Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

C

Chistopher

malapterurus electricus tonewood instigator
Some other threads got me thinking about how a good chunk of the influential guitarists of the day had a signature Strat or two. I was wondering who you thought had the best. Strat copies do count.

I like the Hendrix Strat, the one I had was excellently made am there was just something about the "uncanny valley" of it being a Strat, but at the same time not quite. The pickups on mine got replaced for SD Psychedelics, but that's just because I wanted to boost the moxie, not because the stock pickups were bad. The fit and finish was excellent and of course the vintage appointments were nice.
 
Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

I love the original Ritchie Blackmore Strat (Japan). It was really a new take on what was there already (although I don't think he ever used one).
blackmore1.jpg
blackmore 2.jpg
 
Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

John Mayer.

:wall:

Serious, if you like the Vintage/Modern Strat thing (vintage tone with modern upgrades like flatter radius, bigger frets, satin neck finish, calibrated pickups that are more vintage than Texas Specials, modern electronic upgrades like 5-way, .022uF and bridge tone control) then it’s great. Also, the signature is small and on the back, it just looks like a 62RI Strat.

Also, it’s not worth the inflated prices it’s going for now, but was more than worth the price when it was in production.
 
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Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

Most of them just seem like slight variations on the same old stuff. I like the YJM strat i also like eh chris rea one.

You move a pickup 1mm and it becomes a new signature strat.
 
Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

kramersteen said:
Most of them just seem like slight variations on the same old stuff. I like the YJM strat i also like eh chris rea one.

You move a pickup 1mm and it becomes a new signature strat.
Click to expand...

Or, take Fender specs from different eras and put them together, and it is 'different'. It is the dartboard design method.
 
Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

I like the old Dave Murray model. It's pretty awesome. It's basically a '57 reissue that has been hot rodded with full-size DiMarzios (36th+Super-D), and a slightly flatter radius and bigger frets than a stock '57 would have had. V neck, lacquer finish, three-way switch, none of that fake aging crap. Really nice ****in' guitar in terms of specs and quality.

I have no interest in the newer Dave Murray version. It's Snoozeville to me.

I also like the Wayne Kramer. Being a huge MC5 fan, that guitar is beyond the level of an iconic rock axe to me. As far as I can determine, it might be the first "super-Strat" (i.e. a Strat modded with a humbucker) made by a known guitarist. And the cool thing about it is that he put the humbucker in the middle, so you don't lose the Strat bridge tone that most people give up by putting a humbucker in a Strat. That said, I don't like the fake aging, the neck plate, or the fact that it's a hardtail. I'd rather build my own Kramer copy. Probably the same with the old Murray, but I might just grab one of those as is and call it good.
 
Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

From what I have read about high end Fenders on other forums, the Eric Johnson model seems to come out on top most, for quality, playability and like for the stock electronics. Eric Clapton comes in 2nd. Those seem to outpace all other sig strats by a fairly wide margin. If I were to ever consider buying a custom shop strata, it would likely be an Eric Johnson.
 
Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

Eric Johnson for me, or the Robbie Robertson Last Waltz model. Gilmour Black Strat might be tied for second.
 
Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

Silence Kid said:
Dick Dale or Ike Turner.
Click to expand...

The Dick Dale sig guitar is pretty sick, I must admit. Its beautiful in its simplicity. The funny thing is it's not really a Dick Dale signature model unless you string it up with 16s. I have no experience with the Ike model.
 
Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

I mostly mentioned the Ike Strat as a reminder to people that such a guitar exists, but I genuinely want a Dick Strat.
 
Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

I liked the Richie Sambora strat from the early 2000's - was a lot like the Clapton strat (vintage trem, hot noiseless pickups, 12dB mid boost circuit) but it had kick-ass star inlays :)

His earlier (80's/90's) sig models had texas specials, a SD pearly gates in the bridge, and a floyd rose original trem - and of course the star inlays.

Secondly - Jeff Beck sig strats are nice. I love the surf green but the big fat neck takes some getting used to..
 
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Re: Who Has The Best Artist Signature Strat?

ItsaBass said:
I like the old Dave Murray model. It's pretty awesome. It's basically a '57 reissue that has been hot rodded with full-size DiMarzios (36th+Super-D), and a slightly flatter radius and bigger frets than a stock '57 would have had. V neck, lacquer finish, three-way switch, none of that fake aging crap. Really nice ****in' guitar in terms of specs and quality.

I have no interest in the newer Dave Murray version. It's Snoozeville to me.
Click to expand...

425c7527bf70bd46a88ed435f03743bb.jpg

Was gonna say the same guitar, I would prefer it with a Floyd Rose, have a pic to celebrate great taste in guitars
 
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