Am I the only person...

[Trespass]

I started on a USA Telecaster and I'm more a Tele guy than Strat. I like what John Suhr has done to "update" the Strat shape and style, much more than a Showmaster.

As a big Grestch guy, the 2003 Fender buy has been a mixed bag. 03-06 seems to have continued with the quality slip later Grestchs were experiencing under the original owner, but the newer ones seem to be a return to form.

 

[C2Aye]

Yeah, 'Suhr' as well, although I'm more inclined to go Fender than anything else because that's just the way I am.

For those saying they wished they had strats...HAHA! I have one!

And on a more serious note, get one, because they are a jack of all trades guitar wise...and yes, even metal.

And I've always wanted a Gretsch White Falcon ever since I saw John Frusciante play one.

 

[Inception7]

I will always say the olympic white strat is one of the best looking guitars. I had a Strat last year and just never played it. They are great guitars for certain types of music but just not the kind that I enjoy playing.

 

[C2Aye]

The whole 'strat can't play metal' thing? Works well enough for me!

 

[MaxOfMetal]

The whole 'strat can't play metal' thing? Works well enough for me!

I never really understood that argument, personally. I mean, I know tons of awesome "Metal Guitars" with Alder or Ash bodies, Maple necks, and Maple or Rosewood fretboards. Put a 'bucker in the bridge and you can have an awesome "Metal Guitar".

 

[Mordacain]

The whole 'strat can't play metal' thing? Works well enough for me!

Iron Maiden anyone? Never understood that idea myself.

 

[C2Aye]

I guess it's mainly the single coiled strats that get stick for not sounding 'metal' enough but I've managed well enough I reckon.

 

[Murmel]

I just fell in love.

 

[Bren]

i have a squier strat, i love the thing! Can't wait to get a real fender though.

 

[yellowv]

I love my Strat.

 

[ShadyDavey]

My first guitar was a Mexican Squire Strat that was subsequently modded and sold for.....an HM Strat.....which I sold for.....an Ibanez. BUT at the same time I ALSO picked up an original series Fender Malmsteen Strat.

I'd still like a decent strat to this very day to be honest - perhaps I'll find a decent squire and commend it to the mercies of my local tech master for scallops and a PUP Swap

 

[bostjan]

Anyone remember the Fender Talon? It was like a Strat's illegitimate love child with an RG. They were pretty nice guitars.

In the old days, plenty of metal guys played strats and les pauls and whatnot. I've even seen one or two metal guys with hollow-bodies.

I've owned a squire strat, American std tele, Japanese strat XII, Mexican J-Bass, and even an Indian-made Strat.

I think the complaint may be that Fender lost their stride in new innovation long ago, and have not made much serious effort to gain it back despite their vast resouces.

 

[C2Aye]

I love my Strat.

So sexy.

My first guitar was a Mexican Squire Strat that was subsequently modded and sold for.....an HM Strat.....which I sold for.....an Ibanez. BUT at the same time I ALSO picked up an original series Fender Malmsteen Strat.

I'd still like a decent strat to this very day to be honest - perhaps I'll find a decent squire and commend it to the mercies of my local tech master for scallops and a PUP Swap

Seems like the usual progression, doesn't it? Squier to Ibanez. The thing is, I have both a Fender and an Ibanez and I know which one I'd save if the house were burning down. (Clue's in the thread name )

Anyone remember the Fender Talon? It was like a Strat's illegitimate love child with an RG. They were pretty nice guitars.

In the old days, plenty of metal guys played strats and les pauls and whatnot. I've even seen one or two metal guys with hollow-bodies.

I've owned a squire strat, American std tele, Japanese strat XII, Mexican J-Bass, and even an Indian-made Strat.

I think the complaint may be that Fender lost their stride in new innovation long ago, and have not made much serious effort to gain it back despite their vast resouces.

The tough thing with innovation is, if Fender stopped making bog standard strats, imagine how much stick they'd come under? They are the Tele and Strat people so they have to keep making Tele's and Strats.

Then again, after looking up the Talon, I WANTS. They should reissue that baby

 

[Esp Griffyn]

I guess it's mainly the single coiled strats that get stick for not sounding 'metal' enough but I've managed well enough I reckon.

Indeed, I regularly use my YJM in bridge postion for metal. Obviously it's not going to sound as beefy and full as a guitar with humbuckers, but in a band, the bassist fills the bottom end out anyway. If you absolutely have to have a Strat with a full-on metal tone, just stick a single sized humbucker in the bridge position.

 

[bostjan]

The tough thing with innovation is, if Fender stopped making bog standard strats, imagine how much stick they'd come under? They are the Tele and Strat people so they have to keep making Tele's and Strats.

Then again, after looking up the Talon, I WANTS. They should reissue that baby

No one I know would expect them to stop making strats. It used to be that everyone kept expecting the next great new innovation to come from Fender. The Broadcaster/Telecaster/Esquire was a big step in innovation, then the Strat came along with another big step forward. They never stopped making either of these, but they did bring us new innovations like phase reversal to make strats less noisy without changing the tone. They brought us newer trem systems, newer materials and newer designs for decades. Then around the time I was born, the mentality shifted more toward nostalgia. Now the focus of the company is almost exclusively nostalgia, with the highest priced guitars and basses being reissues of older models, even often "distressed" to make them look more abused.

The same goes for other big name guitar manufacturers, but I cannot think of any as stubborn as this era's Fender. I don't think that Fender should change their plan- they are giving a majority of today's kids exactly what they want. I do, however, hope that the mentality of future generations will place more importance on innovation without losing sight of tradition.

The first five years I played sevens, I would have snapped up a Talon VII in an instant if they made one at a reasonable price. I was pretty underwhelmed by the Fender sevens I've played. Not that they were awful, but they were certainly not what I expected.

 

[C2Aye]

Then around the time I was born, the mentality shifted more toward nostalgia. Now the focus of the company is almost exclusively nostalgia, with the highest priced guitars and basses being reissues of older models, even often "distressed" to make them look more abused.

This being very true. If I want to have a distressed Strat, I'll tour with the bugger and make it look distressed.

Hopefully in the next couple of years they'll stop the vintage reissue stuff and innovate again. Like an S-1 switch on an American Deluxe with extra tones that don't all sound like crap

 

[Murmel]

EDIT: Whoever gave me the JDA Rep, .

 

[bostjan]

This being very true. If I want to have a distressed Strat, I'll tour with the bugger and make it look distressed.

Hopefully in the next couple of years they'll stop the vintage reissue stuff and innovate again. Like an S-1 switch on an American Deluxe with extra tones that don't all sound like crap

Slightly O/T, but when I think back about the first guitar synths and early active pickups, some of the first on-board preamps I remember, the first FR equiped guitars, I can't help but think of Fender. These were all cool things back before I was really paying attention.

Since the advent of multiscale, upgraded materials, optical pickups, and extended range, it seems that Fender has been a little slow on the draw, but then I do not see any other name-brand manufacturers making a carbon fiber eight-string guitar with optical hexaphonic pickups and a 27 fret board with LED inlays.

 

[C2Aye]

...but then I do not see any other name-brand manufacturers making a carbon fiber eight-string guitar with optical hexaphonic pickups and a 27 fret board with LED inlays.

I doubt the market is large enough to justify a production model

 

[All_¥our_Bass]

Anyone know of some good stacked single coils?
Since I'm interested in buying a start clone that has the "3 singlecouils" configuration and swapping the single for the stacked buckers, since I love the tone of singles, but hate the hum.