The Strat Thread

[TheTrueZoltan!]

My goodness, when I look at the photos of all your beautiful strats... I want them all!

There is no sexier guitar shape.

 

[Dez]

My goodness, when I look at the photos of all your beautiful strats... I want them all!

There is no sexier guitar shape.

Lightning struck when Leo designed it

 

[FuzzyAce]

iirc, the shape is based on a woman's body.

 

[DrewJD82]

I would be all over a Player/Player II, but the thinner Modern C neck profile is a deal breaker. I would prefer something Vintera.

I DID, however, trade up for a Kotzen Strat, which has the beefy neck. Haven't been able to touch it much recently, but THAT'S THE Strat I was seeking. The only issue that I have grown to tolerate is that white/blonde "burst" finish (shoulda held out for a red one, but whatever). One of these days I may put up a pic of mine, but it's this one here:

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/de...ster-electric-guitar-transparent-white-burst#

Man, I’m dyin’ to play a Kotzen model, Tele or a Strat, just because the neck. I can get on with the Player necks but definitely prefer something beefier and I regularly consider ordering a new one for my red/Gilmour Strat as it’s .88.-90 and I definitely wouldn’t mind a straight up 1” fatass.

I actually kinda dig the blonde/white burst!

 

[SillyOctpuss]

Man, I’m dyin’ to play a Kotzen model, Tele or a Strat, just because the neck. I can get on with the Player necks but definitely prefer something beefier and I regularly consider ordering a new one for my red/Gilmour Strat as it’s .88.-90 and I definitely wouldn’t mind a straight up 1” fatass.

I actually kinda dig the blonde/white burst!

I had a kotzen tele and it was wonderful. The neck is fantastic

 

[metropolis_4]

My one and only and still my main electric since the day I bought it new in ‘96

 

[Los-D]

My one and only and still my main electric since the day I bought it new in ‘96

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Nice! Any mods? (Locking tuners, etc)

 

[metropolis_4]

Nice! Any mods? (Locking tuners, etc)

Quite a few!

The locking tuners are from a late ‘90s American Deluxe I had for a while about 20 years ago.

It’s had a full re-fret and a new nut.

About 10 years ago the trem block got to the point the arm wouldn’t stay in anymore, so I replaced it with a Callaham.

The original pickups were terrible. I swapped them out for DiMarzio HS-3’s sometime around ‘98. For a while I had EMGs in it (thus the battery compartment carved in the back), but it’s back to the HS-3’s again now along with new pots and wiring.

 

[Chocol8]

Lightning struck when Leo designed it

That's a silly rumor. Leo did not design the Stratocaster. God passed the design of the Stratocaster down to Leo as a gift for humanity.

 

[Chocol8]

I will have to return with pictures later but...

1) 1988 MIJ I bought in 1990 for $190. Spent several times that in upgrades and mods over the years! Currently has a set of 3 identical (vintage correct) SD Antiquity II's, Fender mid-boost circuit with mid pot on the output jack, dual no-load master tone controls. Upgraded bridge/trem decked.

2) 2016 American standard I picked up about 4 years ago. Same electronics as the MIJ except it has the standard Antiquity set with hotter bridge and RWRP middle.

3) Squier CV 50's I bought barely used for $175. It is stock except for Fender midboost that I installed with a funky switch setup to allow it to go fully passive. I don't play this one anymore since the first two get all the attention, but it is a darn good guitar and an absolute steal for what I paid.

 

[iaresee]

The Silver Sky is the Strat I've always longed for. It's my #1 these days. The EOB Strat is just whacky fun.

And my main whip for a very, very long time was this Schecter...

Still have it, though I don't play it much these days.

My #1 gigging guitar journey went Super Strat (UV777) > Schecter Strat > PRS Standard 24 > PRS HB Spruce > PRS Silver Sky -- the Strat thing comes full circle I guess?

