Stratospheric Success
Ask any guitarist what they would choose if they could only have one electric guitar to cover all gigs, and chances are they’ll say a Strat. And it’s not hard to see why – it’s got a few more tones in it than a Tele, but, with a bit of help from overdrive, it can rock as hard as a Les Paul. And yet the near-universal popularity of the Strat wasn’t a given. In the late 60s, the Tele was outselling it and it took Hendrix to turn the tide – after Jimi, everyone wanted one. Today, most players have owned a Strat (or a guitar closely based on one) at some point or another. Despite this, I sometimes feel the Stratocaster is the most elusive of all electrics, when it comes to pinning down its true character. Some Strats are dainty and springy, others are bruisers with brooding, volcanic power. Just think of Hendrix’s dumbfoundingly powerful performance of The Star-Spangled Banner at Woodstock and you’ll know what I mean. Compare that with Hank Marvin’s tone on Wonderful Land and you might almost be listening to two different instruments.
I’m not sure the same mercurial qualities could be claimed of 335s, for example – as much as I love them. Like the human frame, the Strat’s ageless design seems to accommodate all characters. Maybe that’s why it continues to be relevant to such a wide range of musicians. Of course, it’s not a perfect design – Huw Price’s Strat modding feature on page 66 is a great place to start if you want to enhance the already capable Fullerton formula or simply tailor it a little more closely to your needs.
The relative complexity of the Strat’s electronics, as compared with those of the twin-pickup Tele, also means gear makers have had plenty of scope to evolve its three-pickup sound over the years. Bare Knuckle Pickups’ Tim Mills utilised all of the techniques in the pickup-maker’s art to produce the intriguing new Triptych Strat set for contemporary rocker Rabea Massaad (see page 70), showing there’s still room for evolution in Fender’s near-70-year-old platform yet. Enjoy the issue and see you again next month.