Why did Fender discontinue it's hardtail strats series?

[Synthbot]

everyone i have ever talked to about the hardtail has said that it is a great guitar with great sustain.

 

And I have heard the "Blocked" argument when it comes to taking a reg. strat. Its just not the same plus it seems like the tuning is still not stable sometimes.

 

I dont need the bar.

 

Any other guitars that have a hardtail in the same fasion as the Fender strat?

 

 

thanks

[cratz2]

My main guess would be poor sales was the reason they were discontinued.

 

I think the Robert Cray sig was one of their best values in guitars in the last 10 years. My second favorite neck is a Cray sig and another forum member has two of them and I've seen the entire guitars sell for $400 and $450 on numerous occasions.

 

I don't have anything against a hard tail and my #1 strat has the trem on lockdown, flat against the body, but I just prefer it being a trem for some reason. I'd never consider ordering a strat with a hardtail from Warmoth for example... though maybe I should.

 

 

[D Carroll]

Because of the nashville tele.

[GreaserMatt]

I will own a hardtail strat one day, oh yes...

 

I love 'em

[Wyatt]

 

My main guess would be poor sales was the reason they were discontinued.

 

 

That's exactly the reason, It won't be too long before Fender offers another, they put a production one in the line-up every few years, but the sales are so slow it doesn't take long before it's really to drop again.

 

A hardtail (mine is a '79) has a much more aggressive attack and lacks that sag on the attack of the note and the reverb-esque tone that springs give. That's why many just prefer to block a trem Strat.

 

As for sustain, I can't imagine ANY solidbody guitar not offering enough sustain into a saturated amp.

[theManfromAlabam]

My best friend has a MIA 1983 hardtail strat, black/rosewood...the guitar is kind of strange in that it has only one tone control knob and the jack/lead input in located on the pickguard...it's a great player...he paid $300 used.

 

Me, I just added two more springs to my two strats. :poke:

[Nephilim-777]

I failed on my quest for a Fender hardtail. I had to get my fix from Warmoth.

[BlackHatHunter]

I sold all my strats because they had a trem on them. All of them. I also sold my Robert Cray strat because I'm a moron. It was a fantastic guitar, and it only cost me $450. Here it is, recorded through a friggin' Roland MicroCube:

 

http://mojotwanger.wordpress.com/2009/11/08/dire-straits-fade-to-black-cover/

 

I want Ron Thorn to build me one of his SoCal S/S guitars w/ a 2Tek bridge. Check out his SoCal gallery here:

 

http://www.thornguitars.com/socal-htm/socal-gallery/socal-gallery-01.htm

[BG76]

 

My best friend has a MIA 1983 hardtail strat, black/rosewood...the guitar is kind of strange in that it has only one tone control knob and the jack/lead input in located on the pickguard...it's a great player...he paid $300 used. Me, I just added two more springs to my two strats. :poke:

 

 

Is it a hardtail or does it have the trem springs under the guard?

[Wyatt]

Is it a hardtail or does it have the trem springs under the guard?

 

For those of you are don't know, BG76 is referring to the Fender FreeFlyte trem, which doesn't have rear access to the trem springs. BTW, it sucks.

 

 

These were found on the '83 and '84 Stratocater Standard and Elite Stratocasters.

 

'83 Startocaster Standard.

 

Elite Stratocaster

 

These were the last CBS Starts made (along with the '57 RI, which was released in '83 as well).

[BlackHatHunter]

I didn't know that. Thanks for the pics and explanation

[scolfax]

 

I failed on my quest for a Fender hardtail. I had to get my fix from Warmoth.

 

 

I'll probably end up doing the same. I had an, '84 I think, and got sold it, sadly, for the money.

[catscurlyear]

if you took out the middle pickup and rewired the pickup selector, a strat with a hardtail would sound just like a tele wouldn`t it ?. i like the sound of teles but find them uncomortable compared to a strat. i would love one ,my friend has a hardtail strat from the late 70`s with a three bolt on neck ,i would love to bring it home one day and match it next to mine which all have trems.

[GAS Man]

I dont need the bar. Any other guitars that have a hardtail in the same fasion as the Fender strat? thanks

 

The Robert Cray model is still available

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Fender-Artist-Series-Robert-Cray-Stratocaster-Electric-Guitar?sku=511263

 

 

[mnhhngbfs]

that RC strat is hot, but i would hate to own one because of the truss adjustment being in the damn neck heel. i know it's vintage correct and all that jazz, but it's such a pain in the ass.

[LameAim]

There's always the Corgan Strat, it is also a hardtail. And the truss rod adjustment is not in the neck heel.

 

 

I don't have any real allegiance to the Pumpkins or anything but I was looking for a hardtail Fender with humbuckers and this one fit the bill. Plays great. Lowball your nearest Best Buy music store, I got mine a tad higher than $800.

[cratz2]

 

if you took out the middle pickup and rewired the pickup selector, a strat with a hardtail would sound just like a tele wouldn`t it ?. i like the sound of teles but find them uncomortable compared to a strat. i would love one ,my friend has a hardtail strat from the late 70`s with a three bolt on neck ,i would love to bring it home one day and match it next to mine which all have trems.

 

 

Not quite... the tele neck pickup is much darker and more mellow than a standard strat neck pickup. And a standard Tele bridge pickup is twangier than most strat pickups. I have several strats with a blend pot or a mini toggle switch, both of which allow for the neck+bridge pickup combo which is a useful combination to have, but it doesn't sound much like a tele.

 

Of course, you could put a tele neck pickup in a strat pickguard (and just have a slight gap around the pickup) and put an actual tele bridge pickup in a strat, but then, the tele bridge probably contributes a bit to how a tele sounds.

[catscurlyear]

i would have thought it was the "through the body string setup" like a tele which is what would give the hardtail strat along with some pickup and selector alterations ,an almost identical sound to a tele ,can`t see why not.

[Angry Tele]

if i were to buy a strat it would surely be a hardtail.

[Bbreaker]

Bought this about 6 years ago...................

 

[Hubert Stumblin]

The Cray hardtail is a terrific guitar.

[thermionic geek]

I love my Robert Cray strat, But it hass been modded to be a metal guitar with a Hot rails and a BG Strat P90 in the neck. The neck is a Mighty Mite replacement thats almost as big as the Cray neck and has huge frets. The Bridge is a Hipshot.

 

I don't really play strats much but this one is the shred machine. If I could only shred.

 

 

 

I put the Cray neck on my mexican standard wich has old Dimarzios wired in Series. I like the Cray neck much better on this guitar for some reason.

 

 

Not a very helpful post, but look at my cool guitars!

[GAS Man]

Not a very helpful post, but look at my cool guitars!

 

[theManfromAlabam]

 

Is it a hardtail or does it have the trem springs under the guard?

 

 

I don't know...Wyatt proved that my friends strat is not a hardtail.

 

Now I'm courious as to what the hell is under the hood of that guitar.

 

Good luck

[JoeBoy]

Units sold I guess. Maybe they want the HT lovers to salivate a while, and then some new blood will come about.