I’ve had the AVII for almost a year now… hands down my favorite strat I’ve ever played and I absolutely love the neck radius, the nitro, the slab rosewood, and those clay dots! The pickups are perfect for the sound I want which…lines up with your taste as well. Glad you got to play one Mike! Hope you keep it! I hope to watch it “Relic” with time. lol
The Stratocaster is the most iconic shape. Not because of any songs or artists, but because most people who don't play guitar recognize it as an "electric guitar" before anything else.
Especially more since the emoji for an electric guitar is almost always a red Stratocaster (which probably came from the fact that it looks like the most generic electric guitar so the line keeps folding onto itself further!)
I’m a huge Frusciante fan and love classic strats. The American Vintage is great but pretty pricey. I built my own as close as I could get and I love it. I even made a little video about it. Great video!
2024 is the best year for the Strato, there have never been so many to choose from , beginer to cork sniffing collector are all catered for now. As for me there is Rosewood fretboard, maple fretboard and non trem. As long as the hardware is decent and the strings are not too light you will have an instrument that was never available to 70s 80s teenagers for less than 250 pounds(1980) . No excuse now, get one and play music with it preferably with a Friend who plays bass guitar or drums or any instrument...and sing songs.
What would be your opinion on a 2016 American stratocaster? The year right before they made the switch from just "American stratocaster" to American professional I & II and the ultras of course rising in popularity quickly with the other two new introduced. How would you compare the last iteration(2016) of standard fender American stratocasters to the next iteration which includes the 3 variations I mentioned which is still being made.
@@hippytrippyjonboy828 Thee American Standard Became Thee American Professional I and II and Thee Mexican Strats Became even more Greater in Quality as well as Better Manufacturing Fuji Gen had always Been Great because of the Quality of Wood especialy JV strats with Basswood But Made in Mexico is now alot more Better Thee Player Series II brought Back Rosewood and Ash Body Guitars
Vintage guitars are fine. Do what you want. I have ZERO interest in a 1959 Les Paul or a 1961 Strat. The modern versions of the same guitars have far better build quality and won't destroy your life savings.
I think it's all a matter of perception...I watched a video, I'm not even sure what famous guitar player it was, but the conversation he was having was about how Eddie Van Halen had come over to his place just to hang out, and his guitar and gear was there, and they were talking about their ideas, and Eddie was talking about what one of his was, and then he said something like "here, can I show you?", and the other guitar player was like "sure, here's my guitar"...and he said that Eddie was playing through his amp, using his guitar, and it was like the whole rig disappeared from being his rig to Van Halen's rig...it sounded just like Van Halen and nothing like him. I think it may have been Steve Vai, but not absolutely certain. Me, should I ever get a vintage guitar, it will be a real one, it'll be a made in California Fender, because I was born in California, it'll be either a Stratocaster, a Telecaster, an Esquire, or a Jazz Master, and will have a neck date of 7/61, the month and year I was born, and hopefully the stock electronics...all the rest doesn't matter that much, as long as it plays good. Thanks for the video. Hope you and yours are doing great!
The greatest Strat era? NOW! With hindsight being 20/20 vision, the lessons learned the past 70 years by Fender luthiers and musicians are being applied to current production. This, along with the great strides Squier has made in affordable quality, gives guitarists an embarrassment of riches in model selection. I just can't get over the stellar affordability, playability, fit and finish, and tone characterizing my Squier 40th Anniversary Strat - had for about 1/5 the cost of functionally equivalent Fender models. Musicians I know who started guitar 4 decades ago are downright envious of the options available to us beginning more recently. Now is indeed the greatest era of Stratocasters, and of musical gear in general.
I can't help but be drawn to the 50's Strats. After hearing many comparison videos and of course the content from the era I feel that a Ventura 50's style or even a 50's Classic Vibe would be perfect for me. They are bright and crisp and handle clean as the era required but can also be cranked up and distorted if need be. I love Maple fretboards and kind of chunky necks (sometimes). Thanks to Leonidas for being a genius. You sound great on both BTW.
I've had just the opposite impression with fenders....i played a custom shop 62 strat, a AVRI 57 tele and an 1996 american standard strat. Hands down the modern strat. For me, all the innovations make perfect sense.
