#1 Guitar

Pink Unicorn Horsey

Pink Unicorn Horsey

Megä Pöny Rÿdr
Here's something that comes as a surprise to me.

I own five electric guitars:
  • '86 (or '87) Kramer Focus 3000
  • '94 Gibson Les Paul Standard
  • '01 MIM Fender Stratocaster Standard
  • '03 MIM Fender Telecaster Standard
  • '06 G&L ASAT Classic S
The Kramer and G&L are stock. The Les Paul has a '59 in the neck, a JB in the bridge, and Jimmy Page wiring. The Strat has a set of Kinman Woodstock noiseless pickups. The Telecaster has a Lace Sensor Blue in the neck and a five-position switch, and it's waiting for a Harmonic Design Super 90 in the bridge.

Of all these guitars, the one I find I play most often is the Strat. Funny thing is, it's got the most expensive pickups of any of my guitars, and the guitar itself was given to me as a gift. This is my #1 guitar.

This has me thinking, should I sell a couple of my guitars, get a really nice Strat, and fit it with the Kinmans already in my MIM? It's something I just started to ponder.

Thoughts?

- Keith
 
Re: #1 Guitar

Well, you could sell, but would any other strat touch you like this one??

I have a heavily modded Squier strat and a Japanese Squier..I have played a TON of strats ranging all prices and never have I found one l like more than these. Any price...
These squiers resonate, feel good, sound good.. So would any other feel the same to you?
 
Re: #1 Guitar

It depends on what your priorities are.

Right now, you have a lot of bases covered. And IMO you have some rather essential guitars. Like a Les Paul, a Tele, and a Strat.

I could see going around to the stores in your area, and trying Strats till you found a real nice one that really works for you, and buying it. And then selling a couple guitars. But until you actually have a real nice Strat, I'd leave that collection the way it is now.

I'd sell the Kramer, the G&L, and the MIM Strat if I was in a pinch.
 
Re: #1 Guitar

Do you find the strat lacking in some way? If it's really nice as it is, I don't think that you should spend too much time thinking about it. Maybe go around the local stores and see if some strat really speaks to you. Or maybe just upgrade some other parts on it. But remember that there's no reason why that particular strat couldn't be your main one for years to come. Country of origin doesn't really mean that much.
 
Re: #1 Guitar

I say don't mess up a good thing. If it ain't broke don't fix it.

It must have some serious mojo to be your #1 axe. IME, mojo isn't always transferrable.
 
Re: #1 Guitar

...and mojo is VERY personal. I'm starting to learn that you shouldn't have other people dictate to you what is "good" tone. If you like it and it gives you a special vibe - then it's the one :)
 
Re: #1 Guitar

It is very common that Strats are the guitars used most in a collection. I have just recently seen a "what's your #1" thread on the Les Paul forum. Les Pauls scored less than 50%, although everybody there has at least one, and no cheap stuff.

Truth is, when making music the most important part is inspiration and not getting distracted. A minor difference in tone or minor differences in access to fret 22 is a useless microoptimization. What counts is
  • comfort, weight. The Les Paul is like beating yourself with baseball bat. Sure it sounds better, but it's heavy and uncomfortable.
  • easy-going-ness. The Les Paul costs $2000 and has spotless finish, so far. A ding costs you $300 resell value. Your whole Strat was $300 and it's banged up anyway. Of course you pick up the Strat for some casual axing.
  • You also had no hesitation making the Strat do what you want, from re-routing to graphtech nut. You don't let major woodwork equipment near the Les Paul.
  • Clean sounds. Casual playing at home probably has a higher percentage of clean chord playing. You don't need to drive out that Boogie.

As a result, Strats and other easygoing guitars are picked up more often. Then people bind to guitars, their playing changes and fits the most often played guitar better.

Also, the single coil chime is something that many people just miss, noise and low output nonwithstanding. There is a reason why Dave Gilmour, even when he picks up a Les Paul, picks up a 54-56 Gold Top, which has P-90ties.

This is one of the reasons why I am interested in guitars like a PRS Soapbar SE, or even a humbucking one. It gives you the above things but doesn't drive you into the Fender zone permanently.
 
Re: #1 Guitar

Is your strat your #1 by default, or is it really a great axe that speaks to you? If the latter is true, you hold onto it.
 
Re: #1 Guitar

Wow! Lots of great points here.

