Want the Strat tone but do I need a Strat?! Looking at options...

JohnPerry · October 2013

Pick up a jerry donahue signature telecaster. Strat pickup in the neck, five-way selector, gives good Stratlike tone in position 4. Won't beat a good quality Strat but it's close

Fez · October 2013

Joe_Easy said:

Yep, you're probably right! I've not been able to play with a Jaguarillo in person yet, but there are a few Youtube vids and it does seem to get close to a decent strat tone...doesn't nail it though. Loving the look, though, and I know it's incredibly shallow but it's the look of the Strat that puts me off, nothing else! $:\$ ">

How can you not like the look of the sexiest guitar ever designed.

Deadman get your trainers on. Lol

Deadman · October 2013

Joe_Easy said:

Deadman;60656" said:
I've had loads of Strats, finally fell out of love with them about two years ago. Why? I just think Teles wee all over them in tone and playability.

Anyway, sorry to derail your thread.
I love and prefer the tele tone, hence why I already own one, but the strat tone is different and as much as I try and almost get close to it with my tele, it's never fully there.

...let it go...

Pulling me Dunlops on now Fez.

ICBM · October 2013

Strats are just so boring, as well as having design annoyances which put me off - the position of the volume knob especially.

The Jag is easily the best-looking Fender in my opinion, and far more comfortable than a Strat.

The Jaguarillo won't give you the true Strat tone though, because it has a Jaguar tailpiece. The scale length doesn't matter in my opinion - as long as you use heavier strings to give the same tension. A Strat still sounds like a Strat if you capo it at the first fret - at which point it has a 24" scale!

But something like the Squier Jagmaster fitted with a HSS pickup set (I can't remember if there's a big enough rout under the guard for the middle pickup though) would do the job - Jaguar looks, Strat bridge, right pickups.

stonevibe · October 2013

ICBM said:

Strats are just so boring, as well as having design annoyances which put me off - the position of the volume knob especially.

The Jag is easily the best-looking Fender in my opinion, and far more comfortable than a Strat.

The Jaguarillo won't give you the true Strat tone though, because it has a Jaguar tailpiece. The scale length doesn't matter in my opinion - as long as you use heavier strings to give the same tension. A Strat still sounds like a Strat if you capo it at the first fret - at which point it has a 24" scale!

But something like the Squier Jagmaster fitted with a HSS pickup set (I can't remember if there's a big enough rout under the guard for the middle pickup though) would do the job - Jaguar looks, Strat bridge, right pickups.

I have to disagree with you over the volume knob. It is the one guitar that I think has it in the perfect position. I use mine constantly and so for me Strats are the guitar I measure all other guitars by.

They are only boring if the player is boring.

Jags look lovely, but Jazzmasters are way better... (ducks to avoid incoming flying objects)

ICBM · October 2013

stonevibe said:
I have to disagree with you over the volume knob. It is the one guitar that I think has it in the perfect position.

I'm always bashing my pinky knuckle on it. It needs to be just a little further away - even my Aria 'Strat', which has it a little further down/back is fine.

stonevibe said:
They are only boring if the player is boring.

They just look boring, regardless of the player - over-familiarity probably. Although oddly I don't tend to feel the same way about the P-Bass (or at least not if it's in a nice colour).

stonevibe said:
Jags look lovely, but Jazzmasters are way better... (ducks to avoid incoming flying objects)

The Jag has more chrome, so wins

.

ThePrettyDamned · October 2013

I kinda know what you mean about strats looking a bit boring. I think it's because they're common? I prefer offset designs mostly

ICBM makes a good point (as usual!) about scale length - thinking about it, he's completely right!

Check out the carvin though, for that money it'll be a stunner, though won't sound "proper" stratty. If it's proper strat tones you want, though, I reckon the jagmaster is a neat idea.

DarnWeight · October 2013

How about a Nashville-style 3-p'up Tele? I know the Strat vibrato contributes a fair amount to the character of "the Strat sound" but the 2- and 4- tones on a Tele with a middle p'up are close enough for me. The Strat trem itself? I can live without it.

Here's a partscaster I just finished about a week or so ago. Three-pickup Tele with fruity Strat-u-esque switching options and a big fuck-off solid brass bridge. I'm extremely happy with how it sounds!