I appreciate your appreciation of guitar history, the history of players, and all things guitar nerdiness. The electric guitar has such a cool history, evolution, and guitar legends 😊
The old cliche term - PRE-CBS…. Nitro finish, flat lam rosewood or truly no lam maple fretboard. The necks vary by who the operator was who shaped it because they were hand shaped rather than cnc milled/carved You ever look into production engineer, John Carruthers? And his involvement with both Fender and Gibson factories? It would make a great story. I was acquainted with him when his shop was in Sta Monica. Bought a load of figured wood and a couple of power equipment pieces after I dissolved my guitar biz. THAT dude is a scientist!
I think that a big part of old/vintage guitars playing, feeling and sounding better is that they are simply played in, broken in and settled in. Even a single year of settling can do a lot for a guitar. 2 or 3 years ago, I bought a new, Gibson LP standard, USA. Right 'out of the box', it was nice....but I struggled to keep it in tune and it just felt stiff. One day, about a year later, all of that stopped and now it is the most reliable guitar that I own. I can play it for hours without even have to do minor tuning adjustments. But a year before, it was quite wonky. I attribute this to the guitar needing to settle in and beame accustomed to the humidity of my house (which is quite high).
I get this. Ok, I’m an unapologetic Strat Nerd, & I’m 72. We’re all influenced by our heroes. I wanted a Fiesta red Strat like the one Hank Marvin played in The Young Ones film, with a Rosewood neck, yes, Hank did play a rosewood neck. I wanted a ‘58 like “Brownie”Clapton played on Layla. I wanted an Olympic White Strat like Hendrix played upside down. It wasn’t long for me to realise I could never afford any of the originals. Many Strats later, I now have a ‘61 Vintage 2 in Fiesta Red, a 1982 Fullerton Made ‘57 2 tone Sunburst Vintage 1, & a 2012 Olympic White ‘62 Vintage 1. All are different. I also have a Strat Pro 2, again, totally different. I’ve bonded with them all. Get what inspires you, the best you can afford & play it. I’ve offloaded all my guitars except these 4 & a Resonator for slide playing old time blues. These days I’m straight into 1 amp & no pedals. Simple.
The best Strats are a blend of all the years and what makes you the most comfortable to play. Nitro finishes tend to be more resonate due to thin application of the finish. I would think the move from the original 7.25 radius to larger came from people getting boards re-fretted after heavy play and the fact that bigger frets in a 7.25 guitar didn't work well past the 12th fret. Most of your favorite old school strat players like SRV probably had the neck worked on so much it ended up a 12 in radius. Thicker necks like the pre CBS guitars always feel better to me. I think the best post CBS idea was the move to enamel wire vs formvar and the pole magnet change. To me, these pickups are clearer and hotter. Its takes less turns on an enamel pickup to increase the resistance. My favorite Strat in my collection is a 57 AVRI with a re-radius 9.5 board with jumbo frets and late 60s early 70s enamel wire pickups. Vintage style frets are a little harder to play. Keep trying stuff out, you are learning a lot! You are starting to gravitate towards the better equipment. The golden era of equipment is the 50s and 60s and good reason why there hasn't been a dramatic variation since.
as someone who literally just bought her 5th strat (despite it not being my favorite shape) there’s just nothing like a stratocaster. are there other guitars better suited for specific things? absolutely. but there’s nothing you can’t play on a strat. as for what era is the definitive, it’s gotta be the 60s. irrespective of the actual quality of the guitars made then vs now, just the sheer number of people who made a name for themselves on a strat is staggering. then there’s the feel of a vintage spec strat. i honestly don’t care about the finish, so long as it looks good, and i use a ton of effects, so pickups aren’t as important to me, but the neck is everything when you’re talking about vintage fenders. the tighter radius fretboard is just how a strat is supposed to feel in my mind. most of the problems people usually encounter, namely fretting out when bending, are mitigated, if not completely avoided, by a good setup. if i could afford it, i’d probably have multiple vintage spec strats. in my opinion, they’re almost as close to perfect as a guitar can be
more and more, im glad i built my first strat. I learned alllll of this just buying random stuff on amazon. My neck was baseball bat thiiiiic lol. 8 in radius. People complain a LOT about fretboard radius. IMO.
