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Fireguy8402 « Classic Strat Tones »
Published on 11/19/11 at 13:26The Standard MIM Stratocaster is a classic design. This model features either a natural maple or rosewood fretboard on a one piece maple neck with 21 frets. I opted for the maple. The guitar’s body is made of alder and has a vintage styled tremolo. Three single-coil pickups are wired to a five way electronic switch and there is a master volume and two tone knobs. The guitar has Fender branded dicast tuners and comes in several pickup configurations, but mine is the standard three singles.
UTILIZATION
There is probably no guitar that can cover as many bases as a Strat can. The guitar has several tones available via the selector switch and tone knobs, I call it my Swiss Army guitar because it can do a little bit of everything well. It’s very easy to get a nice sound out of this guitar and it’s probably the easiest playing guitar I’ve ever owned. Something about it just fits my hands well, and the upper fret access is great.
SOUNDS
I can use this guitar with my Marshall and get those great Jimi Hendrix tones, or through a Fender styled amp and get Stevie Ray Vaughn at the flip of a switch. It really does cover a lot of territory. This guitar has been used through the years by most of the greats and all those tones found on their recordings are in there if you match it with the right amp. I’m more of a Les Paul guy, but there is nothing that can get the quack or woody tone of a strat. It can be slightly noisy when used with a lot of gain or around electrical fields, but that’s just the nature of a single coiled pickup. It can be cancelled out in switch positions two and four. I wouldn’t try doing metal with a Strat, (though it’s been done) but most other genes of music are usually just layered with a Strat somewhere along the way. This guitar is fairly quiet electronically and I can get just about any tone I’d want out of it, but it is generally thinner sounding than a humbucker equipped guitar, but that’s just common sense.
OVERALL OPINION
This is a classic guitar for a lot of reasons. I’m glad Fender is able to keep the made in Mexico versions around 500 dollars US, because picking one up used is affordable for most people. They are a standard guitar and I would go ahead and pick one of these up before I spent money on a cheaper knock off version, because you can get upgraded parts to fit the MIM strat and make it a really sweet guitar if the stock version leaves a little to be desired. I like the pickups, but I’d like them to be a little bit hotter. The wiring on my example is very nice and the neck and body seem to hold up nicely. I don’t use my tremolo so I can’t tell you how that effects the guitar, but I never have any issues with tuning. This guitar seems reliable and a decent bargain if picked up used, a classic for sure.
UTILIZATION
There is probably no guitar that can cover as many bases as a Strat can. The guitar has several tones available via the selector switch and tone knobs, I call it my Swiss Army guitar because it can do a little bit of everything well. It’s very easy to get a nice sound out of this guitar and it’s probably the easiest playing guitar I’ve ever owned. Something about it just fits my hands well, and the upper fret access is great.
SOUNDS
I can use this guitar with my Marshall and get those great Jimi Hendrix tones, or through a Fender styled amp and get Stevie Ray Vaughn at the flip of a switch. It really does cover a lot of territory. This guitar has been used through the years by most of the greats and all those tones found on their recordings are in there if you match it with the right amp. I’m more of a Les Paul guy, but there is nothing that can get the quack or woody tone of a strat. It can be slightly noisy when used with a lot of gain or around electrical fields, but that’s just the nature of a single coiled pickup. It can be cancelled out in switch positions two and four. I wouldn’t try doing metal with a Strat, (though it’s been done) but most other genes of music are usually just layered with a Strat somewhere along the way. This guitar is fairly quiet electronically and I can get just about any tone I’d want out of it, but it is generally thinner sounding than a humbucker equipped guitar, but that’s just common sense.
OVERALL OPINION
This is a classic guitar for a lot of reasons. I’m glad Fender is able to keep the made in Mexico versions around 500 dollars US, because picking one up used is affordable for most people. They are a standard guitar and I would go ahead and pick one of these up before I spent money on a cheaper knock off version, because you can get upgraded parts to fit the MIM strat and make it a really sweet guitar if the stock version leaves a little to be desired. I like the pickups, but I’d like them to be a little bit hotter. The wiring on my example is very nice and the neck and body seem to hold up nicely. I don’t use my tremolo so I can’t tell you how that effects the guitar, but I never have any issues with tuning. This guitar seems reliable and a decent bargain if picked up used, a classic for sure.