5 Things I Hate About Strats!
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- Опубликовано: 24 июл 2024
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I wanted to do 5 things I Hate About Teles .....but I don't think thats possible!
Noooo it's just injustice to Les Paul🥺🥺🥺🥺🥺
My tele can do no wrong, I love it!
I'm waiting...... :P
Difficult to perfectly intonate is a huge issue for me but I cant resist my tele!
I only hate how perfect they are... !
The thing about the Strat’s volume knob placement: Yes, it was made by a guy who didn’t play guitar - but it was also designed and tested with session player Bill Carson, who wanted the controls all close up against the strings so he could do swell effects to emulate a pedal steel. So it’s both a feature and a bug.
Its in the perfect spot for the pinky to hook right on. When I play guitars where its too far way I'm always frustrated
Jeff Beck exploits it, too. Duh.
i like it so i can do volume swells like yngwie (watch his echo etude)
The way Jeff works the volume knob with his pinky is beyond description.
Freakin' crazy.
I really love strats but personally I really hate this feature everytime I try to do a staccato tremolo muting on the higher register string, it just bothers me bumping my fingers on a volume pot..
When you wear dark clothes that mint pick guard really pops.
It does. And it looks sweet
The middle pickup being in the way has been my biggest issue. I pretty much only use positions 2 and 4 (mostly 2), so I like and need the sound, but I keep hitting it no matter what. I tried lowering it, but it ruined the tone I like, so I just have to remind myself to play around the pickup.
But the middle pickup is always part of the sound of positions 2 and 4?
Easy solution use pick closer its tip. But it change playing style. Or pickup with flat top.
I've bought and sold 3 Strats over the decades. I can't deal with the middle pickup, so I'll sell the guitar. Then I start missing those 2nd and 4th position sounds, so I convince myself that I can live with it, and I'll buy another one. A year later, I'll end up selling it again.
@@knowwhey7559 Richie Blackmore signature strato dont have it. But I hate its scalloped fingerboard.
Why not back the middle pickup away so it's almost flush. That's what those pickup mount screws are for, experiment around a little!
The incredible tones you're getting from that strat are always gonna be the greatest argument for playing one, in spite of any negatives.
When you talked about accidentally hitting the pickup selector I literally had just barely hit my pickup selector on accident lol
It's just a simple, single jumper wire to add tone control to the bridge for anyone wondering.
Best thing I EVER did to my strat . The difference is amazing with the bridge tone rolled down to bout 5 or 6
The better wiring setup is to remove the 2nd tone from the middle entirely, and having the bridge pickup to the 2nd tone only.
@@gunkanjima3408 yeah, then you can set your tone controls to two different values and increase the tonal difference between positions 2 and 4
@@idlepickups If you just do the jumper wire, your 4th position would be very dark because the bridge would be turned down. Best decision I’ve ever made!
I’m gonna do it! Thanks!
I merely took one tone pot out and moved the volume pot down and made the remaining tone master for all pups. I then put a Black and Decker badge over the hole left by the volume control, lol!
I've done the same (although the master tone was replaced by a second volume control for piezos on two of my customized strats), but I've used new pickguards typically to avoid having that extra hole. I do still have one with the typical layout, but it's waiting for customization (strat sized humbucker for the bridge and locking tuners) anyway.
I would find a shiny little metal insert for the spare hole, like Malcolm Young had. Or else put a tiny Killswitch on it, whether or not you had it hooked up it's not in the way.
@@j_freed I considered gluing a dime over the hole, but Unkle Kracker was having none of that! Now, a killswitch is a grand idea. I will be doing that. Although, my volume pot has a dead spot just past 10, (it goes to 11) that I use as a de facto kill. This is a good excuse to replace that pot. Cheers!
B
@@j_freed My original plan was to replace the volume control with a master on/off switch, since that was my only use of the volume control anyway; full on or full off.
I usually reconfigure the three knobs as 1v for neck AND middle, 1vpp for the bridge (pull to add bridge to positions 5 & 4) and a master 1t pot. Sometimes its the other way (neck, bridge/middle combined, depending on the guitar). I also put a piece of thick felt under the pot that's next to the bridge pup that makes it less likely to spin so freely. For me that's usually the tone pot as I rarely change the tone. Btw, I prefer to have the tone control all 3 pups. And I usually have the volume pot that controls the odd pup be push/pull to add that pup to the opposite pair (so that I can have all three pups active at same time).
For the 5-way switch, I found the simplest solution to reduce pick strikes on the switch head is to bend the switch shaft so the switch tip is pointed 45 degrees away from the hand. Believe it or not, but I learned that trick from Yamaha. They bend their switch that way on all of the Yamaha strat like guitars I have owned (EG-112, EG-112C2, and even the SC-300T Beach Banana).
