getting the strattiest sound possible

[Quencho092]

was just thinking how i could get the strattiest sound possible. I already have one of seymours 'strattiest' sets of pups-antiquity II surfers, i was wondering if string gauge/action or something else would help me get a more strat characterized tone.

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

was just thinking how i could get the strattiest sound possible. I already have one of seymours 'strattiest' sets of pups-antiquity II surfers, i was wondering if string gauge/action or something else would help me get a more strat characterized tone.

The amp is every bit as important as the strat...Using nickel strings would help also..

 

[TwilightOdyssey]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

The amp is every bit as important as the strat...Using nickel strings would help also..

+1 to using nickel strings. I use DR Pure Blues (10's) on my Strat + Joe Barden pups + fairly low action. Sounds great!

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

Check in the Vault, Lewsguitars has a thread on the ultaminte Strat.
For me I stick with the stamped steel bridge saddles. The Cast block
ones or graphtech don't sound bad. But i feel the stamped steel one's
are best for a traditional strat tone.

 

[Hot _Grits]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

Yeah, check out Lew's vault thread.

For me, every little thing helps for real strat tone. there are a few pickup options, but you need a vintage bridge with a steel block and original saddles. the original tuners are very important to the tone, too. heavier modern ones change the headstock resonance and mess with the tone.

I trade off a bit with my 57ri. It has graphtechs and locking pegs, simply for ease of use and gig reliability.

I agree about nickel strings. If you really want the vintage sound, use a heavy set with a wound G.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

Make sure to get a solid steel trem block for your strat, the Callaham on my Grosh made my singles really come alive.

 

[Skarekrough]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

I gotta ask this....

Anyone else here believe wood has something to do wtih it?

The reason iask is that I own three Strats.

The first is a first year Clapton Strat. It's Fiesta Red but really isn't very Straty; it's kinda its own little beast and sound in a way. Unique, but not typical.

The second is a 73' with the original neck and middle pickup. The bridge is a Cool Rails and it gets a very vintage Strat sound to my ears. It isn't overly Strat to my ears.

The third is a 2002 MIM in Sunburst with a Maple neck. With the stock electronics the guitar was Strat tone from here to infinity. I wanted something with a little more sizzle in it so I dropped in a pickguard with a 57/62 in the neck and Van Zant Rock pickups in the middle and bridge.

It baffles me that the MIM is more Straty than anything else in the fleet. It cops Robert Cray and SRV without breaking a sweat.

Anyone else get this?

 

[Bludave]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

I think John hit it on the head. Nickle strings and the right Amp. But it also depends on what you mean by Strat sound??? ALA Hendrix, or SRV. They are bothe very Strat sounding, but very different. I always thought Robin Trower had a great Strat sound. But for me I would probably go for a mid sixties slab board guitar and a mid 60's Vibrolux. That tone is pure Heaven :newangel: :dance:

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

I think John hit it on the head. Nickle strings and the right Amp. But it also depends on what you mean by Strat sound??? ALA Hendrix, or SRV. They are bothe very Strat sounding, but very different. I always thought Robin Trower had a great Strat sound. But for me I would probably go for a mid sixties slab board guitar and a mid 60's Vibrolux. That tone is pure Heaven :newangel: :dance:

I always think of Mark Knofler's "Sultans Of Swing" tone as a great example,as well as Clapton's earlier solo years..This would be my clean strat tone examples...SRV is another great example,as is Jeff Beck as far as clean to overdriven strat tones I love....Blackmore had a great warm overdriven strat tone also...Then there's Hendrix,but his tones are harder to identify with unless you use the same gear he used..Trower is another one,but again,you need the Univibe and a great sounding fuzz tone and a vowel sounding wah...

John

 

[Mr Wolf]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

:wink: Gibson Explorer into a Mesa Dual recto

 

[kmcguitars]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

Lets not forget Buddy Holly.The 1st rocker I can think of to use a Strat.
He got some rightous Straty tones.

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

I agree with what everyone has said.

