Strats, why?

[soltwanger]

strats kick a$$ because only good players can make them sound good.

if you are a lame guitarist, then a strat is going to sound lame when you play it.

[thunderbyrd]

Originally Posted by soltwanger

strats kick a$$ because only good players can make them sound good.

if you are a lame guitarist, then a strat is going to sound lame when you play it.

well, i must admit, i agree with that alot...but: i'll tell you that strats ain't for everybody. no less a player than johnny winter admitted that he could not make a strat do what he wanted it to. i fight the strat vs. my heavenly les paul thang. my paul gushes music, i have to beat my strat. both are very pleasurable endeavors.

[thunderbyrd]

...and has anybody mentioned ritchie blackmoore, circa machine head? i can't imagine that pure pristine tone from anything but a strat thru a marshall.

[all_identaties_taken]

Never liked Strats, the way they look isn't for me nor is the tone. Basically feeble. Most Strat players also have to be good tap dancers as the way to get a good sound out of one is to put it through a load of pedles.

[jwsamuel]

Strats, why?


Why not?


Jim

[stratomaster]

I suck and I can get some pretty amazing sounds from my strats. Granted they are all modded either with Duncan single coils or humbuckers. The contour of the body makes it real comfortable to play. I like them. I also love my Les Paul and teles too. I got a great deal on and Epi Riviera close out which I love too. Ok I just love all guitars period.

[stringbender]

Yep Strats ain't for everyone. My first good guitar was a Gibson my second a Strat. When I was a just a kid startin out giging I was playin alot with CW bands. Had to stop using the Gibson because I couldn't keep it in tune. Started playin the Strat at first it was hard to adjust to the Scale..string spacing, single coils, just the whole feel of the thing... but I got used to it .The mid pickup used to get in the way for pickin from what I recall. Along the way picked a Tele as well. But now over 35 years later I still have and play that same Strat. Love Hate thing I guess. Not the easiest guitar to adjust too.

[Blues Hurler]

No offence to anyone here, but Strats just don't do it for me either, even though they've made a lot of great music. I wouldn't worry about it Johnny. Yes the Strat is a versatile guitar, but you don't need one unless you're going to play funk (best funk guitar IMHO). Are you gonna get all funky? If not, yer probably set with what you got...the great Ronnie Earl notwithstanding. Admittedly I've only owned one Strat...and I traded it for a Tele.

I think my issue is that they've been used so much as to almost sound generic to me. I know, you could say that about LP's and Tele's too, but they just don't hit me that way. Ah well, everybody's wired a little different.

[tazzboy]

Love them or hate them Strat are what people do and don't like. Same thing applies to the Telecaster, Les Paul and other guitars.

[tazzboy]

Originally Posted by all_identaties_taken

Most Strat players also have to be good tap dancers as the way to get a good sound out of one is to put it through a load of pedles.

I don't need pedals I just plug in and play.

[JohnnyCrash]

Originally Posted by kp8

hehe... we should have like a whole week where new threads are not allowed and you can only reply to 3 year old threads... heck we just talk bout the same stuff over and over anyway :) ... haha

That would be weird and hilarious!

Originally Posted by kp8

As reported before i had a HEAVY LP that i hated playing. It was like a boat anchor, tough on my back standing and really a$$ heavy sitting. It constantly felt like it was sliding off my lap onto the floor. I hated this thing and found it physically very uncomfortable to play. I hesitated selling it cause it sounded killer and everyone said that i would regret it (i didn't, and still don't: good riddance).

Man, I love my '57 RI Les Paul Custom. It is heavy as hellfire though. Heavy or not, that sound is just too badass, so my aching back has to deal with it.

That's the cool thing about people - one man's heavy terrible Les Paul is another man's thin anemic Strat! Variety is good.

Originally Posted by sneakyjapan

"...some people see strats and ask why.....I see strats and ask...why not?"
Think J.F. Kennedy said that didn`t he?

