Members Joeballz Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Im looking to buy a new Fender Strat. Ive wanted one for a while just not sure if its the right guitar for my music taste so help me out. Im still new to the guitar so i could use some advice. Im mainly in music like Van Halen, Nirvana, STP, Pearl Jam, Alice in chains etc and alot of metal maiden, priest etc. Would a strat or fat strat be a decent choice? help me out thanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 A fatstrat would work. I'd def recommend an HB in the bridge given your taste in music. Do envision using a trem? If not, you may want to consider hard tail options as well. How much are you looking to spend? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TomCray Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 I second a fat Strat. One could always block a trem to pseudo hard tail it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Joeballz Posted July 30, 2009 Author Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 yea i figured the fat strat. im uncertain about the tremolo for now. im only looking to spend around 500$. The Fender Fat Strat is the HSS right? Fender website doesnt say fat strat just hss... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members chadd Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 I wouldn't consider any strat that doesn't have a HB in the bridge for your style of music. I have a start with a mini-demon in the bridge that actually does a pretty good job on that stuff but it isn't the ideal solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Joeballz Posted July 30, 2009 Author Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 i just gotta make sure whatever i buy next lasts me a while.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbrown49 Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 i just gotta make sure whatever i buy next lasts me a while.... The MIMs are pretty nice these days and should last you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Joeballz Posted July 30, 2009 Author Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 i really like this ibanez also i saw it at sam ash looks pretty quality http://www.ibanez.com/ElectricGuitars/model-RGA42FM Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members larry50 Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Strats can pretty much handle anything except for maybe extreme brootalz. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Im looking to buy a new Fender Strat. Ive wanted one for a while just not sure if its the right guitar for my music taste so help me out. Im still new to the guitar so i could use some advice. Im mainly in music like Van Halen, Nirvana, STP, Pearl Jam, Alice in chains etc and alot of metal maiden, priest etc. Would a strat or fat strat be a decent choice? help me out thanks. I play in a band that covers: VH, Nirvana, STP, AIC, Metallica, JP and AC/DC among other things. My #1 ax is an SRV sig strat. I did mod it with a push/pull switch so I can turn the bridge on in series. The middle/bridge in series gives a pretty convincing humbucker tone, and run into a tubescreamer (or my new distortion pedal, son of hyde) and I can cover a lot of ground. We also do a lot of less high gain stuff, so having all the other settings on a strat works out great. I would recommend either an HSS strat, or a strat with the aforementioned mod. Strats are workhorse guitars, I think you would be hard pressed to find a guitar that can cover more ground. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Eddie Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 I think that Jerry Cantrell (Alice in Chains) uses a G&L. In my experience, G&L are a better instrument for the money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members TomCray Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 im uncertain about the tremolo for now. A vintage trem system could be easily blocked with a screwdriver and couple extra screws. If you're more inclined you can physically block it with a block of wood a la Eric Clapton. This is completely reversible, so if later down the road you decide you want a hardtail, just block it and you're golden. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Slackerprince Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Most people that play the kind of music you listed use Ibanez, Schecter, ESP, etc., although Cobain used a Fender to great effect. You definitely want a humbucker in there somewhere. If you're going to block the trem and need humbuckers, what's the point of a Strat? They are a single-coil guitar (originally) with a very distinct sound. Go to a GC and try lots of axes out. Good luck. Slackerprince Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twotimingpete Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 I think the strat, particularly a strat with a humbucker in the bridge position, is the "safest" bet there is for the person who wants to try many things, and is one of the most versatile guitars in existance as well as extremely comfortable to play sitting or standing. I'd say it's a totally safe buy if you're a newcomer and don't know a ton about different types of guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johanneswiberg Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 +1 on the MIM HSS strat, I'm gonna buy one soon myself to play everything from soft stuff to metal, although not too extreme. I'll probably keep it tuned c#-c# to add some variation to my Ibanez SZ. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members EatingAPeach Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 MIM HSS Strat Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hellion_213 Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Starats being versatile/comfortable is very subjective. I personally don't care for them. The volume knob is in a Really bad place for me, keep turning myself down/off on accident. Their signature sound is not what I want in any form of metal, in other words, you have to color them to cover it up. BC Rich ASM is a good strat style guitar. ESP, Ibanez, all have Killer strat style guitars. My advice is to try a few out and see which is more comfortable. Oh, and typically, Fender 'vintage' trems are useless for anything more than a light vibrato. