Deskranking a Strat….

[telenacious]

I know that the skrank is part of the Strat sound but on several occasions I have found there to be too much of that tinsel tone….the hardware is generally the culprit. I recently installed some graphtech saddles on such a Strat and found them to be a really effective way to get a warmer fatter tone without totally killing the stratiness. You can approximate the effect by backing off on the tone pots but that sometimes kills presence.

I guess if you’re all in on Strat tone traditional bent steel saddles are the only way to go but I personally find my Strat more usable now with the graphtech saddles which are also nicer feeling under the side of my picking hand.

 

[Peegoo]

But that's what having a Les Paul is for

 

[arlum]

I hear you and I've done that on all of my Strats for the last 20 years or so. You'll also experience less string breakage at the bridge as well as the strings not going out of tune as easily when using you tremolo bar because they slide rather than catch where the string breaks over the saddle. I even altered my Eric Johnson Stratocaster by installing graphtech saddles on it.

 

[beep.click]

I must have 31 flavors of Strats, but the ones that sound most Stratly are the MIJ ones. Something about those MIJ “anonymous” pickups just gets real meaty and liquid.

 

[Dostradamas]

The skrank works lives back here.
I just yanked all that skranky right on out

 

[39martind18]

But that's what having a Les Paul is for

Or a 335, 339, etc.

 

[Freeman Keller]

I have no idea what you guys are talking about. I've never considered myself a strat player and frankly i've never really played one but I happen to have a friend SRV sig strat on my workbench for a setup and I've been playing it tonight. Still not sure what a skrank is but I'm liking this guitar a lot. Gonna have to give it back tomorrow so I'll have to go back to the lester but this has been fun.

 

[LOSTVENTURE]

We all have our preferences, but I find my typical Strats, particularly the vintage re-issues, and the new Professional lines, delivering an incredible variation of what I think a Strat should sound like.
Surprisingly, my most recent acquisition, my first HSS Strat, is fitting in with my SSS group very comfortably.

 

[badinfinities]

Gotta have some skrank in your life. No Graphtech mumbo jumbo for me.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

I hear you and I've done that on all of my Strats for the last 20 years or so. You'll also experience less string breakage at the bridge as well as the strings not going out of tune as easily when using you tremolo bar because they slide rather than catch where the string breaks over the saddle. I even altered my Eric Johnson Stratocaster by installing graphtech saddles on it.

^^^^My only remaining Tele has 'em. Sounds great, stays in tune, and broken strings are a thing of the past. Getcha some!

 

[Chiogtr4x]

It may be because I change strings on my Strats every 3-4 gigs, but no string breakage or tone issues with vintage-style saddles ( I use whammy bar mildly, with slightly floating bridge)

One Strat has 1 GraphTech saddle, on low E string only.

This is from maybe 25+ years ago, when I did try out all Graph Tech saddles for a while; went back to vintage type, BUT kept low E Graph Tech one, as vintage saddle height screw was digging into my hand!

 

[Grandfunkfan]

I know that the skrank is part of the Strat sound but on several occasions I have found there to be too much of that tinsel tone….the hardware is generally the culprit. I recently installed some graphtech saddles on such a Strat and found them to be a really effective way to get a warmer fatter tone without totally killing the stratiness. You can approximate the effect by backing off on the tone pots but that sometimes kills presence.

I guess if you’re all in on Strat tone traditional bent steel saddles are the only way to go but I personally find my Strat more usable now with the graphtech saddles which are also nicer feeling under the side of my picking hand.

I have strats with bent steel, block, and graph tech. I got the graph tech years ago because I was breaking strings and it slightly affected my tone, the other 2 don't sound much different from each other. In any case, I use my tone knob all the time, usually when I switch pickups. If you don't like strat tone you can definitely get rid of it with your tone knob or amp settings

 

[Jakedog]

My Strat sound is not overly skranky. I deck my bridge. Five springs, screw the claw in. Foam under the springs. Ditch the bent steel saddles. They’re ugly, they’re uncomfortable, and they don’t sound good. Too brash and skranky. My Strats get block saddles. I dig the 80’s/90’s Am Std bridges best. Thick, chrome plated brass plates, stainless block saddles, and whatever that block is works for me. My current Strat has a vintage style bridge, but machined brass block saddles. Good stuff.

I’ve used graphtech a lot. They’re very reliable and consistent. And they sound good. But… they have made every guitar I’ve ever put them on immediately and noticeably brighter. All of mine have imparted a defined treble boost.

 

[azureglo]

 

[vespa1]

is skrank the same is quack? The lead guitarist in my band hates strats because the sound, in his words, "spongy". I think that I know what he means. I have 3 and I gig them when the feeling strikes me. My favorite is a 50s AO that is super lightweight and has the best neck ever. I also have a Dave's Guitar Special AVRI 62RI that sounds and looks killer, but is heavy. My first real guitar is a 92 MIM that I bought new. I have changed out almost all of the parts except for the bridge plate, trem block, springs and arm. I did add graphtec saddles and nut because the original saddles had rusted and pitted after taking a 10 year hiatus from playing. I can't tell if it sounds any different, but it does sound good. The neck is too skinny for my old man hands so I play it the least.

 

[Deebs3]

Well i'm a skrank player here, that's what makes skranks so skranky. I have 3 skranks, a tele, and epi les paul.. and have never had a problem being over skranky.. but that's just me i guess..

 

[Holy smokes]

When done right it’s superb. Nothing can touch it.

 

[Call Me Al]

Fully deskrankified! Beyond the obvious I got block saddles and decked the trem

 

[Grandfunkfan]

Well i'm a skrank player here, that's what makes skranks so skranky. I have 3 skranks, a tele, and epi les paul.. and have never had a problem being over skranky.. but that's just me i guess..

How novel, using a strat as a strat.

 

[Caffiend]

My most recent chuck together (which is obviously best guitar ever Yadda Yadda BC honeymoon) has mashup bridge consisting of a Squier baseplate of some type, custom cold rolled steel block and stainless block saddles, plus a set of Vintera 50s Modified, standard cuts stuff and a lock nut atop a compound neck that was intended for a rawk guitar but has chosen this body. It's probably my most 'stratty' stray. I've always tended to go late 60s but this is quite an eye opener. I like the VMods on my AmPro too though (differently) so my tasteay be suspect to many.