For the Strat Haters...Think These Pickups Might Sway you???

67plexi said:
Sergio, I started out with Gibson then in 1984 switched to Strats then in 2000 started buying Gibson's they all have their use. I should add that I like used guitars all the new guitars have been
disappointing at best.
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For someone like me, whose oldest guitar is my ‘74 SG, and whose Strat is a 2006 USA model, I’d like to know what makes the older Strats better.

Please, understand, this is not a loaded question. I’ve never even held an older Strat. I genuinely want to know what makes them better.
 
smitty_p said:
For someone like me, whose oldest guitar is my ‘74 SG, and whose Strat is a 2006 USA model, I’d like to know what makes the older Strats better.

Please, understand, this is not a loaded question. I’ve never even held an older Strat. I genuinely want to know what makes them better.
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Hype aside, the old guitars are not necessarily “better instruments”.

Older wood and pots have a lot to do with their sound and feel, you don’t “make” a 50 year old guitar in any custom shop.


But back then they were just like your average American Standard. Not holy grails.
 
smitty_p said:
For someone like me, whose oldest guitar is my ‘74 SG, and whose Strat is a 2006 USA model, I’d like to know what makes the older Strats better.

Please, understand, this is not a loaded question. I’ve never even held an older Strat. I genuinely want to know what makes them better.
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smitty_p said:
For someone like me, whose oldest guitar is my ‘74 SG, and whose Strat is a 2006 USA model, I’d like to know what makes the older Strats better.

Please, understand, this is not a loaded question. I’ve never even held an older Strat. I genuinely want to know what makes them better.
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I'm not sure how to explain it 1 out of 200 Pre Cbs fenders have the sound. A friend owned a chain of music stores I got everything at his cost 2500-3000 guitars on the wall out of all the guitars
I would only find 1-3 that had the sound unplugged and plugged it could be any brand. Most of my guitars were cherry picked. As an example my 1961 Strat sounds like my ES-335
 
Sérgio said:
Btw among modern American made guitars I must say I’m yet to see a better crafted/finished instrument that a Fender. My Rickenbacker comes close, but not as nice. The Gibsons I tried were horrible pieces of shite. Bad fretwork, bad nuts... Rough tools, compared to other geetars...

I never liked Gibsons. Playing anything but heavy rock on them always felt like trying to teach ballet to an orangutan.

Best thing I did this year was to get rid of my SG and get the Ric
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I got two gems from Gibson, but it took a few tries...
 
Les%20Paul%20Neck%20Profiles_zpsvtxmiyuq.jpg


1958 all the way....
 
Everyone that plays this old 1987 Squirecaster with the vintage DiMarzio's says it kills all other Strats they have played for clean tone....that's not coming from me, because I do not play anything clean.

1987-tuxedo-squire-jpg.11798
 
Robert Herndon said:
In what way??? Do you prefer the thinner, twangy single coil tone, or is it something else???
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Yes, it's all about tone and output.

As a cover band guitarist I have to cover (no pun intended) a lot of ground. So, whenever I brought, say, an SG or a Les Paul to the stage and had to do a song like "Another Brick in the walll part II", the clean sound would eventually sound too thick and saturate too soon throught the amp.

The strat gives me a great melodious clean sound and a neck pup overdriven/distorted tone while soloing that no other guitar does (I mean the way I use them, of course I know many people play clean tones with Gibsons). Strats "sing" like no other classically designed guitars.
 
Sérgio said:
If I were to try and describe how I myself hear the difference, Gibsons cry. Fenders sing.

Fender neck pickup soloing: Ella Fitzgerald

Gibson neck pickup soloing: Clare Torry in the Great Gig in the sky
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Sérgio said:
Yes, it's all about tone and output.

As a cover band guitarist I have to cover (no pun intended) a lot of ground. So, whenever I brought, say, an SG or a Les Paul to the stage and had to do a song like "Another Brick in the walll part II", the clean sound would eventually sound too thick and saturate too soon throught the amp.

The strat gives me a great melodious clean sound and a neck pup overdriven/distorted tone while soloing that no other guitar does (I mean the way I use them, of course I know many people play clean tones with Gibsons). Strats "sing" like no other classically designed guitars.
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I guess I cannot hear what you hear. They sound dreadful to me...If i cover a song, I make it MINE.
 
I know of a Purple strat in the possession of another member here-- that is the most exciting and thrilling strat to play I have ever had my paws on-- and trust me I have FONDLED many from all eras--
I have yet to find any other strat-- and only a few other guitars of any make/model that literally MOVE and twist and pulse the way that one does--- any pics of that lovely beastie Hack???
 
Sérgio said:
Yes, it's all about tone and output.

As a cover band guitarist I have to cover (no pun intended) a lot of ground. So, whenever I brought, say, an SG or a Les Paul to the stage and had to do a song like "Another Brick in the walll part II", the clean sound would eventually sound too thick and saturate too soon throught the amp.

The strat gives me a great melodious clean sound and a neck pup overdriven/distorted tone while soloing that no other guitar does (I mean the way I use them, of course I know many people play clean tones with Gibsons). Strats "sing" like no other classically designed guitars.
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I know exactly what you mean. I’m one of those that doesn’t have a tone I chase. I like all sorts of sounds for different purposes. But, I find I can finesse more variety and nuance from a Strat than my humbucker-based guitars. The possible exception is my LP Studio that I built up, but only because I can split the coils.

The Delta Tone circuit offers a lot of versatility in that I can switch to the bridge pickup (or bridge and middle), roll the tone on the bridge pickup back a bit and get a pretty good crunch for a classic rock type of distortion.

Leads have a less hairy nature to them. As Sergio said, they have a singing quality. Malmsteen likes to describe it as a violin-like quality.

Now, I don’t dislike the typical humbucker sound, whether for rhythms or leads. After all, six of my seven electrics are humbucker-based. But, to me a Stratocaster is both more demanding and rewarding.
 
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