How useful is a Strat? Do I need one?

[NJDevil]

@NJDevil your responses in this thread have been legendary and i am sorry i am only replying to them now.

You are right on the neck profiles, i am a fan of schecter and have owned 3 C1s at the one time, 2 early 2000s model ones and one 2018 apocalypse, the earlier 2000 models have a standard C shape neck and loved both, not the slimmer shredded neck like the 2018 one and you are right, i am not a fan of slim necks which is why the 2018 one didn't stay, same reason i just can't get on with Gibsons slim tapper D neck, or any shredder neck for that matter, don't get me wrong I'll play anything and make it work if someone handed it to me but yeah not to own.

The nut width is here nor there, my squier is 42mm and my 6119 is 43mm and am happy with the feel of both so thats not a deal breaker for me.

Didn't think about the bridge pick up, i think id use a humbucker more then a single bridge pickup, so won't rule out that combo.

The american pros down here retail for around 3000 so used still go for about 2200ish so a bit up there, the prs se new is 1400 sames as a player series so thats probably more my budget for one.

Id be happy with a player series if they didn't weigh too much, i like the player teles but they all weigh a bit, if i could find one that weighs around 7.5pds id happily buy it but all have been a lot heavier then that, im only a small bloke so am not a fan of super heavy guitars, my penguins are heavy enough.

I agree.....Although I prefer a wider necks, there is no way I am ignoring my SRV signature Strat. Before some recent acquisitions, it was my electric that saw the most playing time.

You like the PRS SE Silver Sky neck and can afford one? Without question, I would not hesitate to buy it. I love that guitar and it produces the sweetest tone......the neck is just too thin and narrow for me. I wasn't paying attention to the fact you're in Australia so that does increase the cost. Brisbane? Nice! My best friend is from a suburb of Sydney.....Now I'm in the mood for a dozen meat pies!!!

Tony @TSims1 has one and I think he loves it. I actually like the tone a bit better on that SE than the far more expensive Mayer Silver Sky. Aside from the SE maybe being one of the best Strats on the market, the quality is exceptional..... one of the best deal in the market place today in my opinion. I even like the single coil in the bridge on that guitar.....great tone and not shrill.

 

[kdm1218]

I have not read all 120 posts. But yes, if you are liking bluesy type stuff that is a Strat all day. A Strat is my favorite thing to noodle around with. Don’t need a single overdrive pedal to have a lot of tonal variety, expressive already and then you add the vibrato and it’s just awesome.

Now when I play in P&W dense mix is it my most practical guitar, nope I grab my Gretsch or Tele for that cause they cut better. But there is no guitar out there that has the tones of a Strat, all 5 positions at that!

 

[Stefan87]

About the neck profiles, I think that is usually true about Schecters. My Tele is a glaring exception, the neck is a HUGE fat C that feels like a bat. The neck is 1" thick at the first fret and about the same at the 12th. It feels similar to a Warmoth fatback profile. I didn't know that when I bought it, and it was a pleasant surprise as I love big fat necks. I guess someone must have spec'd it that way since it is a custom shop guitar, I've never played another Schec with a neck like that. The Strat has an average fender type profile.

If the schecter strats have a C profile then id be happy with that, the thing is down here schecter isn't that big of a brand so i only see the production import models no custom shop american ones, which is a shame as i do thing they are great guitars for the money, especially on the used market.

I agree.....Although I prefer a wider necks, there is no way I am ignoring my SRV signature Strat. Before some recent acquisitions, it was my electric that saw the most playing time.

You like the PRS SE Silver Sky neck and can afford one? Without question, I would not hesitate to buy it. I love that guitar and it produces the sweetest tone......the neck is just too thin and narrow for me. I wasn't paying attention to the fact you're in Australia so that does increase the cost. Brisbane? Nice! My best friend is from a suburb of Sydney.....Now I'm in the mood for a dozen meat pies!!!

Tony @TSims1 has one and I think he loves it. I actually like the tone a bit better on that SE than the far more expensive Mayer Silver Sky. Aside from the SE maybe being one of the best Strats on the market, the quality is exceptional..... one of the best deal in the market place today in my opinion. I even like the single coil in the bridge on that guitar.....great tone and not shrill.

Yeah a work friend got a an SE and i had a small try of it unplugged snd did like it, he is going overseas for 2 weeks soon and said i could borrow it while he was away so ill have good try of one soon.

If it doesn't work for me then players series and MIM standards go for 650/700 used here so i can always grab one and mod it i guess.

 

[Stefan87]

I would like an Eric Johnson Strat.
Features a two-piece alder body in nitrocellulose lacquer, quartersawn maple neck with bound round-laminated 12" radius rosewood fingerboard.
Nitro finish...which, if played properly, makes it challenging to find a used one that doesn't look a bit worn.
They must've laid down the lacquer nice and thin.

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And as stated before, a custom shop strat that isn't relic'd is a unicorn.
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Drooling over here at the red custom...everyday when I see it on my watchlist.

man that red one looks spectacular.

