EdwardMarlowe

To be fair, I can see how that would be an advantage for recording purposes. For just playing, I like a bit of imperfection - I'm not so keen on my middle Strat pickup being RWRP. There is just a small possibility Fender are saving me from myself, of course....

What stuck with me from many years ago was an editorial in UK Guitarist magazine (I think now long gone; the last time I went looking, only "Guitar Techniques" still seems to exist). The essence of it was that these things are a trade off. As I recall, the exact phrase was "sure, that super-powered deathbucker in your lignium vitae plank will tear your brain out, but in term of following your every slap and tickle like a good Strat, forget it." A lot of it is, of course, horses for courses. The guitar a guy in a covers band who does whatever the equivalent of the top forty is now every weekend for paying punters likely has need of somewhat more versatile gear than a guy in an original metal band who has highly specialised stuff for his specific niche. The big revelation for me, though in the "sometimes less really is more" vein was back in the 90s when I first got my Sovtek Big Muff (one of the green ones, branded "Sovtek-Electro Harmonix" and made in Russia. Still got it in mint condition in the wooden box, I gather they're quite the collectible now. I suspect the only bit of gear I've ever bought that, adjusted for inflation, is worth more now that it was when I bought it!). I was initially horrified, thinking it was unusable, sounded nothing like the Hendrix sound and the rest of it. Then I turn it way down so it was basically a clean boost (which it does surprisingly well), and upped the gain just enough to suddenly find the magic. That's when I also started listening more closely to the guitar tracks on a lot of my favourite stuff, and realised that there's a whole lot less distortion gonig on there than I'd always assumed.

Bugger, hope you get that back. Would you mind giving an outline of how this app scam works? Were they targeting the guitar?

I've never cared for the "noiseless" pickups as to my ear the ones I've tried just felt somehow sterile. The idea of vintage noiseless seems odd to me.... I suppose the idea is the compromise of the earlier sound without the hum, but the real joy of a vintage style pickup for me is stuff like the hum. Unless you're going for full on hard metal, I think a lot of folks overemphasise hot-winding in pickups, but it's definitely true there's quite the wide range in singled coils - especially the early, hand-wound stuff where more variation happened.

And here's the crux of it for me: I think as guitar players (same as hifi nerds), we can get too fixated on *measurable* differences, when what we really should be concerned with is differences we can actually hear with our own ears. Once you dispense with aesthetics and durability (both important concerns, tbf), all that matters is does it sound good to you. An awful lot of guitar upgrades are more about superstition and mojo imo. Which is fine - I like a bit of that myself (for whatever reason I've always liked to have a pick screwed in underneath the guard on a Strat, tucked away in the cavity) - but I know if I gave in to too much I'd be in real danger of spending crazy money on all sorts of add ons that didn't add the the sound - and possibly also either doubling the spend by having it professionally fitted, or taking something away from the guitar itself by not properly installing it, or somehow upsetting the equilibrium about what made that particular guitar special in the first place.

Yeah, I think that came in with the change of image, when he grew the beard and went all cosplay-biker. The one I always remember him with was the LP custom with the Confederate Battle Flag on it - back in the 80s when nobody in the UK really realised what it signified, and thought it was just sort of a cowboy flag (don't even get me started on the closet-racist idiots in the rockabilly scene who turn up waving it at weekenders, wearing their Golly badges and claiming it's just their "rock and roll rebel flag, nothing to do with racism" (not even the racism spewed on their own facebook pages - honest, guv!). Most of the surface of the guitar was sanded to the bare wood by this point. He used to claim in interviews that shortly after he'd had it painted, he saw the guy from Warrant with a flag guitar just like it, didn't want to be associated with him, and went straight to the garage with coarse sandpaper and the guitar in hand. I have a dim memory I read somewhere that Rory called that his "number 3" (or was it 2?) - number one being a vintage Tele that I think was mostly used in the studio. Great section on his instruments here: https://rorygallagher.com/instruments/ In early 2025, a statue of Rory was unveiled outside the Ulster Hall in Belfast: Some got funny about him being sculpted with the Tele at the time and not the Strat, but it was based on a famous photo of him playing live, with the Tele, at the Ulster Hall back in the day. Rory was much respected in Belfast for insisting on still playing there annually right through the peak of the Troubles when a lot of big names (including, notably, Belfast's own and one of the biggest pricks in the music industry, Van Morrison) just refused to go near the place. Big influence on the next generation of Irish guitar players, not least Jake Burns (who imo has never gotten the full credit he deserves as either a songwriter or a guitar player). It's interesting how Hank was a huge figure for a whole generation of guitarists, but that has very much not carried over to another generation. (I'm sure the same could be said for many of my guitar heroes - or, hell, even guitar in general for the kids coming after us now.) In an odd way, while yes most of us who are aware of the Shadows might think of the Strat first, I think he now has somewhat of a bigger following among Burns enthusiasts, for the obvious reason. Buddy Holly.... maple board, two tone burst, early Stratocaster.... nobody else comes to mind as fast. Arguably the most important man in guitar-based rock and roll, next only to Leo Fender. It Was Buddy who popularised not only the solid body electric guitar in mainstream rock and roll, but also the bass guitar with the Crickets, and the "two guitars, bas and drums" set-up that is still the basis of so, so many bands today. He very much comes to mind when I see a 70s Strat with the black pickup covers and knobs on white plate, especially with a white body and rosewood board. I vaguely remember him playing a signature model some time back that dispensed with the middle pickup... did he have the middle pickup unwired in his original? I've heard of a surprising number of players having quite unconventional wiring for stage guitars that is often much more limited than you'd expect from the standard look to them. I guess that's partly for aesthetics, and maybe not to give away a secret? Possible... the one in the top photo above looks white to me. I think natural was an official finish from 69, though, that was at the peak of its popularity in the 70s and into the 80s, so he may well have had one. Possibly it got more studio use? I've heard it said that when Jimi had a bit more money later on, he preferred black or white solid finish Strats for stage, and kept the burst ones for the studio, as he figured the solid colours looked better in B&W photos. Who knows, though... there's a lot of glorious myths that take on a life of their own (TV Yellow, Jimi's parakeets, and all the rest).