In my opinion the most "Iconic" electric guitar of all time is the Jackson Concorde that Randy Rhoads designed with Grover Jackson. Up until then most custom shop guitars were built based off of existing Gibson or Fender body designs. Randy's asymmetrical V could not be mistaken for any other guitar at the time it was built.
This might sound silly to someone who's never compared them, but the heel-adjust rod makes a huge difference in the sound of the neck. The giant hole under the nut in a headstock-adjust rod changes the sound more than most people want to admit.
Gotta buy a lottery ticket, it's the only way i'll get an actual Buddy Holly era Stratocaster. oh yeah, that video "The Shadows - Apache (1960) 4K" - gotta get an early Jazzmaster too. That whole video could be a Fender ad.
My first strat was an am pro ii...and although I love it for a lot of things....I find most of the time I pick up my road worn with the 59 pickups, or the 61 vintage ii...the pickups are definitely different. I love the bell like sound of the pickups, especially the neck and especially if I'm running into a fender deluxe amp. And they're just phenomenal with fuzz
Cool comparison video on how the Vintage strats are unique. My take is the more rounded radius, the Nitro finish and the vintage pickups are the top reason that separates it from the modern ones. I have lots of Fender strats and have played many (Deluxe, American Vintage, Player Plus, American Pro, etc.) have modded them with Alnico V, dual rails, Wilkinsons, etc. What really boils down in the end is preference and depending on what tunes/genre you are playing. If you want to play cool 60s, 70s and 80s hits, I'll definitely use the Am Vintage, If I will play the modern style and tunes, definitely go to the Player Plus or Pro. etc. But If I want some unique and different feel, and you will be playing fast shreddy stuff, nothing beats the Fender Yngwie Malmsteen "scalloped" strat. It's the best hands down. 🔥 I could also say it's the most vintage because the 17th century players are scalloping their lutes before the guitar.😉 Cheers.
I scored a 1972 Strat for fairly cheap and have not put it down since! It’s best to shit, the neck has barely any finish left, and the pickups sound great too. I think a few things that really give it that appeal are the age of the wood as well as the pickup measurements. The thing sounds pretty damn close to an acoustic guitar unplugged! And the pickups read around 5.2-5.6 compared to some modern Strats going as high as 7.2 ohms. I always thought that’s how SRV got some of his sound, because the slightly lighter wound pickups allow for that kind of touch sensitivity at high volumes!
It is a nitro finish, but it is a nitro over poly finish so it won't age like a real vintage strat. The nitro finish will fade and then you'll basicly have a standard poly finish... Sad but true
The wonderful rabbit hole of Strats. You can get lost in the details of just the modern era from the original ("vintage"?) American Standards to the American Series to the American Standard (2.0) to the American Pro and now American Pro II. You can add the MIM Player Series in there now since they are closer to a USA Strat vs. the old Standard model.
I love strats and strat style guitars and the reason is because of familiarity. The strat is just a great design. Yes, I mod them with humbuckers, but I like strats as a mod platform. They get the job done.
I love the sound of the Stratocaster. I think, IMO, Eddie VH was truly innovative during his time here on this little planet, and really did a WHOLE lot of things to get a guitar that he wanted. SRV..Jimi..and my all time favorite Strat player..Jeff Beck..They all got great tones and sounds out of a guitar. I think a guitar, whether vintage, or modern, just has to suit you as a player. But I do have a couple of old guitars made in USA, and the materials and components available back then...just sounded GOOD! It's all fun to try stuff and learn!
Fender just published a coffee table 70th Anniversary book on Strat history. Loads of great info and pix. It even has my, gasp, Acoustasonic Stratocaster, pictured near the end. And, hey, there’s really something to be said about an all modern hybrid Strat. Well … it takes an open mind. Thanks for the review. I am tantalized.
I think the most iconic guitar hast to be a Strat, not the best, but it is thee electric guitar. Talking artist instances it would have to be either Jimi Hendrix’s Strat or the Frankenstein but specifically it would probably be a black Strat with a maple neck.
Top 3 most iconic for sure are Strat, Les Paul & 335 or argueably SG. Also the Squier Classic vibe 60's has a extremely accurate neck profile and in my poinion is a steal at the pricepoint as well as being one of the few electrics I regret trading.
