What do you look for in a Fender Strat?

ElUnoAstuto

New member
I sold all my guitars and kept just my Jackson, which is the best playing/sounding guitar I've had, and have owned the longest. I had wanted a cheap beater to throw in the car or noodle around the house on, and about 3 weeks ago I picked up a mint condition 2000 MIM standard strat for $107. Being the compulsive dumbass that I am, I traded it in for my Peavey Valveking, and I've been kicking myself ever since. So 3 days ago I poked my head into my favorite pawn shop just because I was passing through that side of town, and they had a 2003 MIM Standard in the most beautiful sunburst I've ever seen on a guitar, priced at $109! I got it for $100 out the door, and now it's my beater.:smokin:

I've noticed a lot of differences between the two strats. The 2000 was extremely light, like the lightest guitar I've ever played, it was great. This 2003 is a pretty heavy strat man, like almost as heavy as my old Epi LP, its a good chunk of wood. On the 2000, the neck seemed narrower, more of a C shape, and didn't really have that "high gloss" slick finish, it was more of a thin/satin finish, whereas the 2003 has the slick high gloss finish and is a little wider, more like a mellow D shape. The tuners, bridges, and hardware are all the same as far as I remember. The frets on both of them are really small, is that a common Fender thing, or will that vary from strat to strat?

The lighter 2000 strat seemed much more resonant, like acousticly it was much louder than the 2003, but the 2003 has a much thicker tone plugged in. I think if it were up to me, I wish I'd have kept both, and just combined the parts I liked best from the two, kinda' like Clapton and Blackie. At any rate, what kind of qualities/traits do you guys look for in a good strat?
 
Re: What do you look for in a Fender Strat?

I'd look for that first strat again. ;)

For me, feel and unplugged tone rule all. Electronics and hardware can always be swapped.
 
Re: What do you look for in a Fender Strat?

Construction quality/playability.....then unplugged tone

Good chance that if its a well made axe that it will also sound good.
 
Re: What do you look for in a Fender Strat?

Benjy_26 said:
For me, feel and unplugged tone rule all. Electronics and hardware can always be swapped.

exactly

if i want to buy her i take much more than only one closer look.
every flaw you didn't see before buy can bother you later on - that was at
least for me the case ..

i also use to nock on her slightly .. some tend to rattle, for whatever
reason, which may have distrubed your unplugged test from the start ...
 
Re: What do you look for in a Fender Strat?

Totally agree about the unplugged tone. Also when you try it unplugged hold individual notes and bends and if you get nice "flying" "singing" notes sort of effortlessly, then this strat likes you and goes alone. There is no other guitars like strats that talk to you.
 
Re: What do you look for in a Fender Strat?

The older MIM Standard Strats have the small "Vintage" type frets, while the MIA (and some Deluxe MIM Strats) have the larger Medium-Jumbo frets. I'm pretty sure that Fender is now putting the Medium-Jumbo frets on all MIM Standard Strats starting with this year's 2006 models.
 
Re: What do you look for in a Fender Strat?

+1 Benjy

If I had to pick between the two, I'd want the 2000 one back. Unplugged, it was the lightest, best sounding electric solidbody I'd ever heard. This 2003 one is a great player and all, but it just doesn't sing to me like the first one did... : (
 
Re: What do you look for in a Fender Strat?

This is the beater I bought for $60. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I never even played it. The strings, that were still on it from when it left the factory it looked like, were laying flat against the frets, so I just ran my hands along it to make sure it felt ok and didn't need some major fret dressing. I took a pretty big chance, but I figured the neck was worth more than what they were asking (you can't really make out all the flame in that picture).

DSC00849.jpg


Normally, if it plays ok I'll listen to it unplugged. It's gotta sound good before I plug it into an amp.
 
Re: What do you look for in a Fender Strat?

JacksonMIA said:
Normally, if it plays ok I'll listen to it unplugged. It's gotta sound good before I plug it into an amp.

Agreed. I bought my HWY1 used from GC on impulse (went in for strings... who knew?) the salesman looked at me like I was a complete moron because I wasn't interested in plugging the guitar into an amp at first. He must have asked me three times if I was sure I didn't want to plug it in. Fortunately for me they weren't busy and I could actually hear the unplugged guitar. Acoustic resonance is key in any guitar, not just a strat.

Anyway, feel and playability are #1 in my book, followed closely by tone. Then, because I'm a stickler for nice looking instruments, I'll make sure it's well built and devoid of any finish flaws. Used gear gets an extra once-over for wear and tear.
 
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