Thanks for a really interesting vid. My only thought was the Freeway could also be a good option for playing high gain by using the bridge and middle in series? I think it should be humbucking as long as the middle is RWRP. Those freeway switches are awesome, I have the HSH version and it's great.
Hi Darrell, a similar video but for the tele would be awesome. Maybe there's already one and I missed it? Also, a review of the Ibanez AR 520 HFM VLS would be really really nice! 😀 Someone who agrees?
Hi Darrell, a Trick that I use over the years is to put graphit into the nuts of the saddle and the Bridge where the Strings comes out of the Body. Therefore I'm using the Carbonmine of a Pencil. Easy, cheap and very effectiv. By the way another good Vid from you. Stay tuned, save and shine on. Salutations sur Quebec, Alex ☺☺🎸🎸
Tip 11: Buy a pack of Fender whammy bar springs and pop one in before you screw the tremolo bar in. The resistance is just perfect for keeping the bar where you want it. Without one, the bar just swings wildly all over the place. Great vid as usual Darrell. Thanks.
I use locking tuners and I flos the nut . Keep it clean . My strat stayes in tune . Even after a string change . At times a new string hits the spot , but other times , there is nothing like a string thats broken in .
How did you determine if you needed a bottom radius or flat bottom nut? I've built out an old much-beloved '87 Squire Bullet One 3S and want to do the nut, but don't know what kind to order
@@AnthonyBayerl I took it to a luthier. As far as ordering from Graphtech you can email them and ask. I think they have one that fits all import Strats. At the time I did some research on the net or with Graphtech. Unsure now. It’s been a few years. Hope you get it sorted out
Worked guitars for years but have only done this on my own Strats - swap the middle and bridge pickup positions WITHOUT rewiring > "bridge" pickup then has the tone control AND the first crack select position becomes neck/bridge out of phase, second crack is still mid/bridge out of phase (one COULD reverse magnet polarity of the mid - which was bridge, to hum cancel) only drawback (to me) is passing through the no toned mid (former bridge pickup) sweep from "position" 1-5 As far as treble bleed, Hendrix left his Marshall amps wide open for distortion and used the Strat volume knob to not only back volume but to "mellow" the tone. He hardly used the Fuzzface unit as much as players assume. He used the guitar's volume control because... he left the Marshall amps at basically full volume for piercing distortion.
Believe you me, if you want drop down a half step with the tremolo enabled, prepare to retune each string at least 3 times while springs settle; great time for a drum solo:( I play in different tunings from song to song and I wasn't very good with the tremolo anyway, so I tightened the screws all the way down. No tremolo, but retuning is a breeze now. I got rid of the top volume pot because I kept hitting it with my right hand which was annoying (personal problem, no fault to Fender). The 7.25" radius neck took some getting used to as a Tele/Gibson player too. Installed jumbo frets to reduce fretting out and improve the feel. The good news is after all this, it's my go to electric. Strat simplified to a Tele more or less. I have 3 Les Pauls, a Tele, and a Rick 360. It's the only guitar I've ever bought that I had to change so much, but it was well worth the trouble.
I always appreciate time stamps: #1 0:29 Pick up height #2 1:29 Float Trem #3 3:07 Use position 2/4 #4 3:55 Bridge tone mod (if nec.) #5 5:00 Raise string height #6 5:55 Install 10-way switch #7 7:26 Change to HSS, use Noise Gate Pedal, and/or use position 2/4 for high gain #8 9:11 Use Volume control to clean up tone / Tone bleed circuit mod (if nec.) #9 11:03 Add locking tuners #10 12:55 Tremolo Spring options Another great video!
thanks. another suggestion - changing to a quality nut on a cheaper strat? poor saddle or nut causes a plonk sound in string and puts it out of tune. use nut sauce, no pun intended.
I own 3 Strats and found the best mod is to make the middle tone nob a master tone control for all pickups and replace the second tone nob with a "no load" blender pot between the bridge and neck pickups. It allows you to mix the neck and bridge pickups. Very cool! It's really a passive balance control. Allows you to add a little 'neck' to your bridge setting or a little 'bridge' to the neck position. Turn it all the way down and the pickups are 50/50.
ALSO, DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE TREM ARM SPRING! Most people don’t realize there is a small stiff spring inside the hole where the tremolo bar screws in. It’s not fixed in there so if you turn your guitar upside down it’ll fall out and this is why most people don’t have one in their guitar. And it’s mostly because they didn’t know anything about it and didn’t know that they already lost it. Sometimes it gets lost in the music store too. But the purpose for this spring is to keep the tremolo arm in place. It stops it from swinging all around while you’re playing. I really hope more people read this because I didn’t know this for about the first 10 years of owning a Stratocaster and now I have a bag full of these things just in case since I own several Stratocasters now.
I think the biggest reason most people don't know there is a spring because Fender only puts then in the USA models...not the Squires, MIMs, etc. Also, none of the other manufacturers really do it. Everyone that owns a Strat of any type should buy a bag or two of those relatively cheap springs...I consider them necessary and a great frustration reliever.
@@christianhansen3041 Guitar center should have them, Amazon has them in a 12 pack for like $6. They are called Fender Tremelo Arm Springs. Also, any new guitar with a screw/wind in tremolo arm that has a little sticker over the tremolo arm hole is there because it's holding a spring in there. They just provide tension so the arm doesn't have to be screwed all the way in to stay where you put it.
Fantastic video! I've been playing strats for 40 years or more, obviously I love them, and I learned a few new things. But I found the best way to get the most out of a strat... is to have two or three set up differently! I have a 1996 MIMN that I modded a lot, including a Floyd Rose full dive bomb trem and Seymour Duncan Vintage Series pups, locking nut, etc. It's been my workhorse since then. I also have a newer MIM HSS strat that I left alone because I love the beautiful tones it gives me. Bottom line...find what works for you and leave it alone, then get another one!
As a 33 year Strat player I swear my post would've been identical had I not read read yours first with 2 of my 5 with the HSS configuration...one with EMG pickups and the other an American Pro II. My SRV Strat has .12s with the highest action of the 5 but really can dig in w/ no fear. All 5 Strats.. 5 different pickup configurations and setups really has been given each a unique a unique personality.
Personally, an HSS and SSS strat are all ya need imo. I have a Jackson Soloist and an Ibanez S for the metal dive bar thing, and they do it better too. Plus, if I need humbuckers only, I got a Guild Bluesbird. Strats have a spot more than people like to think, and that's how I keep mine.
Lube the nut slots with tiny amounts of graphite and vaseline, and replace the string trees with roller trees. My Strat's floating vibrato bridge never goes out of tune without locking tuners. Also a push pull volume knob to turn on the bridge pickup is a must to add versatility to your five way switch. I feel a ten way can be too confusing.
Trick Nr.1: look at other brands, the ones that (unlike Fender) actually bother to make their "Strats" play intonated, with usable tremolo systems, with nice fret work, etc. Trick Nr.2: don't spend money on Custom Shop or silly & fake relic aesthetics, rather save a lot and spend a little extra later for meaningful hardware/electronics upgrades & setup. 😉
If there is one thing I have learned about Fender over the last 40 years .... it's100% marketing, including gaslighting and brainwashing regarding the grossly overpriced guitars. You can buy a Squier or Squier Mini (I have two) ... and with a few very minor changes ... sound just as good as a $2500 Strat. I have done the A/B tests with various friends, and the consensus is exactly what I said. Bottom line ... why pay more.
I have watched a zillion guitar videos and I have never seen a ten-way switch before. Thanks, Darrell, for showing me something different--I will def look into it!
The best mod I've ever done is to remove the tone controls completely, and move the volume control down to the bottom, where the tone control used to be, out of the way of my hand. The tone controls interfere with the sound of the pickups, even when you think they're off. You get a clearer and fuller sound with all the tone crap removed. And a humbucker in a Strat? Heresy. The whole point of a Strat is the single-coils.
