Strats, Strats everywhere.......

Haych

This has probably been commented on before (I may even have done so), but if one is looking in the used market for a decent Strat, how does one know which ones are worth considering and which ones to dismiss.

It seems that in the last couple of years Fender has made a Strat for every conceivable price point.  There are just so many!

I definitely won't want to spend any more than about a grand, and probably a good deal less than that.

I would try to find a nice Classic Player but they seem quite rare.  The 50s Original I really like but again are scarce and over budget when they do come up.  The Road Worn series suffer from the same problem.

The American Standard have always been a bit hit and miss in my experience, some are very mediocre while others are outstanding.

So, those models aside, which ones are worth looking at?

TIA

ThePrettyDamned

You have to play them.

They're a maple neck screwed to an alder, ash, basswood or poplar body, with pickups suspended from a piece of plastic and some basic electronic components. This means there are lots of brands that give their own take on it, and it really makes it hard to answer well. 

6 point or modern 2 point trem, or hardtail? Do you like a wood-feeling board or a lacquered board? Big frets or little frets? All singles, or hsh or hss? 

So many options, it is genuinely probably worth waiting a few months and booking into a store to try a whole bunch out. One might be an obvious winner. 

Haych

ThePrettyDamned said:

You have to play them.

They're a maple neck screwed to an alder, ash, basswood or poplar body, with pickups suspended from a piece of plastic and some basic electronic components. This means there are lots of brands that give their own take on it, and it really makes it hard to answer well. 

6 point or modern 2 point trem, or hardtail? Do you like a wood-feeling board or a lacquered board? Big frets or little frets? All singles, or hsh or hss? 

So many options, it is genuinely probably worth waiting a few months and booking into a store to try a whole bunch out. One might be an obvious winner. 

6 point or two point trem, not really fussed.

Ash would be nice, alder is also good, not so keen on poplar or basswood.

Same with the board, not an issue really whether it's maple or rosewood, lacquered or not.

Bigger frets rather than skinny frets, medium jumbo would be ideal, bigger not a deal breaker.

All singles as far as p'ups go.

Neck shape; anything that isn't super skinny.  The most comfortable Strat neck I ever played was a late 80s Korean Squier.

chrisj1602

If I had a grand for a Strat now, I think I would get one of the new Road Worns but I do really like my Vintera 60s Modified, it’s my favourite guitar at the moment. 

Haych

chrisj1602 said:

If I had a grand for a Strat now, I think I would get one of the new Road Worns but I do really like my Vintera 60s Modified, it’s my favourite guitar at the moment. 

There's a new range of Road Worn?  Hmm, must look into that, thanks.

sunshinewelly

the strat plus models are brilliant. my favourite strat i have owned and i have had a few (owned at least 10) even a master built one. I have sold them all apart from a strat plus i picked up on these forums

Funkfingers

ThePrettyDamned said:

You have to play them. … try a whole bunch out. One might be an obvious winner. 

It always comes back to this. 

The thing needs to feel right in YOUR hands and produce the sounds that YOU need.

It is possible to find wonderful budget examples and very expensive dogs. 

For my pseudo-vintage tastes, the sweet spot in the Fender range was the AVRI and AV. IMO, the former benefits from pickup upgrades. The only thing I would change in my AV65 is the capacitor between the tone controls.

Having said that, I manage to extract some perfectly good Fender-style sounds from beaten up Eighties Charvels and Ibanez Roadstars. 

Haych

Funkfingers said:

ThePrettyDamned said:

You have to play them. … try a whole bunch out. One might be an obvious winner. 

It always comes back to this. 

The thing needs to feel right in YOUR hands and produce the sounds that YOU need.

It is possible to find wonderful budget examples and very expensive dogs. 

For my pseudo-vintage tastes, the sweet spot in the Fender range was the AVRI and AV. IMO, the former benefits from pickup upgrades. The only thing I would change in my AV65 is the capacitor between the tone controls.

Having said that, I manage to extract some perfectly good Fender-style sounds from beaten up Eighties Charvels and Ibanez Roadstars. 

I can't disagree, playing them IS important but at the moment not exactly pragmatic.  We're effectively in full lockdown so going anywhere to try a guitar is pretty much impossible.

This morning I had an offer sent to me from an eBay seller for a Strat I'm watching; however he wanted cash on collection.  Probably about an hour and a half away, over a national border - can't exactly tell the cops that it's an essential journey even if I wasn't bothered about the risk of catching/spreading the virus, which I am.