I do not know whether it came from the factory like that, but the only Yamaha I have that don't sport a bent pup selector is the EGC-103C, the Flying Samurai Reissue. But then, that guitar doesn't need the bent switch since the switch is located out of the way in the right shoulder in a position opposite of a Les Paul.
I started out with 2HB guitars, so I know what ye mean about snagging the pick on the middle pup. But that's something ye have to learn to work with. When driving in UK ye gotta learn to drive on the left side (I'm in Hawai'i so we follow US conventions and drive on the right side). When on a Strat ye gotta be mindful of the middle pup. Btw, I do use my middle position, but then I also carefully select & install a middle pickup that IS useful to me too, lol!
I don't know why they do this but the middle pup is usually the weakest pup AND set down low which makes it nearly useless on it's own.
I generally choose a pup set that has the weakest pup in the neck where the string vibration energy is the strongest, and have the strongest pup in the bridge. The middle pup has the medium strength and nowdays I have it set roughly midway in height. The neck pup is the one that is marginally closer to the strings (than the middle pup) whilst the bridge is set a bit closer to the strings than the neck.
PS: methink I do my pups this way because of how I usually setup the volume pots. One volume pot for both neck and middle, and one p/p volume for bridge that adds the bridge pup to the circuit (useful when I'm in positions 3 & 4) when pulled out.
Tasty playing mate!
Thanks buddy!
I love your taste of music its so tasty I cant take off the taste I love the taste so much
which flavor?
@@matteoziegler7632 If he loves the taste much more, my guess will be frumunda !
You know what i LOVED about this video? I've been playing guitar for probably longer than you've been alive, and i know a lot of techniques. the one thing, no matter how much I practiced it was flipping between pick use and finger picking in the middle of a song, without dropping the pick. I'm SOO glad the video showed your fingers slowly how to move that pick to your index finger and grip it, and then back. i know this has nothing to do with Strats, but it DOES have to do with technique, and i'm going to practice this again. Hopefully i can finally master it! Thanks for the video!
You nailed everything I didn’t like about my strat lol. I had it customized. No tones, volume moved to the bottom tone pot position. Had the middle pickup removed and put a 3 way switch. I love it now lol.
I totally agree with all 5 things!!! The worst being the placement of the volume knob when I have to palm mute.
Really! probably the strat isn't fixed for palm mute playing . or in time when it was designed people didn't play this way
I’ve always hated the volume placement location on Strats too. There’s a product called “brake pads” that are great for your volume knob so you’re not accidentally turning your volume down, but it still gives you a usable volume knob.
One thing I hate about a Strat: It takes forever to set the guitar up for the tremolo system to work without tuning issues.
uhh yeah the trem bar is usually pretty much a throw out of tune bar
Lol its a tremolo, not a floyd rose. It is easy to set it up.
The best intro music bar none. Always awesome. Sharing new jams all the time. Plus trustworthy info.
Fantastic job! Thanks for the effort you put into this. It shows and we all appreciate it..
Yooo.
I can relate to the knob and wiring issues and have wired mine so the tone is a 'master' tone, and I tossed the middle tone pot and put the volume there, so no more accidental volume bump. I filled in the old volume pot hole with a spare switch tip as a pinky rest and love having that point of reference. Now I only want to swap to 500k pots so I can get all the highs that are available from each PU.
Put a small o-ring under the volume knob to give it more friction.
This is a a correct setup, it shouldn't move when you brush it, it should only move when you turn it.
Could also have have a rubberized rim on the knob to make up for the higher turning resistance.
@@j_freed good idea actually. Thanks
This is probably a better solution than the experimental procedure I mentioned before I saw this thread of trimming different thicknesses of foam rubber and putting it under the volume control knob until you find the correct amount of resistance for your personal preferences. (I just wish I had thought of it!!! Great Suggestion!!! Thank you!!!!)
Steve Vai - “Im a strat fan, but they dont fit my playing - you gotta fight with them - but i love them because nothing else sounds like a strat”.
The fight is what I love. Well with the exception of fighting the volume knob placement.
@@timwhite5562 get a chrome ashtray cover for your trem. It forces you to sit your picking hand further down, thus clearing the volume knob, the way Leo intended. And IMHO they look cool, especially on a vintage.
@@ashthegreat1 you can't palm mute with the cover.
@@timwhite5562 Fallacy. I can. You tried?
@@ashthegreat1 yeah, I've probably had over a hundred of them and Teles come through the shop over the years with them. But you need one to find out, just try to mute ½-1" from the saddles. You have to do it at the saddles or it kills the strings.
