Goodbye, Stratocaster

[sunburster]

I recently sold my Strat, which was a 2001 AVRI62. Really nice guitar. I tried my best, over several years, to see if it could work for me, but in the end I realized Strats are just not my cup of tea. First, I'll start with the positives.

Things I like about Strats:

-Very comfy body shape. Easy to play.
-Neck pickup with some gain, reverb, and delay.
-Dual tone knobs
-Pickup selector switch position
-Input jack

Things I don't like about Strats:

-Positions 1-4. No use for them when my Jags sound far better. Never found a use for positions 2 or 4 in what I like to play, it always sounds cheesy.
-Neck pickup clean. Again, my Jags (and Jazzmaster) smoke the Strat here.
-Tremolo. Complete junk. Very annoying to tweak, not fun to use, and I hate the slight springy sound to the notes the trem springs give. I dislike everything about the design of this thing!
-Scale length. OK, not a big deal really, I just prefer a 24" scale.

So ultimately it came down to the sound of the Strat coupled with the tremolo system, both of which I really dislike (other than the neck pickup). I love lots of music made with Strats (The Verve, Beach House, Slowdive, Lush, Pavement, etc), but they don't suit me.

I might give a hardtail a try and see if they sound better overall (I'm doubtful), but I can't see myself owning a trem-Strat again.

Anyone else have a similar experience?

[Larry Mal]

No, but I'm needing to sell some guitars to get a car probably, and my Strat will be on the list. It's just not essential to me.

[i love sharin foo]

I’ve tried to use and like Strats, but they just don’t work for me. I’ve had either 5 or 6 by now. Every few years I get another and try again I like what other people do with them though.

[Jonesie]

It's funny, I don't love the neck pickup, but I do love the bridge/middle position. But all I do with a strat is play Big Star riffs or Where The Streets Have No Name.

[Chippertheripper]

It's funny, I don't love the neck pickup, but I do love the bridge/middle position. But all I do with a strat is play Big Star riffs or Where The Streets Have No Name.

You owe it to yourself to dim the lights and play some Wicked Game too.

[F15hface]

I don’t get along with strats. Less comfortable than an offset, I wouldn’t use the sounds they make, and I don’t like the vibrato. I’ve played squiers and fenders and all of that means none of them have ever felt right to me.

Interestingly, I’m really enjoying my St Vincent signature which is basically just a weird looking strat. The mini hums obliterate strat pickups for my purposes, and the vibrato feels way better - maybe because it’s decked and has a lot more spring tension than any strat I’ve played.

[tequila_in_teacups]

Can't stand Strats, and I've owned plenty over the years. Horrible, emphysemic-sounding things.

[Nudger]

I recently sold my Strat, which was a 2001 AVRI62. Really nice guitar. I tried my best, over several years, to see if it could work for me, but in the end I realized Strats are just not my cup of tea. First, I'll start with the positives.

Things I like about Strats:

-Very comfy body shape. Easy to play.

Never liked the trem or 5 way.
Heres my Robert Cray "was hardtail"
Never bothered with middle pickup, 4 switches give N/B series/parallel/bass cut/out of phase.

[BoringPostcards]

I’ve had a few over the years. Never got on with them really, so they got sold or traded. The neck pickup was the only tone I ever really liked, so the rest of the instrument was wasted on me, I guess.
I’d buy one, play it a few months, decide I didn’t like it, and then years later I’d go through it all again.
I much prefer a Jazzmaster/Jag/Tele/Mustang. Any of those four over the Strat. They’ll all stay with me for life.
I doubt I’ll ever buy another Strat. Same goes for Les Pauls. They just don’t work for me. Would rather an SG or Epi Coronet/Wilshire, etc.

[ludobag1]

i have only 3 strat
the first a japan the iron maiden model black with miror guard mapple neck,jb jr in bridge and 2 hotrail plus a floyd definitively not for me but i like the neck (sold for a baja tv,then sold for a the car jag)
the 2nd a japan 54 sunburst wth mapple neck(ceramic pups normally but sound good) ,really nice neck but sold for a jag classic players fiesta red (try to love jag too but is was the 2nd after a japan candy apple sold also too heavy)sold also du to miss of found and staying unused i dislike short scale a jag pups i prefer jazzmaster afterall
the last a squier sonic hss tahitian coral ,an impulse buy du to color but with a change of guard and pups (alnico vs ceramic)then sss i found it interresting ,lot of sound i don't have with my jazzmaster ,easy to play ,light ,and don't cost much after all ,i hate to put lot of monney in a guitar that is not play ,at this time i don't think i will part with (but it is one month buy ,what i dislike is the set up of it ,as i set up offset for a real long time ,strat are conter intuitive for me ,not my first guitar will i play with on stage ,but i don't see why not after all

[marqueemoon]

I have been using my Strat parked on the neck pickup when I play solo. I really like it for that. It doesn’t get overly wooly and my voice has a nice place to slot in.

As I’ve said before positions 2 and 4 have a ton of sonic baggage. Sometimes it’s the perfect thing, but it’s usually too much.

It’s one of the better “pedal platform” guitars, but if I were heavily into effects I think a Jag would be ideal.

[sal paradise]

i have only 3 strat

An abundant mindset

I'm forever buying strats. And then forever selling them. I think I'm a rails & neck pickup guy. I find the low bridge a bit uncomfortable, which is really strange as a Tele has always been a mainstay for me.

The 76 I recently picked up might have solve this for me. It's a beater, so I'm not expecting it to make me happy by existing. I guess expectation is 90% of why guitars work for me or not. Either way, this one has a slim neck & a dimarzio sds in the bridge so it has some bite. I like it a lot. Might also be as it coincided with me picking up a Fender amp & not just focusing on high gain sounds...

[Arthon]

Not really found of Strat for me either. I have a EOB Strat and I had 4-5 Strats in the best. My first proper guitar was a MIM Squier Strat. My EOB is my is loaned to a friend since I dont use it. On a Strat I like the middle and neck pickups, but I hate the bridge. Still I prefer the neck and middle position on a Jazzmaster. Strat just doesnt sound the way I want me to sound.

Still...

I was listening to "Wind cried Mary" this morning and thinking that it's such a great Strat Sound. Strats sound so good in the hands of other player. So buying another Strat (since the EOB is not a traditionnal one) always come back in my mind. The new 70th anniversary maybe...

[ludobag1]

i have only 3 strat

An abundant mindset

try to love them as i don't understand why not !

[Jaguar018]

My main guitar through college was a Strat. I parted it out and sold it a few years ago and then used that as an excuse to assemble a new parts Strat. I have a similar tale with trying to like Telecasters and never really gelling with them.

For me Strats have become this non-essential noodle guitar. I can get a lot of recognizable "Strat" tones, like funk, or SRV, and reverby stuff. It's fun to have around, but I seem to get a lot more sounds I want from my Jaguar.