Why Strats have no equal:

[Lonnie99]

Jesus some of you people put WAY too much thought into this discussion, and my money says most couldn't discern whether a Tele or Strat was being played on a given song unless you saw the video. Both guitars are so incredibly versatile. My most teleish sounding guitar is a plywood bodied Lotus Strat with Fender MIM Strat pups, bridge position. Silly amount of twang.

[sleewell]

I love guitars. Nuff said.

[Burgess]

First let me start by saying videos of artist preferences of guitar choice have zero influence on me. Fact is, a great player will make any rig sing but that's a whole 'nother argument...

 

The thing that makes a Strat unique is that there's really nothing that sounds like it except for a good copy. Strats have that nasal undertone that really no other guitar has. You can get a single coil chime on any number of guitars and even a little bit of pos4 quack on some, but there's that Strat sound that if you want it, just pick up a Strat 'cause nothing else has it. A Tele will give you the bite that a Strat doesn't have but when I want some heavy top/bottom chunk rhythm, it's a Strat every time.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

My most teleish sounding guitar is a plywood bodied Lotus Strat with Fender MIM Strat pups, bridge position. Silly amount of twang.

 

 

Do you have a Tele?

[Lonnie99]

Yes I do. Sounds pretty teleish too.

[sammyreynolds01]

I do agree with HIC that they would sound equally as good playing other guitars. Hendrix played a flying V and still sounded like Hendrix.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

I do agree with HIC that they would sound equally as good playing other guitars. Hendrix played a flying V and still sounded like Hendrix.

 

 

He sounded more like Hendrix when he played a Strat:)

[bubkus_jones]

 

I love guitars. Nuff said.

 

 

plus Juan

[kayd_mon]

I like Strats because they are comfortable to play and tend to have a unique sound. That said, I don't find them to be the best overall design, but is in the group of the best designs.

[Blackface]

Oh {censored}, someone thinks something different than me. Better get pissed and start arguing or else I'll lose all confidence in myself.

[Snappy Hat]

 

Every one of these guys would sound fine on any other guitar. You can glorify the Strat all you want but the only thing I see in these videos are good guitarists who could sound great on any decent instrument, and the only inspiration I get is to practice hard to get to their level. Strats still suck in my book.

 

What you are disregarding however is the fact that those "good guitarist" given the choice of any guitar , stick with strats.

They obviously dont feel strats suck.

[dparr]

It seems to me that a lot of the great Strat players did their best work on a Les Paul.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

It seems to me that a lot of the great Strat players did their best work on a Les Paul.

 

Jimi, Ritchie, Eddie, Hank, Buddy.......??

[xrleroyx]

Gilmour played Les Pauls in the studio.

[Ratae Corieltauvorum]

 

Gilmour played Les Pauls in the studio.

 

 

He has a Bigsby clad 56 and also he's quite fond of his Duo Jet, but his #0001, the red un with the EMGs and the black un that had the Kahler rout filled will always be his cream

[Wyatt]

I think Strats dominate mostly on ergonomics, I think it's the most comfortable guitar design bar none...from the neck profile to the body curves. Even though my '7 hardtial is considered my #2 guitar (behind the goldtop), I can say that comfort factor has a lot to to with it being the one I reach for when practicing.

The fact that they good great too can't be ignored. While all the above guitarists did and can sound great playing anything, the Strat holds it's own with the P and Tele in the pantheon of legendary records.

And there is this (even though it's a Schecter and not a Fender)....

[leftyaxeman]

Your sound is in your hands, how you touch the instrument, your attack, your vibrato, etc, etc. Great players you can tell from a few notes, doesnt matter if they are playing strats, Pauls, V's, 335s, teles. Hendrix, Van Halen, Hall, Christian, Lifeson, Rhoads, Stern, Clapton, SRV, Scofield, Benson, Montgomery, Moore, Dale, Malmsteen, the list goes on & on, can change axes and you would know them. A bad mechanic blames the tool he's using.

Leo Fender got it right the 1st time. The strat is one of the most versatile electrics in production, heard in most all genres of music. Also probably the most copied and modified design of any axe in existence. It's all personal preference to what axe you use. It's best to choose what works best for you, not your favorite player. Long live the strat.

[Wyatt]

Originally Posted by leftyaxeman

Your sound is in your hands, how you touch the instrument, your attack, your vibrato, etc, etc. Great players you can tell from a few notes, doesnt matter if they are playing strats, Pauls, V's, 335s, teles. Hendrix, Van Halen, Hall, Christian, Lifeson, Rhoads, Stern, Clapton, SRV, Scofield, Benson, Montgomery, Moore, Dale, Malmsteen, the list goes on & on, can change axes and you would know them. A bad mechanic blames the tool he's using.

Leo Fender got it right the 1st time. The strat is one of the most versatile electrics in production, heard in most all genres of music. Also probably the most copied and modified design of any axe in existence. It's all personal preference to what axe you use. It's best to choose what works best for you, not your favorite player. Long live the strat.