Love your vids. I've never had any problems with the location of the volume knob in over 40 years of playing. Some folks do however & I totally get it. I've seen a couple guys choose volume pots that have a stiffer action that requires a bit more force to turn them or even pull the knob & place a circular piece of foam or felt etc under it to give more resistance to it to solve that issue. I much prefer the location of the Strat's volume control & 5-way selector compared to the extreme distance of a Les Paul volume knob. My Strat also came with the bridge & middle pickup using one tone control & the neck on the middle pot. Both tone controls have the TBX system which functions as a normal tone control from zero to halfway where there's a detent & above that, the TBX system shifts the frequency response of the pickups. I had a Danelectro U2 that I swapped locations of the volume pots to bring the bridge pickup pot closer to the strings. I usually play my rhythms on about 7 & go to 10 for leads so I like my volume pot as close as possible. I have an 80's American Standard Strat with a Hipshot Tremsetter, & Sperzel locking tuners. I installed vintage 1957 Strat single coils in the neck & middle position & eliminated the staggered poles by tapping the higher polepieces down to be almost even with the lowest ones (that can help with the issue you have of your pick snagging the polepieces). I put in a prototype DiMarzio humbucker in the bridge position that I got from Larry DiMarzio himself back in the mid-90's. I can be confident that I can take this Strat into any gigging or recording situation & be just fine. I love my Les Pauls but the only one I can take into most situations is my Randy Rhoads tribute model that I put push/pull pots for coil tapping & phase - but on it I'm missing my whammy bar, of course & nothing sounds as sweet as a real 1957 Fender Strat single coil pickup in the neck position. Period.
Lastly, I can sit down in long studio sessions with a Strat due to the way the body is shaped. A Les Paul, not so much. A Strat also has the beveled back & the top which further enhance the comfort & playability while sitting or standing. With just a few refinements a Strat is just a magical instrument!
And for whatever reasons I've been known to play my Les Paul only for months at a time but eventually I always end up back on my trusty Strat - especially if called for a fill-in gig or impromptu recording session because I know it will deliver the goods easily each & every time. For what it's worth, Robin Trower used the middle pickup more than the others...
Glad to see I'm not the only one. #1 and #2 swore me off strats for years. I also find palm muting more difficult because of the volume knob placement. #5 I hit the middle pickup as well. I learn to just use strat for some things but not others
One of the best things about Strats is how easy they are to modify. With mine, I removed the top volume knob and rewired it so I have just two knobs - master tone and master volume. The placement of the volume knob on a Strat is such a glaring design flaw.
Stats are classic for sure .they've been around a long time and have pretty much stayed the same...it still gets me that jhon Mayer wanted to create somthing nobodys seen ..then he made a strat
😂😂😂
funny joke and I hate to ruin the mood, but I think he made the silver sky for a different reason. His potential Fender contract would only allow him to use brands of electric guitars that were owned by Fender, so he made the reasonable decision and went to PRS.
@@tabormorin4526 that’s what happens when you accept not only having your own signature guitar but being sponsored by fender as well.
@@tabormorin4526 its a glorified knock off stratocaster - Id take an American professional any day over that noise
It's great to have options weather we like or dnt like em .its awsome to be able to choose depending on who we are or if we can afford it what mood were in that day
I was never crazy about my Strat bridge pup either... I put a steel baseplate on it and now I enjoy it a lot more. Thanks for sharing the tone knob trick. I'm going to give that a try next time I sit down to work on my Strat.
HOORAY, you discovered the tone knob solution for the bridge pickup. I saw a post for that a few years ago. It does really help. Rock on. Love your channel.
The Fender player series stratocasters come with a tone knob for the bridge pickup 😁
I have all the same complaints about Strats. Here’s how I fix them. I remove the center tone pot and with a simple wiring fix, the remaining tone pot can be made universal for all three pups. Then, I move the volume pot down to the middle position which gets it out of the way. The vacant hole where the volume pot was originally located can be easily filled with a cap button. For the switch problem, I simply reverse the wires so that the bridge and neck pups are activated in reverse order. Since I rarely play the bridge pup, that solves the problem of accidentally hitting the switch. I don’t have a solution for pick hitting the middle pickup. I have the same problem. Of course, if you have a vintage Strat, you might not want to make these mods, but they are easily reversible.
