i am now 56.. i tried a black strat back in the 80’s and radius and string height were big and quite high. After a lot of thinking about it i couldn’t settle on what version to get.. there are quite a few, That i ended up buying the very late issue of the Japanese Ibanez Jem 7V -WH. Neck is satin and very flat radius, That it almost plays itself. The floyd rose tremelo does take a bit of time when tuning from initial setup, But once in tune it never goes out of tune, unlike my other guitar a Gretsch 5420T even after a guitar tech has cut wider top nut slots and added graphite.
I LOVE strats. I am strictly a strat player. And i agree with everything you said. I always swap the bridge pickup with a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails though. Just to be able to go into that Lukather mode.
I also love the neck pickup on a strat, but then again, I'm a neck pickup kind of guy in general. Also, I find I prefer the sound of the middle pickup when tuned down to Eb. The other thing I love about strats are the body contours. Nothing is more comfortable than a strat with it's awesome contours! I prefer a 9.5" or 10" over 7.25". I am wondering how you feel, Robert, about your vintage neck with it's body-end adjustment access. I have a Jazzmaster with that kind of vintage-style neck, and it's kind of a pain to have to take the neck off to adjust it instead of just being able to tweak it while leaving the strings on.
Sorry rob I love Strats too much
Informative video.I would say if the sound of a Stat is what you want the hurdles lessen the more you practice. That stands for every guitar you buy/own. I agree with you if an S style is in your future get a Fender brand. Fender or Squire will do the trick. The radius is important for a first timer. If you have a preference, great. If you don't know find out and save the time/money. Get one that fits you. I lucked out. My first electric was a Squire Stat and it fit, plus it, was built well. This video is great for everyone contemplating a new purchase. Thanks!
One thing I love about Strats is having the volume control right under the bridge pickup.
Definitely need to stay away from these😬👍🏻
🤣
Ok. So don’t buy a strat. Don’t buy a Les Paul. Clearly we need a “don’t buy a telecaster and a 335” videos next.
I love everything about Strats. I actually didn’t notice any of these things mentioned until you said something about it and I still don’t really notice it. The Strat is a perfect guitar through and through.
Love the vintage style radius. Only caveat for me is that I like doing 4 fret bends. And if you want to do that, you have to have higher action to avoid choking your bends. And a 7.25 radius is a really comfortable feeling neck. At least it was for moi. Everybody's different. You have to find the one that feels most comfortable for playing that also fits your needs.
I always like picking up a strat and playing it whenever I'm at my local guitar shop, but I always put it back, I find a Tele, for me personally felt the most comfortable and had the sound I was after. I'm a Gibson Les Paul Slash edition owner, which is my dream guitar, so I've never felt drawn to buy a strat as of yet.