I put the selector switch in position four and then gnawed it off with my teeth, Hendrix style! I'll tell you how things go once I return form the orthodontist.
Thank you. I lowered the p’ups on my American Standard and wow what a wonderful difference. I have rediscovered this guitar. Thank you again for what you do for us.
@@user-of9ut1hd9q They were close to the factory specs.3.6 mm bass side, 2.5 treble. Almost double those numbers now. Way sweeter. I play through a Hot Rod Deville but keep the volume low. I never play out.
Thanks for adding to my work! I'm half way through recording my album and now, after your awesome advice and making my 50th Anniversary Issue Stratocaster sound 1000% better, I have to go back and re-record all the Stratocaster parts so they'll sound so much better. Keep it up!
I agree with the 2 springs option though a better option is to buy softer springs and replace with them. The Raw Vintage brand does this for ~$25 no tech needed. Also guys, please learn how to float the trem yourself by watching some videos. My strats stay in tune WITH floating trems that I use constantly.
A few years ago, I was really into getting a strat. I did A LOT of research. I ended up with a Mexican “Deluxe”. For $825 it came with locking tuners, noiseless pickups, a push push button to activate the bridge pu in positions 5,4, and 3, and a contoured heel joint. I paid to have the edges slightly rolled. I totally love that guitar.
I paid to get the edges rolled on a recent used strat, but next time I'm doing it myself, and getting nut files too, Stewmac has everything we need. ALL guitar players should do their own setup, including fret and nut work, which is really very simple if you watch videos and take it slow. I'm mechanically challenged, but I'd rather do my own guitars and get it exactly right, rather than pay some guy who does that stuff all day to do it, and sometimes not do it the way I wanted, so I have to take it back (after waiting for weeks in the first place!). Setups including intonation and pickup height we all need to do, or work closely with a tech if you can afford to. But I'm getting back into doing my own nuts, saddles, and frets. I also bought a Lindy Fralin boat neck (Allparts), which he sands into a soft V, and sprays with nitro, I think he does a little fret work, but I'll finish the frets myself, and do the nut. I've always wanted to shave down a boat neck to a perfect soft V that fits my hand perfectly, and Stewmac has the scrapers and other tools needed to do necks too - dig it.........!
trick #11 buy the schector nick johnston hss model which will have all the mods done for you out of the box,just bought this guitar 🎸 a couple months ago best strat style guitar i’ve ever owned and super versatile 👍
Tip #1 (pickup height) inadvertently fixed a confusing problem I was having with a newly-bought (second hand) Strat. It was buzzing like mad on many strings. I'd tried new strings, neck relief adjustment, saddle/action height, fret leveling/polishing.. nothing made much difference... After watching this I noticed how high the pickups were (duh, call me Captain Observation) and dropped them a lot. It didn't noticeably affect the volume but now the fret buzz is negligible. I'm pretty confident I can eliminate it completely if I start from here and set the rest of the guitar up properly. Thanks Darrell
Great tips Darrell! I love my strat that I built. It's because of you I installed the Obsidianwire blender switch wiring and locking tuners! That being said I think a great way to warm up and mellow out a strat is flatwound strings. Keep up the good work!
I love flatwound strings, especially with a wound G. Really nice, mellow tone. Tuning stability is dead on (no evil G). I'm mainly a rhythm player, though; wound G strings are a little more challenging to bend, I've found.
Don't know if someone has already mentioned this in the comments, but I consider a graphite nut (e.g. Graph Tech TUSQ XL) to be a great upgrade for any strat, for it acts as a self lubricating tool that keeps the strings in tune whenever you use your whammy/trem bar. This means the strings slip through the slots and return to their original pitch with no problems. These come in different sizes and its slots are filled most of the time, making the nut replacement quicker. Besides, these nuts' cost is relatively cheap. Thanks for taking the time to read this, hope it was useful to anyone.
For any guitar. Got the Tusc XL on my L P. Not gonna change the nut on my Strat cause it's actually the best you could use. The roller nut/ locking tuners is a great system.
My MIM strat tends to get overlooked in preference to my other (more sexy?) guitars, but every now and again I pull it out of its case and I'm reminded of just how great and comfortable it feels to play
If there is one thing I have learned about Fender over the last 40 years .... it's100% marketing, including gaslighting and brainwashing regarding the grossly overpriced guitars. You can buy a Squier or Squier Mini (I have two) ... and with a few very minor changes ... sound just as good as a $2500 Strat. I have done the A/B tests with various friends, and the consensus is exactly what I said. Bottom line ... why pay more.
A decently set up Strat wont go out of tune with hard trem use... I use Dry Lube for the last 25 years... A dry spray designed to keep curtain tracks from sticking.. It works a treat!! And yes, a floating trem is the way to go!!
Tip 7 - I made a shielded cavity and all noise went away. I can really recommend. I play only singles on the Strats and shielding the cavity is really great mod to do.
Regarding Tip #7 (playing high gain tones) I totally agree on the noise gate, I use a small Joyo one called Gate of Khan which is dirt cheap, one knob you only need to tweak until you find the sweet spot (removing hum without losing sustain and drying out the flavor of the tone) and you're good to go for some heavy tunes
A minor one - get one of those little springs to drop into the whammy bar hole before you screw the bar in. Stops the bar flapping in the breeze. Don't know if all new strats come with this as I've never been able to afford a new one (!), but every second-hand one I've ever bought (Fender or Squier) hasn't had one. Tip - if you buy the Fender replacement ones, don't screw the bar in really tight - that compresses the spring to the point where it won't recover, then it's just a block of metal. Would've thought Fender could find some better materials to make them from.
Hello Darrell, nice and informative video as always !! I'd like to see a video in the future, where you analyze the different positions of the 10-way switch, especially the one that uses the three coils simultaneously. Great content, Kudos
I added tremolo arm tension springs to my player series HSS. The arm would not stay where I put it and would wiggle in the mounting hole. I added the tension springs and it fixed these issues.
Thank you for the info about the pick-up height! 😀🙏 I've been following a luthier/guitar fixer's channel (also Canadian) for a while now who swears by adjusting them fairly close to the strings, often commenting with, "If you've been wondering why your guitar ain't sounding good, then your pick-ups most likely are too low", and so I adjusted my Strat's accordingly - and now have the middle pick-up in the way of my pick 🙄 I'll just put them lower again now - I didn't really notice much sound improvement after raising them anyway!
I have a Mexican HSS that I put a Seymour jb trembucker in the bridge. I'm going to try lowering the neck and middle pickups. I agree, the 4th position alone makes getting a strat worth it. I'm amazed shielding the cavity wasnt in this vid tho. It's a must mod!
I used to play my Chrome Blue Strat in a heavy metal band, and I used position 2. However, I was always fighting it, until for some reason, I bought a Boss noise gate. Night and day! I could ramp the gain up and not have to worry about loud hums when not playing. Yes to low P/U and high strings, yes locking tuners, but also strap locks.
If you have a 6 screw trem I can't recommend enough dumping the stock trem screws and install PRS style screws with the notched shaft. Dramatically improved the feel of the trem. That is, if your bridge plate has the countersunk holes underneath creating a butter knife edge. Straight holes won't work.
Great tips, Darrel! Thank you! Although I don’t own a Fender Strat at the moment, I adjusted the pickup height on my Silver Sky and it made a massive difference. Feels like a totally different guitar.
