Fender Strat enthusiasts

[Kerbie]

jimmybcool... that's lovely!

[Beachrunner]

Kinda like 'em myself..

(Pay no attention to the Tele hiding in there...)

[RussL30]

Some great looking strats in this thread. My 96 Tex Mex ( pre-cursor to the Jimmie Vaughn sig) has been my number one electric for almost 20
Years since I was 13.

However, my recent tele has caused me not to pick it up near as much and when I do I want to go back to the Tele. It’s been almost 3 months so we’ll see how long that lasts. The tele seems more alive. I have the pickups set really low on the Strat so I may try raising them and see if that helps.

[TJChapin]

Originally Posted by rmp

IMHO must haves are



a strat

a tele

a les paul



with those three, you got just about all the bases covered.



I have 2 US Made strats, one I've had since 96, the other I bought in 2014.

I've had a few more that I've traded off or let go, some with regret today.

Amen brother!
And throw in a really good fender tube amp and your there

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Beachrunner

Kinda like 'em myself..

(Pay no attention to the Tele hiding in there...)

Gotta say the "roasted" or stained neck on the black one looks elegant

[Birchtop]

Nothing wrong with a strat or two

[raysachs]

I'm a strat guy, it's just what I am. When I was a kid and learning to play, I bought a used strat and a used D-28 in about 1978-79. Had 'em both for 25 years. They were my only two guitars for all but a few months of that time. When I got back into playing a few years ago, I tried a bunch of stuff, teles, Les Pauls, PRS 594, semi-hollows, various P90 options. And I liked 'en all, but when there was a strat on the wall - and there was ALWAYS a strat on the wall - I always reached for the strat. Everything else died of neglect and was eventually sold. So several months ago, I finally admitted this harsh truth to myself yet again - I'm just a strat guy. They're always what I choose to play when given choice. And the choice just hurts my head with no upside. So now it's just a strat.

Two actually. I've had the Robert Cray hardtail on the left for a couple years and it was my favorite strat ever. Still the best playing strat I've owned. I like the Clapton V neck more but I don't like the Clapton's active electronics. But a few months ago I got a PRS Silver Sky (on the right), their version of a strat. And it's a fine player but it's overwhelmingly the best sounding strat I've ever played. And it comes set up decked, so I just never put the whammy bar in and play it like a hardtail. Now the Cray lives in the closet as a backup - the Silver Sky is effectively my sole electric these days. Love it...

untitled-1-8 by Ray, on Flickr

-Ray

[Dru Edwards]

Fantastic family pic! That black in the back with the black pickguard and creame pickups looks great.

Originally Posted by Birchtop

Nothing wrong with a strat or two

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by raysachs

I'm a strat guy, it's just what I am. When I was a kid and learning to play, I bought a used strat and a used D-28 in about 1978-79. Had 'em both for 25 years. They were my only two guitars for all but a few months of that time. When I got back into playing a few years ago, I tried a bunch of stuff, teles, Les Pauls, PRS 594, semi-hollows, various P90 options. And I liked 'en all, but when there was a strat on the wall - and there was ALWAYS a strat on the wall - I always reached for the strat. Everything else died of neglect and was eventually sold. So several months ago, I finally admitted this harsh truth to myself yet again - I'm just a strat guy. They're always what I choose to play when given choice. And the choice just hurts my head with no upside. So now it's just a strat.

Two actually. I've had the Robert Cray hardtail on the left for a couple years and it was my favorite strat ever. Still the best playing strat I've owned. I like the Clapton V neck more but I don't like the Clapton's active electronics. But a few months ago I got a PRS Silver Sky (on the right), their version of a strat. And it's a fine player but it's overwhelmingly the best sounding strat I've ever played. And it comes set up decked, so I just never put the whammy bar in and play it like a hardtail. Now the Cray lives in the closet as a backup - the Silver Sky is effectively my sole electric these days. Love it...

Nice guitars Ray,,, also I must admit now that I have become a PRS fan, I find this statement pretty encouraging "but it's overwhelmingly the best sounding strat I've ever played."

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Nice guitars Ray,,, also I must admit now that I have become a PRS fan, I find this statement pretty encouraging "but it's overwhelmingly the best sounding strat I've ever played."