 

[NJDevil]

If the schecter strats have a C profile then id be happy with that, the thing is down here schecter isn't that big of a brand so i only see the production import models no custom shop american ones, which is a shame as i do thing they are great guitars for the money, especially on the used market.

Yeah a work friend got a an SE and i had a small try of it unplugged snd did like it, he is going overseas for 2 weeks soon and said i could borrow it while he was away so ill have good try of one soon.

If it doesn't work for me then players series and MIM standards go for 650/700 used here so i can always grab one and mod it i guess.

Nice and the one word of advice I can give is to play it without any expectation. Just wash your mind of what you "think" it should sound like and just listen to what you hear. Play your Gretsch first....work out a few licks, maybe some 3 or 4 chord progression melodies....anything that'll loosen your playing up and let your creativity take over.

After you feel good and warmed-up, just open the case and play the PRS. Play the same material you played before or other stuff you know. If your soloing (I don't know your playing style) is pretty decent, do what you know on that PRS. Try it first in the neck position and use that as the baseline for you thick tone and take it from there.

Happy experimenting!!! I do really think you'll like it.

 

[General_Lee]

Nice and the one word of advice I can give is to play it without any expectation. Just wash your mind of what you "think" it should sound like and just listen to what you hear. Play your Gretsch first....work out a few licks, maybe some 3 or 4 chord progression melodies....anything that'll loosen your playing up and let your creativity take over.

After you feel good and warmed-up, just open the case and play the PRS. Play the same material you played before or other stuff you know. If your soloing (I don't know your playing style) is pretty decent, do what you know on that PRS. Try it first in the neck position and use that as the baseline for you thick tone and take it from there.

Happy experimenting!!! I do really think you'll like it.

Excellent my friend. Excellent...

 

[AZBrahma]

Awesome!!! I know "exceptions to the rule" have to exist and you just proved it. I love your guitar.....I know you said custom shop but I want that one.....can you lead me to where I can see one? I believe your Schecter for $1100 is equal or better than a $3300 Suhr.

I'd love to know about yours. Thanks in advance!!!

This one has an ash body, nickel hardware, white nitro, powder coated aluminum pickguard (kind of an old-school Schecter thing), Schecter VT-1 pickups, jumbo frets, 14" radius, quarter sawn maple neck and rosewood board, and locking tuners. Though the neck is huge, the frets and radius make it feel even huge-er. It was made in 2015. The only 'problem' I had with the guitar is that the body is so light it wanted to neck dive on a nylon strap. I swapped the metal tuner buttons for pearloid (they were in the case), and that solved the issue. And yeah....I'd put this one up against anything at any price.

Finding USA Schecters can be tough. It's a small shop and they have a very modest output, and not very many dealers. The biggest I know is Drum City Guitarland in Colorado. Sweetwater usually has a few in stock. There are more of course, but I can't think of any off the top of my head. Used USA Schecters used to be the planet's greatest bargain, but people found out about them and that's pretty much over now.

Here's a similar one on Reverb, but it looks like it has the standard neck profile and not a fatty. Few other differences too - plastic guard, probably a poly finish, pao ferro board.

Schecter PT on Reverb

 

[blueruins]

Definitely try the Eric Johnson before you buy. I had one for 15 years and struggled with it. An amazing sounding model but what I finally determined was that the greater break angle over the headstock affected the tension just enough to make it a fight.
Never heard anybody else complain about this so there very well could have been some other factors. That’s my experience worth sharing.
I’ve been much happier with other models and kinda wish I hadn’t taken a third of my life to move on

 

[NJDevil]

This one has an ash body, nickel hardware, white nitro, powder coated aluminum pickguard (kind of an old-school Schecter thing), Schecter VT-1 pickups, jumbo frets, 14" radius, quarter sawn maple neck and rosewood board, and locking tuners. Though the neck is huge, the frets and radius make it feel even huge-er. It was made in 2015. The only 'problem' I had with the guitar is that the body is so light it wanted to neck dive on a nylon strap. I swapped the metal tuner buttons for pearloid (they were in the case), and that solved the issue. And yeah....I'd put this one up against anything at any price.

Finding USA Schecters can be tough. It's a small shop and they have a very modest output, and not very many dealers. The biggest I know is Drum City Guitarland in Colorado. Sweetwater usually has a few in stock. There are more of course, but I can't think of any off the top of my head. Used USA Schecters used to be the planet's greatest bargain, but people found out about them and that's pretty much over now.

Here's a similar one on Reverb, but it looks like it has the standard neck profile and not a fatty. Few other differences too - plastic guard, probably a poly finish, pao ferro board.

Schecter PT on Reverb

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Thanks AZ......This guitar is awesome. It's makes little sense that I get along so well with big necks as my hands are not big but the fact is that I solo and play lead in most of my electric playing. Throw in some chords to certain songs ("Lenny" by SRV is a good example), the string spacing of a big neck and flatter radius just helps me ward off mistakes.