Another great video from Darrell. I miss two things though : a closeup picture of the mod for bridge PUP to work with tone control. If you haven't opened up a guitar before, it can seem a bit scary when in reality it is very easy to do. And: the Faraday cage, the excellent hum-reducer wich is also very easy to do.Just cover the inside cavities with copper tape (and connect it to ground). I have several single coil guitars, and it really works. No need for a noise gate imho :-)
I have 3 Strats left, I just sold 2. I'm looking for a hard tail now. I could add a couple things to help your list. If you going to do a humbucker in pos 1, Seymour Duncan makes a "stacked humbucker", that is the same dimensions as a single coil. I believe they call it the "little 59"? The tone target was to sound like a 59 PAF, and it does. Very easy to install using the same pick guard. The second, when you change strings, take a #2 (soft) pencil and rub it in the nut slots. This leaves a little graphite film there and the strings slide/move without sticking. Like Darrell said, there are a lot more too. Good luck!! --gary
Both great suggestions! 😀👍 I've been doing the pencil trick forever myself 🙂 And another good replacement pick-up for a more humbucker-like sound that fits into the same pickguard is the DiMarzio FS-1, which may also be stacked but I'm not a 100% sure.
@@mightyV444 Thanks, and I have a DiMarzio story! Starting in the mid-70's I had a Gibson ES325, I gigged that for 10 years! The 325 was a Gibson 'mutt', they only made it '72- ' 79. It was all hollow, w/2- Firebird pups, and a trapeze tailpiece. I played on the neck pup a lot. My tech talked me into putting a DiMarzio PAF there. He had to route the pup hole larger to do it. I loved it! 6 weeks later I was on stage, all of a sudden I had the neck in one hand and the body in the other!! The tech had routed the neck tenon right off, and it broke off in my hands!! I gave it to a neighbors kid for a shop project, never saw it again!! Live and learn I guess. --gary
@@gtr1952 - Oh nooo!! 🙈 Bummer! And after having played it for quite a long time, too! 😯 Good on ya for giving it to a youngster, though! 😀👍 Did you keep your tech? 😉 And it appears an ES325 is the same guitar the dude from Kings Of Leon plays 🙂
@@mightyV444 I did keep him for awhile. That was in the 70's - 80's and we have remained friends since. The tech thing was a little different then. I used 4 guitars. I'd pick them up on Wednesday. We would do 8 gigs, Thu, Fri, Sat night, Thu, Fri, Sat happy hour, Sat wedding, Festival Sun afternoon (there were a lot of them back then!) Then I dropped them off. He would re-string, adj, repair etc. I'm 70 now, I think he had 10 years on me! LOL I have a 335 walnut color now, w/burstbuckers, that looks like the 325. Although the 325 had a very thin neck (width wise), and I used it to play rhythm. I still have 40 some electrics/acoustics, a couple bass's, mandolins, a lap steel and 8 or so amps/cabs kicking around. LOL Like kids, I can't sell them. 8) --gary
Great tips; I never heard of the 'Ten-way Switch, amazing! My 1987 MIK Strat is not new and neither is my playing. Just recently I actually regained clarity and output by raising my pups. Not too close, around 4 mm-4.2mm. They might be getting weak with age? There is no 'warble' and it sounds much better. Don't rely just on theory, use your ears too.
Love the vid and the tips. I am a dedicated Strat person for the past 50 years and yeah, the pickup height and magnet strength I have had issues with over the years. Talking now about my 1960 pre-CBS Strat... Let the trem float, use 3 springs and as you say, thrash it to break it in and get that graphite on the nut slots. Have to say Tip 5 is er, a bit unusual. I say that because I don't know anyone who wants a higher action - ever! Also, a humbucker on a Strat is like putting a trapdoor on a canoe. You do that it isn't a Strat any more. Use a Les Paul for that! Position 4 is a wonderful tonal chamber of delights. What did we do when it was only a 3-way toggle? The mod for the bridge pickup I like - not that I ever move ANY of the 3 pots - they are all glued to 10! Which brings me to Tip 8 and the Vol control. See, back it off and the Strat dies - all the sustain goes. Tone goes muddy and weedy! I've had to slip a piccy undermine as it is so slack (worn) it will self-back off and suddenly I've lost the bite - not now it won't! OK, not one for subtly and tones am I lol! I enjoyed that vid. I could talk Strats all day because they are the best guitar (for me) ever made. Only thing I still don't get is why you'd want a 6 minute hike to the fretboard with string height. Why make it harder to play? Want bigger bends then get lighter gauge strings or scoop and scallop if you must or put Aintree Race Course Fence frets on it! 😊
I'm just about to get my first usa fender strat ( 1990, maple fretboard), managed to negotiate to trade my prs se +some money.. can't wait...might use this video to get as much out of it as possible 😁
You mean the 432 frequency? I think the powers that be changed to the standard 440, which is not congruent to the harmony of the universe that 432 matches. It’s even mathematical. Check that out if you haven’t heard of it. I like to play in 432. My voice does better with half step down tunings.
Great video...but a counterpoint about the floating trem: Eric Johnson decks his. ;) (EVH had his set to dive-only as well :) ) Seriously though, I'm decking mine because I'm kind of heavy handed and it's too easy for me to inadvertently put a floating trem out of tune on the Strat.
Great tips!! My main Strat is springed down and blocked. I roll off a bit of neck volume and we have a nice big body sound. She has other tricks to offer as well. Two other Strats are always open for trying something new and we discover new improvements.
If Fender were going to introduce the locking tuners on strats, please make them an option so that we don't HAVE to have them. I would go out of my way to buy the model that doesn't have them. We're all different players but I really don't like locking tuners.
Great video! Raising the strings makes it a lot harder to bend and play overall and changes intonation slightly which makes that change a tad tedious. A better solution to get nicer sustains is to use a compressor and a noise gate which together allow to lengthen your sustains while keeping them clean. The 10way switch would be awesome on my American Standard HSS...which is the exact same finish/look as the one you have there. Wish it had locking tuners, but I ordered a Sire S7-FM-TBL
@@wuuuuuuu254 It's really a personal choice, some prefer one before the other, some prefer the opposite. The best thing for you to decide what you like is to try both setups and play with the settings for a long enough time on both setups to find whatever tone/sound you want. There's no one exact or perfect one way to do it. If you have a effects looping setup on your amp, some also put some pedals through that. Most guitarists however do place the noise gate first or second and the same for compressor. Your compressor will get you the sustains you want when you find your desired setting. Depends if you want to compress your other pedals or not, also take into account gain compounding (multiple gains one after the other), depends what type of music you are playing. If you have the pedals and have the time, try multiple setups and play, maybe even record yourself, label your recordings with the setup and then compare them to decide. Cheers! Edit : My personal preference is to eliminate noise before anything else.
Yep, I started small and in total turned each of the 6 screws 3 full turns. Yes there's a change in tone (for the better) in my opinion and more sustain. Thanks again Darrell 🎸🤠👍
Another great tip is a hair tie or scrunchy on the trem springs - helps mute that buzz some make. Cory Wong even has a Fender Signature hair tie that comes with his Signature model.
Im glad you put this video out. Ive had a strat for 10 years and never really played it because the frets were so worn down that it was unplayable. It is in the process of getting refretted and now Im even more excited to use it when I get it back. Thanks!
As someone who struggles to pick one option when it comes to tone, a 10 position swtich sounds like a nightmare ! I think I'll stick with my 3 positions for now (on a tele). Joke aside, sounds like a pretty cool mod !
Darrel, you are my "very best favorite" content creator, your channel is really great...top notch, you deserve at least 4 o 5 million susbcribers...... please keep going!!.....every time I watch some of your videos, my passion about guitars keep growing.... best regards from Bolivia....
It shouldn't take a week for a guitar to "settle" with new strings, because yo udon't have that luxury on tour where you change strings every 2-3 shows. My other floating trem guitars (all Musicman) settle within a few mins of stretching and playing.
These guitars have a VIBRATO, NOT A TREMELO!!! Vibrato is a mechanical effect while tremelo is a modulation or electronic effect. The 2 are often confused...