On the placement of the Strat Volume knob and Lever switch, I recently modded an SSS Fender Mexican Player Strat converting it to a two pickup using a couple of Gibson P90s. The Bridge P90, being quite large, was bumping the Volume knob - so I ditched one of the tone knobs and placed the Volume knob where one of the Tone knobs used to be (so controls are 1 x Vol and 1 x Tone). Also I used a 3 position Lever switch. So I tackled two of your pet hates with a Strat! I have modded three other SSS Mexican Players - one to an HSS, one to an HSH and one to an HH - although these have 1 x Vol and 2 x Tone (and the HSH and HSS have a 10 position Freeway Lever switch). I am a lefty so to get anything other than standard SSS you have to DIY. I do have a lefty SSS Fender Custom Shop but as the pickups in that are Josefina Campos I am leaving those alone as they are too good to mess with.
I pull the top volume knob off on mine. I glue a button or coin to cover up the hole or have custom pick guards cut minus the top knob hole. After fighting it for years and ruining a couple of good solos live by whacking the knob...I wire 1 volume, 1 tone for all 3 pups...and I put a treble bleed circuit on the volume pot.
Hey Robert I’m a huge SRV fan like by far my most inspirational idol for me and I just bought my first fender Stratocaster on Saturday it’s an American professional version 1 and I can’t tell you how happy I am with it like it’s brought so much more inspiration for me to play and practice and it did come with the tone wired to the bridge
Hey Robert. Get a blank pickguard and move the knobs about an inch over. That inch makes a world of difference. My Silvertone came that way and I wouldn't have it any other way. There's a nice gap between the bridge pickup and the knob on my Silvertone.
I had a friend do that I was going to recommend it but you said it first
Wow! Another Silvertoner. I have an old Silvertone that I've had for years. I've got 10 different guitars, a couple of Ibanez's, a Squire Strat, a Les Paul and a few different acoustics but I still find my self going back to my old Silvertone.
I may just do that. I play an upside down righty (I'm lefty) and those knobs get in the way. Looks like I'll have to buy about 4 blank pickguards.
The other cool thing people do is bend the 5-way switch AWAY from the playing hand position about 45°so the tip is not as easy to snag by accident. Still very comfortable to grab. It's just a cheap little (nonvintage) part that you can experimentally modify.
I think Tele players also bend the switch away to make both it and the volume quicker to grab, as then the pot and switch are not stupidly right in the way of each other. Cheaper than buying that little custom plate which has a more ergonomic layout (modified control spacing, slanted 3-way mount, awesome redesign.)
I've thought about this many times. Anyone make a predrilled pickguard for this mod?
This list was so on point. I grew up on a Squier Strat and graduated to a Fender Strat, still haven't gotten used to those issues - especially the volume knob and middle pickup placement. Still love my Strat though.
Robert my man. I've watched your channel alot and I mean quite alot. But that there strat playing at the start was the most beautiful thing I've ever heard you do. Thanks bro.
I completely agree about the harshness of the bridge pickup.
Paul, I got Planet tone Pups... ‘69 Voodoos and that middle, dude, I am on it all the time. I love that tone contour. One of two “Vast Improvement” tone pickups I have wired thru the 250k tone pot. I have Roses in my Nashville Tele and the middle is a Strat pickup that also sings. Great pure TONE. YMMV, but I doubt it.
I dig it for certain tones. Harsh tones.
That is why a SuperStrat is superior. HSS config or any other as long as you have a humbucker in the bridge.
@@CroneRaven1810 And that is why I have a SuperStrat (or Fat Strat, as I like to call it)!
I like how it sounds more jangley in the bridge I heard leo wanted it to sound like a acoustic guitar in bridge position when he desighned it with no tone
The only one that has literally ever bothered me about Strats is the volume knob placement. I always read about players having issues with with middle pickup in the way, but maybe not an issue for me since I rest my hand on the bridge... ? Not sure. Could also be why I never bang up against the pickup selector. The volume knob alone keeps me away.
I want to say it was a Ritchie Blackmore interview I was reading decades ago where he said he lowered the middle pickup on his Strats, so I started doing it too. So you are in good company!
I`m currently building a super strat type. Since it`s only one pickup,going to use the further volume position. And get this. I am using one active single coil. One volume ,one tone control. If you have not tried active single coil,namely EMG. You gotta hear on e. Has a great over driven crunch and you can hear every note easily and a perfect blend of highs and lows. Using the single coil bridge pickup and wiring from the EMG telecaster active set. Man, what a sound. It reminds me of that brown sound perfect warm crunch. So rather than using the tele control plate, I just ordered a solderless volume pot for the scratch plate. In the furthest position. If you think that is weird, I have the active tele system in a 1971 front routed Gibson SG 200.
Am I crazy or has the production value in your videos doubled over the last month? New camera/lense or lights maybe? What ever it is it’s looking killer! Also, you listed everything I dislike about strats and that intro tune was beautiful!