HAHAHAHA!!

Originally Posted by soltwanger

strats kick a$$ because only good players can make them sound good.

if you are a lame guitarist, then a strat is going to sound lame when you play it.

This is where I disagree.

I can hear piles of SRV and Strat era Clapton and be amazed at the playing, but the sound just sucks. I don't like Clapton's music (songwriting, production/sound, etc), but I will never discredit his guitar playing - so please don't take that the wrong way.

Mark Knopfler is the ONLY Strat guy I can actually enjoy the sound of his guitar - then again, wasn't he a Les Paul guy on them early records? Damn.

I love Motorhead and Iron Maiden as well... the tone is OK in that department. Not bad, not good - but it got the point across.



Oh yeah...
SOMEDAY, THIS 3 YEAR OLD ZOMBIE THREAD WILL DIE. HAHAHAHA

[SMPTE]

Originally Posted by JohnnyCrash

SOMEDAY, THIS 3 YEAR OLD ZOMBIE THREAD WILL DIE. HAHAHAHA

We could merge it with the John Mayer thread(s) and watch it eat brains for the next decade.

[tazzboy]

Well who do you like as Strat player Johnny?

[CancerLeoCam]

Originally Posted by JohnnyCrash

I hope this doesn't start a war...

I love Telecasters, and just about any Gibson model... I want to make sure I'm covering all of my bases tonally for the studio, so from time to time I have bought a Strat, only to sell it after being very disatisfied (gone through 4 or 5).

The music by guys who played Teles or Gibsons I enjoy, while those who play strats, even the great players, I never have enjoyed (OK except Jimi). I even dislike SRV's *tone* (I know it's almost blasphemy)... Clapton's tone of the Bluesbreakers album was awesome (Les Paul), but on the Layla sessions it was terrible (to me, again, no wars here).

Duck-clucky tones and whimpy "springy" sounds seem to be the Strat's only forte - something I do not like, want, or need.

Personal taste notwithstanding... there HAS TO BE SOME EXAMPLES OF A GREAT CLASSIC STRAT SOUND I HAVE MISSED. The guitar is legendary and a best-seller...

CAN ANYONE CONVICE ME OF THE STRAT'S USEFULLNESS AND GREATNESS?

I love guitars (catalogs are almost porn, I'm sure you ALL understand that), so I'm almost *looking* for an excuse to buy a Strat!

It may simply be an issue of taste, but I'm sure some of you guys could sway me... perhaps a *specific model* (I may have been buying the wrong Strats over the years).

You can't do surf properly without a strat...

[SMPTE]

Originally Posted by CancerLeoCam

You can't do surf properly without a strat...

Yes you can:

[tpaul]

OK, I'll jump in on a 2-year-old thread. Call me a sucker!

The only guitar I ever bought new was a Strat. Sold it, and apart from sentimental reasons, don't miss it.

I currently own three teles and one strat. It's a great strat - MIJ 62 reissue with Kinmans. It sounds FANTASTIC. Which is why I haven't sold it.

However, I also don't play it much anymore. Why? I think it has to do with the bridge. When I started playing Teles I started getting into palm muting and developed a different playing technique than I'd used before - much more organic, for lack of a better word. The ashtray bridge (cover off, of course) with three saddles seems to be part of the technique, at least for me, and I now have a hard time imagining being entirely comfortable playing that style on a strat-style bridge.

I also think the Tele is more of a beast - sort of a brutish instrument, where the Strat is more refined. I guess if I wanted to play certain types of jazz or surf music I would probably use a strat. But for what I usually play a Tele seems better suited.

A third consideration is that I've come to prefer the look of the Tele.

I think I originally chose the Strat because of its tonal versatility and because I'd heard a couple of great players use it, and wanted that sound. Those are still valid reasons and if those reasons were still that important to me, I guess I might still be playing one.

I also have come to feel the rosewood fretboard goes better on a strat, and the maple on a tele, but that's another 2-year-old thread.