Hi, Darrell, I like your videos very much! In your experience what strings gauge do you prefer for a Stratocaster? With 7, 1/4 radius ? Vintera strat? Thanks!!!
I’ve been playing the same Strat since the 1980s. The only mods I’ve done is adding locking tuners and strap locks. I agree that you don’t want the action too low on a Strat - that kills your tone, especially if you play clean. For a while I had the trem blocked, for a while decked, but now I like it best floating. Stays in tune fine if you use it right.
I think I got this from George Harrison comment - "only way to get decent Strat tone is heavy strings and medium/high action". I've played flat-top acoustics with 13-56 mediums (bending wound G) for so long, I'm at home with acoustic setups on a Strat! Anyone asking to try my electrics go, WTF??? How the hell are you doing that??? LOL It's like Jimi flipping a Strat... it becomes the norm so long, playing a "proper" left-hand model is out. P.S. Low action is NOT your friend
Tip 1, Change Pickups to splitable Humbuckers in Bridge and Neck Position Tip 2 Use your Guitar Nut Buster, solves your Problem But my most important Tip, change the Neck to a Wormoth Neck with Gibson Size and 22 Jumbo Frets like ESP and LTD has and you have the Best Strat you can buy for all Kind of music!
Outstanding, I’m on my 2nd Strat mostly like my Tele’s. My 1st Strat was an American Std 2015 and we never got along. So bummed. SOLD. Went many years w/o. I didn’t want to blow a lot of money on the second one, so I bought a MIM player LE. Can’t get a straight answer from GC but why LE but $679 good buy. What if I’m not a strat person? I already love my new Strat, very cooperative, and with your 10 Strat improvements I’m going to use at least 7! I’m feeling good about this. That’s why I watch your flicks. Thank you.
I disagree! The increased magnetic pull off the pickups will prematurely "dampen" the strings and thus reduce sustain. Tried it and could clearly notice this.
Play the same Strat for 35 yrs. locked down bridge,master vol & tone, treble bleed,BK Irish Tour pups, virtually No paint left on her……..what can I say, I’m just an old blues man. The Best thing you can do with a Strat is Play it. Oh if mine had high heels & stocking I’d shag it 🙃🎸
That's the advantage of the player series HSS strat. It has the added humbucker pickup. On position one the balls kick in... that gives you the best of both worlds...
Most competitors in the $500-700 range have locking tuners? Do Gibsons, Epiphones or PRS SE guitars come with those? I've owned a number of those brands in the sub-$1000 range and the only guitar with locking tuners was modified with them by a previous owner.
My strat sounded much better when I lowered the pickups. Same story on my basses. I tend to think people are "wrong" when they say to put them up as high as you can.
I’ve owned & played many Strats over the last 50 years and not one had a good floating trem system; they all knock out of tune…I built my current Strat to ‘62 specs including those very cool ‘57/‘62 pickups and I made it a hard tail…it stays in tune & the sustain is better too…I also put in the 10 way toggle; very cool; you don’t really get 10 great tones but 2 or 3 more good ones; #8 on mine sounds a lot like a Gretsch, perfect for early Beatles; I saw one of those ‘alternate universe’ Strats with a Jazzmaster tremelo unit; that looks interesting ‘cause the only trem system I’ve ever liked was on a ‘64 Jazzmaster (stolen from my car in the ‘90s)
The best deal on a USA strat is a used G&L legacy USA, I find them near pristine marketplace for $700-900 from time to time.. I got a pristine one for $750 in factory hardshell.. And i find the legacy a step above the standard USA strats in build quality..
Locking tuners should be on all guitars over 800 bucks, it's ridiculous that they don't. I have a j.custom ibanez just bought it 2 months ago 3 grand... no damn locking tuners... And a prestige Ibanez and no locking tuners... Ridiculous...
Strats are great. I bought Cort G260 HSS with coil tap in sunburst colour in 2014 and its one of the best guitars i have played, better then some Fender strats. I just changed pickups to Seymour Duncans and its great, stays in tune and sounds awesome. 🎸🎶☮
I’ve had a cheap $80 Amazon Strat just sitting in my closet for years. I always hate playing cause it just sounds terrible. Always end up just playing my acoustic instead. Is it even possible to make a Strat this cheap sound better, or should I just give up on it and invest in a new guitar? (I’m broke, so I’d like to save it if at all possible)
Showing some love for the Strat this week!
If if missed any tips (like choosing a different string gauge ect) let me know down below! 👇
Enjoy :)
Black background and black t-shirts mix a bit too well IMO, what happened to the nice bright space?
Thanks for a really interesting vid. My only thought was the Freeway could also be a good option for playing high gain by using the bridge and middle in series? I think it should be humbucking as long as the middle is RWRP. Those freeway switches are awesome, I have the HSH version and it's great.
Hi Darrell, a similar video but for the tele would be awesome. Maybe there's already one and I missed it?
Also, a review of the Ibanez AR 520 HFM VLS would be really really nice! 😀
Someone who agrees?
Hi Darrell, a Trick that I use over the years is to put graphit into the nuts of the saddle and the Bridge where the Strings comes out of the Body. Therefore I'm using the Carbonmine of a Pencil. Easy, cheap and very effectiv.
By the way another good Vid from you. Stay tuned, save and shine on.
Salutations sur Quebec, Alex ☺☺🎸🎸
Do a video on the "D" harmonic that comes from the end of the "G" string if you don't have a string tree on it. Same happens with tele's.
Tip 11: Buy a pack of Fender whammy bar springs and pop one in before you screw the tremolo bar in. The resistance is just perfect for keeping the bar where you want it. Without one, the bar just swings wildly all over the place. Great vid as usual Darrell. Thanks.
Yes, that's a good piece of advice, too! 😀👍 Many new Strats come with that little spring already in place, hence the round sticker covering the hole 🙂
Excellent tip. I absolutely must have one installed.
YES
@@mightyV444 Not Fender Player strats. But I bought the springs separately and they fit perfectly
Unfortunately some Mexican strats have a hole where the spring falls all the way through… best upgrade in that case.
Graptech nut on a Strat? Most definitely. Will keep that guitar in tune. I’ve had one on a Mex Strat for a couple years . Huge upgrade.
Yes 100 percent
I use locking tuners and I flos the nut . Keep it clean . My strat stayes in tune . Even after a string change . At times a new string hits the spot , but other times , there is nothing like a string thats broken in .
How did you determine if you needed a bottom radius or flat bottom nut? I've built out an old much-beloved '87 Squire Bullet One 3S and want to do the nut, but don't know what kind to order
@@AnthonyBayerl I took it to a luthier. As far as ordering from Graphtech you can email them and ask. I think they have one that fits all import Strats. At the time I did some research on the net or with Graphtech. Unsure now. It’s been a few years. Hope you get it sorted out
I use locking tuners and an LSR Roller Nut…Roller Nut is AMAZING!!🎸🎸
Position #4 WITH CHORUS!!!!
SO GOOD AND SO GOOD FOR YOU
Worked guitars for years but have only done this on my own Strats - swap the middle and bridge pickup positions WITHOUT rewiring > "bridge" pickup then has the tone control AND the first crack select position becomes neck/bridge out of phase, second crack is still mid/bridge out of phase (one COULD reverse magnet polarity of the mid - which was bridge, to hum cancel) only drawback (to me) is passing through the no toned mid (former bridge pickup) sweep from "position" 1-5 As far as treble bleed, Hendrix left his Marshall amps wide open for distortion and used the Strat volume knob to not only back volume but to "mellow" the tone. He hardly used the Fuzzface unit as much as players assume. He used the guitar's volume control because... he left the Marshall amps at basically full volume for piercing distortion.
