Help with Fender fat strat.

papersoul

papersoul

New member
Hi!

I picked this up recently. I am looking for a Jerry cantrell type tone from the bridge. I am thinking JB or Rio Grande BBQ for more warmth. And what would be good noiseless pickups for the middle and neck? Right now the bridge is a Dimarzio.
The problem is I always hear that older JBs are much better. An alternative could be the Dimarzio Air Zone.
Motor City makes one called the Afwayu that is supposed to be great.

It has a shared volume and tone pot so I am thinking 300k would be best for both?

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=150353695627&viewitem=&sspagename=STRK%3AMEWNX%3AIT&salenotsupported
 
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Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

a jb with a 300k volume should kick ass. jerry used a jb. the old vs new thing is 99% bs and voodoo
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

dont know but thats what he used all thru the classic aic stuff
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

Thanks Jeremy,

I think it will be this or a Dimarzio Air Zone which is supposed to be like a JB with the mids or highs shifted a little darker.
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

I get a really thick and crunchy tone with the CustomCustom in a Strat...used that in my Warmoth for years with very satisfyingly heavy results...
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

i used to have an air zone and it isnt a bad pup, i liked it in the ibanez it lived in, but i dont think it sounds like a jb much at all.
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

jeremy said:
i used to have an air zone and it isnt a bad pup, i liked it in the ibanez it lived in, but i dont think it sounds like a jb much at all.
Click to expand...

I still stand by my belief that nothing sounds like a JB. NOTHING.
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

Thanks guys! Just got the Strat! Sounds OK with the stock pickup(no name Fender pickup from 1993).

It is a Japanese strat with a Floyd and I am shocked it feels like a USA strat. I didn't realize the Japanese made a strat as nice! For the money I can't see spending more for an American after having this. It might be Basswood...or Alder? Not sure...but sounds decent. I just can't set it up because it has a floating trem. My tech is looking at it Saturday and blocking the Floyd!

I don't know what is needed to adjust the neck because it came with no tools!

Why do so many like Floyds? It is a bit of a pain to change strings and I don't see the big advantage? My PRS trem stays in tune just as well.....with less parts!
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

i love my old '94 mij strat or at least the neck. the body is a clock now.

mine had a floyd and was basswood. no trem will stay in tune as well as a well setup floyd if you do crazy whammy stuff. if you dont do crazy whammy stuff then it may not make much difference. i dont whammy at all
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

Only time I do whammy is if we play some VH or Rush....so nice to have in a pinch, but I am blocking the trem. No need for a floaty!

I will say, after playing my friend's Wolfgang with Floyd for a few weeks. I don't think I have head to retune that thing at all. Amazingly stable.

My 93 Srtat may be basswood but I know plenty were also alder with a basswood top. I'll send the serial number to Fender and ask.
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

basswood top? that sounds odd, basswood is pretty ugly.
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

Maybe it is basswood with maple top. It has a flame maple top. I'll try to get a pic up.
Basswood is soft but I think it can sound as good as alder with no problems.
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

i know they used to do maple over basswood which is a good combo. they also did fotoflame so it looks like maple over basswood but its just a picture. fender did it alot in the early/mid 90's.

basswood is a fine tone wood but doesnt sound much like ash, alder, or mahogany. soft treble and lots of low mids
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

thats fotoflame bro. hard to say, i think either black or white would look good
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

Photoflame? How to tell? Does that means it is a bad guitar? So it is a picture over basswood like a vaneer?

Is this considered garbage? I mean I have used all basswood Kramers that sounded good as well as Peavey Wolfgangs.....but the maple topped ones sound better.

Maybe I should get rid of this and I am getting rid of one Les Paul. With that I could get a new American Standard HSS Strat and not have to deal with the Floyd bridge. I love the neck on this thing though better than the 2000 American Standard I used to own. Maybe I should see how it sounds with the band and not worry about the top.
 
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Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

nah, its fine. basically a basswood body. i love my mij strat, i only changed the body to get rid of the floyd
 
Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

jeremy said:
nah, its fine. basically a basswood body. i love my mij strat, i only changed the body to get rid of the floyd
Click to expand...

Interesting! I love the neck. Maybe I should replace the body. How is that done? Do I need to find the right Strat replacement? I am not a Floyd user but I love having atrem when needed. However, I like the new design because the bridge is so much more comfy than the one I had on my 2000 Strat.

what body do you have??? This could be my Frankenstrat or work in progress!
Any recommendations on a body? Did you replace the locking nut?

This could be fun. Would one of the new Fender Nitro finished bodies fit??? Heck, I will be getting my own pickups anyway, etc.
I don't know how the japanese necks fit on the USA bodies.

What trem do you recommend for someone who will use a trem but sparingly! I like the one on my PRS and it is not locking but I used locking tuners! My strat has odd looking tuners the way they are situated but I guess I could replace with locking tuners.

*** Just realized it only has 21 freats. That is kind of a deal breaker for me.:banghead:
 
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Re: Help with Fender fat strat.

Jeremy, I think I can live with the 21 frets. If Dave Murry can do it, so can I. :)

But, I love the neck better than the USA version. I want to replace with a Fender USA nitro finish alder body and maybe go with a good, aftermarket trem - Callaham? Anyone done this and is it easy? I don't know if all Fender bodies fit the 90s Japanese necks.

Also, is it easy to replace the Floyd Rose locking nut with a bone or tusq nut? I want to make this MY guitar, LOL! All the specs I want.
 
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