Oh, yes. A couple of Gretsches are very much on my wants list, but it's gonig to be a while before I can raise the cash. 5xxx series - I doubt, shy of a stupid lottery win, I could justify the 6xxx series.

I hear you. I'm definitely a P Bass man.... but that neck on a J bass.... My first bass (still owned) was a Squier Precision Bass Special. I realised quickly I can well live without the J pickup, as long as the single split P pickup has a decent tone knob, but the J-style neck on that guitar is a joy. One day I would adore to build a P bass with a J neck, P-set-up, and a firebird or RD shaped body (but other than shape, entirely in the Fender P style).

I do love a Strat. Some can be a bit.... bloodless... for my ear. Typicallyy those that have noiseless pickups, and I wish they'd stop making the middle RWRP: one of the reasons I love Strats is they *don't* have humbuckers (which I just don't get on with.... probably the main reason that while many of my guitar heroes are LP players, they just aren't for me). Would never even consider a Strat with a HB in the bridge. Well... I might at the right price, but before it was even plugged in the HB would be ripped out and replaced with a HB-sized p90. The only real shame with a strat is the wiring excluding the neck and bridge option. I'm well empted to pick up one of those Firefly Strat copies and experiment with wiring it with a three-way - neck and mid, neck and bridge, mid and bridge. Those would be the killer sounds imo. I love the look of the Strat Trem - just all part of the visual package. I dont use it much, though... I'm a small wobble at the end of a number guy. Otherwise, finger-vibrato and bending just came more naturally to my hands. I'd like to try a fixed bridge model, though it'd be a partsacaster undertaking given Fender's crap provision for left handers. Basically a regular Strat with a Tele three saddle bridge (compensated brass saddles, natch). Thing is, though, not every guitar will work for everyone. There are a lot of guitars I'd never even consider playing because find them fugly (pointy stuff, stuff that screans eighties metal, and fancy-schmancy figured wood tops. Hate those. Then there are those I like but, like the OP's experience with Strats, I just can't get on with. As noted above, LPs are big in that for me - humbuckers being the real problem there I think; they all just sound like mud in my hands. I suspect I might get on better with one loaded with p90s.... certainly enjoy my HB DC Jnr. What I've never been is an "only one type" of guitar guy. I long ago grew to despise the "palette of sound" bollocks a lot of players spout when trying to justify owning more instruments, but I *do* like to havea few variables. If a gutar feels, or even just looks, different in a way that appeals to me that day, I'll play it differently, play different stuff... that can be a good thing. For all the difference in scale length, picksups, and whatever there's precious little difference that matters in terms of my basic tone from one to the other, but the look and feel can ake a enormous difference to me. I've played much cheaper Strats that I enjoyed playing more than my old American Standard for the simple reason that the neck shape was better for me. That's an element I prize far over the pickups (as long as they work reliably and make a sound I like).

For that, you'd want one of those Janie Hendrix endorsed Jimi Hendrix Epiphone Stratalikes. They're super rare - and if you've ever seen one, you'll know why.

If the nine figure lottery win ever came in, I'd order my dream trat from the Custom Shop, certainly.... but only if Fender agreed to put a Squier logo on it, because that would amuse me no end.

In isolation, it as the look. From the top (the Behringer logo is onthe side, iirc - it's in a box back in London, and I'm in Beijing as I type). I've never had the chance to play with a real Klon, but if every video I've seen on youtube with back to back tests is accurate, pretty much any klone, including this one, sounds as good as the Klon. A few years ago, one of the JHS guys did a yutube video (can't post it now, as youtube is resolutely on the other side of the Great Firewall of China from me right now) showing how a DOD Bad Monkey could be set to sound exactly like a Klon, and for a brief blip the price of *those* shot up on Reverb....

How's the volume unplugged? If my understanding of the effect of the resonator cone is correct, it should be rather louder than an unplugged solid body?

@Dolando - meant to say, love the headstock. Really nicely realised on this - immediately differentiates it from one of the established brands, as its own thing, but it also looks right. Too often I see very traditional / vintage guitar designs really nicely done, but in seeking to do their own thing, makers put a headstock on that just doesn't sit right with it. What you have here is a shape I'd never have thought of to put on this guitar, and yet it has thed right mid-20th century vibe to it to my eye. Really nice choice.

Basically the same principle as those Steve Vai Ibanezes - the Floral Gem, I think was the name? At least I'm sure I remember reading that's how they were done in the 90s. Facking LOVE this build, though. If young Robert Cray had had this to bash those vamps with in Sinners, he'd have walked away with a lot more than just a guitar neck in his hand.... @Dolando, are you building these for sale, or just a one-of? It's a stunning piece. I'd love to see one in a black guard on black body with red and ivory pinstriping...