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

[Lewguitar]

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

It is all in the wrist and fingers..

Yes it is. Good tone is in the hands. Practice until your two hands are so co-ordinated and syncronized with each other that getting a great tone is second nature and a natural thing.

There are no short cuts - no pedals, no replacement pickups and no amp will do that work for you. You have to practice, practice, practice - and if you love music and love the guitar it will be a labor of love.

And speaking for myself, I only play music I hear in my head and that I love playing and that comes naturally to me. I can't do it all so I don't.

I also agree with something Joe Pass said: "If it hurts to play something or if you can't play it easily - don't play it."

 

[Lewguitar]

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

So I'm alone in the "blocking the trem" thought it seems.

I do need to slap some pure nickels in mine.

Hi Diego, I block my vibrato with a piece of wood. I like the more solid sounding tone better and the strings don't flutter when I strum chords. Also, I can bend a note within a chord or triad or play pedal steel guitar licks without the notes I want to stay the same not going flat when I bend one note up. If a guy doesn't use the vibrato (I don't) blocking it is a fine idea.

Another tip, since you've just gotten turned onto tube amps: keep 'em as small as you can to get the volume you need. I only use 20 watt amps and if I need it louder I bring two.

Most guys own way more amp than they need and can't turn it up enough to get a full sound. 100 watts is way more powerful than most guys will ever need - makes it very difficult to get a good tone in a small club. Of course, if you're playing stadiums that's different...but most of us never will.

 

[Lewguitar]

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

If you want ash, get one that weighs nothing and is expensive....the you get what you pay for applies here as well.

Very true! Ash should be as light as or lighter than alder. Those are the ones that sound best. Heavy Strats suck.

The whole blocked trem is just too much, if you want =)&(/¤(/%¤)/0 bloody hardtail, get one!!!........

Don't agree with that. Like Eric Clapton, I like the way a Strat with a vibrato sounds. But I don't use the vibrato so I block it so it doesn't flutter when I play chords. So does Clapton.

I'll add this: learn to adjust the pickups so they're close enough to the strings to not sound thin but not so close to the bass strings to pull them out of tune when you play up high on the neck.

Also, the magnetic pull from all three pickups is cumulative. If you don't use the middle pickup much by itself, move it further away from the strings. This allows me to adjust the bridge pickup closer to the strings for a stronger tone.

 

[GeBe2]

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

Thanks for the great read. This is the kind of stuff I like to know and one of the reasons I joind. I don't have the knowledge to make a suggestion but I love to learn. Thanks to all of the above for the very informative comments and Ideas.

GeBe2

 

[Jeff_H]

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

So I'm alone in the "blocking the trem" thought it seems.

I do need to slap some pure nickels in mine.

No Diego, you are not alone. I normally block the trem, I'm just trying it out floating for right now. I don't go quite as far as Lew does with the wood, although there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. When I put my strat together, I spent some time writing back and forth with Bill Callaham of Callaham guitars. I originally thought about having him build me a strat, but I didn't want to be on the 24 month waiting list, I'm not that patient.

Anyhow, he recommends not setting up his vintage hardware to float. He suggested that I use all 5 springs and tighten the trem claw just enough so the back of the bridge sits flush on the body of the guitar and will not lift up when you do big bends, double stop bends, pedal guitar licks, etc. You can still downtrem for some vibrato, but it is naturally more stiff then a traditional trem setup. This way you get the advantage of the hardtail effect blocking the trem gives you, but with some of the remaining benefit of the sound of a trem with springs and the ability to downtrem if you want to.

It's really a neat setup and I have done this for years with my strat(s). There is a certain tonal quality you get from the trem and springs and that is part of the strat charm.

 

[JohnnyGuitar]

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

I don't completely agree with this: Jimi Hendrix used Fender 150 string (.010-.038), Jeff Beck plays strats with .009 straight to the amp and I think his tone IS fat, VH .009-.038 often a little detuned, and so on.
I think it's not a rule to obtain a fatter sound

(anyway I use a .010-046 because I have a better control, lighter strings sometimes tend to slip under my fingertips)

Jimi and Beck, like Vasshu had said had switched to bigger gauge strings. I do agree that some folks (not yours truly) can get great tones with 9s, you got me there.

 

[Vasshu the humanoid typhoon]

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

Don't agree with that. Like Eric Clapton, I like the way a Strat with a vibrato sounds.

Heh EC is a guy who plays strats, who wants a Gibbie sounding thing....

I rather go with the Gilmour, Beck route, but then again Hendrix had his flat to the body....but who knowses what he would have ended up doing??

I like them floating for several reasons, they seem to stay in tune better that way, and the breaking a string theory when flat against the body just sucks to me, the tension shifts no matter what when you break a string, floating or not, you're sunk

 

[Kam]

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

...floating or not, you're sunk

I enjoyed this little play on words right here.

 

[Metalblaze]

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

Haven't read the whole thread yet so I don't know if someone else mentioned it...

Some chorus pedal could help too as a final touch in the signal chain. Just a mixed signal. Not really heavily chorused.

Also EMG SPC.

 

[richard parker]

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

Bare Knuckles Irish Tour bridge p/u + wiring the tone pot for the bridge p/u did the job for more. FAT sounds.

 

[Left_Hand_Strat]

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

My Squier strat has undergone a few changes over the last few months, which contrary to your information, will shed some interesting light.

