not into stratocasters?

[Superlizard]

well, i'm very adamant about this; I hate strats. I don't like the looks, I don't like the sound, I don't like the feel of the body (though I do like the scale length), I don't like the pickups, I don't like the vibe. I want a fat body with lots of growl and lows, smooth and grinding at the same time (at MY command; not the guitar's!), a carved top, 2 fullfat humbuckers with a LOT of output, and an ebony fingerboard, binding, and flashy inlay. aka; a les paul.

Translation:

I cry myself to sleep at night knowing that I will never realize my full potential without a Strat.

I also learned how to do the Moonwalk a la Michael Jackson... I can even do the "hee hee" part.  I have the hat and single glove to prove it.

no, not really. I think Jackson is a pettyful man who needs to psychiatric help, and I don't have a hat nor gloves. If I put a hat on, I'd be a slash-wannabe, which I'm not; I think slash is a wanker.

strange, why need to translate something, which was written quite clear. maybe you don't really understand english as you thought you did, or as you hoped you did?

muahahahahahaha  :toothy10:

 

[1jimbo]

Strat, Tele, whatever. Its more about the pickups  and amp than the shape of the body.

 

[mayfly]

Hey, that reminds me of another reason why I don't like strats - the control layout.  Who the heck thought it would be a good idea to put a knob right there? 

Oh - and the tremolo - who the heck needs that when you can just shake the neck/strings?  And to make it stay in tune you need a (gulp) floyd.  And the low E is really hard to intonate unless you screw the pickups flat against the body....


And (and here's the real reason)  there are no bender kits for it.  :laughing7:

 

[DocNrock]

I've come to the conclusion that I really like Strats and Soloists.  I have a Les Paul and a Tele, but they are not my go-to guitars.  Just me.  :dontknow:

 

[dbw]

I have mixed feelings on stats.  The control layout is bad... I think I already ranted about that on the strat vs. LP thread.  But the contoured body is quite comfortable to me.  The sound is awesome when its Jimi playing, but I sound better on my Les Paul.

 

[Mor Paul]

Hey, that reminds me of another reason why I don't like strats - the control layout.  Who the heck thought it would be a good idea to put a knob right there? 

Leo. A non-player.

 

[nathan a]

I have mixed feelings on stats.  The control layout is bad... I think I already ranted about that on the strat vs. LP thread.  But the contoured body is quite comfortable to me.  The sound is awesome when its Jimi playing, but I sound better on my Les Paul.

+1
I never sound good playing a strat. But I find them really really comfortable to hold etc (control layout aside).

 

[buckallred]

I cry myself to sleep at night knowing that I will never realize my full potential without a Strat.

I also learned how to do the Moonwalk a la Michael Jackson... I can even do the "hee hee" part.  I have the hat and single glove to prove it.

Now that is funny.

As for me, I have gone back and forth. For awhile there, I hated strats. Then I played my friend's MIM strat (a really nice one), and realized that i liked them again. Ironically, after playing strats for awhile, i picked up my Les Paul and it felt huge, chunky, and awkward. The LP just doesn't sit in your lap like a strat. The sharp edges on the LP body were particularly noticeable after playing strats and teles, i think.

That said, those 2 styles are completely different, and who says you ahve to choose? They each are great in their own unique way. Same goes for teles, 335s, the list goes on. 

 

[Xplorervoodoo]

I don't really care much for strats.

However, my first build was a strat, because I wanted to make what I felt a Strat SHOULD be.

I think the only thing that really bothers me about playing strats is the middle pickup, I'm always hitting it.  Other than that, my only real beef is that strats are so bloody common...

 

[dbw]

Hey, that reminds me of another reason why I don't like strats - the control layout.  Who the heck thought it would be a good idea to put a knob right there? 

Leo. A non-player.

To be fair a LOT of people think the strat layout is great.  But I'm not one of them.  I actually like the Tele layout okay.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

Leo. A non-player.

Funny you say that.  I've read before that he could not even tune a guitar.