[Teleblooz]

Originally Posted by tpaul

OK, I'll jump in on a 2-year-old thread. Call me a sucker!

Sucker!

I've played a number of Strats off & on, but never owned one. With all due respect to EC, SRV, Jimi, and especially Knopfler, I've never been able to dial in a sound I really like on them, though the contoured body is very comfortable to play. I can strap on my Tele and have all the depth and character I want.

But you're right - the Tele is a beast. I had mine for a year before I finally felt like I'd tamed the thing to the point where it would do what I want instead of the other way around (it's still a struggle at times). I'm not sure that "brutish" is the adjective I'd use, more like "primal". It's the difference between firing up a '57 Chevy and a '94 Nissan (both of which I've owned at one time or another). But to me that's what gives it its character.

I did finally get around the Strat dilemma when I recently picked up a Squier Bullet - a single humbucker in a Strat body without that annoying Strat whammy bar. Comfy to play, and I can swap it into my set for straight-ahead rock stuff where the Tele's subtleties are wasted.

[collinsman]

Took out the Strat today and cranked the OD , man it sounded good to my ears, had a blast. The Strat (IMHO) is like the tele where you have to play it hard and really work it - when I play a LP I almost feel like I'm cheating, it just works itself, sort of like playing tennis with one of those huge powerful tennis racquets.

[tazzboy]

I mostly play on the middle pickup on a stratocaster.

[AnthonyV]

An example of a Strats usefullness and greatness? Buddy Holly.

[tazzboy]

Originally Posted by AnthonyV

An example of a Strats usefullness and greatness? Buddy Holly.

I agree with that whole heartily.

[SMPTE]

Originally Posted by AnthonyV

An example of a Strats usefullness and greatness? Buddy Holly.

+1 Good point.

[JohnnyCrash]

Buddy is one of my favorite all time writers and players - his guitar sounds weren't extremely great.

I can think of tons of great players who use Strats, but their guitar sound isn't "above and beyond" - many Tele and LP players on the other hand have great tone (regardless of skill/technique).

This thread is like 3 years old now - I've got a Strat - it gets limited use, but its good enough.

[shakedancer]

Johnny;you almost seem embarrased that this thread has been revived. Your just not a Strat guy!! Actually, as far as my own personal taste go, the Buddy Holly turnaround riff he uses to open "That'll be the Day", still sends chills down my spine. Crank it up baby, classic Strat tone. Also,Clapton's tone on the Layla album with "Brownie" is wonderful. Like Cliff Gallup once said refering to his preference of Gretch's over Fenders," Some people like Chevy's, some like Ford's."

[Ken]

deleted

[maestrovert]

While the vid's a bit dark, once he cuts loose, the tone just thrills me:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fwAYiQClOQ

y.m.m.v.

[fierce_carrot]

As a long time Les Paul player I really wanted to learn to play a strat because you play them differently than Les Pauls. i went thru a ton of them, some of them some highly rated, high dollar guitars and none of them tripped my trigger.

My best friend is a monster player and always had a strat in his hand. I told him of the problems finding a great strat and he handed me a mexican tobacco sunburst 57 RI and it was absolutely the guitar that played the way I wanted a strat to play and feel in my hands. I installed a full set of Joe Bardens in it and it's been part of my arsenal for over 5 years now. I have another 57 RI in Seafoam Green thats my G tuned slide guitar.

I really think that for Les Paul players, the best way to find a great strat is to have a strat player find one for you!

[OrovilleTim]

I think it's all in one's head. It's the same reason that I can't bring myself to like a Gibson, regardless of how many I play. It's still a Gibson, and it doesn't fit my preconceived taste.

It's like any other "taste" debate. Who knows how we build our opinions, but we do.

[Tele-Ryan]

Good Strat tones...

Eric Johnson: Pretty much anything he plays, but I always think of Cliffs Of Dover.

