The Stratocaster and Telecaster

Alnico

@Voxman ;
Thanks for the video post.
I knew them all except the last one and i'm totally going to do that to my Strat. We've got a foam specialist here and i can pick up a few different densities to adjust the action of the volume knob.
That was my only niggle with my new Strat since the Pro has basically ironed out the few things i didn't like about the previous models.

Brilliant idea, thanks.

ICBM

It won't stop me constantly bashing my pinky knuckle on it. The only way to fix it is move it further away from the strings.

Voxman

ICBM said:

It won't stop me constantly bashing my pinky knuckle on it. The only way to fix it is move it further away from the strings.

I'm trying to figure out the position of your hand and technique to understand how you're doing that as it must be very different to mine, as I don't have that problem. Do you pick very close to the bridge above the bridge pup? I use my pinkie as a rest on which to pivot my hand for greater control, and positioned to make palm muting easy.  I typically strum just behind the middle pickup (between middle and neck pup) so this could mean that my right hand might be further away from the vol knob than your strumming hand.

ICBM

Voxman said:

ICBM said:

It won't stop me constantly bashing my pinky knuckle on it. The only way to fix it is move it further away from the strings.

I'm trying to figure out the position of your hand and technique to understand how you're doing that as it must be very different to mine, as I don't have that problem. Do you pick very close to the bridge above the bridge pup? I use my pinkie as a rest on which to pivot my hand for greater control, and positioned to make palm muting easy.  I typically strum just behind the middle pickup (between middle and neck pup) so this could mean that my right hand might be further away from the vol knob than your strumming hand.

PICKUP




No, I don't. I don't keep any part of my hand in contact with the guitar - I have no idea how you play like that. I never understood it with Mark Knopfler either.



(Writing "pup" for pickup absolutely infuriates me for some reason. Normally I simply stop reading a thread whenever I see it, but since your question did need a reply…)

richardhomer

Voxman said:

ICBM said:

It won't stop me constantly bashing my pinky knuckle on it. The only way to fix it is move it further away from the strings.

I'm trying to figure out the position of your hand and technique to understand how you're doing that as it must be very different to mine, as I don't have that problem. Do you pick very close to the bridge above the bridge pup? I use my pinkie as a rest on which to pivot my hand for greater control, and positioned to make palm muting easy.  I typically strum just behind the middle pickup (between middle and neck pup) so this could mean that my right hand might be further away from the vol knob than your strumming hand.

I pretty much learned to play electric guitar on a Strat. When damping with the heel of my hand, the volume falls perfectly into the crook of my little finger (let's not have any of this 'pinky' nonsense!)

When I play with a pick, I usually hit the strings between the middle and neck pick-ups - though slightly closer to the middle than the neck. When I play with my fingers, the thumb is in the same spot and my fingers are just behind the middle pick-up. It feels completely natural - but that may be because I've played Strats for 35+ years.

I've never found the controls to be a problem - the ultimate live guitar for me - everything about it just works....

Voxman

Sounds very similar position wise to me Richard, and like you I've been playing Strats for some 38 years too.  

I think these posts have highlighted that its the hand and playing technique that determines whether a particular player finds the strat's volume is awkwardly positioned or not, rather than it being an inherent design issue.  I also don't have any problem with Telecaster control positioning either.  We all play a little differently and this is probably one of the factors that make a guitar more comfortable for one player but less so for another.

KKJale

Octafish said:

Didn't Leo stick with single coils, despite the drawbacks, because he wanted their bright, cutting sound for country music players...?

I once talked with Jody Carver, a Fender rep in the '50s, and he said that Leo loved country and especially loved going to shows where his guitars and amps were being used. But he was infamous for his habit of sneaking up to the bandstand in the break and turning the treble on the amps up to full. He just thought that's what sounded best.

riscado

I'm wondering, if you guys could have an old fender (meaning 50s/60s era, including some post-cbs beauties, like the venrable 68-71 thinline), what would you rather have... a strat or a tele?

ICBM

riscado said:

I'm wondering, if you guys could have an old fender (meaning 50s/60s era, including some post-cbs beauties, like the venrable 68-71 thinline), what would you rather have... a strat or a tele?

Tele. But they never made the actual one I would want - a black Custom (bound) Thinline with a factory Bigsby… all the upgrades on one guitar.

If it had to be one that actually exists I'd go for a plain '58-style Esquire - white blonde, maple neck, single-ply white guard, steel bridge saddles.

Lebarque

richardhomer said:

Voxman said:

ICBM said:

It won't stop me constantly bashing my pinky knuckle on it. The only way to fix it is move it further away from the strings.

I'm trying to figure out the position of your hand and technique to understand how you're doing that as it must be very different to mine, as I don't have that problem. Do you pick very close to the bridge above the bridge pup? I use my pinkie as a rest on which to pivot my hand for greater control, and positioned to make palm muting easy.  I typically strum just behind the middle pickup (between middle and neck pup) so this could mean that my right hand might be further away from the vol knob than your strumming hand.

