Shopping for a new strat

[CoolerKing]

Musts: Maple fretboard, sunburst finish.
Wants: ?relic, ?nonstandard pickups.

The guitarists I listen to the most that play strats would be Mark Knopfler and Stevie Ray Vaughan. That said, I won't likely be playing a lot of loud blues, have drifted towards instrumental music over the past ten years or so, which is about how long ago I sold my last strat; still have the Marshall amp though!

Any suggestions? I have enough in the war chest for an American-made, either gently used or new.

Thx y'all.

[The Growler]

Here's a stock photo of my Am. Deluxe Strat. Discontinued metallic sunburst but you can still find a few and maybe one with a maple fretboard as that was an option. I love it. Good luck with the hunt!

[Matt McGriff]

Does it have to be a Fender? There are other options (G&L, EBMM, Suhr, plus a thousand others) that gave you a ton of options. If I was spending $1000-$1500 on a strat I would be buying an EBMM Cutlass.

[Steve DeRosa]

Hard to go wrong with an American Standard '56 or '59 Strat, and you create the relic vibe over the next 40 years...

[jimmybcool]

If I were looking for a strat you are close to what I'd want. I don't care so much about relic or sunburst but maple fretboard and US made. All I'd care about is the US made, maple, and it is clean and sets up right. Then add some Custom Shop 1969 Abigail wound pickups.

Match it to the right amp.

Good to go. This one is mine.

[muscmp]

you can try 30 different new strats in many stores or you can try 30 different used strats. either way you will have to tweak it, but electrics are easier to do so than acoustic, as you know. the one that sings to you.....take it home!

play music!

[JeffreyAK]

One question up front might be, do you want a tremolo or a hardtail? That will constrain your options, as I don't think there are many new hardtail options at the moment.

[The Growler]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

Hard to go wrong with an American Standard '56 or '59 Strat, and you create the relic vibe over the next 40 years...

Agreed! Real mojo when it's earned they hard way.

[guitararmy]

How about a Fender Eric Johnson Strat?
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...caster&index=1

[jonfields45]

Originally Posted by guitararmy

How about a Fender Eric Johnson Strat?
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/guita...caster&index=1

Also seems to be to be the perfect Strat. Classic pickups, wider classic trem string spacing, modern large frets, modern larger fretboard radius, modern rounded fretboard edge, relatively lighter weight alder, and a quarter sawn neck. There is also a slight advantage to a truss rod that runs all the way to end of the neck butt (most or all current Fenders are made that way, but vintage modern Warmouth necks for example are not).

I think another great option is the Ernie Ball Music Man Cutlass. To most of the EJ features (though not quarter sawn neck and modern narrow string spacing at the bridge) it adds an active hum cancelling coil and stainless steel frets.

http://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/CutlassVS

[dwalton]

You may want to check out the John Page Ashburn. Lotta guitar with that one.

[CoolerKing]

Good advice all; thx. I would prefer hardtail but it limits the options so much that I'd almost have to go custom.

Thanks guys!

[aknow]

Mark Knopfler model with rosewood board, in red of course, if you can find one.

[BTF]

If I may give some advice on the non-trem/trem question, I would urge you to consider getting the version with trem.

First, you can always block the trem with a wooden wedge (a la Clapton). It has often been thought that the tremolo-equipped Strats- even when blocked- have a certain "liveliness" due to the springs reacting with the string vibrations.

Second, the Strat trem is so incredibly versatile that you may want to use it in the future. Gilmour, Hazel, Blackmore, Beck and the mighty Hendrix all demonstrate how great the Strat trem can be.

As Daddy Rich opined, "Better to have it and not to need it, than to need it and not to have it!"

Just offering. Good Luck.