Re: Strat for Mira or make Fender Ash Special?
Miras are nice, but let me be the first to point out that you won't get anything close to a Strat 2 and 4 out of a Mira. So I'd be reluctant to do a swap if i couldn't live without those tones.
Sometimes a guitar can have too much sustain, and it can translate into a guitar that has a lot of sustain, but no liveliness. Not sure if you can do anything to the Amer. Std. to give it more resonance, dynamics and life; but that's the direction I would be headed in. In other words, I'm not sure that this is a pickup issue--I think it is more in the realm of body wood and bridge hardware.
I use several of G&L "strats" like their Legacy, Legacy Special, S-500, and Comanche models and I notice a difference in the alder vs. ash bodies. The alder bodies definitely have a more "acoustic guitar" like tone with more air and resonance. I like them both, but it does depend on what I need the guitar to do for any given song.
If indeed it is the ash body that your hearing and not liking with your Strat, you might want to give an alder bodied Legacy or Fender Strat a try. You might want to compare say, an Eric Johnson Signature or a Custom Shop Vintage 1960 Strat to yours, side-by-side, and see if the EJ or the 1960 is closer to your desires.
If the Strat is a dead horse issue for you, then look to the Mira to provide some slab-body mahogany goodness.
Good luck!
Bill