Honestly, the best Strats are being made right now. Vintage pre cbs stats have the benefit of the old nitro formula that’s illegal due to EPA restrictions, and old growth wood that just isn’t available anymore. But anyone who’s played a number of vintage fenders knows that a lot of them aren’t great. The ones that are good are the best of the best, but there’s a lot of dog vintage fenders out there. The fact now that a guitar that was meant to be mass produced and “cheap” is now being made by boutique builders is crazy. You can literally spend what ever you want on a Strat these days. You can buy a squire or something like a nachocaster or fender masterbuilt. The latter two will have more thought and attention than any Strat being made in the 50s or 60s.
What’s so odd to me is idk if I went down a different avenue and instead of diving into vintage to look for that Mojo I’m looking into super strats of different brands like schecter for more aggressiveness I guess there’s 2 avenues leaving the modern Strats into super ultra modern to vintage
I think the most famous/recognisable guitar is Jimmy Page's Gibson EDS-1275. The most recognisable guitar model is the Fender Stratocaster in sunburst, but I don't think there's an individual guitar as recognisable by non-musicians as that cherry red double neck
Or a G&L Sabre? It’s trippy how Leo’s later developments after the 1954 Stratocasters just never hit. But they were all “advances”. He must have patented at least 5 vibrato mechanisms. The short time I played behind Johnny Guitar Watson he was using a Jaguar (I played a 72 Strat). I thought it was “odd” he wasn’t using a Strat. The Tele (Broadcaster) hit. Then it’s “advancement” the Stratocaster hit. Then…. it STUCK. No matter who played Jags and Jazzmasters. We’re STILL stuck there. Musicman amps suffered the same fate, though they led the dual wattage feature on the Fender amp model platform Tidbit - the G in G&L was George Fullerton, as in Fender’s Fullerton factory location. Pals from the earliest days Hit the wikipedia article on G&L
Unpopular opinion, I think Billie Joe's "Blue" which was a Fernandes Strat (a knockoff his mom gave him) was the most iconic guitar. You can instantly tell it's Green Day and it gives off the most in-your-face punk style. However, Derrig's guitar he made for Slash is also pretty iconic.
All of those 50's / early 60's Gibson PAF's & Fender single coils were wound by machine while someone guided wire onto a bobbin. Pickup winding was not an exact science, so close enough was good enough. There were good "hand wound", "scatter wound", "lucky guess wound", and everything in between. And, most importantly, there were just as many bad versions of each, because consistency & quality control just wasn't entirely understood as a business tactic to implement in order to lower all-around costs. I imagine there were also a lot less consumers at that time seeking reimbursement or servicing over minor & trivial cosmetic imperfections that had nothing to do with actually playing guitar
You didn't mention the clay dots! I have the same axe in the same color. Its my number one. I do have a problem with the saddle for my high e string. I always have to readjust it. I can't find anything on utube or any place else for that matter on this problem. Still love it. its my third Strat.
I’m lucky enough to have a real 64, a professional and a US Silversky… the modern guitars will play better, be more consistent but just lack the authenticity of vintage. I would say 99% of it is placebo but vintage guitars are all so variable with very little to no quality control. I think the Silver Sky got very close tone wise to the 64 though… doubt I would be able to distinguish if I wasn’t playing it.
Bro, I’m gonna go a little weird on you here first and foremost. I’ve watched a few videos of guys taking American vintage too and comparing it to their custom shop and believe it or not really good set up some fretwork and a pick up swap to a custom shop pick up, they’re damn close but I will say this it has to do with the wood me out kind of weird the wood molecules back then were tighter. The rings were closer on the wood that was cut making the wood density different than wood density today. That’s why you hear a lot of guys say old growth, wood or rare Guitar builders that use wood thousands of years old or tree growth I know this because a good friend of mine buys guitars, and I didn’t realize that you could build the same exact guitar with wood with a different density with a new density and age. Everything is the same, but the tone will be very different vertex affect a video on poly versus nitro, and you can hear a total tonality change in the Guitars from that long. Paragraph a bunch of misspelled words in there, but that’s my opinion.