 

[Chocol8]

My photography sucks but, MIJ (highly faded vintage white), MIA (sienna burst) and CV50’s (Lake Placid Blue). All are “Well-Hung” by @TVvoodoo

 

[CakeEater]

This is my heavily customized Strat. It's a 2007 Highway 1, originally in matte Daphne Blue, and eventually refinished in gloss Surf Green.

Over the years, this guitar has been rebuilt from the ground up.

• Mint pickguard
• Gotoh Trem
• Highwood Saddles
• Kinman K7 Blender Pot Harness
• Kinman AVN69 pickups in the neck and middle, and kick-in-the-Arse Heavy in the bridge
• Built in Faraday Cage
• Raw Vintage Tremolo Springs
• Fender Classic-Gear tuning pegs for the classic look and as a lighter form of string locking (not pictured)
• Bone nut
• Loxx strap locks

It's been gradually refined over the years. I honestly don't think Strats get much better than this.

 

[Piing]

• Warmoth roasted maple scalloped neck with SS frets - a delight to play. We need more scalloped necks!
• Fender Highway One Body - good resonance.
• SSL-5, CS'69, CS'69 - Gilmour's Black Strat choice.
• Vegatrem - Best Strat trem. Smooth as a greased Floydrose.
  
  This cannot get better. I would refuse to swap it for the most valuable Fender
  
  
  
  

 

[Dez]

My photography sucks but, MIJ (highly faded vintage white), MIA (sienna burst) and CV50’s (Lake Placid Blue). All are “Well-Hung” by @TVvoodoo View attachment 56899View attachment 56900

Sienna is my favorite Strat finish - I want to get a body but the damn contoured heel on my Strat will be difficult to replicate

 

[Chocol8]

Sienna is my favorite Strat finish - I want to get one but the damn contoured heel on my Strat will be difficult to replicate

Yeah, I really like that finish as well. Wanted one for a long time but never pulled the trigger. Walked into a local shop one day to try out a Silversky while waiting for my (wife's) takeout dinner order to get finished, and that one was hanging there. Played a few PRS's and that lowly Fender unplugged and the Fender felt better and rang better. I didn't intend to buy anything, but when the owner told me it was used and quoted the price, it came home with me!

It was a win win since my wife no longer sends me to pickup dinner from the restaurant near the guitar shop anymore!

 

[iaresee]

My photography sucks but, MIJ (highly faded vintage white), MIA (sienna burst) and CV50’s (Lake Placid Blue). All are “Well-Hung” by @TVvoodoo View attachment 56899View attachment 56900

Those preamps are giving me ideas…

 

[Chocol8]

Those preamps are giving me ideas…

They are great. With the mid boost on 0 and the volume around 7 they are very transparent, and also act as a buffer at the very beginning of the chain before any cable loss. Turn up the volume and it is a clean boost that gets your output in the range of HB's. Then you still have the mid control to shape your tone with small adjustments, or really drive an amp or pedal if you crank it. The kit also comes with the TBX tone control but I don't use that.

 

[Jasco]

Strats are my favorite electric guitars. The larger rack is strats that are set up 1/2 step flat, and the smaller rack is strats set up for standard (one tele on the small rack, and one strat with a tele neck on the small rack).

.

 

[mbenigni]

• Warmoth roasted maple scalloped neck with SS frets - a delight to play. We need more scalloped necks!

Of all the Strats that have come and gone, the one I most regret selling is my ca. 2002 YJM. Back then you could order one for about a grand and it would show up direct from Corona. Now it's about a $2500 proposition - not crazy, but... oops?

I still have a factory-scalloped Hamer Virtuoso, and a Californian that a previous owner had scalloped. I've been thinking about selling that one - maybe to help pay for another YJM?

• Vegatrem - Best Strat trem. Smooth as a greased Floydrose.

I'm partial to the Supervee Bladerunner. Though after a few years of setting up Strats, I started to realize that you can make almost any stock bridge surprisingly smooth and stable if you get all the other variables (spring tension, nut friction, string tree height, etc.) just right.