I don't see the situation changing anytime soon so if I want one I reckon I'm going to be buying blind via mail order.  Never had an issue with that before, if I don't like them I just move them on and providing I'm buying at the right price I hopefully shouldn't lose money, nor would I expect to make any.

Bork

I agree with playing them first but don't believe the hype from snobs about roasted neck wood and crap like that. 

Most people would be satisfied with a lightweight strat body from alder for comfort and tone reasons and a bridge/nut arrangement that didn't go out of tune.  Most of the sound we recognise as strat-like comes from the pickups.  The stock ones Fender supplies are good enough apart from the cheapest Squiers, unless you have specific tastes or needs.  The significance in the rest of the other components is moot.  Yeah you might get more energy efficiency on paper but it might take you further away from the strat character.

Aim for a 90's US made strat and you should have a guitar for life that you can change according to your needs.

It's also worth recognising that there are a few different types of strat character - "punchy" (think Nile Rodgers/50's surf), "chimey" (think Gilmour), "texas bluesy" (think SRV) ,to name a few.  You can't have all three in the same instrument.  

dazzajl

I usually like to buy used but if I was looking to buy a Strat right now, I’d be inclined to try one of these. 

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200824361411025--fender-guitarguitar-exclusive-roasted-player-strat-sonic-blue-r

Having a tele with a roasted maple neck, I can tell you that it’s definitely a neck! I don’t think it plays or feels any different to a regular maple neck but I do like the less anaemic look. Just seems well put together and the pickups sound good to me. 

That said, I really love the set from a classic 50s (not classic player) that are in my Strat.  

chrisj1602

Haych said:

chrisj1602 said:

If I had a grand for a Strat now, I think I would get one of the new Road Worns but I do really like my Vintera 60s Modified, it’s my favourite guitar at the moment. 

There's a new range of Road Worn?  Hmm, must look into that, thanks.

I have the Tele, it’s great.

StefB

Haych said:

This has probably been commented on before (I may even have done so), but if one is looking in the used market for a decent Strat, how does one know which ones are worth considering and which ones to dismiss.

It seems that in the last couple of years Fender has made a Strat for every conceivable price point.  There are just so many!

I definitely won't want to spend any more than about a grand, and probably a good deal less than that.

I would try to find a nice Classic Player but they seem quite rare.  The 50s Original I really like but again are scarce and over budget when they do come up.  The Road Worn series suffer from the same problem.

The American Standard have always been a bit hit and miss in my experience, some are very mediocre while others are outstanding.

So, those models aside, which ones are worth looking at?

TIA

Check this recent thread out too for more opinions - https://www.thefretboard.co.uk/discussion/196680/tell-me-about-strats#latest

Must be one of the most asked questions on here, along with "what's the best pedal platform amp/MIAB pedal" etc.

gazrichards

chrisj1602 said:

Haych said:

chrisj1602 said:

If I had a grand for a Strat now, I think I would get one of the new Road Worns but I do really like my Vintera 60s Modified, it’s my favourite guitar at the moment. 

There's a new range of Road Worn?  Hmm, must look into that, thanks.

I have the Tele, it’s great.

That’s the one I’d get if I was in the market for a strat too

Axe_meister

I recently got the Mexican made Jimi Hendrix strat. A wonderful guitar. The first strat that has spoken to me in a long time and actually sounds like a strat.

DrJazzTap

The American vintage 59 was the one that got away for me. I specced my partsacaster on that model, and it isn't quite the same. 

Schnozz

G&L

Logie

I’ve had a few American Strats from 2001-2004 and they were excellent. I’ve had around 15, mainly 90’s - 00 era with the odd late 80’s thrown in and they were the pick of a big bunch. 

Greatape

Run the racks and wait until something jumps out at you. Might even be a Mexican 

RaymondLin

dazzajl said:

I usually like to buy used but if I was looking to buy a Strat right now, I’d be inclined to try one of these. 

https://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/product/200824361411025--fender-guitarguitar-exclusive-roasted-player-strat-sonic-blue-r

Having a tele with a roasted maple neck, I can tell you that it’s definitely a neck! I don’t think it plays or feels any different to a regular maple neck but I do like the less anaemic look. Just seems well put together and the pickups sound good to me. 

That said, I really love the set from a classic 50s (not classic player) that are in my Strat.  

I love that!