A few years ago I bought a 1965 Gibson Melody Maker for cheap- (I modified it with a Burstbucker 3). That old wood has an amazing feel and sound- plays as loud as an acoustic
Japanese reissue strats from the 80s and 90s are the closest you can possibly get to a true vintage strat without spending a small fortune. Blows the Vintera series out of the water, American Vintages are really nice though
For me, the most iconic player/guitar combination is Johnny Thunders with that beat-up Les Paul Jr double-cut in TV yellow. I'm kinda surprised Gibson hasn't produced a relic-ed Thunders' replica. Then again, maybe Gibson doesn't want to be associated with Thunders' destructive lifestyle and would rather go with someone more wholesome. Ergo, the Rick Beato signature Les Paul Jr. double-cut.
mmm , i have had a lot of strats in my live from squire and fender and to me they all sound like a strat , and different pu's don't really matter that much because soundwise you can do a lot with pedals and amp settings
The only "special" thing about a vintage strat is the radius. Everything else is either old and irrelevant or it's the same even today. Finish and headstock shape are not significant differences.
Agree, as much as i love buying and trying guitars , at certain point( not a far one ) are all kinda same thing. Making music and spending time woth our instrument makes the differens #GoPractice !
Nice video, I'm very interested in the AM Vintage II strats. At this point in my life I'm really only looking for guitars that I want to keep forever or at least hold/appreciate in value. Because I want to keep them forever nitro finish is a huge selling point for me. My favorite strat is the White body rosewood fretboard.... If i could get a roadworn one I'd be very happy! I've been a huge fruscainte fan my entire life he's part of the reason I play guitar so I like sunburst too, but basic colors like white I never get sick of. My only strat is a pretty nice partscaster. I've I used a late 70's black greco body (took some steel wool to the body to flaten out the black poly) and have a mexican 12inch radius neck on it, with a set of SSL1's in it. It's a very good mix of looking and sounding vintage but feels more modern with the flater radius.... that being said if i get sick of embracing the jankiness that goes along with my partscaster and getting another strat I'm looking at the vintage II 60's or maybe the Mcreedy signature.
For a brief second towards the end of the video you mentioned Japanese Strats. Now that would be an interesting avenue to go down. The late 70's to mid 80's Japanese Strats really were something else. I'm thinking Squier JV, Tokai, Greco etc etc. Lots of great guitars to research, just a idea.
I think the Stratocaster is timeless. That is to say I don’t know that there will ever be a (definitive time) of the Stratocaster, because they stay great from decade to decade to decade to decade lol
Coming from telecaster and Les Paul’s I simply can’t get used to the control layout and tremelowof the strat. It’s all in the way where I want to keep my hands 😢 I know that is what people love about it. But to me it’s way to cluttered and my right hand feels a little bit claustrophobic
Jimmy page's les paul is the most iconic guitar of all time and has been estimated to be the most valuable musical instrument in the world. as far as Jazzmasters, in my teenage years they were widely considered to be the worst guitar Fender ever made along with the Jaguar. it blows my mind today that either are worth any money; the 70.s three bolt neck fenders also. i will personally never spend a nickle on one and i find $2000 and above prices for them to be ridiculous.
mikes videos are just him giving himself affirmation to buy guitars and gear
Go ahead, Mike. The internet gives you permission to buy more gear.
And that’s why we watch 😂👏🏽
What ever it takes!!!!😂
Lmao true
Buy? More than half the videos are basically infomercial ads for whatever piece of gear was given to him to push onto us.
“Without Mayer Simping”
Lmao, as if he wasn’t thinking about the Black1 the entire time lol
The thing is John's Blk1 is not a vintage guitar, it just looks like it.
i thought Black1 was hendrix for a second 💀
I would say one of the most iconic is John frusciante's strat and Jimmy page's les paul
eh- john plays it cuz of jimi- i think his jag is more iconic
@@-cobainism-mhm what about the white falcon or his tele?
I think „iconic“ always depends
Jimmy Page Telecaster
Hank Marvin’s and Mark Knopfler’s strat.