 

[Super Turbo Deluxe Custom]

About the control layout, I've never found it a problem.  The volume knob placement has been expressed by some to be in an awkward location.  However, it's proximity has worked it's way into several players' techniques.  The pinky roll while still picking?  Because of the pickguard hiding the routing below, they lend themselves well to hot-rodding different sized pickups.  I've never been a trem guy, and I find the stock Strat trem doubles as a pseudo-hardtail quite well.  I have 5 screws in mine with the anchor tightened all the way up with the trem flush on the body.  I don't even know where my trem arm is.  For the layout being so unpopular, it sure is copied a lot.  The body contours are the most comfortable of any guitar I've owned.  I've had 2 Teles, an Explorer (can't beat the balance on the Explorer), a Kramer Beretta II, and a few others.  On everyone of those guitars, in a natural playing position, something always dug into me somewhere.  Gut, forearm, sometimes just an uncomfortable edge radius.  If it weren't for a transparent finish, you'd never know it was made of wood.  I never cared for the Strat sound, but that's easily fixed with a pickup change.  Taking advantage of every possible pickup combo is just a push/pull away.

 

[Part-Time]

I had my period of hating them. I would play nothing but Les Pauls, all hot rodded. Then I built a replica Jake E Lee Charvel from Strat parts I picked up over the years. Box of Juck parts + 1hour to assmble + hot roded pickups = A smokin guitar. It really is one of the best guitars I have ever played. Then I went out and bought a vintage Mary Kaye, Now I love Strats. But I am building a Soloist, Because that is what has been calling my name!

 

[blimpo]

I played with a great drummer that said, "There are guitar players and guys that play Strats".

I knew what he meant. The extra string length of a Fender makes the strings harder to bend than on a set neck.

I liked Strats, I didn't like Strats, now I like Strats.

The extra effort it takes to play the longer scale forces me to be more aggressive.

With the tummy cut and front beveled, it has to be one of the most comfortable guitars to stand and play.

I had a LP and loved it, but it was a disaster on my back and shoulder.  Holding it for 5 hours a night 5 nights a week had nerve flashes shooting across my chest.

I'm currently waiting for my new Warmoth strat to cure (oil). It's chambered.

So I'm currently in the mood of liking strats.

 

[dwayneed]

I had my period of hating them. I would play nothing but Les Pauls, all hot rodded. Then I built a replica Jake E Lee Charvel from Strat parts I picked up over the years. Box of Juck parts + 1hour to assmble + hot roded pickups = A smokin guitar. It really is one of the best guitars I have ever played. Then I went out and bought a vintage Mary Kaye, Now I love Strats. But I am building a Soloist, Because that is what has been calling my name!

Man if you have a vintage Mary Kaye I would hope you are taking efforts to preserve it. Those are one of the more collectible Strats.

 

[Tonar8352]

You guys are breaking my heart!!  How could you not love a Strat?  :sad:

Everyone needs a least one of each; Strat, Lester, Tele, ES or some other hollow body.  The tools of the trade, you can’t just have one wrench.  :guitaristgif: I wish I could live with only one kind of guitar but I love all the individual voices they have.

PS Mayfly you have an open inventation  to play one of my strats through a Blackface Super Reverb and a Leslie 145 any time. It will make your head spin.  :toothy12:

 

[David]

I think the only thing that really bothers me about playing strats is the middle pickup, I'm always hitting it. 

I agree, so I made one like this...

 

[Volitions Advocate]

I've found that a strat is the most uncomfortable guitar in the world to play sitting down w/o a strap.
Just my 2 cents.  The reason i like LP's more than strats, is only because I like archtops and angled necks.. thats about it.

For 7 years, my only electric guitar was a strat, and I thought it was the meanest looking guitar in the world.  basically... TEHO & YMMV

 

[buckallred]

Well I am of course not biased at all, but . . .

 

[Superlizard]

The thing with the Strat tone is (assuming you have good single coils), you can get bell-like chimey tones & quack with clean... and with gain, the distortion is rawer and more dynamic than with your typical humbucker guitar.

I like to think a good single-coil loaded Strat with distortion/gain has a certain "crang" to it that you just don't get with other guitars.