When people say that they mean the Telecaster.

[honeyiscool]

Originally Posted by Burgess

First let me start by saying videos of artist preferences of guitar choice have zero influence on me. Fact is, a great player will make any rig sing but that's a whole 'nother argument...

The thing that makes a Strat unique is that there's really nothing that sounds like it except for a good copy. Strats have that nasal undertone that really no other guitar has. You can get a single coil chime on any number of guitars and even a little bit of pos4 quack on some, but there's that Strat sound that if you want it, just pick up a Strat 'cause nothing else has it. A Tele will give you the bite that a Strat doesn't have but when I want some heavy top/bottom chunk rhythm, it's a Strat every time.

People say that but any guitar with three low-output single coil pickups where you can select bridge + mid will give you that sound and if you heard a Nashville Tele in that position, you would think it was a Strat. I just think people place a lot of importance on stuff like... floating vibrato when there's a simpler reason why Strats sound the way they do, i.e. it's mostly pickups.

Originally Posted by Snappy Hat

What you are disregarding however is the fact that those "good guitarist" given the choice of any guitar , stick with strats.
They obviously dont feel strats suck.

Really? Didn't Knopfler play Schecter Customs and various Pensas and Les Pauls once he became famous? Maybe he felt that he liked the sound but that other manufacturers had better quality that suited him better... and then what you're disregarding is that it doesn't matter, either. If Gilmour loves his Strat that has been through hell and back, shit, that guitar's been through enough mods that anybody in this forum would probably think it's now a piece of shit, but he has good enough techs to still make it a good instrument, but if you didn't tell people it was Gilmour's, they'd be like, yeah, what an idiot, routed for a Kahler.

And really, it was still a stupid thing to do. People aren't suddenly end-all authorities on hardware because they're good players. I still think Strats would be quite different if Fender actually played guitar.

[thecornman]

I love Strats, because they are great! For me they are the best design ever. Don't give a {censored} who uses them and who doesn't. I also doubt that the people that do use them do for any other reason then they love them as well. The opinion of people that change their guitars more often then I do my underwear also does not mean sweet {censored} all to me. I have been playing 26 years I know what I like.

[dparr]

Originally Posted by Ratae Coritanorum

Jimi, Ritchie, Eddie, Hank, Buddy.......??

Clapton and Beck come to mind.


Does Eddie really play a Strat? It's wired a lot like a Les Paul.

[Wayne2]

Originally Posted by Wyatt

I think Strats dominate mostly on ergonomics, I think it's the most comfortable guitar design bar none...from the neck profile to the body curves.

this

I'm 5'9", longish arms, slightly above average hand size, a bit overweight. Maybe it's just what I'm used to but Strats feel right with me and every other guitar feels weird. I've been trying to bond with the Blacktop Jaguar for months now and am starting to think about selling it. I was lent a Tele for a few months once years ago (first electric I ever played) and that sharp edge was murder. The horns on the strat make it easy to handle when you need to move it. The balance is perfect. I even tried a Yamaha Pacifica for a few months and it was a super-nice guitar but going back to the Strat was like switching from comfortable daytime clothes to pajamas. People who don't give a Strat a chance are missing out on one of the greatest pleasures life has to offer.

I think the trem is awesome too. Even with my cheap lightweight mexican zinc block. It has a playful toy-like quality to it that's like fresh air compared to all the serious classical crap shoved down my throat in high school. I never had a mechanical problem or tuning problem with it and it's 16 years old and looks like new.

I guess I can understand the point about two pickups and a 3-way switch being simpler, and even that the volume knob could be a problem for some people. But come on, seems like nitpicks. The only serious problem with strats is the hum with the single coils and there are multiple ways to deal with that if it's actually a problem for an individual situation.

[Wayne2]

 

Originally Posted by thecornman

I love Strats, because they are great! For me they are the best design ever. Don't give a shit who uses them and who doesn't. I also doubt that the people that do use them do for any other reason then they love them as well. The opinion of people that change their guitars more often then I do my underwear also does not mean sweet fuck all to me. I have been playing 26 years I know what I like.

 

Seriously. I like trying new things too but come on.

[fretmonster]

Originally Posted by Ratae Coritanorum

Strats do indeed suck balls

Thank you! I think some thought I posted those vids to showcase the players that chose Strats when in fact what I was trying to showcase was the diverse spectrum of different styles and tones it was capable of. Thx for the Gary Moore vid. He was such an emotional player and pretty easily identified by his style and tone but he got something a little different out of his Strat and LP for me (RIP).

I think Burgess said it right - the right tool for top/bottom chunky rhythms.

[leftyaxeman]

 

Originally Posted by Wyatt

When people say that they mean the Telecaster.

 

Guess I should've clarified. Leo Fender got it right the 1st time with the basic strat design. The strat is one of the most versatile electrics in production, heard in most all genres of music. Also probably the most copied and modified design of any axe in existence.