The Black Strat of Gilmour
I need to get Mike to talk to my wife every time she's asking why I want a new guitar
I’ve had the AVII for almost a year now… hands down my favorite strat I’ve ever played and I absolutely love the neck radius, the nitro, the slab rosewood, and those clay dots! The pickups are perfect for the sound I want which…lines up with your taste as well. Glad you got to play one Mike! Hope you keep it! I hope to watch it “Relic” with time. lol
The Stratocaster is the most iconic shape. Not because of any songs or artists, but because most people who don't play guitar recognize it as an "electric guitar" before anything else.
Especially more since the emoji for an electric guitar is almost always a red Stratocaster (which probably came from the fact that it looks like the most generic electric guitar so the line keeps folding onto itself further!)
Yet..it is bolt-on, assembleld, assembly-line guitar that is 'put together' and not 'built'.
@@michaelr.4878 which makes it so much cooler, a cheap junker piece that creates beautiful sounds but can be thrown around on stage with no problem
I’m a huge Frusciante fan and love classic strats. The American Vintage is great but pretty pricey. I built my own as close as I could get and I love it. I even made a little video about it.
Great video!
2024 is the best year for the Strato, there have never been so many to choose from , beginer to cork sniffing collector are all catered for now. As for me there is Rosewood fretboard, maple fretboard and non trem. As long as the hardware is decent and the strings are not too light you will have an instrument that was never available to 70s 80s teenagers for less than 250 pounds(1980) . No excuse now, get one and play music with it preferably with a Friend who plays bass guitar or drums or any instrument...and sing songs.
What would be your opinion on a 2016 American stratocaster? The year right before they made the switch from just "American stratocaster" to American professional I & II and the ultras of course rising in popularity quickly with the other two new introduced. How would you compare the last iteration(2016) of standard fender American stratocasters to the next iteration which includes the 3 variations I mentioned which is still being made.
@@hippytrippyjonboy828 Thee American Standard Became Thee American Professional I and II and Thee Mexican Strats Became even more Greater in Quality as well as Better Manufacturing Fuji Gen had always Been Great because of the Quality of Wood especialy JV strats with Basswood But Made in Mexico is now alot more Better Thee Player Series II brought Back Rosewood and Ash Body Guitars
Vintage guitars are fine. Do what you want. I have ZERO interest in a 1959 Les Paul or a 1961 Strat. The modern versions of the same guitars have far better build quality and won't destroy your life savings.
I think it's all a matter of perception...I watched a video, I'm not even sure what famous guitar player it was, but the conversation he was having was about how Eddie Van Halen had come over to his place just to hang out, and his guitar and gear was there, and they were talking about their ideas, and Eddie was talking about what one of his was, and then he said something like "here, can I show you?", and the other guitar player was like "sure, here's my guitar"...and he said that Eddie was playing through his amp, using his guitar, and it was like the whole rig disappeared from being his rig to Van Halen's rig...it sounded just like Van Halen and nothing like him. I think it may have been Steve Vai, but not absolutely certain. Me, should I ever get a vintage guitar, it will be a real one, it'll be a made in California Fender, because I was born in California, it'll be either a Stratocaster, a Telecaster, an Esquire, or a Jazz Master, and will have a neck date of 7/61, the month and year I was born, and hopefully the stock electronics...all the rest doesn't matter that much, as long as it plays good. Thanks for the video. Hope you and yours are doing great!
It was Steve Vai, I saw that video too. Can't remember where though, might have been Rick Beato's channel.
.nitro takes longer to cure than poly, and time is money in a manufacturing setting, thats why nitro is a premium feature and why it costs so much
The greatest Strat era?
NOW!
With hindsight being 20/20 vision, the lessons learned the past 70 years by Fender luthiers and musicians are being applied to current production. This, along with the great strides Squier has made in affordable quality, gives guitarists an embarrassment of riches in model selection.
I just can't get over the stellar affordability, playability, fit and finish, and tone characterizing my Squier 40th Anniversary Strat - had for about 1/5 the cost of functionally equivalent Fender models.