Believe you me, if you want drop down a half step with the tremolo enabled, prepare to retune each string at least 3 times while springs settle; great time for a drum solo:( I play in different tunings from song to song and I wasn't very good with the tremolo anyway, so I tightened the screws all the way down. No tremolo, but retuning is a breeze now. I got rid of the top volume pot because I kept hitting it with my right hand which was annoying (personal problem, no fault to Fender). The 7.25" radius neck took some getting used to as a Tele/Gibson player too. Installed jumbo frets to reduce fretting out and improve the feel. The good news is after all this, it's my go to electric. Strat simplified to a Tele more or less. I have 3 Les Pauls, a Tele, and a Rick 360. It's the only guitar I've ever bought that I had to change so much, but it was well worth the trouble.
Had my strat for years but these were some great ideas. Thanks for the info. Such a good video.
Two more not mentioned: 1) improve the shielding; 2) use a #2 pencil on strings at nut
I always appreciate time stamps:
#1 0:29 Pick up height
#2 1:29 Float Trem
#3 3:07 Use position 2/4
#4 3:55 Bridge tone mod (if nec.)
#5 5:00 Raise string height
#6 5:55 Install 10-way switch
#7 7:26 Change to HSS, use Noise Gate Pedal, and/or use position 2/4 for high gain
#8 9:11 Use Volume control to clean up tone / Tone bleed circuit mod (if nec.)
#9 11:03 Add locking tuners
#10 12:55 Tremolo Spring options
Another great video!
And I always appreciate people who take the trouble of typing it out for us.
thanks. another suggestion - changing to a quality nut on a cheaper strat? poor saddle or nut causes a plonk sound in string and puts it out of tune. use nut sauce, no pun intended.
@@anmolsingh9025 Just get a better guitar.
@@beefnacos6258 what is the point of this video? If one has a guitar that is not so called -a better guitar than apply these mods?
@@anmolsingh9025 that's more of a general tip, not only for the strat i guess
I own 3 Strats and found the best mod is to make the middle tone nob a master tone control for all pickups and replace the second tone nob with a "no load" blender pot between the bridge and neck pickups. It allows you to mix the neck and bridge pickups. Very cool! It's really a passive balance control. Allows you to add a little 'neck' to your bridge setting or a little 'bridge' to the neck position. Turn it all the way down and the pickups are 50/50.
ALSO, DON’T FORGET ABOUT THE TREM ARM SPRING!
Most people don’t realize there is a small stiff spring inside the hole where the tremolo bar screws in. It’s not fixed in there so if you turn your guitar upside down it’ll fall out and this is why most people don’t have one in their guitar. And it’s mostly because they didn’t know anything about it and didn’t know that they already lost it. Sometimes it gets lost in the music store too. But the purpose for this spring is to keep the tremolo arm in place. It stops it from swinging all around while you’re playing. I really hope more people read this because I didn’t know this for about the first 10 years of owning a Stratocaster and now I have a bag full of these things just in case since I own several Stratocasters now.
Oh my goodness. I’ve been playing for almost 50 years and thought there was something wrong with my strat. I’ll have to go and grab some springs.
I think the biggest reason most people don't know there is a spring because Fender only puts then in the USA models...not the Squires, MIMs, etc. Also, none of the other manufacturers really do it. Everyone that owns a Strat of any type should buy a bag or two of those relatively cheap springs...I consider them necessary and a great frustration reliever.
@@kristopherkrahl1597 can you buy the little springs at any music shop?
@@christianhansen3041 Guitar center should have them, Amazon has them in a 12 pack for like $6. They are called Fender Tremelo Arm Springs. Also, any new guitar with a screw/wind in tremolo arm that has a little sticker over the tremolo arm hole is there because it's holding a spring in there. They just provide tension so the arm doesn't have to be screwed all the way in to stay where you put it.
@@kristopherkrahl1597 THANK YOU!!!!
Fantastic video! I've been playing strats for 40 years or more, obviously I love them, and I learned a few new things. But I found the best way to get the most out of a strat... is to have two or three set up differently! I have a 1996 MIMN that I modded a lot, including a Floyd Rose full dive bomb trem and Seymour Duncan Vintage Series pups, locking nut, etc. It's been my workhorse since then. I also have a newer MIM HSS strat that I left alone because I love the beautiful tones it gives me. Bottom line...find what works for you and leave it alone, then get another one!
As a 33 year Strat player I swear my post would've been identical had I not read read yours first with 2 of my 5 with the HSS configuration...one with EMG pickups and the other an American Pro II. My SRV Strat has .12s with the highest action of the 5 but really can dig in w/ no fear. All 5 Strats.. 5 different pickup configurations and setups really has been given each a unique a unique personality.
Personally, an HSS and SSS strat are all ya need imo. I have a Jackson Soloist and an Ibanez S for the metal dive bar thing, and they do it better too. Plus, if I need humbuckers only, I got a Guild Bluesbird. Strats have a spot more than people like to think, and that's how I keep mine.
Holy. How have I never seen a 10 way switch that fits like that. That’s epic. I might need one.
I didn't know that existed either. I'm gonna try to find a RUclips video demonstration
Lube the nut slots with tiny amounts of graphite and vaseline, and replace the string trees with roller trees. My Strat's floating vibrato bridge never goes out of tune without locking tuners.
Also a push pull volume knob to turn on the bridge pickup is a must to add versatility to your five way switch. I feel a ten way can be too confusing.
Trick Nr.1: look at other brands, the ones that (unlike Fender) actually bother to make their "Strats" play intonated, with usable tremolo systems, with nice fret work, etc.
Trick Nr.2: don't spend money on Custom Shop or silly & fake relic aesthetics, rather save a lot and spend a little extra later for meaningful hardware/electronics upgrades & setup.
😉
But the name on the headstock is the most important thing! 🤣
Hahaha, can’t argue with you there!
Darrell did make a whole video around Trick #1, though! 😉 And I totally agree with your Trick #2! 😀👍
If there is one thing I have learned about Fender over the last 40 years .... it's100% marketing, including gaslighting and brainwashing regarding the grossly overpriced guitars.
You can buy a Squier or Squier Mini (I have two) ... and with a few very minor changes ... sound just as good as a $2500 Strat. I have done the A/B tests with various friends, and the consensus is exactly what I said. Bottom line ... why pay more.
@@thebaldshredder It is at resale time.
I have watched a zillion guitar videos and I have never seen a ten-way switch before. Thanks, Darrell, for showing me something different--I will def look into it!
The best mod I've ever done is to remove the tone controls completely, and move the volume control down to the bottom, where the tone control used to be, out of the way of my hand. The tone controls interfere with the sound of the pickups, even when you think they're off. You get a clearer and fuller sound with all the tone crap removed. And a humbucker in a Strat? Heresy. The whole point of a Strat is the single-coils.
I prefer position 2 personally. I also did the bridge tone mod and it really transformed my Strat!
I put the selector switch in position four and then gnawed it off with my teeth, Hendrix style! I'll tell you how things go once I return form the orthodontist.
Thank you. I lowered the p’ups on my American Standard and wow what a wonderful difference. I have rediscovered this guitar. Thank you again for what you do for us.
Were the pickup heights closer to factory spec before or after lowering them?
@@user-of9ut1hd9q They were close to the factory specs.3.6 mm bass side, 2.5 treble. Almost double those numbers now. Way sweeter. I play through a Hot Rod Deville but keep the volume low. I never play out.
Thanks for adding to my work! I'm half way through recording my album and now, after your awesome advice and making my 50th Anniversary Issue Stratocaster sound 1000% better, I have to go back and re-record all the Stratocaster parts so they'll sound so much better. Keep it up!
Thank You, on all talks of Fender stratocasters...
I agree with the 2 springs option though a better option is to buy softer springs and replace with them. The Raw Vintage brand does this for ~$25 no tech needed. Also guys, please learn how to float the trem yourself by watching some videos. My strats stay in tune WITH floating trems that I use constantly.
