Should every electric guitarist own a Stratocaster?

[KevWind]

My best friend finally just this last week fell under the grip of the "Dark Side" and just got his first electric guitar ???????
You guessed it, a Honeyburst with Rosewood Fingerboard,,,Fender American Performer Strat

[RP]

Originally Posted by KevWind

My best friend finally just this last week fell under the grip of the "Dark Side" and just got his first electric guitar ???????
You guessed it, a Honeyburst with Rosewood Fingerboard,,,Fender American Performer Strat

I suppose that's where I thought I was going with this thread. Not to stir (or re-stir) the Strat vs Tele debate nor how much better other electric guitars are than a Strat. I don't consider myself an electric player per se, but I like to play an electric occasionally. Maybe it's the time that I grew up but the Strat just seems like a very iconic guitar, and it seems that it would be in the arsenal of many electric players and in some cases, like Kev's friend, the first choice for an electric.

I recently purchased a Robert Cray Strat - don't need and don't want tremolo. Simultaneously I sold the Eastman T486 BD. In fact, as the UPS driver was delivering the Fender, I had him pick up the Eastman. The Eastman was a great guitar in most respects but just felt too heavy for me. The Strat, on the other hand, just felt right and sounds amazing to my ear through my Sweetwater Fender Super Champ X2 Tweed. I've owned a number of Strats over years and sold them probably because playing electric has always seemed to be a language that I spoke poorly. However, I finally realized that owning a relatively inexpensive guitar/amp combo and playing an electric is still enjoyable to me. Are there other great electric guitars out there? Of course. Would all of you agree with my choice for a lone electric guitar? Highly unlikely. Am I satisfied with this combo? Definitely...

[Aspiring]

That's why I was curious.

I originally felt like my two closest guitars weren't really the same thing but I have recently finding myself getting very strat like tones from the split on the Anderson cobra S in particular. Although it is 24.75 and there is. A very obvious visual resemblance with the body shape and bolt on necks.

I've never been particularly drawn to actual Strats for some reason. I think mostly just the look has put me off. Some of the new super strat models look interesting though.

Originally Posted by s2y

Some of those are important, like the bolt-on 25.5" scale maple neck with a RW or maple fretboard.

Nut....nah.

Some, definitely not all, humbuckers can split well. The JB in my ancient Kramer Pacers and Duncan Hyperion in my Ibanez AZ both split well, which delivers a nice single coil and single bridge+middle.

The 2 knob config might make a theoretical tonal difference, but not something that's likely audible in a band mix.

While it's true that a Floyd might change the tone a little, even Fender is offering modern 2 point options. Much more responsive to subtle vibrato and stays in tune better.

As for the name on the headstock, plenty of people have been using different brands, mismatched parts, parts builds, etc. It was never meant to be a perfect or magic formula. The intent was mass production and reasonable price.

[MIGAS79]

Traded my Strat today. My second one. I just don’t bond with them. I also think part of it is I feel I could just get another one at some point. They are generically good... if that makes any sense. There is a raw aspect to a Telecaster I am drawn to over them.

[ataylor]

I started playing guitar two decades ago. For about the first two thirds of that period, there were two types of guitar I thought were boring and vanilla and that I’d never own: the Martin D-28 (and anything similar D-35, D-18, OM-28, etc), and the Fender Stratocaster.

Well, I got a Martin D-18 a year and a half ago, I’d love to have a D-28, and I’ve been looking at Stratocasters for months after getting my daughter a mini-sized one a couple years ago and kinda falling in love with it.

I just can’t decide what color I want...

[s2y]

Originally Posted by Aspiring

That's why I was curious.

I originally felt like my two closest guitars weren't really the same thing but I have recently finding myself getting very strat like tones from the split on the Anderson cobra S in particular. Although it is 24.75 and there is. A very obvious visual resemblance with the body shape and bolt on necks.

I've never been particularly drawn to actual Strats for some reason. I think mostly just the look has put me off. Some of the new super strat models look interesting though.

The 24.75" scale length and mahogany body probably take away a little from a "true" Fender sound.

I have plans for an Anderson hopefully in the next year or so. I like my Ibanez AZ, but I miss having a Floyd and I like the idea of mid output pickups with the boost switch. I'm also a sucker for Super Strats that utilize the neck+bridge single instead of the middle pickup, which I seldom use.

The Strat body is extremely comfortable. Other than a deeper cutaway if you have bit hands and/or want 24 frets. Leo got it right and that's why it's such a highly copied guitar shape. Very ergonomic, light, and comfortable compared to the Tele and LP shape.

[blews]

Originally Posted by Mich Novice

Traded my Strat today. My second one. I just don’t bond with them. I also think part of it is I feel I could just get another one at some point. They are generically good... if that makes any sense. There is a raw aspect to a Telecaster I am drawn to over them.

Once again I am very biased and I have owned a couple of Strats over the years.....just not for me....I’ve loved teles since I could hold a guitar....they can deliver any genre and to me are more comfortable to play than a strat....I am a smaller body guitar fan and I just love the feel of a tele when I play....I’ve owned Strats, 335 style axes, LPs, etc and come back to the Tele every time....

Maybe the real question to be asked is “should every electric guitarist own a Telecaster?”......

[RP]

Originally Posted by blews

...The real question to be asked is “should every electric guitarist own a tele?”......

Sounds like a good companion thread...

[mercy]

The answer is yes, in my opinion they are the only electric guitar. I wouldnt own any other.

[Guildman]

Didn't take the time to read all 4 pages of this thread so might sound redundant. I settled for EBMM Cutlass then picked up a Peavey Predator for an insane low price. Two strat like guitars to make one never go wandering for another.

[skyblue314]

Should this subject even be discussed? The answer is quite obvious!

[Birchtop]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I think if you have a electric guitar collection you need to include a Strat and a Les Paul. If you don't have an assortment of guitars I think you only need a Strat if you like the scale length and the tone. I have Strats and Les Pauls and much prefer the Les Paul for both the scale length and tone.

So, no, I don't consider a Strat a 'must have guitar'.

Only if they’re gold.

[Birchtop]

Originally Posted by RP

...

I recently purchased a Robert Cray Strat - don't need and don't want tremolo....

An excellent Strat.

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Birchtop

Only if they’re gold.

I have a Gold Top Les Paul Tribute (and an Epiphone Gold Top Bonamassa) but none of my Strats are gold. Not something you see often but yours looks great!

[raysachs]

Originally Posted by Birchtop

An excellent Strat.

Yep, I bought one about two and a half years ago and due to an accounting mistake at a large retailer (which I alerted them to, but they never fixed), I paid less than $140 for it. I've played and even bought a few much much much more expensive strats since then - I thought the PRS Silver Sky I bought late last year was gonna finally knock it out of the top spot, but the PRS is gone and the Cray remains my overwhelming #1 - I have an Epiphone SG with P90s because I have to have P90s available, but the Cray gets about 90% of my time.

Cray-5 by Ray, on Flickr

Cray-8 by Ray, on Flickr

-Ray