MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

[51501984]

I`ve seen some US and MIM strat bodies on ebay and have also heard that alot of times the bodies will come routed for humbuckers from the factory but were put together with 3 single coils and a 3 single coil pickgaurd . Anyone had the pickgaurd off their Strat w/3 singles and noticed it was routed for a humbucker?

 

[some_dude]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

My MIM is routed SSH but came with three singles installed.

It's nothing a chisel couldn't fix (it's only a MIM after all).

I've heard the newer MIMs come HSH now, and from what I've read, all Americans come HSH.

 

[FenderBender03]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

My MIM Strat is a 1999, and its routed (pretty sure) SSS. But i've seen newer bodies on Ebay that were HSS. I'm anxious to see how my new MIM Tele is routed at the neck when i get it in a little while.


FenderBender

 

[Brow]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

My 93 USA Strat Plus has the 'bath tub' route, which I hear some people geta little worried about?

Craig

 

[Zerberus]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

My (former) ´94 american Standard was routed for S-S-S.

 

[Farkus]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

Hi all!

For quite some time, American STANDARD strats came with the 'swimming pool' route. For those that don't know, that means that there's one huge route under the pickguard (so any pup config can be used, including 3 full size humbuckers, if you're so inclined). This changed to H-S-H when the AMERICAN STRATOCASTERS were started (in 2001-2002, I think)...as long as they're stock, you can tell them at a glance b/c the newer American Stratocaster will have only one string tree. The American Strat replaced the American Standard in the Fender line. I do know for a fact, however, that not all American made strats came with that swimming pool route during this period. For example my 1993 (?) '57 reissue was routed S-S-S, as was my 1997 USA Yngwie Strat.

Hope this helps

Farkus

 

[UCSDBoy]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

I think a lot of people feel like the swimming pool is taking out too much wood. Some I've heard say it creates a slight semi-hollow tone... I dunno - never owned one but my MIM is routed SSH. HSH I think is the best route, and all the new Americans are...

 

[strat_master]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

i own i belive a 2001 model? i coudl be wrong but mines was s/s/s thats why i didnt put a humbucker in their but instead a hotrail. Still a great axe tho

 

[Jeff_H]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

I wouldn't hesitate to buy a swimming pool route. Plenty of good sounding strats from that era. My 2001 MIA was routed H/S/H. The specs on my Highway 1 say that it should be routed H/S/H, but it's actually H/S/S. It's not uncommon for Fender specs to be all over the board.

 

[B2D]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

My '95 Mexican (which came with SSS pup config) is routed SSH underneath. Good thing, too, seeing as I'm a mod nut.

My '92 American Floyd Rose Classic Strat has HH config and is bathtub routed. The guitar has excellent tone and sustain. I'm sure the OFR bridge helps that as well.

All vintage reissues and pre-75 Strats I've seen are routed SSS

 

[Frantic_Rock]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

My USA Highway 1 is routed for H/S/S but has 3 single coils (If I knew this when I was buying the pups I'd probably get a full size JB and a new pickguard... instead of my hotrail ... aw well - the hotrail still cooks :dance:

 

[midnite_man]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

When I bought my American Strat recently, and perhaps it shouldn't have been an issue, I looked for a newer one with the H-S-H routing thinking more wood=more tone. My MIJ Strat has the S-S-S config. and sounds great. I could be wrong about the routing issue, but I'm sure in at least a remote way the extra wood makes a difference in tone. Possibly not enough to make a detectable difference?

-Bob

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

It's pretty common with inexpensive guitars like those...one size fits all. Doesn't make them bad tho. Once we put some Duncan pickups in my buddy's MIM Jimmie Vaughn, that guitar sounded as good as any Strat...new or vintage. Same thing with my MIM James Burton Tele...with Fralin Blues Specials, that thing sounds almost identical to my old '54 Tele. The Burton Tele was routed at the factory for either a neck single coil or a neck humbucker BTW. Lew

 

[Artie]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

This touches on something I've always wondered, and why I tend to not like tremolo's. Your average Strat w/tremolo removes a great deal of wood from the body. I wonder, to what degree, does this removal affect the sound, and sustain, charateristics of the guitar. But as some have mentioned, maybe it actually adds some resonant qualities that might not be there otherwise.

Makes you wonder how much "tone" is science, and how much is hit-or-miss.

 

[midnite_man]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

This touches on something I've always wondered, and why I tend to not like tremolo's. Your average Strat w/tremolo removes a great deal of wood from the body. I wonder, to what degree, does this removal affect the sound, and sustain, charateristics of the guitar. But as some have mentioned, maybe it actually adds some resonant qualities that might not be there otherwise.

Makes you wonder how much "tone" is science, and how much is hit-or-miss.

I'm sure it decreases sustain to a degree, but tone-wise it probably contributes to the Classic Strat sound that we've all become accustomed to.

 

[midnite_man]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

It's pretty common with inexpensive guitars like those...one size fits all. Doesn't make them bad tho. Once we put some Duncan pickups in my buddy's MIM Jimmie Vaughn, that guitar sounded as good as any Strat...new or vintage. Same thing with my MIM James Burton Tele...with Fralin Blues Specials, that thing sounds almost identical to my old '54 Tele. The Burton Tele was routed at the factory for either a neck single coil or a neck humbucker BTW. Lew

Lew, I've read a few of your posts recently about that James Burton Tele. Are these models fairly rare? Are they all MIM? I just checked it out at the Fender site and it sure is a nice looking axe. I notied they are made with Poplar wood. Were there any made with Alder?

 

[FenderBoy]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

I`ve seen some US and MIM strat bodies on ebay and have also heard that alot of times the bodies will come routed for humbuckers from the factory but were put together with 3 single coils and a 3 single coil pickgaurd . Anyone had the pickgaurd off their Strat w/3 singles and noticed it was routed for a humbucker?

My 2001 American Strat is routed H-S-H.

 

[Mac-P]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

'91 American Standard - swimming pool. The guitar sounds great. Much better than many other strats I've played from different eras.

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

I'll bet a swimming pool/bathtub route does give a nicer overall clean sound to it. Distorted might be cool with moderate gain, but heavy gain wouldn't sound all that peachy I'll bet...

 

[Lewguitar]

Re: MIM & USA Fender Strat owners ???

Lew, I've read a few of your posts recently about that James Burton Tele. Are these models fairly rare? Are they all MIM? I just checked it out at the Fender site and it sure is a nice looking axe. I notied they are made with Poplar wood. Were there any made with Alder?

The friend I bought it from told me it was alder and seemed pretty certain of it. Rondo said he'd seen the spec sheet for this particular guitar. I thought it was poplar too...maybe it is. It's heavier than the poplar I've worked with tho...weight wise, it feels like alder...but I wouldn't be shocked to find out it's poplar cuz that's what I thought it was originally. Regardless, they can be terrific guitars. Mine sure is. Looks just like a regular 50's Tele except the frets are bigger...mediums instead of the tiny vintage 50's frets. And the neck shape and profile is excellant...like the '56 Tele I played at Bizarre Guitars in Reno a while back. Lew