No more money handed out for war
wokism
A few years ago, I was really into getting a strat. I did A LOT of research. I ended up with a Mexican “Deluxe”. For $825 it came with locking tuners, noiseless pickups, a push push button to activate the bridge pu in positions 5,4, and 3, and a contoured heel joint. I paid to have the edges slightly rolled. I totally love that guitar.
Wow, that sounds like an amazing axe, man.
Nice! 🙌
I paid to get the edges rolled on a recent used strat, but next time I'm doing it myself, and getting nut files too, Stewmac has everything we need. ALL guitar players should do their own setup, including fret and nut work, which is really very simple if you watch videos and take it slow. I'm mechanically challenged, but I'd rather do my own guitars and get it exactly right, rather than pay some guy who does that stuff all day to do it, and sometimes not do it the way I wanted, so I have to take it back (after waiting for weeks in the first place!). Setups including intonation and pickup height we all need to do, or work closely with a tech if you can afford to. But I'm getting back into doing my own nuts, saddles, and frets. I also bought a Lindy Fralin boat neck (Allparts), which he sands into a soft V, and sprays with nitro, I think he does a little fret work, but I'll finish the frets myself, and do the nut. I've always wanted to shave down a boat neck to a perfect soft V that fits my hand perfectly, and Stewmac has the scrapers and other tools needed to do necks too - dig it.........!
Jimmy Vaughan plays a Mexican Strat
@@pharmerdavid1432 I agree. Most of the skills for doing setup work are pretty easy. It helps me play better as I continue to perfect the setup!
trick #11 buy the schector nick johnston hss model which will have all the mods done for you out of the box,just bought this guitar 🎸 a couple months ago best strat style guitar i’ve ever owned and super versatile 👍
Tip #1 (pickup height) inadvertently fixed a confusing problem I was having with a newly-bought (second hand) Strat. It was buzzing like mad on many strings. I'd tried new strings, neck relief adjustment, saddle/action height, fret leveling/polishing.. nothing made much difference... After watching this I noticed how high the pickups were (duh, call me Captain Observation) and dropped them a lot. It didn't noticeably affect the volume but now the fret buzz is negligible. I'm pretty confident I can eliminate it completely if I start from here and set the rest of the guitar up properly. Thanks Darrell
Hello, update on the setup?
Great tips Darrell! I love my strat that I built. It's because of you I installed the Obsidianwire blender switch wiring and locking tuners! That being said I think a great way to warm up and mellow out a strat is flatwound strings. Keep up the good work!
I bet that helps
I love flatwound strings, especially with a wound G. Really nice, mellow tone. Tuning stability is dead on (no evil G). I'm mainly a rhythm player, though; wound G strings are a little more challenging to bend, I've found.
Yes. I've got flatwounds on my Tele Thinline, tone on the neck p/u is delicious and creamy.
Mellow out a Strat? Defeats the point of the single coils. You want mellow, buy a Les Paul.
SIT makes a set of semi flat strings in 9's great strings
Amazing timing, just got a player strat over the weekend
Congratulations!
Don't know if someone has already mentioned this in the comments, but I consider a graphite nut (e.g. Graph Tech TUSQ XL) to be a great upgrade for any strat, for it acts as a self lubricating tool that keeps the strings in tune whenever you use your whammy/trem bar. This means the strings slip through the slots and return to their original pitch with no problems. These come in different sizes and its slots are filled most of the time, making the nut replacement quicker. Besides, these nuts' cost is relatively cheap.
Thanks for taking the time to read this, hope it was useful to anyone.
For any guitar. Got the Tusc XL on my L P. Not gonna change the nut on my Strat cause it's actually the best you could use. The roller nut/ locking tuners is a great system.
@@sparkyguitar0058roller nut🤮
Oh man Darrell! I was hoping for 11 tips!
Show how to wire that switch I’m afraid I might entirely screw that up
Locking tuners was the best thing I've done to my Strat!
Agreed. And don't feel left out if you have vintage style tuners -- they make locking vintage style tuners too!
My MIM strat tends to get overlooked in preference to my other (more sexy?) guitars, but every now and again I pull it out of its case and I'm reminded of just how great and comfortable it feels to play
If there is one thing I have learned about Fender over the last 40 years .... it's100% marketing, including gaslighting and brainwashing regarding the grossly overpriced guitars.
You can buy a Squier or Squier Mini (I have two) ... and with a few very minor changes ... sound just as good as a $2500 Strat. I have done the A/B tests with various friends, and the consensus is exactly what I said. Bottom line ... why pay more.
A decently set up Strat wont go out of tune with hard trem use... I use Dry Lube for the last 25 years... A dry spray designed to keep curtain tracks from sticking.. It works a treat!! And yes, a floating trem is the way to go!!
Tip 7 - I made a shielded cavity and all noise went away. I can really recommend. I play only singles on the Strats and shielding the cavity is really great mod to do.
What did you use?
I recommend copper foil. Works for me very nicely. @@LMFAO5001
What does the 10-way tone switch do exactly (besides the regular five positions)?
I can only think of 7 possible combinations.
Change the tremolo block to steel or brass. Under 50 bucks. Great mod.
I love the fu-tone brass tremolo blocks. A perfect fit (they have a bunch of models so you can find an exact fit!), superb quality, and only $50
Regarding Tip #7 (playing high gain tones) I totally agree on the noise gate, I use a small Joyo one called Gate of Khan which is dirt cheap, one knob you only need to tweak until you find the sweet spot (removing hum without losing sustain and drying out the flavor of the tone) and you're good to go for some heavy tunes
A minor one - get one of those little springs to drop into the whammy bar hole before you screw the bar in. Stops the bar flapping in the breeze. Don't know if all new strats come with this as I've never been able to afford a new one (!), but every second-hand one I've ever bought (Fender or Squier) hasn't had one. Tip - if you buy the Fender replacement ones, don't screw the bar in really tight - that compresses the spring to the point where it won't recover, then it's just a block of metal. Would've thought Fender could find some better materials to make them from.
I prefer it to flap! That way it falls away when you’re not using it. I guess if you’re trying to play like Jeff Beck, that would not be desirable.
Hello Darrell, nice and informative video as always !!
I'd like to see a video in the future, where you analyze the different positions of the 10-way switch, especially the one that uses the three coils simultaneously.
Great content, Kudos
I second that! Not heard of the 10-way switch before!
Keep it in position 4.
I added tremolo arm tension springs to my player series HSS. The arm would not stay where I put it and would wiggle in the mounting hole. I added the tension springs and it fixed these issues.
Thank you for the info about the pick-up height! 😀🙏 I've been following a luthier/guitar fixer's channel (also Canadian) for a while now who swears by adjusting them fairly close to the strings, often commenting with, "If you've been wondering why your guitar ain't sounding good, then your pick-ups most likely are too low", and so I adjusted my Strat's accordingly - and now have the middle pick-up in the way of my pick 🙄 I'll just put them lower again now - I didn't really notice much sound improvement after raising them anyway!
What do you think about the Strats with noisless pickups?
I have a Mexican HSS that I put a Seymour jb trembucker in the bridge. I'm going to try lowering the neck and middle pickups.
I agree, the 4th position alone makes getting a strat worth it. I'm amazed shielding the cavity wasnt in this vid tho. It's a must mod!
Great tips! Most of them I had to learn the hard way. Wish RUclips and this guy was around 45 years ago
Next are you going to show us how to get more out of a Les Paul? If not, could you please? Let me guess, I bet you're gonna to a Tele next lol!😁❤🤘😝🤘
I used to play my Chrome Blue Strat in a heavy metal band, and I used position 2. However, I was always fighting it, until for some reason, I bought a Boss noise gate. Night and day! I could ramp the gain up and not have to worry about loud hums when not playing. Yes to low P/U and high strings, yes locking tuners, but also strap locks.