Hey buddy thanks so much. The production credit all goes to my wife who is workign the cameras,lighting and color grading. I'm just the hair :p
Robert Baker - she's a winner pal!
James Koehler agree , normally not my style , but it was great!
@@RobertBakerGuitar Seems like she’s an essential part of your success. It’s all about teamwork...
Yes. My goodness that selector switch is my biggest foe
Good points! I had to disconnect the Tone control Off the neck pickup ...
Plus i had to change the machine heads! Vintage are NO fun if you break a string mid gig - unless you remembered to pre-cut the spare strings!!
I modded my Squire to get around pretty much the same issues you listed. Mine is now an HSS with a two-way micro switch between H and SS positions. Took out the original volume pot and put a master volume and a master tone into the lower two holes. Oh, and I try to force myself to pick the strings between the single coils.
I like the bridge pu with tone rolled off; the strat I’ve been playing for 20 years came with the tone control wired like yours is now. I happen to really like the middle pickup for rhythm and textural parts; not so much for lead.
5 things I hate about Strats:
1: N/A
2: N/A
3: N/A
4: N/A
5: N/A
haha
You forgot every single thing on the pickguard... (that's easily enough tweaked.)
Class. You have it... or not
Totally get all of these points. I love the sound of a Strat, and have had several. That middle pickup finally drove me over the edge. My current Fender Strat is hum/hum. No more middle pickup in my way. It also has a coil tap switch. Which is not the same as a standard strat wiring, but it does something I can live with. Placement of the volume control has always worked for me-I'm constantly self-mixing, and cleaning up the tone for softer passages etc. A guy eventually needs many guitars, and variety is a very good thing!
Cheers from NY! Great intro playing, really nice stringwork Robert!! :-)
Who films your B-roll? They always do such a smooth job.
Brad! What’s up man!
Hey dude the B roll is 80% my wife
Love that you said they
For avoiding smacking the switch, anchor your pinkie to the pickguard.
You summed it up perfectly.
Volume knob placement is ONLY ideal for volume swells, any other function doesn't require it to be right in the way.
I can never keep my Strat in positions 5 and 4, I always hit the selector. If the selector was mounted horizontally like it is on a Tele there would be no problem.
I solved the problem by rewiring my Strat to master volume/master tone and removing the close knob, and it breathed new life into the instrument for me.
Same issues. Changed to a bridge humbucker long ago. Always hit the center pickup, so I changed to a 2 pickup setup on my Squiers. A tech that worked on my Strat was displeased when he found the bloodstains under the pickguard from me being wounded by the pickup selector & I bought an undrilled pickguard so I could move the tone and volume controls. Love playing Strats, but some changes needed to be made to suit me.
The position of the volume knob and the pickup selector switch are two of the many reasons why I love the strat so much. And they're there for a reason! In fact, it's the only thing I'd love to see on most other guitars that don't have these features. Yes, these are features, not issues.
It's funny because it is the only guitar I ever played that has perfect volume knob placement.
I agree.
Fr maybe a tad close but I don’t have issues
I think I agree...Let's me play while rolling it back with my 5th finger!
Exactly
I just got a texas special loaded pickguard, and it came with the tone connected to both middle and bridge. Total game changer.
Nice playing rob. sounded really good man..thanks for the content
Once I got a Baja Tele I stop using my Strat. The Baja can get close enough to a middle position Strat sound and I also have the Rock sound of a bridge position Tele all in one guitar.
I'm trying to push myself to modify my Bill Nash T-52 because it has the sweet vintage setup but the neck only position is a bit lame, even with Jason Lollars.
The baja is awesome......
For all the design flaws, I find the body of a Strat so much more comfortable than a Les Paul body or a Telecaster body. Lightweight, contoured, etc.
The contouring is the biggest plus of strats
Charvel Pro-Mod all day long
At least I now know that I'm not alone in hitting the toggle switch, volume knob, and middle pickup. I just picked up a MIM modified Fender Players Strat that was on sale. I'm used to my old faithful, a Gibson ES335 with lots of room. Thank you for the tip on the #4 position. I bought your 8 course lesson bundle last week. Looking to dive in soon. Later.. Sam.
Yep, all of those! I still own one lol. I put a choke of the volume knob and it works great. It’s like driving a Shelby GT 500 there are problems but it’s still worth it. I love my middle pup when I want to rock out hard and get the thickest tones out of my Strat from there.
One thing i hate - having to take the neck off to make a trussrod adjustment. I'd love to have a nitro finished Strat - but they all come with that dumb feature.
When did you buy your last strat?