Islandape · October 2013

DarnWeight said:

How about a Nashville-style 3-p'up Tele? I know the Strat vibrato contributes a fair amount to the character of "the Strat sound" but the 2- and 4- tones on a Tele with a middle p'up are close enough for me. The Strat trem itself? I can live without it.

Here's a partscaster I just finished about a week or so ago. Three-pickup Tele with fruity Strat-u-esque switching options and a big fuck-off solid brass bridge. I'm extremely happy with how it sounds!

Along the same lines but as a standard model, how about the James Burton Tele?

Possibly not for a shrinking violet.

There's also this from Fender, the Vintage Hot Rod Tele which is a bit more restrained.

I spotted a couple more three pickup teles on Fender's site using both Tele and Strat pickups in various combinations.

Travisthedog · October 2013

ICBM;60693" said:
Strats are just so boring, as well as having design annoyances which put me off - the position of the volume knob .

Wrong

ICBM · October 2013

Travisthedog said:

ICBM;60693" said:
Strats are just so boring, as well as having design annoyances which put me off - the position of the volume knob .
Wrong

Right!

I can't play a Strat without always bashing the volume knob, so it *is* in the wrong place!

Just because you play all refined and posh doesn't mean I want to

.

Rocker · October 2013

I agree about the volume control problem but a Strat is a lovely guitar to play and has a unique sound. A sound that can only be got from a Strat IMHO. A Line6 Variax comes pretty close but is let down by the guitar part of the Duet. If you could transplant the Variax electronics into a better guitar body, that might solve your problem. Some time ago I tried out a Variax and the sounds were pretty convincing to my ears. It has a large number of idiotic sounds but the main [LP, Tele, Strat etc.] sounded OK. I would expect the transplant job is one for a luthier unless you are skilled in guitar building. But it is an option.

Travisthedog · October 2013

ICBM;60965" said:
Travisthedog said:

ICBM;60693" said:Strats are just so boring, as well as having design annoyances which put me off - the position of the volume knob .

Wrong

Right!

I can't play a Strat without always bashing the volume knob, so it *is* in the wrong place!

Just because you play all refined and posh doesn't mean I want to .

You've clearly never heard me play!!!

In fairness I think the volume thing doesn't bother me as I play almost at the heel of the neck. The last fret/very end of the neck on my strats is totally monstered with pick damage!

DrBob · October 2013

Travisthedog said:

ICBM;60693" said:
Strats are just so boring, as well as having design annoyances which put me off - the position of the volume knob .
Wrong

Yep, agreed but then that's not a massive surprise really

OilCityPickups · October 2013

I love Strats ... though I totally disagree with Andy in preferring them to a Tele live. Tele has a useful bridge pickup 'out of the box' where as most Strat stock bridge pickups are definitely sub par. Part of a Strats sound comes from the trem system ... so Nashville Teles don't quite hit the mark ... It may be sacrilege ... but if you really don't fancy a Strat look ... go for an old Ibanez, Jackson or Charvel 'widdly box' you get trem springs and the a couple of the right sorts of pickup .. even if you get a heavy metal combine harvester instead of a proper bridge. I wouldn't go for single coils over 7.5k mind ... they tend to be too nasal.

randomhandclaps · October 2013

ICBM said:

Strats are just so boring, as well as having design annoyances which put me off - the position of the volume knob especially.

The Jag is easily the best-looking Fender in my opinion, and far more comfortable than a Strat.

See, it's guitaracists nonsense like this that has held the Stratocaster from the success and recognition it deserves! One day you'll see.

ICBM said:

I can't play a Strat without always bashing the volume knob, so it *is* in the wrong place!

Just because you play all refined and posh doesn't mean I want to .

It's a bigger problem when playing all posh because you have to leave your pinkie outstretched so it forever catching.

andypwudtone · October 2013

Joe_Easy said:

andypwudtone;60663" said:
Worth trying to unpick, which kinda strat tone, you really want, early 50's chime, Gilmour, Hendrix, SRV?
All of the above!

OK so you may need three. Or just start with getting some early 50's chime , all strat tone, stems from that

Joe_Easy · October 2013

OK so you may need three. Or just start with getting some early 50's chime , all strat tone, stems from that

Hmmm...Yeah, think I'll just start with the one!

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Want the Strat tone but do I need a Strat?! Looking at options...

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