Or you could just turn your volume knob down when not playing, like players with P90s.
Tele is a lot simpler in design, but i’d love to see a similar video for it.
If you have a 6 screw trem I can't recommend enough dumping the stock trem screws and install PRS style screws with the notched shaft. Dramatically improved the feel of the trem. That is, if your bridge plate has the countersunk holes underneath creating a butter knife edge. Straight holes won't work.
Great tips, Darrel! Thank you! Although I don’t own a Fender Strat at the moment, I adjusted the pickup height on my Silver Sky and it made a massive difference. Feels like a totally different guitar.
Another great video from Darrell. I miss two things though : a closeup picture of the mod for bridge PUP to work with tone control. If you haven't opened up a guitar before, it can seem a bit scary when in reality it is very easy to do. And: the Faraday cage, the excellent hum-reducer wich is also very easy to do.Just cover the inside cavities with copper tape (and connect it to ground). I have several single coil guitars, and it really works. No need for a noise gate imho :-)
Great video!!! Would recommend graphtech saddles for the bridge also which help 99% reduce string breakage (works on any guitar)
Yes!
I have 3 Strats left, I just sold 2. I'm looking for a hard tail now. I could add a couple things to help your list. If you going to do a humbucker in pos 1, Seymour Duncan makes a "stacked humbucker", that is the same dimensions as a single coil. I believe they call it the "little 59"? The tone target was to sound like a 59 PAF, and it does. Very easy to install using the same pick guard. The second, when you change strings, take a #2 (soft) pencil and rub it in the nut slots. This leaves a little graphite film there and the strings slide/move without sticking. Like Darrell said, there are a lot more too. Good luck!! --gary
Both great suggestions! 😀👍 I've been doing the pencil trick forever myself 🙂 And another good replacement pick-up for a more humbucker-like sound that fits into the same pickguard is the DiMarzio FS-1, which may also be stacked but I'm not a 100% sure.
@@mightyV444 Thanks, and I have a DiMarzio story! Starting in the mid-70's I had a Gibson ES325, I gigged that for 10 years! The 325 was a Gibson 'mutt', they only made it '72- ' 79. It was all hollow, w/2- Firebird pups, and a trapeze tailpiece. I played on the neck pup a lot. My tech talked me into putting a DiMarzio PAF there. He had to route the pup hole larger to do it. I loved it! 6 weeks later I was on stage, all of a sudden I had the neck in one hand and the body in the other!! The tech had routed the neck tenon right off, and it broke off in my hands!! I gave it to a neighbors kid for a shop project, never saw it again!! Live and learn I guess. --gary
@@gtr1952 - Oh nooo!! 🙈 Bummer! And after having played it for quite a long time, too! 😯 Good on ya for giving it to a youngster, though! 😀👍 Did you keep your tech? 😉 And it appears an ES325 is the same guitar the dude from Kings Of Leon plays 🙂
@@mightyV444 I did keep him for awhile. That was in the 70's - 80's and we have remained friends since. The tech thing was a little different then. I used 4 guitars. I'd pick them up on Wednesday. We would do 8 gigs, Thu, Fri, Sat night, Thu, Fri, Sat happy hour, Sat wedding, Festival Sun afternoon (there were a lot of them back then!) Then I dropped them off. He would re-string, adj, repair etc. I'm 70 now, I think he had 10 years on me! LOL I have a 335 walnut color now, w/burstbuckers, that looks like the 325. Although the 325 had a very thin neck (width wise), and I used it to play rhythm. I still have 40 some electrics/acoustics, a couple bass's, mandolins, a lap steel and 8 or so amps/cabs kicking around. LOL Like kids, I can't sell them. 8) --gary
Practice helps as well
Great tips; I never heard of the 'Ten-way Switch, amazing! My 1987 MIK Strat is not new and neither is my playing.
Just recently I actually regained clarity and output by raising my pups.
Not too close, around 4 mm-4.2mm. They might be getting weak with age?
There is no 'warble' and it sounds much better. Don't rely just on theory, use your ears too.
Love the vid and the tips. I am a dedicated Strat person for the past 50 years and yeah, the pickup height and magnet strength I have had issues with over the years. Talking now about my 1960 pre-CBS Strat...
Let the trem float, use 3 springs and as you say, thrash it to break it in and get that graphite on the nut slots.
Have to say Tip 5 is er, a bit unusual. I say that because I don't know anyone who wants a higher action - ever!
Also, a humbucker on a Strat is like putting a trapdoor on a canoe. You do that it isn't a Strat any more. Use a Les Paul for that!
Position 4 is a wonderful tonal chamber of delights. What did we do when it was only a 3-way toggle?
The mod for the bridge pickup I like - not that I ever move ANY of the 3 pots - they are all glued to 10!
Which brings me to Tip 8 and the Vol control. See, back it off and the Strat dies - all the sustain goes. Tone goes muddy and weedy! I've had to slip a piccy undermine as it is so slack (worn) it will self-back off and suddenly I've lost the bite - not now it won't! OK, not one for subtly and tones am I lol!
I enjoyed that vid. I could talk Strats all day because they are the best guitar (for me) ever made. Only thing I still don't get is why you'd want a 6 minute hike to the fretboard with string height. Why make it harder to play? Want bigger bends then get lighter gauge strings or scoop and scallop if you must or put Aintree Race Course Fence frets on it! 😊
All good points! 👍
I'm just about to get my first usa fender strat ( 1990, maple fretboard), managed to negotiate to trade my prs se +some money.. can't wait...might use this video to get as much out of it as possible 😁
Regarding lowering the pickups, will the same logic apply to noiseless single coils ?
Yes. It’s all about avoiding the magnetic pull of 3 pickups on your strings, which all SSS Strats are susceptible to
Another tip for the strat - tune all the strings down a half step. It sounds so much better
You mean the 432 frequency? I think the powers that be changed to the standard 440, which is not congruent to the harmony of the universe that 432 matches. It’s even mathematical. Check that out if you haven’t heard of it. I like to play in 432. My voice does better with half step down tunings.
@@scottyscott1898 half step down means Eb standard tuning
@@scottyscott1898 415hz
Great video...but a counterpoint about the floating trem: Eric Johnson decks his. ;) (EVH had his set to dive-only as well :) )
Seriously though, I'm decking mine because I'm kind of heavy handed and it's too easy for me to inadvertently put a floating trem out of tune on the Strat.
I love my 10 way tone switch from Freeway, great mod while keeping it looking original!
I just installed one in my primary Strat (a Squier Mini - yep) and it's a "whole nuther world" :-)
Lowered the pickups, and the chime came back. Side benefit--now I can NAIL Ty Tabor's "Gretchen" tone....
Great tips!! My main Strat is springed down and blocked. I roll off a bit of neck volume and we have a nice big body sound. She has other tricks to offer as well. Two other Strats are always open for trying something new and we discover new improvements.
If Fender were going to introduce the locking tuners on strats, please make them an option so that we don't HAVE to have them. I would go out of my way to buy the model that doesn't have them. We're all different players but I really don't like locking tuners.
LoL. Fender has/ still does and will continue making starts without locking tuners.
hey Robert, totally respect we all like what we like. Not gonna try to change your mind, just curious.. why do you prefer non-locking tuners?
Seymour Duncan Hotrails in the bridge and staggered locking tuners. 🤘
Great video!
Raising the strings makes it a lot harder to bend and play overall and changes intonation slightly which makes that change a tad tedious. A better solution to get nicer sustains is to use a compressor and a noise gate which together allow to lengthen your sustains while keeping them clean. The 10way switch would be awesome on my American Standard HSS...which is the exact same finish/look as the one you have there. Wish it had locking tuners, but I ordered a Sire S7-FM-TBL
Can you tell me how to combine comp and noise gate?
