Strats for Dummies

So as I mentioned in my "Fat Neck" thread I'm getting a MiM Cray Stratocaster next week. I have literally never played a Strat other than to strum one unplugged for a minute or two in a store at various times. And I don't think I've ever even seen a hardtail. My Tele is my only point of reference in electric guitars and I'm just barely past being a total beginner at that.

So how does the Strat work, eh? There are five switch positions (Ye Gods!) instead of three, three pickups instead of two, two tone knobs instead of one. All that plus a whanger, it's every boy's dream guitar.

Is it like a Tele where the bridge is brighter and the neck smoother and bassier? Is the middle somewhere in between the two? What setting is the bread-and-butter equivalent to "All Bridge, All the Time" like a lot of guys play their Tele? I actually use my Tele's bridge with the tone rolled off a fair bit for some songs and the neck with the tone all the way up for a round-yet-punchy tone on others.

Is it true you can take the pickguard off without removing the strings? As far as that goes, will I have to take the pickguard off for any common adjustements or maintenance?

One thing I like about Strats is they sit so much closely and lightly against your body. I think the controls might snag my picking hand a bit less often, too. Last question, is the heel-adjusted truss rod as big a PITA as it looks? Hope I get it right the first try.

Strats aren't as overwhelming they seem. The 5-way switch gives you 5 tones. Postion 1: bridge p/u; middle pos. (3) middle p/u; postion 5: neck p/u. Postions 2 and 4 are wired out of phase with the bridge and neck p/u's. Postion 2 gives you a funky, quacky tone, postion 4 a softer, mellower tone. Yes, you can take the pickguard off without removing the strings, though I've found it helps some to detune them a bit -- and watch out for the bridge ground. P/U height can be adjusted w/out removing the guard. Anything you might want to do electronically will involve removing the guard (installing new pups, wiring, ect.). Other than these things, it works pretty much the way a tele does, though the bridge pup is generally not as bright or bitey as a tele, and the neck tones on a strat aren't quite as rich. Enjoy it, and enjoy discovering what you can do with Fender's second great guitar!

Oh, and if you want, you can get a new PG and wire it up ahead of time, remove the old one, unsolder the ground, drop the new one in, resolder, scew it down...and viola!, "new" guitar, all for the price of pups, pots, cap, and wire. (Just make sure the new guard's mounting holes line up with those on the guitar by buying the appropriate Fender guard.) And you can hang on to the old set-up if you'd like to swap it out.

Because of the body contours Strats are usually more comfortable to play than Teles.

The Cray has a real biting bridge pickup which sounds alot like a Tele.

Positions 2-4 on the switch will give you those Knopfler sounds.

You can loosen the strings and remove the pickguard easily with the strings still on and change the whole assembly to another one if you wish.

You can even play the Cray as a Tele style and it can get pretty close to a Tele sound.

All that plus a whanger, it's every boy's dream guitar.


Well, the Cray should be hard tail, so no Wanger! Also, on most Strats with original wiring, the birdge pickup is not wired to a tone control, so if you would like to be able to roll off some treble at times, you will have to rewire it or have some one rewire it. It's not hard to do if you have any experience with wiring at all.

Well, the Cray should be hard tail, so no Wanger!

Right you are. Sometimes I have the mind of a child and I'm probably better off with one less ding-dang-doodle to mess with.

Let me ask this. I see mentions of people getting special saddles or "roller" something or another for Strats. None of that applies to a hardtail, right? Regular old saddles and nut and will work fine since the strings won't be pulled back and forth if I understand what they're getting at.

Likewise I can use plain old ball-end strings that I have for my Tele since it's string-through with ferrules.

Also, on most Strats with original wiring, the birdge pickup is not wired to a tone control, so if you would like to be able to roll off some treble at times, you will have to rewire it or have some one rewire it. It's not hard to do if you have any experience with wiring at all.

OK, that's good to know. Riddle me this. Does the Strat wiring scheme have the same "problem" as my Telecaster where the volume pot also tends to roll off the highs? I'm seriously considering a treble bleed capacitor on my Tele because I already dump some treble with the tone pot and hate having to readjust when I ride the volume. Is that a Strat thing too?

Oh, and if you want, you can get a new PG and wire it up ahead of time, remove the old one, unsolder the ground, drop the new one in, resolder, scew it down...and viola!, "new" guitar, all for the price of pups, pots, cap, and wire. (Just make sure the new guard's mounting holes line up with those on the guitar by buying the appropriate Fender guard.) And you can hang on to the old set-up if you'd like to swap it out.

Yeah, right. I'm already gonna give my wife the vapors when she sees I've bought "Another Guitar" that I "Don't Need". Now you're telling me a year from now I'll end up with three or four pickguards loaded with triple pickups hanging on the wall ready to be swapped in and out. What a world, what a world...:shock:

Yeah, right. I'm already gonna give my wife the vapors when she sees I've bought "Another Guitar" that I "Don't Need". Now you're telling me a year from now I'll end up with three or four pickguards loaded with triple pickups hanging on the wall ready to be swapped in and out. What a world, what a world...:shock:


Ah...my bad. Should've known better than to fan the flames.... :wink:

If you go to Seymour Duncans site there is a diagram for strat with tone control on the bridge pickup.
You only need to solder in one bit of wire.....The pu gets darker sounding even with the tone on 10 , the pot itself takes a bit of treble out , which is just what nearly all strat bridge pu´s need. Be carefull not to adjust the pu´s too close to the strings , other than that : enjoy a fine guitar !