NGD...MIM Strat

[maxtheaxe]

I ran across this MIM Strat on Reverb and pulled the trigger. I've been thinking of getting one of these as a platform to customize and this one called to me. It's a 2015 model in almost pristine condition...virtually zero fret wear, no chips, couple tiny scratches, even the satin finish on back of the neck has not buffed out from playing.

It's not too surprising that this didn't get played much because the set-up was all but unusable. All the saddles were set in a perfectly straight line, the six trem-plate screws were cranked right down and the claw was driven way in to the guitar, like they tried to make it "tight" or something.

I was surprised how good it sounded once I got it set up, though. Sounds like a Stratocaster, plays like a Strat. I wouldn't be ashamed to gig with it...actually used it one night at rehearsal & it sounded fine, if lacking a bit in richness, hardware quality. All these things will be addressed, though. I've had a hankering for a white Strat...just something about them, yeah?






"Whitey"...meet 'The Boys'.


BTW, the seller is doing a thing called "Guitars4Cancer", which is a legit charity...they help rural cancer patients with transportation to & from their treatments, since they are usually too sick to make it on their own. The guy actually offered to give me a better price, but I figured the extra $50.00, or whatever, I saved would make a bigger difference where it was going than it made to me...I just paid him his asking price, which was a fair price for the guitar to begin with...it's all good.

[Steve DeRosa]

Sweet - I've had a white Strat for 30+ years (mine's a RW board), but if it's lacking in "richness" as you say you might want to unfloat the tailpiece, retighten the claw, and possibly add a spring or two; from day one I've had mine set up with what used to be known as the "Van Halen Mod" Eddie used before discovering Floyds, where the back end of the tailpiece is flush to the body - still allows you to do downbends with the whammy, and increases sustain and fullness when it's not in use (the direct coupling with the body goes a long way). I'd also recommend a heavier string than the 9's/10's most players use on Strats - part of the reason those '50s Strats sound so full on period recordings is that they came from the factory with flatwound 12's, and while I have no problem in this regard (I started as a jazzer, still string my full-size electric jazzboxes with 13's and acoustic archtops with 14's) I realize where some players might have difficulty; when I was actively teaching I used to set all my students' Mexi-Strats up with wound-G 11's and ultra-low action - made a major improvement in tone, they learned how to bend with some old-fashioned practice, tuning stability was improved, and even as some of them advanced into heavier styles by and large they never went to lighter gauges (especially when they heard how beefy their power chords sounded ). Since you have a strong acoustic background and know your way around Strats, it shouldn't be a difficult transition - give it a shot and see what you think...

In the meantime use it well, often, and LOUD...

[maxtheaxe]

Actually, the reference to the 'richness' of the tone was in regard to the MIM pickups...they just don't have a lot of bite or depth to them, even though they sound very stratty. The guitar itself, played raw with no amp, is quite resonant. It just needs better hardware and pups, which was the idea of getting this one as a customizing platform.

I already have 3 other USA Strats...but I didn't have a white one!

[Livingston]

Congratulations! Beautiful guitar!

[raysachs]

Yeah, there’s something about a white strat with a maple board! Hendrix, Jimmie Vaughan - they just look cool! If you’ve got it playing right, it sure LOOKS right! And you’ve got the BSB tele covered too - nice! But there’s something wrong with it - there’s an extra pickup on it...

I’ve been playing a strat for 40 years and I love em. But I’ve never been a tremolo guy, so I’ve always decked or blocked them. I finally got a hardtail within the last couple of years - a Robert Cray model. It’s also MIM, but it’s the best playing (after playing around with the setup) and best sounding strat I’ve ever had. Pretty good looking guitar too, but not as cool as a white strat with a maple board!

[Jaden]

My favourite colour and neck for a strat too. With the large headstock it can be visible from afar amid a large crowd out in a farmers field with lots of mud in New York State in the summer of ‘69. Like Ray I deck the bridge and unscrew the tremolo arm. The best looking electric guitar on the planet.

[Dru Edwards]

What a sweet looking Strat - Congrats! Do you have specific things that you'll mod?

[KevWind]

Looks great congrats.

[M Sarad]

I bought the Sunburst MIM a dozen years ago. I found the pickups were weak. I looked around and got these:

https://www.seymourduncan.com/pickup/everything-axe-set

I had a friend who works at National and also plays guitar in a Central Coast California Band. He likes it better than his American Tele and won’t give it back. It is a great sounding guitar, different than my Squire or Brondel Strats tonally. I ordered the black covers instead of white.

[maxtheaxe]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

What a sweet looking Strat - Congrats! Do you have specific things that you'll mod?

Thanks! I'll be refining pretty much everything; today I'll be receiving a set of Fender CS Hot Noiseless pups...same ones used by "The Guvnor", Jeff Beck; set of Hip-Shot locking tuners, Wilkinson trem (yes I am a tremolo guy!). I like to set-up with minimal up-trem...not quite 'dive-only'; the Wilkinson has a steel block & stainless steel saddles, so it should be quite 'spanky' & sustaining. I may also have to do a new graphite nut...worked really well on my USA Roadhouse build...we'll see how it responds.

Possibly, down the road if I like the way this turns out, I may do a higher-end flamed maple neck with a 10-16" compound radius. The Roadhouse has an ebony board with that compound & I really like it.

When I get it done, I'll quote my earlier post & do a 'before/after' thing.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by maxtheaxe

Thanks! I'll be refining pretty much everything; today I'll be receiving a set of Fender CS Hot Noiseless pups...same ones used by "The Guvnor", Jeff Beck; set of Hip-Shot locking tuners, Wilkinson trem (yes I am a tremolo guy!). I like to set-up with minimal up-trem...not quite 'dive-only'; the Wilkinson has a steel block & stainless steel saddles, so it should be quite 'spanky' & sustaining. I may also have to do a new graphite nut...worked really well on my USA Roadhouse build...we'll see how it responds.

Possibly, down the road if I like the way this turns out, I may do a higher-end flamed maple neck with a 10-16" compound radius. The Roadhouse has an ebony board with that compound & I really like it.

When I get it done, I'll quote my earlier post & do a 'before/after' thing.

Wow, it'll be unrecognizable ... and an amazing Strat. Where will you get your neck? I' almost pulled the trigger a couple of months ago on a custom conversion neck (Les Paul scale for my American Strat) from Best Guitar Parts ... still might.

[Steel and wood]

Beautiful guitar.

I actually like low output pickups.

[maxtheaxe]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

Wow, it'll be unrecognizable ... and an amazing Strat. Where will you get your neck? I' almost pulled the trigger a couple of months ago on a custom conversion neck (Les Paul scale for my American Strat) from Best Guitar Parts ... still might.

I've seen some really nice ones at Warmoth, and they have a lot of custom configurations available...they are expensive, though. I'll keep an eye on Mighty Mite as well...the neck I put on the Roadhouse was a blow-out deal from them...under $100.00, with ebony compound board, MOP dots, even a bit of bonus birds-eye. I had to strip & redo the finish, and the nut supplied was laughable, but some nitrocellulose in a rattle-can & graphite trem-nut from Graph-tech...Bob's yer uncle!

I wonder about the Les Paul scale conversions for Strat. Seems like that might not work with the intonation unless you're starting with a raw body & custom bridge rout to compensate for the shorter scale...? Am I missing something?

[Kerbie]

That's a good-looking white Strat!

[jazzguy]

Nice find! Get your SRV on!