Current Production Fender Strat for Rock/Metal?

  • Thread starter Thread starter napalmdeath
  • Start date Start date
napalmdeath

napalmdeath

Well-known member
I've been wanting a Strat for awhile.. Several years, actually.. I've tried to scratch that itch with Charvels, Jacksons, and Schecter Super Strats. But, even with coil splitting or 5-way switching, I keep missing something. THAT Strat tone..

I actually LOVED the Schecter Nick Johnston I had, but the humbucker was lackluster at best, and the single coils were the opposite of noiseless! Awful. Maybe I should have spent the money to upgrade, (lord knows I've done it to every other damn guitar), but I wasn't feeling it for some reason.

So, I want a Strat. HSS, hardtail preferred, but there's SO many models! And, I'm not so sure I wouldn't be having to upgrade the humbucker anyway, I don't really see anything with upgrades off the rack. Atleast not a Fender.

I considered a YJM, but aren't they all scalloped fretboards? I'm not looking to play death metal, just some Hank Shermann and Gary Moore.. Really dig those tones. I played a candy apple red 60's Classic Player that was awesome, but no humbucker..

What's the consensus on stacked humbuckers? I loved that 60's Strat, maybe go with stacked singles and essentially have humbuckers?
 
Can't really answer all your questions but popped in to let you know that I got a MIM Strat years ago and could not be happier with it. Nice medium thickness C neck, jumbo frets, rosewood board, vintage trem, decent tuners, decent single coils. So the Strat purists here won't like it but I don't care. I modded it to be blacked out and I originally put a SD Custom Custom in it but now it has a Super Distortion.

CUNEtBI.jpg
 
napalmdeath said:
I've been wanting a Strat for awhile.. Several years, actually.. I've tried to scratch that itch with Charvels, Jacksons, and Schecter Super Strats. But, even with coil splitting or 5-way switching, I keep missing something. THAT Strat tone..

I actually LOVED the Schecter Nick Johnston I had, but the humbucker was lackluster at best, and the single coils were the opposite of noiseless! Awful. Maybe I should have spent the money to upgrade, (lord knows I've done it to every other damn guitar), but I wasn't feeling it for some reason.

So, I want a Strat. HSS, hardtail preferred, but there's SO many models! And, I'm not so sure I wouldn't be having to upgrade the humbucker anyway, I don't really see anything with upgrades off the rack. Atleast not a Fender.

I considered a YJM, but aren't they all scalloped fretboards? I'm not looking to play death metal, just some Hank Shermann and Gary Moore.. Really dig those tones. I played a candy apple red 60's Classic Player that was awesome, but no humbucker..

What's the consensus on stacked humbuckers? I loved that 60's Strat, maybe go with stacked singles and essentially have humbuckers?
Click to expand...
Bro I am not even gonna lie, you are all over the place in saying what you want. And you have had a lot of shit. I don't even know what could make you happy at this point. Maybe you just need to get with a custom builder that will work with you and really get down to your specs.
 
japetus said:
Bro I am not even gonna lie, you are all over the place in saying what you want. And you have had a lot of shit. I don't even know what could make you happy at this point. Maybe you just need to get with a custom builder that will work with you and really get down to your specs.
Click to expand...
I have multiple guitars I'm happy with, FYI. Yeah, I go through Super Strats, for sure, and currently selling a PRS, but I have 2 of those, (overlap), an SG Standard, and an LP. The latter 3 I've had quite awhile, sir.
 
Current production hardtail Fender Strats are pretty limited, the Robert Cray MIM model & some higher end USA custom shop ones are all I'm aware of, (I'm ignoring bottom-end made in China Squier Bullet Strats) - someone else please chime in if there are others. The Robert Cray model is SSS, not routed for full size bridge humbucker, so you would need to use a mini humbucker or do some routing work. Other options - find a used hardtail Fender Strat from prior years (few will be routed for HSS), block the tremolo of another HSS Strat model, go with a non-Fender HSA superStrat with hardtail bridge.
 
You can piece together a hardtail H-S-S or H-H Strat with the Fender Mod Shop.

It's weird that will all of Fender's offerings, they don't actually offer the combination of things I'd really want.
 
I went to GC to get a cheap MIM strat.

Walked out with the Ultra Stat it was awesome. Loved the neck shape and upgrades over a standard strat. Never thought I'd pay 2k for a Fender but was worth it.
 
there is a dude here on the classified selliing the black, american, double fat strat, that is the best deal on the net right now for a metal ready, US strat that 90% of metal players (who don't dive bomb every phrase) will be happy with. I've been kicking around just throwing it on a CC and thinking about it later. someone beat me to it. or it will, and my wife will kill me.
 
if you don't have the cut out for a humbucker, the dimarzio s-tone zone is a MONSTER humbucker, that gives any strat, serious balls without sounding harsh in any one direction.
 
JimAnsell said:
there is a dude here on the classified selliing the black, american, double fat strat, that is the best deal on the net right now for a metal ready, US strat that 90% of metal players (who don't dive bomb every phrase) will be happy with. I've been kicking around just throwing it on a CC and thinking about it later. someone beat me to it. or it will, and my wife will kill me.
Click to expand...
I looked at it!
 
I'm leaning towards a Charvel DK22 SSS 2PT. Fender just doesn't have anything decked out, and the stacked bridge pickup and 2 true singles check the boxes. I just hope the tuning issues many have complained about have been sorted. Seems like first runs were the turds. I got a special deal from ZZounds Im thinking of grabbing it.
 
The 1987 black Fender Japan Contemporary Strat with a Kahler Spyder tremolo bridge and the 1998 candy apple red Fender Floyd Rose Classic Strat scratches my itch for the hard rock/metal genre. It took me awhile to find what I really liked after having different guitars over the years.

Guitar George
Group shot.jpg
 
Curious if you've tried the Charvel Selects? They have some hardtails with HSS that are really nicely made guitars.
 
How bout the Tom Morello strat¿ Just leave the sticker off it. It looks great, has a bridge rail bucker and 2 noiseless single coils. I guess it could get u the metal part but the Floyd might lose the strat part I suppose...

the Friedman vintage s is my favorite strat on the market, just swap in some Texas specials and a higher output humbucker and bobs your uncle, metal to srv.

I seem to recall you liking ltd's? Perhaps a snapper?
 
A couple of weeks ago I got lucky while scrolling through the classifieds and found a Fender Japan Modern Strat HH RW nearby, in absolutely great condition for a very good price. One of the best - if not THE best - gear purchases I have ever made.

1652326525336.jpeg
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top