My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

[Chistopher]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

There is nothing superstrat with that guitar: No Floyd, 22 frets, no humbucker, no locking nut, 9.5 inch radius.

And what's a mini rail? I reckon there must be regular-sized rail as well, no?

Reverse headstock, scalloped fretboard, two humbuckers, black hardware, flame top, locking tuners, no tone; how is it not a super strat?

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

^ FYI, scalloped fretboard doesn't make you play faster - which is what superstrat is all about - it merely makes the tone sound fuller.

[Samick Lover]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

[Steve Mavronis]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

SuperStrat is a rather general loose term that includes a lot of extra features but they don't have to include everything possible:

"Superstrat is a name for an electric guitar design that resembles a Fender Stratocaster but with differences that clearly distinguish it from a standard Stratocaster, usually to cater to a different playing style. Differences typically include more pointed, aggressive-looking body and neck shapes, different woods, increased cutaways (resulting in deeper horns) to facilitate access to the higher fret, increased number of frets, contoured heel facilitating easier higher fret access, usage of humbucking pickups and locking tremolo systems, most commonly the Floyd Rose. There is no formal definition of a superstrat; the categorization is still largely left to popular opinion and depends greatly on the artist(s) associated with a particular model and how it is marketed." - Wikipedia

To me it's just a guitar that's basically a modified or upgraded features based on the Stratocaster design. Yeah most definitions mention locking nut and Floyd Rose but in the specs I gave for my custom build I didn't want that. I wanted to maintain some vintage design aspects as I respect the Strat as an innovative guitar in the history of stringed instruments. I don't have that big a problem staying in tune with a Strat based tremolo system. With a Strat the most basic trick to reset tuning is push down on the tremolo arm and release. It usually stabilizes the G string witch is the most prone to go out of tune when full bending it a lot. The locking tuners are great to me just for the benefit of fast easy string changing and not worrying about the string winding wrap. It's a more double hands free process. If you get the bridge intonation correct and string to spring tension just right and use a "slippery as teflon" type nut and string tree (Graph Tech) then you don't need a crutch like a locking nut or hair bands to dampen any stray open string noise (I hate seeing that especially) unless you don't have full control over your instrument. It should be a natural extension of you the player, not the other way around.

Someone asked what are mini rails? They are simply noise cancelling humbuckers in a single coil format. Seymour Duncan YJM-Fury pickups are humbuckers in a stacked coil design. Mini rails have coil windings around dual parallel blades in reverse polarity with each other to cancel noise. Humbuckers used in SuperStrats are generally hotter than stock single coil pickups as mine are. Mini rails also, theoretically at least, not prone to string volume tone dropout when bending since the blades or rails are continuous throughout the string bend travel, whereas individual poles might have marginally weaker magnetic fields in between - but I think that's probably unnoticeable and highly exaggerated for mini rail marketing purposes. I just like how they look as a modern update to the original vintage single coil pickup design.

The main takeaway is that it's up to the players discretion what features each want to include or not include. Depending on your style of music and hardware tastes, the combinations of design features selected are specialized for what works for you and aesthetics too!

[jeremy]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

^ FYI, scalloped fretboard doesn't make you play faster - it merely makes the tone sound fuller.

really? ive never noticed that before.

[Mincer]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

I never noticed it sounds fatter either, but it makes bends a lot of fun.

[Chistopher]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

The only part of a guitar that has a substantial impact on how fast a player can play is the player themself. Necks can make playing fast more comfortable, but not faster.

And I've never heard of modding for speed to be the definition of a superstrat, in which case "No Floyd, 22 frets, no humbucker, no locking nut..." aren't "what a super Strat is all about" either.

[Obsessive Compulsive]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

really? ive never noticed that before.

??? Don't ask me, I just copied stuff off the internet and pretend I had first-hand experience, like everybody else. I never touched a scalloped fretboard in my life; I think it's pointless.

[GuitarStv]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

I never noticed it sounds fatter either, but it makes bends a lot of fun.

+1


That's what I immediately notice when playing a scalloped board. Bends and vibrato are ridiculous. So much control.

[Mincer]

Re: My "Sunrazor" Custom Spec SuperStrat

You can easily bend notes in a chord, too, so you just have to be careful. For those that use one, they never say it is pointless. Usually they wonder why the idea never caught on because it makes a lot of sense.