My Fenders go years without needing a truss rod adjustment. You don't even need to unstring the instrument if you tune down and put an elastic band over the strings near the headstock.
Mine has needed two truss rod adjustments in the 13 years I've owned it('04 mexican strat). It's been my main guitar that entire time, I've gigged it and even moved between countries with fairly different climates. If it's the only thing holding you back don't let that stop you!
I have a 50's style & there is a trick. Unscrew the bottom and loosen the top heel screws just enough to pop the heel up to tweak truss rod. There are better instructions floating on the net.
I hate that there are so few options on hardtail strats :(
Billy Corgan, Robert Cray and Jim Root all have Hardtail models available. And you may have to look a little harder to find them, but there are some still out there available in normal production models.
I have a Billy Corgan model that I got about six months ago… Put locking tuning machines on it and have no issues whatsoever other than the volume pot being in my way. And I guess that I am shallow because I am about to get rid of it for that reason alone.
Buy a squier hardtail strat in whatever finish you want, a fender neck, and some Seymour Duncans. Best strat I’ve pretty much ever had.
@@ianbennett3743 what squier did you get for this? I know Bullets and Affinities have thinner bodies. I had something similar in mind but I'm not sure Fender neck would fit them. And obviously Squier don't make hardtail strats with their best line - CV. Warmoth is pretty good option tho.
@@dokkenmokken6278 I used the thinner bodied affinity I believe. Whichever one is selling at GC for like $120.
@@dokkenmokken6278 the pre-2013 squire classic vibe 60's (china factory) have alder bodies. I believe the body size period correct but could be wrong. I own one and love it. Very nice pickups too.
Completely agree with you! It's the layout definitely. But wow your tone is so spot on.
On the volume knob situation, I just had a pickguard made with no knob holes cut. I made my own where I wanted them. (remember to save the original pickguard)
The biggest thing I hate about strats is that i bought 3 before I knew other guitars were worth checking out.
5T3 I don't own a strat , just bought my first tele , all my other's are ESP's , Ibanez , Schecter etc..Now im not so sure i want a Strat , was thinking about getting one. But those knobs look like they're annoying and to cramped in.
@Da gorrilaa Just bought a custom made strat in beautiful shape from a luther in my state. I have changed my view on it , was playing it all night. Some blues and SRV stuff. I'm sold!🎸👍
@@Bedroomrips You were right , as my comment states here. I love it , completely different than my other guitars , I modified the whammy bar so it flares out because it was to close to the knobs. But it plays and sounds great!
Nothing can beat the tone on the neck pickup of a strat.
I don't think I've even picked up a strat in Years of going to guitar center. Hate the single coil sounds. Neck, middle or bridge sounds muddy. Plus the design and look are dated. Rather have a Jackson or modern equivalent just minus the tremelo.
5 things he hates about Les Paul’s, 5 things he hates about Strat’s, but we understand he is a PRS Guy 😂. Seriously I love your intro’s.
I'm a left hander, and I took the one strat I had and routed it out and switched it to left, and then the volume knob placement I hated. Since then I got a few more, one lefty, one upside down(right hander with strings switched), the upside down one has got that incredible 2nd position single coil sound, that eric clapton thing. I just love it. It's funky. The vibrato is also something I like, although it seems very crude and rude(wobbles) and it gets strings out of tune easily. Some people disable them, but what's the fun in that. I would love to someday get something with a bigsby or a floyd rose, but I'm a cheap. The other negative things would be the back bridge compared to a les paul style, which has a nice point to it to rest your hand for muting whereas tele is all flat with goofy setscrew ends. And then if you do use the trem bar if you break a string you are dead in the water as far as staying anywhere in tune.
My issue was the very first item on your list; the volume knob placement. I learned how to play on a Les Paul, and over the years I just kinda stuck with them; got a couple Epi's and another Standard, and in fact never even played a Strat until I'd been playing live for over a decade. Then one night a guitarist from another band that played the same circuit came into the venue we were playing, said he was strapped for cash and offered to sell a wine red and white Strat, with a gig bag for $100. There wasn't a scratch on it; and in checking it out I noticed there was no "MADE IN MEXICO" printing on the headstock, so I bought it from him and had the brilliant idea of using it in the next set. It sounded great except for the volume loss as the song went on....lol! Took a while to get used to, but like you, I still turn myself down occasionally!
BTW love your videos!
THAT'S IT !!! I'm totally doing a video on "5 Things I Hate About Robert Baker !"
Was only a matter of time.
I'm in ! I hate where he parts his hair 🤣
@@joedavis8481 leave the middle part alone!
I hate when he's not wearing his Macho Man Randy Savage t-shirt.
