The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

Yeah I like big over fat.....
The huge snarl, and the juicy sting......
The twangy bass strings, both clean and dirty....

 

[KoreanGuitarMan]

Re: The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

I had my pickups close to the strings for years.


This year, when I put in some SSL-1s, I lowered them way the fawk down, like, flush with the pickguard, and now I let the amp do the heavy lifting.

Verdict: OH MY GOD WHY DIDN'T I DISCOVER THIS 10 YEARS AGO GAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!

I learned that from watching SRV on Austin City Limits. He had his pickups set low and when I tried it there was a big improvement.

 

[guitarded]

Re: The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

I just had a Strat built from odds and ends with an EMG 85 on the lead..... That kind of took a bit of the twang out of it ... LMAO

 

[Farkus]

Re: The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

I'm mostly a Strat player and though experience I've found that a few things have worked well for me.

I do tighten the trem claw so that the trem touches the body (but I don't block it with a piece of wood or anything). This will take away some of what I consider to be Strat tone from it but does make each note sound thicker.

I do like the tone control on the bridge pickup, especially with vintage voiced Strat pickups; you can dial out the icepick with just a little roll off. You don't necessarily need it, but I did use a GE-7 with outstanding results when I was playing heavier music. Once again, I didn't do radical scoops or boosts, but did fine tune with it.

Sting gauge is a very personal thing. I started out with 8's and ended up at 11's at one point. I prefer a heavier string on my 70's strats but like lighter gauges on my newer AS Strats...I'm not sure why but I think it's more feel than tone to be honest.

Lastly, many of a strat's perceived tonal issues are solved if you're playing at a decent volume and there are other instruments playing...a lot of the charm of the Strat is where it lies in the tonal spectrum in the band setting, IMO. I hear things very differently when I'm at a practice with the guys vs jamming in my room.

 

[robertkoa]

Re: The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

Good suggestions.


Also; Mahogany or Koa body.

Tilt back headstock, more down angle at nut for more resonance/sustain.

Tappable pickups - high output warmer singles that tap down to plinkier vintage output, or noiseless stacks or side by side Humbuckers ( single coil sized ) which are Fatter /Warmer but can be put in PARALLEL ( to itself- two coils in Parallel) when you need it really thin.

H-S-H or H-S- S_ options with add and coil cut switches or mix knobs to mix in the fat bridge to the single coil tones or like the Gilmour Strat - add and blend the warmer neck pickup to whatever is on the 5 way.

And rarest of all - ( I don't have this yet but I will and did have 25.5" scale neck through once) long tenon set neck - on 25.5" scale you still get the Strat sounds but warmer/thicker- we need MORE of these!

If people like the old style thinness and twang - FINE , but if you want to go BEYOND that into some NEW 25.5" scale tones ( and STILL get most of the classic tones) ,- set neck is a good start.

Step up all you builders ! It's almost 2011- !

 

[Gr8Scott]

Re: The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

Good suggestions.


Also; Mahogany or Koa body.

Tilt back headstock, more down angle at nut for more resonance/sustain.

Tappable pickups - high output warmer singles that tap down to plinkier vintage output, or noiseless stacks or side by side Humbuckers ( single coil sized ) which are Fatter /Warmer but can be put in PARALLEL ( to itself- two coils in Parallel) when you need it really thin.

H-S-H or H-S- S_ options with add and coil cut switches or mix knobs to mix in the fat bridge to the single coil tones or like the Gilmour Strat - add and blend the warmer neck pickup to whatever is on the 5 way.

And rarest of all - ( I don't have this yet but I will and did have 25.5" scale neck through once) long tenon set neck - on 25.5" scale you still get the Strat sounds but warmer/thicker- we need MORE of these!

If people like the old style thinness and twang - FINE , but if you want to go BEYOND that into some NEW 25.5" scale tones ( and STILL get most of the classic tones) ,- set neck is a good start.

Step up all you builders ! It's almost 2011- !

I have a mahogany body strat. It's a one piece body and it's by far the most shrill strat you've ever heard. I installed a humbucker to tame the brightness and that helped a bit, but nothing short of electronics tricks can fully tame the brightness of this guitar. I installed a capacitor and resistor network on the bridge pickup alone to tame the brightness and that really helped. I think it depends on the piece of mahogany you get. Mine was very bright.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

Re: The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

And the old saying, get a good one still applies....

 

[straycat113]

Re: The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

Stumbled upon this old thread while surfing for info on a Suhr, I am sure a lot of guys who are Strat lovers (like myself)will find others views interesting as well as the many set-up options. Personally I am into modern specs on my Strats and on my #1 a modded Beck sig on which I have the volume knob removed, middle pup sunk flush ala Blackmore and Yngwie (I do this on all of them) Bridge pup wired to tone pot,5 springs to keep the trem decked, and use Elixer 9's. I can basically pull mainly any tone I want and picking depends on what your playing. Yngwie plays with an extremely light touch and uses 8's while Stevie was extremely heavy handed and would use 13's.I love the tone of a LesPaul but as Beck has stated many times it is a lot harder to distinguish one player from another with a LesPaul ,while with a Strat you can distinguish one player from another very easily.Also in the last 5 years a lot of cool models have been released as well as the Boutique build craze really flourishing.

 

[muttznmongrelz]

Re: The official "How to make Strats sound fat" SDUGF guide/thread.

I'm going to say that starting with a Mahogany Body with Maple Top and a Wenge Neck w/Ebony Fretboard helps...then add some EMG James Hetfield Signature Humbuckers and a Big Brass Block on the Original Floyd...