I've always wanted a Strat with a maple fingerboard, and this one is rosewood. Being a MIM Strat, it's also a 21-fretter; I'd like 22 frets, but it's not a necessity unless I'm trying to play the solo to "Money," which isn't very often.

I feel that the neck could be a little smoother. I'm not quite sure how to describe this. On my neighbor's Strat -- American Strat, not exactly sure the model -- the strings seem to glide more smoothly over the frets. Tone-wise, I think my Strat kicks ass. There's just that extra smoothness I feel my Strat could use, and it's not just a matter of putting on new strings.

- Keith
 
Re: #1 Guitar

uOpt said:
It is very common that Strats are the guitars used most in a collection. I have just recently seen a "what's your #1" thread on the Les Paul forum. Les Pauls scored less than 50%, although everybody there has at least one, and no cheap stuff.

Truth is, when making music the most important part is inspiration and not getting distracted. A minor difference in tone or minor differences in access to fret 22 is a useless microoptimization. What counts is
  • comfort, weight. The Les Paul is like beating yourself with baseball bat. Sure it sounds better, but it's heavy and uncomfortable.
  • easy-going-ness. The Les Paul costs $2000 and has spotless finish, so far. A ding costs you $300 resell value. Your whole Strat was $300 and it's banged up anyway. Of course you pick up the Strat for some casual axing.
  • You also had no hesitation making the Strat do what you want, from re-routing to graphtech nut. You don't let major woodwork equipment near the Les Paul.
  • Clean sounds. Casual playing at home probably has a higher percentage of clean chord playing. You don't need to drive out that Boogie.

As a result, Strats and other easygoing guitars are picked up more often. Then people bind to guitars, their playing changes and fits the most often played guitar better.

Also, the single coil chime is something that many people just miss, noise and low output nonwithstanding. There is a reason why Dave Gilmour, even when he picks up a Les Paul, picks up a 54-56 Gold Top, which has P-90ties.

This is one of the reasons why I am interested in guitars like a PRS Soapbar SE, or even a humbucking one. It gives you the above things but doesn't drive you into the Fender zone permanently.
Click to expand...

+1, +1, and get a USA Deluxe or a Custom shop Strat and put the Kinmans in it. I dont subscribe to the "cheap guiars can be the best ones" meantality..
 
Re: #1 Guitar

I toyed with the notion of getting a nice alder body for my #1 Strat (it has a Mexican poplar body), and in the end I realized I really had no good reason to do that other than a strange feeling that it could possibly sound better.

The way I see it, you can take two approaches to this dilemma:

1. Figure out what you don't like about the guitar and change it. You mentioned the neck. You could either replace the whole thing with a Warmoth or USACG made to your specs, but it's more likely that something as simple as a good fret dress and setup will satisfy you. You could also try buffing the finish to make it more satin-y and smoother. That's what I did with my MIM Strat. It cost me nothing and it made it much nicer to play.

2. Try out some MIM Strats whenever you go to the guitar shop. If you fall in love with one, do the deal. If not, so be it.
 
Re: #1 Guitar

Analyse what aspects of the neck of your neighbour's strat you are gelling with / are different from your own and go from there. Try out lots in the shops as well - even if you don't have any particular plan to buy one. That'll give you a good idea of what charteristics you're missing in your own.

It may be possible to mod yours to taste. Either way you'll know what you're after.
 
Re: #1 Guitar

Do you gig?

If the answer is yes, the you should have a backup guitar for your Number One, what I call a Number One-A. I have many fine guitars, and my Number One is a G&L Legacy (Strat). I have Ibanez guitars, and Gibson Les Pauls and ES-335s, but I would have trouble making it through a four-hour gig using only a Paul. I use a 2HB guitar for 12-15 songs a night, but I GOT to have my Legacy. So I always take a back-up Legacy. Now it could be a Comanche, S-500 or Legacy Special (all have hotter pickups than the Legacy), or just a Legacy...for those moments when the you-know-what hits the fan.

All of my G&Ls are set up to play the same, and I have no real preference for fingerboard woods, or ash versus alder for the body. You might, so if you can't live without a RW neck, ash body, and Kingman pickups, then that's what your Number One-A should be. Once you've got this guitar, then you can start building your collection with Teles, SGs, Rics, Gretsch, Paul, etc.

If you gig, it is important to have a backup guitar that you are totally comfortable with when Number One goes down.

Good luck.

Bill
 
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