Strat or SG? Help with new axe

Strat or SG? Help with new axe

  • Fender American Deluxe Strat (HSS)

    Votes: 39 57.4%

  • Gibson SG Standard

    Votes: 23 33.8%

  • Other

    Votes: 6 8.8%
  • Total voters
    68
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

I appreciate the replies guys! I have a lead on a guy thats selling a SG supreme that if I can snag it for $1000 I am going to most likely buy. I am going to a different store this week to try out a strat through a DSL to see if I like it. I'm keeping all my options open. Hell I may just hold on to the cash for another month or two and see about a McCarty. I've been gassin for one of those too.
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

J -

I think you definatly need a strat in your aresonal. I started missing mine almost as soon as I sold it to Darrin. A strat will never be my #1, but there are certain sounds only a strat can make. You can get such a good deal on them....if you watch you can get an American for around $450-$500 on the bay and still have $500 left.

All the american series strats are routed H/S/H, so the possibilities are plenty on configuration. Strats are easy to mod and change around.

Just my $.02
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

I voted for the Strat. A nice addition.

I would also consider a Musicman Silhouette though - H-S-H or the Silhouette special H-S-S.

A nice 'working' and quality feeling guitar.

I dunno, I just think they're pretty cool. I don't have one yet but want to add one to my Tele and G&L Legacy.

G&L Legacy or S-500 there's another thought.
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

Hot _Grits said:
Strats can sound fat if you know how to work them. You could also slot in some overwound single coils if you want to beef up the sound a bit but keep the strat character.
Click to expand...

And they can work you if you don't have one set up right. But that's what I'd go for if I already had some nice HB guitars. I'm thinking about getting another myself. You can't beat a Strat for the blues.
But for ease of play/lead work and very cool access to a lot of frets, the SG is a favorite. I like playing my Epi G400 right after playing my Strat for a few days....let my pinkys take a little vacation.
It's just nice to have a little variety.
Go for the Strat.

-Bob
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

I'd go with Warmoth. That way you could get either a Strat or an SG built exactly the way you want it. I've been thinking about doing a Warmoth SG myself.

Ryan
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

Not sure if the original poster will still be checking this thread.

Bee
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

strat, you can't beat it

3 pickups, better neck, takes about 10 mins to change a pickguard, if it breaks it's cheaper to replace, better craftsmanship

if you don't want the trem I'd get a hardtail one though, better sustain

...now i'm wanting an american strat, grrr
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

I am kind of partial to SG's at the moment.

Singles can rock but generally they are not considered real fat sounding. You know pups can make a huge difference so no need to go into that.

I end up pulling a tone knob and moving the volume away from, the bridge on Strats, they are the finger killers!
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

Wow this is an old thread! I haven't seen J around here for a while, hope all is OK.

It was funny reading my post about looking for an SG - I ended up buying another Les Paul. :laugh2: (And I haven't regretted it for a moment). I really enjoy playing my Strat from time to time, but I always go back to a Les Paul.

OK, getting back to the original question - Strat or SG? I think the correct answer is Tele. :burnout:
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

Get both :)

Earthtones.jpg
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

As a proud owner of a Fender AM DLX FMT HSS I'd say get the SG because I don't want everyone playing the same awesome guitar I do. ;)

Seriously though, with the new S-1 switch in these Fenders, you get a total of 10 usable and different tones with a standard 5-way switch. Traditional Strat neck sounds, Strat quack, Tele-ish tones, LP-ish tones (S-1 engaged, middle position = all pups on,) and even SG-like tones (S-1 engaged, neck and neck+mid position) are all possible. And those new SCN single coils are amazing!

My only gripe is the stock DH-1 humbucker. It's an okay 'bucker but it's not the best. It has specs identical to a Duncan JB but it doesn't "feel" like one. But using it in combination with the S-1 switch more than makes up for it's limitations.
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

I debated about voting "other", but to make it easier for you, I chose Strat. But if you will allow me to offer you this to mull over: A Les paul is not an SG, which is not a Stat, which is not a Telecaster which is not a lobster, even if it rocks... :laugh2:

Here's the deal-- An SG can mimic a LP in sound and handling, but the SG has better fret access and is rather light. A Strat is easy to handle in regards to weight, body comfort and fret access, but will force you to work on your technique-- and it will not sound like a traditional Gibson (much, even with humbuckers). As for "other", the Flying V seems to come closer to the tone/dynamics of a Strat, but is rather awkward to play-- BUT, it still retains that Gibson character (I bring this up as you seem to be drawn to the Gibson feel and sound). Ask yourself this: is it what you want, or what someone suggests you should/may want? In my experience, generally, the time to make the switch is when you have grown tired of the sound and feel of your guitars and you just don't seem to be making any further progress and development in your playing.

Good luck. :)
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

Wow this is an old thread!

But just in case some one is interested; I'd play both and see which one speaks to me. They are both good guitars.
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

Oh, and personally, I'm jones-in' for one of the new American HH Hardtail Strats.
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

I'm all about the strats now. However, I dig the H-S-S ones because I love single coils for my clean and slightly overdriven stuff, but need a humbucker to deliver with distortion... a single coil bridge just doesn't cut it for me... tried liking it.

I'm having fun modding the heck out of my G&L Skyhawk even further. I routed the guitar to accept a humbucker instead of a single coil and it's not the swimming pool route :smack:. I have to drill different holes for it to set in the wood and I have a feeling cutting the pickguard will be difficult.
 
Re: Strat or SG? Help with new axe

Jeff_H said:
J -

I started missing mine almost as soon as I sold it....there are certain sounds only a strat can make. .....All the american series strats are routed H/S/H, so the possibilities are plenty on configuration..... Strats are easy to mod and change around.
Click to expand...

Big agreement from me on these points. I've had a pile of guitars in my life, and was always at heart a Gibson guy. After a long layoff of not playing (almost 10 years), I kept thinking not of all the Gibson's I owned, but one particular Fender Strat..that was the guitar I missed the most :shrug:

Strats have a very unique sound (Like a Les Paul has), but at the same time are very versatile/easily modded, and it's pretty easy to reach a happy medium compared to a Les Paul/SG/Explorer, etc, with just some different pickups. And really with the Lil series pups, and the hot/cool rails, unless you are looking for a very particular HB, there's no need to buy a new pickguard even. A hot rails or JB, or Demon, in the bridge for rock/metal..something cleaner/vintage in the middle, and a Cool rails or 59 in the neck will give you classic sounds under gain or clean.

At the same time though...with some fiddling, even the stock pups in the Americans sound great and can definitely rock. I've got mine running though a 50 watt valvetronix set on UK modern, I roll the pups tone control to 7, and then stomp on the Boss Super OD and you wouldn't know it was the bridge single coil..no twang unless I want it by varying picking dynamics. Even on the neck pup I can get strat sounds or humbucker sounds just by rolling the tone off a teeny bit. And to be honest, I've never been a fan of the bridge single coils either, but I'm seriously contemplating leaving this Strat stock.
 
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