The pickups are the thing that sold me on it. I mean, it plays really well, but so do a lot of strats and my least favorite thing about it is actually the neck profile, which is a little heavier on the shoulders than I like. Not as easy to do a thumb-over as on a lot of strats - the new 2020 models with rosewood boards have a slightly "de-shouldered" neck, although the new maple board models have the same old neck.

But the pickups and whatever special sauce the use with them are just next level. Evidently they do some deal where they fine tune the capacitors for each one to balance the pickups just how they like em. I don't understand any of that can't speak to anything but the end result. But the end result is incredible. I've always been kind of a typical 2, 4, 5 strat player who never really spent any time at all in the neck or middle pickups by themselves. The bridge pickup has a tone control, but it actually sounds good wide open too. Every position sounds good and there's no perceptible volume drop with the 2 and 4, like there usually is. The 2 and 4 don't quack as much as some strats and that's a downside for some, but they quack some, can quack more if you lower the middle pickup a bit (but that does introduce a little volume loss in the three middle positions), and even with the stock setup, they're incredible sounding positions, just not with as much quack as some like.

I might have to try a 2020 model with the rounded neck to see how different it is. If it's close to as round as my Cray, I may sell the one I've got and side-grade to the new one. Or I may wait and see if they change the maple board model to the new neck and look at changing then. It's not like I ever think about the current neck when I'm playing it - it's just if I pull the Cray out of the closet from time to time, I can really feel the difference..

-Ray

[Steel and wood]

Originally Posted by Birchtop

Nothing wrong with a strat or two

And the winner goes to ……..

Seriously beautiful examples, I just don't know how you get around to playing them all.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by raysachs

The pickups are the thing that sold me on it. I mean, it plays really well, but so do a lot of strats and my least favorite thing about it is actually the neck profile, which is a little heavier on the shoulders than I like. Not as easy to do a thumb-over as on a lot of strats - the new 2020 models with rosewood boards have a slightly "de-shouldered" neck, although the new maple board models have the same old neck.

But the pickups and whatever special sauce the use with them are just next level. Evidently they do some deal where they fine tune the capacitors for each one to balance the pickups just how they like em. I don't understand any of that can't speak to anything but the end result. But the end result is incredible. I've always been kind of a typical 2, 4, 5 strat player who never really spent any time at all in the neck or middle pickups by themselves. The bridge pickup has a tone control, but it actually sounds good wide open too. Every position sounds good and there's no perceptible volume drop with the 2 and 4, like there usually is. The 2 and 4 don't quack as much as some strats and that's a downside for some, but they quack some, can quack more if you lower the middle pickup a bit (but that does introduce a little volume loss in the three middle positions), and even with the stock setup, they're incredible sounding positions, just not with as much quack as some like.

I might have to try a 2020 model with the rounded neck to see how different it is. If it's close to as round as my Cray, I may sell the one I've got and side-grade to the new one. Or I may wait and see if they change the maple board model to the new neck and look at changing then. It's not like I ever think about the current neck when I'm playing it - it's just if I pull the Cray out of the closet from time to time, I can really feel the difference..

-Ray

Vary informative, thanks ,Kev

[pf400]

A good Strat and and SG is my version of "all you need" for country, rock, blues, jazz etc. A Gretsch would be a bonus, and a Telecaster if I were to endulge. For acoustic I'm content with my Martin acoustic-electric and my Yamaha crossover nylon string.

[Steel and wood]

Originally Posted by pf400

A good Strat and and SG is my version of "all you need" for country, rock, blues, jazz etc. A Gretsch would be a bonus, and a Telecaster if I were to endulge. For acoustic I'm content with my Martin acoustic-electric and my Yamaha crossover nylon string.

When I started out, I developed my first serious case of GAS for a Stratocaster with Fender on the headstock and an acoustic dreadnought with Martin on the headstock. (It's funny because I normally wouldn't care less for brand name products but both brands have a rich history that inspired me to want to own them). I'm Australian but my musical styles and influences are very much American influenced.

I then went and got myself a Fender Telecaster (second bout of GAS) and other than owning a Gretsch semi (I own a lovely Samick Greg Bennett Royale semi instead), I feel pretty much content and good to go.

[Beachrunner]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Gotta say the "roasted" or stained neck on the black one looks elegant

Thanks, KevWind. It's a 1998 Fender Classic 50's. They made the necks on these with a very dark tint (which I love!) at the time.