Yeah, I play standard Strat neck profiles but like my HWY 1 and American Pro II Strats the best as the width at the nut is 1.69" and a bit thicker than a medium profile. My '14 LP Traditional is .90" thick at the 1st fret and 1.00" thick at the 12th......also at 1.69" wide at the nut, I wouldn't mind if it were a bit wider. Eastman semi-hollows are 1.75" wide and it feels great.

Thanks for the background on your beauty and I think I'll do a bit of hunting. I won't kid myself and think I can get a deal, much less even find one, but Schecter is the real deal and also love the tone.

 

[AZBrahma]

Definitely try the Eric Johnson before you buy. I had one for 15 years and struggled with it. An amazing sounding model but what I finally determined was that the greater break angle over the headstock affected the tension just enough to make it a fight.
Never heard anybody else complain about this so there very well could have been some other factors. That’s my experience worth sharing.
I’ve been much happier with other models and kinda wish I hadn’t taken a third of my life to move on

I've never been one to care what finish is on a neck - gloss, satin, poly, nitro...never made a difference to me and didn't affect my playing. I thought the 'sticky nitro' thing was just made up. Then I played an EJ strat and my thumb stuck to the back of the neck like a gecko's foot. Nitro formulations vary radically, and that one had extra-tacky additive. I remember liking the guitar otherwise but they definitely aren't for everyone.

 

[AZBrahma]

Thanks AZ......This guitar is awesome. It's makes little sense that I get along so well with big necks as my hands are not big but the fact is that I solo and play lead in most of my electric playing. Throw in some chords to certain songs ("Lenny" by SRV is a good example), the string spacing of a big neck and flatter radius just helps me ward off mistakes.

Yeah, I play standard Strat neck profiles but like my HWY 1 and American Pro II Strats the best as the width at the nut is 1.69" and a bit thicker than a medium profile. My '14 LP Traditional is .90" thick at the 1st fret and 1.00" thick at the 12th......also at 1.69" wide at the nut, I wouldn't mind if it were a bit wider. Eastman semi-hollows are 1.75" wide and it feels great.

Thanks for the background on your beauty and I think I'll do a bit of hunting. I won't kid myself and think I can get a deal, much less even find one, but Schecter is the real deal and also love the tone.

Welcome to the club - I have solidly medium sized hands and love big fat necks and flatter radii. I too am more of a solo/lead and finger picking type guy and those big necks work for me.

Because I'm an enabler....here is one similar to mine. Fat neck, nitro, nickel. Same year as mine. The obvious difference is the alder body, white guard and maple board. Expensive.

Schecter PT with fattie

 

[GAMBLER1234]

I love the guitar itself but I much prefer Tele single coils so on my build I went a different direction.

 

[radd]

man that red one looks spectacular.

I had an EJ Strat. Many think it is the best Strat Fender makes other than Custom Shop.

The soft V neck was very chunky and felt great. The fit and finish could not have been better. The tone was sweet. I sold it for the same reason I have sold a number of my guitars. My old fingers no longer tolerate narrow 1.650 nut widths….What a shame.

 

[Emergence]

One Strat? That’s crazy. You need two.

 

[Bertotti]

One Strat? That’s crazy. You need two.
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Now you’re talking!

 

[Bertotti]

@Emergence can I guess your two both sound different? My two are quite different tue MIM is more southern rock bluesy ala SRV to my ears but the CIJ has hot noiseless pups more modern rock and or oddly enough I find I like it for sure edge of break up and powerful clear clean.

 

[Emergence]

The heavy relic is a CS ‘69. The pickups are low wind and bright without any ice pick. The gray one is an American Standard with Ultra noiseless pickups. They’re really different with the Ultra pickups being more harmonically complex but not twangy. I play finger style backing myself on vocals. All my guitars are different. Variety is a good thing. My Annie had been my #1 for that though.

 

[Bertotti]

The heavy relic is a CS ‘69. The pickups are low wind and bright without any ice pick. The gray one is an American Standard with Ultra noiseless pickups. They’re really different with the Ultra pickups being more harmonically complex but not twangy. I play finger style backing myself on vocals. All my guitars are different. Variety is a good thing. My Annie had been my #1 of late.

Very nice! As much as I like my Broadway Jade Penguin I really love Strats! Probably why I have two. A third third sure wouldn’t bother me. That newer buttercream color is calling me but so far way to many new bills to think about one!

 

[Synchro]

Very nice! As much as I like my Broadway Jade Penguin I really love Strats! Probably why I have two. A third third sure wouldn’t bother me. That newer buttercream color is calling me but so far way to many new bills to think about one!

I just gotta say this: if you wouldn’t waste all your money on essential home repairs, you’d be able to afford more guitars.

 

[Stefan87]

Very nice! As much as I like my Broadway Jade Penguin I really love Strats! Probably why I have two. A third third sure wouldn’t bother me. That newer buttercream color is calling me but so far way to many new bills to think about one!
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I agree with the buttercream, have seen one in person at a shop and man is it nice.