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OvertoneZero Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Strat is the most overrated guitar of all time. It's also one of the best guitars of all time. Try to play a bunch if you can stand it and pay as much attention to comfort in different positions as sound. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members johanneswiberg Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Starats being versatile/comfortable is very subjective. I personally don't care for them. The volume knob is in a Really bad place for me, keep turning myself down/off on accident. Their signature sound is not what I want in any form of metal, in other words, you have to color them to cover it up. BC Rich ASM is a good strat style guitar. ESP, Ibanez, all have Killer strat style guitars. My advice is to try a few out and see which is more comfortable. Oh, and typically, Fender 'vintage' trems are useless for anything more than a light vibrato. While I like strats myself I have to agree with this - try a few different guitars with an open mind before you decide on anything. I bouth meself a MIM strat when I started out many years ago, and while I liked it, it wasn't really the right instrument for me at the time. After a while, I switched to a dual HB Ibanez and I've been happy with that ever since, it's only recently I've started to feel the need for a strat again to give me more versatility. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian May Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 The HSS Strat of course is a good choice but also consider the PRS SE....great guitars for the money and will do your styles perfectly well...and you can have trem or hardtail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Scoogs Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 You don't even have to spend $500 to get an awesome MIM Strat. If eBay is an option for you, you can get one for less than $300 and make whatever mods you like with the extra cash (or not). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members twotimingpete Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 I think saying strats are versatile and comfortable (particularly versatile with an HSS configuration) is not at all unfounded. let's examine things... let me start by saying I'm not really a "strat guy". I don't even own one anymore. 1) comfort. well balanced, not neck heavy. has a belly cutout to lean against your body better in a standing position. some people have different preferences for neck sizes, but the neck size of most strats isn't oppressively fat (or ridiculuously slim) so most people find it accessible and comfortable. 2) versatility. the majority of "standard" type guitars out there have 3 pickup settings. strats have 5. and if you have an HSS strat, (you can use a SC sized humbucker to change even a regular strat into an HSS strat very easily) you aren't giving up the rockin' out bridge crunch position at all. you have all the crunch you need AND a bunch of other tone options. strats also have a tremolo which adds another option to your pallette. and if you don't like using it, don't use it, or even block it, but I'm a big fan of guitars with tremolos and I think the idea that there's any big damage to your sustain is overstated and even if it's true it's not something most people are likely to ever notice. electric guitars generally ALL have good enough sustain. there's also the matter of the cutaway providing excellent upper fret access. this may not matter to everyone but it doesn't hurt. I generally prefer double cutaways (funny, since both of my main guitars right now are single cuts..). so what I'm saying is it's the quintessential electric guitar. it has just about everything all in one package. 5 tone options, rock crunch sound with HSS, double cutaway, wammy bar, good balance and an approachable neck. hard to go wrong, if you need to do it, a strat can do it. everyone is going to have their preferences for what their favorite guitar is, and a strat isn't my favorite guitar either, but I have to acknowledge that it's an all in one package that's impossible to go wrong with. it's the safest bet for the newcomer who doesn't quite know what his needs are or what his needs will be down the line. the newbie who may not know how to play very well yet, or perhaps at all, hasn't developed his musical style yet and has no idea what he's going to want or need once he finds himself. with a strat, he's covered. a peavey strat-clone was my first electric guitar (got it when I was 15) and I don't regret it at all. it served me very very well and was useful for many years (it was stolen a few years ago with my other gear in the great theft of 07). it's for all of these reasons (especially for the reason that a newbie doesn't know what he or she is going to need down the line as they grow) that I always recommend a strat type guitar as a first guitar. it's a safe bet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wagdog Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 it's for all of these reasons (especially for the reason that a newbie doesn't know what he or she is going to need down the line as they grow) that I always recommend a strat type guitar as a first guitar. it's a safe bet.That was a great post. I agree with all of it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Florbastang Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 I'd go for a PRS SE of some sort. You can score any model used for under $500, if you don't mind going the used route. The PRS SE Santanas are supposed to be really nice; you can score those for around $300 or so used. They're comfortable and light like Strats and have the tones that you're looking for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonPhillips Posted July 30, 2009 Members Share Posted July 30, 2009 Strat a good choice? No. It's a most excellent choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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