Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

Re: Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

Bringing back an old thread from the dead.
It's a shame people think you need a flat fretboard radius to shred. I have met quite a few pros who are considered shredders that prefer a 9.5" - 10" or 12" radius board over a flat radius or compound radius. It also makes no difference for low action. I can get my action just as low on my strat as I can my Kramer or Ibanez and I find my Strat and PRS more comfortable over all. If your ridge matches your fretboard radius, you can get the action as low as you want. I have had the action on my strat so low, the strings were barely over the frets. I have a good set up and fret dressing. Rounded radius can get the same low action as a flat radius, it just feels different. My preference is the PRS 10" and Gibson 12".
Shred is in the hands of thr beholder. For me a PRS feels perfect for anything I play. I have owned so many from Ibanez to Kramer to Hamer to Gibson to Fender to PRS to Peavey Wolfgang, etc. I always come back to my Gibsons and PRS.
I have a friend who is a classical player and shreds a lit of electric. He used to play Kramer, Suhr, Ibanez and so on... But now he gigs with older Gibson Les Pauls.
Don't forget tone!!
I think Tremonti is a great player using a 10" radius PRS. Aldrich can shred on his Les Pauls.
 
Last edited:
Re: Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

I kinda think a scalloped board with low actions wouldn't work. The action on my Malmsteen is the action set at the factory, which is medium high. The tension from the higher action prevents the strings from going sharp when you fret them, I would imagine lower action would make it easier to accidentally make the note go sharp since there's less string tension.

Works fine, that's how my EB/MM is set up. I think you can learn to shred on any guitar you want...if that's what you got, and you are motivated, you'll use what you got.
 
Re: Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

I guess you are just meaning regular vintage and stock strats.

I don't like the vintage Fender radius and frets. -later Strats with flatter necks and bigger frets are the basis for the shred era.
 
Re: Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

I learned my Yngwie and Vinnie Moore licks on an 1982 vintage radius, fretted neck 'The Strat'. Sounded fine for me. Dedicated people use whatever is at their disposal at the time and don't do the 'awww, I can't play it because I don't have the right gear' game.
 
Re: Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

 
Re: Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

What makes a shred guitar is the neck, the body doesn’t really matter. That’s with any guitar, the neck makes or breaks the guitar.
 
Re: Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

One of the reasons I still like strats for shred even though I also have several 24 fret shredsticks, is that having a fretboard with 22 frets gives you a little bit more finger room as you get up toward the higher frets. 24 fret necks get really cramped up toward the higher frets. I never really paid that much attention to it until I started playing on a 27" scale 8 string. While the 8-string stretches your fingers out down on the low end of the fretboard, it is REALLY comfortable to play above the 12th fret. A 24 fret, 26.5 inch scale might be perfect. Unfortunately, most of those are gone from lineups now, so I may never know.
 
Re: Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

What makes a shred guitar is the neck, the body doesn’t really matter. That’s with any guitar, the neck makes or breaks the guitar.

Depends what you mean by 'shred'. Usually I think of it as virtuosic fast playing that uses the whole fretboard. Upper fret access matters if you want to use those higher frets . . . and playing shred, you probably do. That's often limited by the body of the guitar. Try playing shred on a Danelectro:
n1bcyye7mmk70gcgwi2b.jpg


The nicest neck in the world won't let you access frets 19, 20, and 21 comfortably. And there isn't even a 22nd fret to play.




I'd argue that the neck doesn't matter - other than it being comfortable for the person using it. Some guys shred on huge, thick necks and some guys like very thin ones.
 
Re: Strats Are Just Fine For Shred

Yeah, 'shred' is a strange term. John McLaughlin can certainly shred on an ES335 or PRS. Al Di Meola does it on an Ovation. Robert Fripp does it on a 1959 LP.
 
Back
Top