@@joeyskar Oooh yeah , macho madness brother!!!!
“The middle pickup sounds like nothing more than a guitar” -John Mayer
"Where I'm at right now is this purity of the middle pickup" -Also John Mayer
Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
@@TibbelsNBits It depends on how you swing it!
That Mayer guy, so deep...
This is some Josh Scott type shit.
This is my fix for that exact knob issue. I got a spare, cut off the numbers, slid the cap on, 90% less touching.
Robert, you covered most of the reasons that I had a Strat-style guitar assembled for me in July 2019 with the following: single tone knob (the volume knob set 2 inchesfurtheraway from the strings) ; individual pickup selectors in place of the blade/toggle switch. I was searching for the tonal range of the Brian May Red Special, but I didn't desire one made in its image. Being a finger picker exclusively, it's more about colliding with the middle pickup with my fingernails.
The middle pickup issue is real!!
I've had that issue with Ibanez guitars like the Hum/Sing/Hum S guitars), but strangely enough never with my Fenders. Placement must be just a little different.
@@kitoyobeni1 I have 3 Ibanez guitars and the middle is lowered on every one. 2 RGs and one S. Same with the Washburn I have. It seems every guitar I have ever owned with a middle pickup has that issue.
@@scourge34 The only area where I really dig in is when chugging on the lower strings. Hitting that middle pickup just throws everything off. Unfortunately, I got rid of my S back in the day because of it, and it was otherwise the fastest playing guitar I had played (at least at that time). Bad spur of the moment decision.
I primarily play the middle pickup as my rhythm tone. And yes I know how weird that is. To me it just sounds like the neck pickup with slightly rolled off bass. Perfect for chords, strumming and fingerpicking. For leads I go to the neck or the bridge (I have an HSS). But for rhythm jangle that doesn’t get in anyone’s way, don’t overlook the mighty middle pickup.
Haha I love how everyone is different, I play the middle for lead and the 2 position for rhythm
Exactly what I do, bro! I also lower it, so it produces lower volume, and softens neck and bridge in 4th&2nd position.
Lol great timing. Ordered my first strat months ago and it literally arrived today. Just in time!
My Strat complaint list is only slightly different..
I still remove my volume knobs. I went as far as getting a replacement pickguard with no pot holes pre drilled, then manually moved the pot locations away from the bridge, then installed a really small volume knob from a random pedal. My #1 issue for sure.
Other than that, i just want a string through body hardtail bridge.
Oh and both of my Strats came with bridge pickup tone controls...one being an EOB (only a master tone), and the other a player series mim from last year. I would definitely rewire one if i ended up getting a strat without.
If I'm being extra freakin picky, maybe lose the belly cut. And maybe make sculpted neck heels available on more affordable models.
Excellent stuff, Mr. Baker!
I had to rewind to listed to that awesome intro again.... Now I'll listen to why you don't like strats.... Ok. Now that I listened... I never play my strat because of hitting the middle pickup with my pick. I might as well sell it.
Now it's time for Tele 💁♂️
It’s only fair 😂
With the controls, I hate the volume knob position. I just moved it down to the middle hole and wired in a global tone control in the bottom hole. Two problems solved and made my strat more usable. I just put a chrome hole plug in the original volume hole.
Totally agree on the volume knob and the pickup selector switch. I play with my fingers down (making an "ok" symbol while holding a pick) and I keep hitting the knob and switch.
I hate that I don't have like 20 Strats.
I got 10 vintage squier strats same price as one usa problem solved
Would this be an item to add to your "Bucket List????" (It would be for me.)
@@travisguide4516 lol. That'll do it!!
@@lostrebThat would involve like a 100. And they'd all be Custom Shops.
@@teresathomley3703 I'm right there with you on that!!! I'm not trying to say I have the $$$$ to do it, but to get the strats I want now??? Pretty much requires Custom Shops!!! Great Reply!!!
I wasn't aware that anyone in the known universe doesn't like a Strat.
I don't really care for them. Not that I think they are bad or anything. Just not my thing. I'll never go buy one. Oddly enough, I don't really care for the other classics either like the Les Paul, Tele, SG, and a few others. But hey, to each their own. The world would be a boring place if everyone like the same thing. 👍
@@scourge34 I own a strat copy I've grown to hate it because I can't get James Hetfield's guitar tone I play downpicking riffs I'm deciding to get an Jackson Warrior or jackson kelly in the $299 to $399 price range because I'm dirt poor
@@Wheresthepepsibismol Absolutely nothing wrong with a Jackson. From what I understand they make some really good affordable guitars.