@@wuuuuuuu254 It's really a personal choice, some prefer one before the other, some prefer the opposite. The best thing for you to decide what you like is to try both setups and play with the settings for a long enough time on both setups to find whatever tone/sound you want. There's no one exact or perfect one way to do it. If you have a effects looping setup on your amp, some also put some pedals through that. Most guitarists however do place the noise gate first or second and the same for compressor. Your compressor will get you the sustains you want when you find your desired setting. Depends if you want to compress your other pedals or not, also take into account gain compounding (multiple gains one after the other), depends what type of music you are playing. If you have the pedals and have the time, try multiple setups and play, maybe even record yourself, label your recordings with the setup and then compare them to decide.
Cheers!
Edit : My personal preference is to eliminate noise before anything else.
Excellent tips!
Yep, I started small and in total turned each of the 6 screws 3 full turns. Yes there's a change in tone (for the better) in my opinion and more sustain. Thanks again Darrell 🎸🤠👍
Add a base plate to the bridge pickup awesome $10 mod
Another great tip is a hair tie or scrunchy on the trem springs - helps mute that buzz some make. Cory Wong even has a Fender Signature hair tie that comes with his Signature model.
Im glad you put this video out. Ive had a strat for 10 years and never really played it because the frets were so worn down that it was unplayable. It is in the process of getting refretted and now Im even more excited to use it when I get it back. Thanks!
As someone who struggles to pick one option when it comes to tone, a 10 position swtich sounds like a nightmare ! I think I'll stick with my 3 positions for now (on a tele). Joke aside, sounds like a pretty cool mod !
Darrel, you are my "very best favorite" content creator, your channel is really great...top notch, you deserve at least 4 o 5 million susbcribers...... please keep going!!.....every time I watch some of your videos, my passion about guitars keep growing.... best regards from Bolivia....
SUPER POST! Number 1 tip is what Dan Patlansky says too. He is that rare player who has the SRV vibe nailed.
My advice to is play a hardtail. If you need a tremolo get a Floyd Rose and a locking nut or locking tuners.
It shouldn't take a week for a guitar to "settle" with new strings, because yo udon't have that luxury on tour where you change strings every 2-3 shows. My other floating trem guitars (all Musicman) settle within a few mins of stretching and playing.
These guitars have a VIBRATO, NOT A TREMELO!!! Vibrato is a mechanical effect while tremelo is a modulation or electronic effect. The 2 are often confused...
Hi, Darrell, I like your videos very much! In your experience what strings gauge do you prefer for a Stratocaster? With 7, 1/4 radius ? Vintera strat? Thanks!!!
I’ve been playing the same Strat since the 1980s. The only mods I’ve done is adding locking tuners and strap locks. I agree that you don’t want the action too low on a Strat - that kills your tone, especially if you play clean. For a while I had the trem blocked, for a while decked, but now I like it best floating. Stays in tune fine if you use it right.
Hi...do you mainly play clean? Cheers...
I have a third option to get a HSS: buy a single-coil-sized humbucker
I’ve always LOVED position 4 and find it an essential Strat sound. For me I use position 2 the least even for cleans but that’s just me
I call the 4the position the Ronnie Earl setting and the 2nd position the Robert Cray setting.
I think I got this from George Harrison comment - "only way to get decent Strat tone is heavy strings and medium/high action". I've played flat-top acoustics with 13-56 mediums (bending wound G) for so long, I'm at home with acoustic setups on a Strat! Anyone asking to try my electrics go, WTF??? How the hell are you doing that??? LOL It's like Jimi flipping a Strat... it becomes the norm so long, playing a "proper" left-hand model is out. P.S. Low action is NOT your friend
Tip 1, Change Pickups to splitable Humbuckers in Bridge and Neck Position
Tip 2 Use your Guitar Nut Buster, solves your Problem
But my most important Tip, change the Neck to a Wormoth Neck with Gibson Size and 22 Jumbo Frets like ESP and LTD has and you have the Best Strat you can buy for all Kind of music!
Outstanding, I’m on my 2nd Strat mostly like my Tele’s. My 1st Strat was an American Std 2015 and we never got along. So bummed. SOLD. Went many years w/o. I didn’t want to blow a lot of money on the second one, so I bought a MIM player LE. Can’t get a straight answer from GC but why LE but $679 good buy. What if I’m not a strat person? I already love my new Strat, very cooperative, and with your 10 Strat improvements I’m going to use at least 7! I’m feeling good about this. That’s why I watch your flicks. Thank you.
Hey, what’s that guitar? Looks EXACTLY like my 2004 strat deluxe, but some slightly different headstock (mine only has the silver Fender logo).
Great tips! Only problem is that pickup height does NOT affect sustain-but it can affect tone Therefore-set your pickup height to the tone you like.
I disagree! The increased magnetic pull off the pickups will prematurely "dampen" the strings and thus reduce sustain. Tried it and could clearly notice this.
Play the same Strat for 35 yrs. locked down bridge,master vol & tone, treble bleed,BK Irish Tour pups, virtually No paint left on her……..what can I say, I’m just an old blues man. The Best thing you can do with a Strat is Play it. Oh if mine had high heels & stocking I’d shag it 🙃🎸
That's the advantage of the player series HSS strat. It has the added humbucker pickup. On position one the balls kick in... that gives you the best of both worlds...
Sweeeeeeeet tips !!!!!!
🍄 ❤️ 🎸
HaH but serious /// great tips
Especially the lowering of the pickups , I need to experiment more with that
Most competitors in the $500-700 range have locking tuners? Do Gibsons, Epiphones or PRS SE guitars come with those? I've owned a number of those brands in the sub-$1000 range and the only guitar with locking tuners was modified with them by a previous owner.
My strat sounded much better when I lowered the pickups. Same story on my basses. I tend to think people are "wrong" when they say to put them up as high as you can.
I’ve owned & played many Strats over the last 50 years and not one had a good floating trem system; they all knock out of tune…I built my current Strat to ‘62 specs including those very cool ‘57/‘62 pickups and I made it a hard tail…it stays in tune & the sustain is better too…I also put in the 10 way toggle; very cool; you don’t really get 10 great tones but 2 or 3 more good ones; #8 on mine sounds a lot like a Gretsch, perfect for early Beatles; I saw one of those ‘alternate universe’ Strats with a Jazzmaster tremelo unit; that looks interesting ‘cause the only trem system I’ve ever liked was on a ‘64 Jazzmaster (stolen from my car in the ‘90s)
My Stratocasters are SO OLD they have THREE position switches. But, this is a very good video. Regards, George Armstrong
The best deal on a USA strat is a used G&L legacy USA, I find them near pristine marketplace for $700-900 from time to time.. I got a pristine one for $750 in factory hardshell.. And i find the legacy a step above the standard USA strats in build quality..
Locking tuners should be on all guitars over 800 bucks, it's ridiculous that they don't. I have a j.custom ibanez just bought it 2 months ago 3 grand... no damn locking tuners... And a prestige Ibanez and no locking tuners... Ridiculous...
Strats are great. I bought Cort G260 HSS with coil tap in sunburst colour in 2014 and its one of the best guitars i have played, better then some Fender strats. I just changed pickups to Seymour Duncans and its great, stays in tune and sounds awesome. 🎸🎶☮
Got mine years ago with Fat 50's pickups but unfortunately they don't produce the classic strat tone.
I’ve had a cheap $80 Amazon Strat just sitting in my closet for years. I always hate playing cause it just sounds terrible. Always end up just playing my acoustic instead. Is it even possible to make a Strat this cheap sound better, or should I just give up on it and invest in a new guitar? (I’m broke, so I’d like to save it if at all possible)
Hot take: raising the action will make almost any guitar sound better. (Within reason)