Stratocasters – What’s the appeal?

[crnazz]

Thought I’d try and get input on strats since this thread on teles was so overwhelmingly popular:

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ght=telecaster

I have a USA G&L version of both and, quite honestly, prefer the strat due to the versatility, the trem bar, and the glassier, less-twangy sound. However, I think I represent the minority?

[pitner]

I have 2 strats one hardtail and one with trem. To me they are a workhorse type guitar similar to a tele in mindset. A working musicians instrument that can be abused played hard and put away wet. Nothing really beats the tone of a good Fender whether strat or tele IMHO. I like having to kinda squeeze the notes out of Fender guitar. Just my take on it.

[Tone Gopher]

Originally Posted by crnazz

Thought I’d try and get input on strats since this thread on teles was so overwhelmingly popular:

http://www.acousticguitarforum.com/f...ght=telecaster

I have a USA G&L version of both and, quite honestly, prefer the strat due to the versatility, the trem bar, and the glassier, less-twangy sound. However, I think I represent the minority?

Yeah, you and Eric Clapton, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Buddy Guy. Nobody else cares for Strats.

[BoneDigger]

I have one MIM tele and one MIM strat. I also now have a MIM fat strat on order too. The tele is a very versatile guitar, but I like variety and there are some tones I can get out of the strat that I like better than what I get from the tele.

Todd

[Bob Womack]

Strats are great. It's all about the 2 and 4. They have a more midrange tone than a Tele. My favorite is alder body/maple neck.

Bob

[CoolerKing]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Strats are great. It's all about the 2 and 4. They have a more midrange tone than a Tele. My favorite is alder body/maple neck.

Bob

Love the 4 setting. Mark knopfler all the way.

[franchelB]

The "tremolo" bar. For the price of a Bigsby for my Telecaster, plus installation cost, I bought a Strat instead.

[muscmp]

i needed both so i have an 89 am. standard strat bought new and a 12 am. vintage tele. the strat is a workhorse and does most everything(just not a les paul sound) and the tele does its smaller number ,but equally important intrinsic sounds.

play music!

[Dru Edwards]

There are lots of other guitars I would prefer to play rather than Strats but Leo Fender got it nearly perfect right from the beginning. I think of the way that SRV could make it sing. Gotta love that neck pickup on a Strat.

[zabdart]

Are you kidding? A Strat with 3 single-coil pickups, a 5-way position switch and a vibrato bridge block is just about the most versatile electric guitar going. It's limited only by your imagination -- Jimi Hendrix proved that.

[terrapin]

Originally Posted by Bob Womack

Strats are great. It's all about the 2 and 4. They have a more midrange tone than a Tele. My favorite is alder body/maple neck.

Bob

Could NOT have said it any better than Mr. Womack! Just to add a bit of fact.................position 2 is bridge/middle, position 4 is neck/middle, not the other way around. I saw the Knopfler position referred to as #4, but it is actually #2 (bridge/middle).

[mc1]

comfortable body, too.

[crnazz]

Great documentary on the Fender Strat (if you've got the time...).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKZgVZQEJMY

[BTF]

One of the best reasons:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HFH36je9Hro

[ljguitar]

Hi crnazz...

I have a 1993 American Strat Plus with Lace pickups, roller nut, and locking tuners. It has a Hipshot spring in the tremolo assembly. Midnight Blue body and Maple neck/Rosewood fingerboard.

I like the tone far better than my Tele, and for finger-style backup fill work (I don't play with picks), & it's the most flexible electric I've found.

I can sculpt the tone to fit many styles and situations, and prefer to work with only a chorus pedal (sitting on top of the amp which is on a stand waist high behind me), and a Fender Hot Rod Series Blues Junior NOS 15W with 1X12" Jensen speaker. I love simple clean tone, and easing into naturally induced tube distortion

For me the appeal is the simplicity of operation, rich tone, 5 way switch, tremolo bar, and straight forward plug-n-play ability of using it.

I play it through other tube amps as well, and it's easy to set it up quickly to get the sound I want no matter what it's running through.