To me, the best Strat tone comes from:

1. lightweight & resonant alder or swamp ash body

2. stiff & stable one piece maple neck or maple w/rosewood fingerboard

3. medium frets...they add weight and mass to the neck and sound better and play better...skinny & low vintage frets are for the birds

4. Vintage or Fender '62 RI bridge & block with the block end that screws to the underside of the bridge plate left unpainted

5. Neck and middle pickups: 6K - 6.4K Alnico 5 with vintage stagger...Surfers, SSL-1, etc.

6. Bridge pickup: 6.6K - 9.5K. SSL-1 or Antiquity Custom Surfer or Texas Hot Bridge pickups are my faves. Not to hot or you'll lose the classic m & b combined tone!

I think finding a lightweight and resonant guitar is the most important of all because once you have that you can upgrade pickups and parts to make it even better.

One of my very best Strats is a MIJ Squire I paid $180. for!
It sounds as good as any $2K or 3K Custom Shop Strat I've played.

If you don't have a lightweight and resonant guitar in the first place you can usually pretty much forget about ever being able to make it into a great sounding Strat.

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

I agree with what everyone has said.

To me, the best Strat tone comes from:

1. lightweight & resonant alder or swamp ash body

There is some definite truth to this. Let me also add that some of the woods that boutique or higher end guitars use these days also work well for copping strat tones: basswood/maple, mahogany/maple

As much as I like my G&L Skyhawk, it doesn't have the stratiness that my Grosh has. I'm sure if I changed the trem block, that would help a lot, but the mahogany body rounds off a bit of that quack, even with the same type of pickups. I wouldn't necessarily agree that weight is the deciding factor on whether a guitar can be stratty (considering my Grosh isn't light, but resonates and sounds amazing), but it's a good general rule to follow (bear in mind, the woods that my Grosh and other guitar makers use does make an apparent difference with weight as well).

 

[STRATDELUXER97]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

The way we pick and approach the instrument is probably the biggest factor we've left out...

John

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

As Lew pointed out get one that is lightweight, vibrates alot on most chords and singlenotes.
Older Hamer strats with Duncans and Wilkinson trems(various models, two studs and the trad 6 screw one)Daytona or what ever the name was, one of my old buddies had one with a swampash body and thick one piece maple neck...extremely stratty, but on the nice side.
Old 80's Schecters strats...wow.
I had an Olympic white one for a few months, had a fake strat watermark(trans one) with a rosewood neck(Brazil rosewood I think it was, very dark and looked amazing in sunlight).
That is perhaps the single best strat I ever had...that one got stolen as well.
Sigh

It was equipped with old APS-1's

 

[That90'sGuy]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

As Lew pointed out get one that is lightweight, vibrates alot on most chords and singlenotes.
Older Hamer strats with Duncans and Wilkinson trems(various models, two studs and the trad 6 screw one)Daytona or what ever the name was, one of my old buddies had one with a swampash body and thick one piece maple neck...extremely stratty, but on the nice side.
Old 80's Schecters strats...wow.
I had an Olympic white one for a few months, had a fake strat watermark(trans one) with a rosewood neck(Brazil rosewood I think it was, very dark and looked amazing in sunlight).
That is perhaps the single best strat I ever had...that one got stolen as well.
Sigh

It was equipped with old APS-1's

The deciding factor for a quality guitar is to play it unplugged. If you can feel it vibrate for 15 seconds or more, you're good to go. If it has acoustic like properties unplugged, you're golden :fing2:

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

Yep...I always go for loud ringing guitars, but sometimes that is not all.
Some less loud guitars can have a phenomonal sound when plugged in....or they they needs a warm up before blooming like a flower.
I have a friend who has this insane Danish handmade guitar, the first 15 minutes it is pretty tame...then all the sudden the rosewood wakes up.....then it is time to collect ones jaw.
Guitars takes time.

 

[Artie]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

Just wondering . . . could someone list some specific songs/artists that had "that" Strat tone? The more the merrier, which increases the chance of me, or others, having at least one example in our collection, to listen to.

Thanks. Artie

 

[FretFire]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

I love the strat tones on Kenny Wayne Shepherd's "Trouble Is..." disc. The intro to "True Lies" shows off that guttural strat low end very well.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: getting the strattiest sound possible

Doobie brothers.
Old Pink Floyd...that is extremly stratish
Chris Rea gets some way cool strat sounds as well.
JJ Cale.
Micheal Landau's very fat strat sound on Joe ****ers Across from midnight is also a great example of glorious stratsound, or most what Dann Huff has played with Delbert McClinton...godly playing and sounds.
Old Beck and new, but that is more quirky than most other stuff..