THE STRAT
With well over 100 Strats to choose from on Fender.com how do you choose which is the right one for you? Here’s what you need to know
It’s often said that Leo Fender got it right the rst time with the Stratocaster design. Whether or not you agree with that sentiment, one thing us TG sta ers will argue until our faces turn a delicate shade of Daphne Blue is that the Strat’s modular nature makes it tremendously appealing to vast numbers of guitarists –and with so many models there’s almost certain to be a Strat to suit your requirements. But which one is right for you? With so many options it’s not an easy choice.
Here, we break down key Strat specs. We’ll consider choices of bodies, necks, tone controls, hardware and more to help you choose your next Strat, though, for the sake of brevity, rarity, and all of our wallets, we’ll rule out the Custom Shop here. For now, we’ll kick o with one of the biggest deciding factors with any electric guitar: the pickups…
Pickups
Things get complicated quickly with Strat pickups as many are custom voiced for each range of guitars. Happily, that means you’ll have a good idea of each pickup’s character. On the downside, it means the best advice we can give you is to make sure you try out any guitar or pickup you’re interested in. On that bombshell, here are the main categories of pickup you’ll need to consider.
Many Fender pickups are era-related. The mid-priced Vintera ’50s Strat features pickups voiced to be “more ’50s-accurate”, and it’ll set you back £909. American Vintage Strats start at £1999, but their Pure Vintage single coils (in ‘57, ‘61 or ‘73 spec) can be bought as standalone sets starting at £149 if you fancy modifying your own Strat.
If you love the tone but hate the hum of single-coil pickups then you have to go Noiseless – and Fender offer them in Vintage and Hot versions, both in either standard or Ultra Noiseless spec. An SSS Player Plus Strat will set you back £939, or the H.E.R. signature Strat you see on the cover of this very mag comes in at £1,249.
You’ll find HSS-configured Strats at every price range, from the affordable Squier Sonic and Contemporary models up to this year’s flagship 70th Anniversary American Ultra. Check out the Player Series, too, which strikes a balance of price and performance.
Browse the Artist Series of Strats for some eclectic takes on pickup configuration. Tom Morello’s Soul Power model pairs two Noiseless single coils with a Seymour Duncan Hot Rails humbucker. There’s a Fernandes Sustainer and a Duncan JB JR humbucker in Ed O’Brien’s Strat. For contemporary metal tones, Jim Root’s signature axe features a duo of active EMG 81 and 60 pups.
If you’d rather choose your own pickups, Fender offer various pre-wired pickguards to fit your Stra