I pretty much learned to play electric guitar on a Strat. When damping with the heel of my hand, the volume falls perfectly into the crook of my little finger (let's not have any of this 'pinky' nonsense!)

When I play with a pick, I usually hit the strings between the middle and neck pick-ups - though slightly closer to the middle than the neck. When I play with my fingers, the thumb is in the same spot and my fingers are just behind the middle pick-up. It feels completely natural - but that may be because I've played Strats for 35+ years.

I've never found the controls to be a problem - the ultimate live guitar for me - everything about it just works....

Agree with this 100%. Mirrors my own experience perfectly.

Gassage

riscado said:

I'm wondering, if you guys could have an old fender (meaning 50s/60s era, including some post-cbs beauties, like the venrable 68-71 thinline), what would you rather have... a strat or a tele?

I had this chat with the famous Fender historian, David Pym a few weeks back.

He has many.

His view, and mine, a 59-61 Slab Board Strat.

Octafish

KKJale said:

Octafish said:

Didn't Leo stick with single coils, despite the drawbacks, because he wanted their bright, cutting sound for country music players...?

I once talked with Jody Carver, a Fender rep in the '50s, and he said that Leo loved country and especially loved going to shows where his guitars and amps were being used. But he was infamous for his habit of sneaking up to the bandstand in the break and turning the treble on the amps up to full. He just thought that's what sounded best.

I just googled around and found some references to Leo Fender having some top end hearing loss. Might explain his desire for more and more treble.

Octafish

riscado said:

I'm wondering, if you guys could have an old fender (meaning 50s/60s era, including some post-cbs beauties, like the venrable 68-71 thinline), what would you rather have... a strat or a tele?

I'd go for a Strat, a 58 or 68 would be good with me 

Edit - I know a 68 probably isn't old Fender, but I'd cope...

Voxman

Gassage said:

riscado said:

I'm wondering, if you guys could have an old fender (meaning 50s/60s era, including some post-cbs beauties, like the venrable 68-71 thinline), what would you rather have... a strat or a tele?

I had this chat with the famous Fender historian, David Pym a few weeks back.

He has many.

His view, and mine, a 59-61 Slab Board Strat.

I didn't realise the difference until I looked it up.  Recent Strats have slab boards too then, like my 2010 USA Standard Limited Edition.  Because its 22 frets it has a slight overhang, but it is definitely a straight cut rosewood 'slab' and not curved veneer.

Alnico

I've only ever seen one of the model i would have if i could.
Whatever model and year Mark's Red Strat is, the one he used right at the start for the early years before Schecter. @richardhomer might know what year it is?

*That Red one, whatever year that is. I seem to remember Andy (Summers) having a very similar guitar ?

I always thought that Mark's was Dakota or Hot Rod Red and Andy's was Fiesta Red.
As long as it had rosewood board, either would be perfect.

I missed a 1960 CS 'Closet Classic' in Dakota Red in the Sale at Coda and that was F'King stunning.

Voxman

In the vid I posted, does anyone know where I can get hold of that little tension spring for the tremolo arm?

richardhomer

Alnico said:

I've only ever seen one of the model i would have if i could.
Whatever model and year Mark's Red Strat is, the one he used right at the start for the early years before Schecter. @richardhomer might know what year it is?

*That Red one, whatever year that is. I seem to remember Andy (Summers) having a very similar guitar ?

I always thought that Mark's was Dakota or Hot Rod Red and Andy's was Fiesta Red.
As long as it had rosewood board, either would be perfect.

I missed a 1960 CS 'Closet Classic' in Dakota Red in the Sale at Coda and that was F'King stunning.

MK had two red Strats - one was a '61 which had been stripped - which he had sprayed red. He still owns it.

The one he was seen playing more often had a maple board, fitted to an early '60s neck - the board was a later modification - done prior to MK acquiring the guitar. It was the main guitar on the first two DS albums and can be seen here:



John Suhr did some work on it and reckoned the body may be a Japanese copy. The guitar is no longer in MK's possession.

Regardless if what it actually is, he makes it sound bloody marvellous on that video, doesn't he?

Gassage

@alnico Summers' is a CS reissue.

The greatest Dak Red has to be the Gary Moore strat.

Gassage

Voxman said:

Gassage said:

riscado said:

I'm wondering, if you guys could have an old fender (meaning 50s/60s era, including some post-cbs beauties, like the venrable 68-71 thinline), what would you rather have... a strat or a tele?

I had this chat with the famous Fender historian, David Pym a few weeks back.

He has many.

His view, and mine, a 59-61 Slab Board Strat.

I didn't realise the difference until I looked it up.  Recent Strats have slab boards too then, like my 2010 USA Standard Limited Edition.  Because its 22 frets it has a slight overhang, but it is definitely a straight cut rosewood 'slab' and not curved veneer.

Slabs honestly feel and sound better- IMO.

Bucket

The Strat and Tele are two of the very best pieces of industrial design from the whole of the 20th century. Maybe the top two.