@@scourge34 yep I found great deals online
I ordered a slim potentiometer knob from Ebay (kinda like thin and tall pedal knobs), painted it parchment white and replaced the strat's volume knob. Best thing I've done haha.
Totally agree about the bridge pickup, gotta have a tone control on it!! I do occasionally use the middle pickup, especially on a partscaster I picked up. It has the best sounding middle pickup I've ever heard on a strat! Don't even know what kind of pups are in it, but they do sound good!!
I dislike how close the 1st string and the 6th string are to the edge of the fretboard. I pull them off sometimes when playing. I would really like a little more space there.
I had my guy make a nut that moved the high E in a little bit. It's a great mod, I got the idea from a new Eric Johnson Strat. Feels weird at first but I forgot I even had this done until now. String never falls off.
I don’t like Strats. I can’t get a sound I like from a Strat. I like Teles though.
Just got my first Strat the other day and like you said I didn't like the Bridge pickup. Need to check out your fix.
Dude... I agree with every one of your issues with this design. Thanks for the tone/bridge wiring idea. Will have to do it.
I never had any of these problems. Might just be me.
I’m not a tremolo guy. I’ll take a hard tail Strat any day of the week. I prefer my guitars to stay in tune.
Of course so people don't get the wrong idea, there's not a vintage-trem Strat in existence that you cannot just deck the tremolo plate, much in the way Clapton did.
You will note that all Paul Reed Smith Silver Sky guitars come factory set up with the trem decked (no float, so it only goes down not up) and anybody can go further and block a trem completely (doesn't even move down.) This is important to know because the value options are rarely in the non-trem Stratocaster category
The tone knob to the bridge is definitely game changer
.. spent so much time with rail and humbuckers in the bridge ... also I have always tried to use the middle position just to explore the uses but l love the strat soooo much
Your videos are great and insightful. Would you be kind enough to list the rest of the gear you're playing thru in this video. Great tone!! Apologies if I missed it.
The strat gonna learn you play with more discipline.I never hit any knobs os switch,and I play pretty agressive,so in my opinion you should play it more ,put other guitars away and play just a Strat for few months,and the come back and do another video.I played only strat my whole guitarist career,I tried a lot of other guiutars but none worked for me as good as a Strat.
Seriously, just play whatever guitar you strap on and be happy.
Nope, you pretty much nailed it. Every issue you named is the reason I have never owned one. I thought about getting one and moving everything to a better position for me, but I just haven't found the deal I'm happy with yet and I can't talk myself into doing with a brand new one.
The main issues I face with strats are the harsh bridge pickup, as well as a drop in perceived volume for positions 2 & 4. I've managed to resolve these issues when I went with a set of Dimarzio Area pickups, which magically has a non-harsh bridge pickup, as well as wiring the tone control to only that pickup. I've also overcome the perceived volume drop for positions 2 & 4 by using the scott henderson wiring scheme. Yes, it requires a super switch, but with the tone circuits removed from positions 2 & 4, the tones are more present and have equal perceived volume as positions 1, 3 & 5.
Lol 5 things I hate about strats-
They sound too good
They play too perfectly
Way too versatile
Too easy to upgrade/Mod
They make panties too wet
These 5 things sound like more of a you problem than a Stratocaster problem. I’ve been playing Strats for 30 years and have none of these problems.
...or he just needed a Strat video to bookend the "hating Les Pauls" video....
I've never liked bridge pickup either but I wanted a traditional looking Strat. So, I put a 10 way selector switch in which wires the pickups in series, thus turning them into Humbuckers!
I only play a strat so I’ve gotten used to the volume knob and pickup selector. I actually love that they’re so accessible.
I have bridge wired to bottom tone and neck/middle wired to top tone. I also put in a Lollar Special bridge pickup which makes it even more versatile.
No worthy craftsman blames their tools.
Just saying.
Yes and no. A worthy craftsman is resourceful and all that. But you're also as good as your tools are.
Can we remove HATE from the lexicon, and use words like DISLIKE please. You don't hate it, don't be hyperbolic :P
No
YOU can do that. Can’t control others. Don’t ya hate that 😜
Only Haters want to wipe out hate . In my house we call them progressive non liberal leftist commie democrats. Understand what ya ment though. Hate is like SLAMMED or those other silly words the media loves to use over and over. Agreeing with you just adding ,so dont HATE or CANCLE me please.
I put a piece of foam under the volume knob to slow it down. I have the "Gilmour" mod in mine which uses the far tone pot to blend the neck and bridge. The thing I dislike most about strats is that everybody has one. That and taking the neck off the adjust the truss rod.
Honestly, that opening progression was some of the best music I’ve heard in months. Amazing. Also, strats rule.