Firstly, I changed the pickups to wilkinsons, as at the time and even now, about 90GBP is a stretch for me for pickups.... the Wilkinsons are all hotter output models and came in a calibrated set. the pickups do make the strat still sound stratty with that quack or twang or whatever you guys call it.... and the pickups also make a great distorted sound on the OD channels and also are very versatile on clean settings. This sound can be made thin or thick on mine as i use my tone controls and PU selector switch to find the right sound i need. If i need a thinner trebbly distortion I turn the Bridge tone pot to 10 and keep it all on the bridge pickup, now if i want a thicker sounding distortion then i will either use the middle and bridge together or just use the bridge and roll off the tone until I'm happy. same goes for sabbath stuff, if i want it to sound deep and dark, neck or neck and middle roll tone down to 5.

Also I wish to recommend Ernie Ball Power Slinky strings, they are thick but not too thick on the bottom but guage 11 type light on the top, i have found i do get a more powerful sound from them.

also I raised my tremolo so it floated giving me 1 whole step bend upwards. this was a good idea in my eyes anyway. as i wanted to bend upwards (and some songs i play require this function). now in terms of sustain, i would say i may have lost a bit of it, however, in raising the bridge, my string height has also been raised and i think the guitar is now easier to play??? this also makes it sound a lot more powerful and fatter on clean tones etc.

 

[LReese]

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

Its important to get the guitar set up well and to your liking -

A couple of more ideas:
Tele pickup in the bridge - routing required for that

Work on the processing end.

Last night I used an Ash/Maple Strat with Suhr V54's - a pickup on the thinner side of Strat, but absolutely a glorious pickup set. It went straight into an Axe-FX with a JTM 45 model set clean for a Hendrix-ish sound no speaker sim (Using poweramp/Guitar speakers (Mesa Celestions)). I had 2 Dirt Boxes configured in the chain - a tube driver on very low drive and a BB-Pre with the gain raised slightly. Rolling the bridge PU tone off to 7 or so, no issue getting an EJ-ish thick tone.

That's a simulator and totally different to the real thing but I think i can get similar results with a Tube Driver, BB Pre and an amp - just will have to be way louder. Doesn't necessarily have to be that combo various EQ's/Boosters, etc will get you there.

 

[GuitarGuy503]

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

Thread ending answer right here:

Trade it in on a Les Paul.

It's all a matter of opinion. I have both and like both. What I play at any given time depends on what sound I'm looking for. I think some people are pretty biased though....

 

[GuitarGuy503]

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

As if a Les Paul in the wrong hands can't be painful.

That was my thought too. Any guitar in the wrong hands can be painful. It's definately not limited to the Strat.....

 

[jdier]

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

I am a big fan of wiring the tone pots so the first is neck only (and neck while in the neck/middle position) and the second one to control the bridge pickup only (and bridge while in bridge/middle position.)

This gives me no tone control for the middle pick up and I kind of like that sound too.

 

[KoreanGuitarMan]

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

My preferred Strat mods:

Graphtech saddles. Especially if your Strat comes with those stamped steel saddles. More sustain, fuller & smoother sound on the unwound strings. Easier bending. One thing I've heard works great is regular Graphtech on the unwound strings and the steel w/ graphite insert saddles on the wound strings. Never tried it but I want to.

Master tone control. I can't stand not having a tone control on the bridge.

Skinny frets = Yuck
Medium to jumbo frets = Yum

Good quality electronics are obvious. Even if you can't afford a pickup swap sometimes just replacing the cheap, nasty pots in a guitar can make a sizable difference.

Strings. I agree that Strats like a thicker string, within reason. 12's and heavier may sound fat but you have to hit them harder and they're not as articulate. Heck, I put 11's on my acoustic, but they're pushing it for me on an electric. D'Addario makes a 10-1/2 set that I like.

Fatness is in both hands, not just how you use the pick. Don't slap the strings like a prudish prom date when you try to cop a feel. Lighten up your fretting hand too. Also consider that how you hammer on, lift off and especially mute with your fretting hand adds a percussive quality to the sound when timed correctly with your picking.

 

[IanBallard]

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

^^ The Graphtech saddles are nice. That's a great idea using different saddles on the wound/unwound strings. Joe Bonamassa's sig Les Paul has steel saddles for the wound strings and *gasp* nylon saddles for the treble strings. I dunno 'bout that, but he does get pretty good tones.

One thing I'm beginning to realize about big frets though, is that bending/vibrato nuts like me, wear them out and when they get flat, it really messes up intonation. It isn't as bad with thinner frets. If a person can afford or can do fretjobs that's not a big deal I guess.

 

[ImmortalSix]

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!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Grandturk]

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

I don't know why everyone is so concerned about getting a "fat" sound out of a Strat. Man - it's the plucky, clucky, stingy wailing ice-pick sound that makes the Strat such a special instrument.

When I play this sucker:

I don't believe in rolling the tone control down.

I don't believe in blocking the trem or adjusting it flush to the body.

I don't wire up the tone control to the bridge pickup (and in this case, I don't have the tone wired up at all).

 

[Stef]

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

I'm with you Grandturk!

for a good strat tone (Hendrix, Blackmore, YJM..) you need a good strat + good hands and ears, right amp + speakers.