Kenny Wayne Shepard: Again, almost anything he does.

David Gilmour: Come on! Comfortably Numb? Amazing solos.

Buddy Guy, George Harrison, Clapton, Jimi, Billie Joe Armstrong, SRV, Kurt Cobain, Stone Gossard and Mike McCready... just to name a few. All of them have used Strats, and gotten great tones out of them. I mean, that's a pretty diverse crew right there, and you could essentially fill an entire board with names of guitarists that used Strats to record some awesome tracks.

I mean, if you don't like them, don't buy them. I used Strats for a long time, then switched to Teles, but they're a great guitar. They're also just as customizable as Teles, so if it's the tone you don't like, change the pickups. Get a hardtail. Change the string gauge.

If you think the tone isn't powerful enough, check out the Powerhouse Strat or Clapton Strat. They have active mid-boosts. Or maybe some humbuckers.

Anyways, good luck. But if you're not really sure, just invest in another Tele!

[kp8]

poor crash... i wish the moderator would take mercy and lock this thread. Crash shouldn't be haunted by a 2~3 year old query that is no longer relevant to the OP....

[OrovilleTim]

Originally Posted by CancerLeoCam

You can't do surf properly without a strat...

Just bought a 60's Classic Player Strat in that color (assuming it is the Light Sonic Blue.) My first ever Strat. Only looked at it because my wife took it off the wall and handed it to me. I plugged it in, and was pleasantly surprised. Something about the color, and the aged plastics that just added to the package. I can't wait until it's naturally "reliced".

[mdkrek]

Love mine

1964 neck and middle pickup bridge and hardware
GFS pickguard and pickups
Mighty Might Ash body with Maple top

[tazzboy]

Poor JohnnyCrash I but you wish this thread would die now.

[telerocker5150]

im partial to the out of phase sound in strats.

[jivetrain]

Originally Posted by JohnnyCrash

The music by guys who played Teles or Gibsons I enjoy, while those who play strats, even the great players, I never have enjoyed

i feel pretty much the same with the one exception being michael karoli from can. he is the greatest guitarist i have ever heard without any doubt, and he always used the exact same strat without fail. maybe his guitar was just a particularly good one, or maybe he used the right effects and equipment, but i love the way his guitar sounds. other than that, i've never been remotely impressed by a strat...

here's a video... you may not like it if you're not into low budget psychedelic german tv

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x78mFkfhFsc

[JohnnyCrash]

Originally Posted by kp8

poor crash... i wish the moderator would take mercy and lock this thread. Crash shouldn't be haunted by a 2~3 year old query that is no longer relevant to the OP....

Originally Posted by tazzboy

Poor JohnnyCrash I but you wish this thread would die now.

Yes... a thread I started on May 4th, 2005

I OWN A STRAT NOW.

I still hate Strat sounds and have never been impressed by Strat tone, even on Classic recordings, but I have a HSS Strat that I like to noodle around on.

Thread, I command you to die! Damnit, a few more shells into the beast... its still breathing, h0ly crap its coming right for us!!!

Put me out of my misery!

[sneakyjapan]

THIS...is why...

[Stuco]

Originally Posted by JohnnyCrash

Yes... a thread I started on May 4th, 2005

I OWN A STRAT NOW.

I still hate Strat sounds and have never been impressed by Strat tone, even on Classic recordings, but I have a HSS Strat that I like to noodle around on.

Thread, I command you to die! Damnit, a few more shells into the beast... its still breathing, h0ly crap its coming right for us!!!

Put me out of my misery!

For some reason "Strats, why?" is an eye-catching thread title and people just can't let go of this thread. I can't believe its still going either.

[sneakyjapan]

change the title to.....strats die...worth a shot. Didn`t reaslize you wanted the thread to end...I shall post no more.

[SMPTE]

I wonder if it hits four pages... will his head explode??

And I got mine too, notice the lack of a string tree.