Musicians I know who started guitar 4 decades ago are downright envious of the options available to us beginning more recently. Now is indeed the greatest era of Stratocasters, and of musical gear in general.
the most iconic guitar for me is the frankenstrat. the player, the story and the music
And Peter greens les Paul
It’s very strange how different interests / tastes influence us because EVH wouldn’t even be top 5 for me without this comment which is wild
💯 first guitar I thought of
Nah Eddie Van Halen's frankenstrat is better that Peter Green's Les Paul
@@BaltoRiveraplaysguitar701 both are vintage not ones better than the other
I can't help but be drawn to the 50's Strats. After hearing many comparison videos and of course the content from the era I feel that a Ventura 50's style or even a 50's Classic Vibe would be perfect for me. They are bright and crisp and handle clean as the era required but can also be cranked up and distorted if need be. I love Maple fretboards and kind of chunky necks (sometimes). Thanks to Leonidas for being a genius. You sound great on both BTW.
I've had just the opposite impression with fenders....i played a custom shop 62 strat, a AVRI 57 tele and an 1996 american standard strat. Hands down the modern strat. For me, all the innovations make perfect sense.
I appreciate your appreciation of guitar history, the history of players, and all things guitar nerdiness. The electric guitar has such a cool history, evolution, and guitar legends 😊
The old cliche term - PRE-CBS…. Nitro finish, flat lam rosewood or truly no lam maple fretboard. The necks vary by who the operator was who shaped it because they were hand shaped rather than cnc milled/carved
You ever look into production engineer, John Carruthers? And his involvement with both Fender and Gibson factories? It would make a great story. I was acquainted with him when his shop was in Sta Monica. Bought a load of figured wood and a couple of power equipment pieces after I dissolved my guitar biz. THAT dude is a scientist!
Crazy you did this video I picked up the same vintage ii strat and have been playing it damn near everyday. I love it.
I think that a big part of old/vintage guitars playing, feeling and sounding better is that they are simply played in, broken in and settled in. Even a single year of settling can do a lot for a guitar. 2 or 3 years ago, I bought a new, Gibson LP standard, USA. Right 'out of the box', it was nice....but I struggled to keep it in tune and it just felt stiff. One day, about a year later, all of that stopped and now it is the most reliable guitar that I own. I can play it for hours without even have to do minor tuning adjustments. But a year before, it was quite wonky. I attribute this to the guitar needing to settle in and beame accustomed to the humidity of my house (which is quite high).
I get this. Ok, I’m an unapologetic Strat Nerd, & I’m 72. We’re all influenced by our heroes. I wanted a Fiesta red Strat like the one Hank Marvin played in The Young Ones film, with a Rosewood neck, yes, Hank did play a rosewood neck. I wanted a ‘58 like “Brownie”Clapton played on Layla. I wanted an Olympic White Strat like Hendrix played upside down. It wasn’t long for me to realise I could never afford any of the originals. Many Strats later, I now have a ‘61 Vintage 2 in Fiesta Red, a 1982 Fullerton Made ‘57 2 tone Sunburst Vintage 1, & a 2012 Olympic White ‘62 Vintage 1. All are different. I also have a Strat Pro 2, again, totally different. I’ve bonded with them all. Get what inspires you, the best you can afford & play it. I’ve offloaded all my guitars except these 4 & a Resonator for slide playing old time blues. These days I’m straight into 1 amp & no pedals. Simple.
Excellent!
The best Strats are a blend of all the years and what makes you the most comfortable to play. Nitro finishes tend to be more resonate due to thin application of the finish. I would think the move from the original 7.25 radius to larger came from people getting boards re-fretted after heavy play and the fact that bigger frets in a 7.25 guitar didn't work well past the 12th fret. Most of your favorite old school strat players like SRV probably had the neck worked on so much it ended up a 12 in radius. Thicker necks like the pre CBS guitars always feel better to me. I think the best post CBS idea was the move to enamel wire vs formvar and the pole magnet change. To me, these pickups are clearer and hotter. Its takes less turns on an enamel pickup to increase the resistance. My favorite Strat in my collection is a 57 AVRI with a re-radius 9.5 board with jumbo frets and late 60s early 70s enamel wire pickups. Vintage style frets are a little harder to play. Keep trying stuff out, you are learning a lot! You are starting to gravitate towards the better equipment. The golden era of equipment is the 50s and 60s and good reason why there hasn't been a dramatic variation since.
Bro respect man your account been popping off this past year
as someone who literally just bought her 5th strat (despite it not being my favorite shape) there’s just nothing like a stratocaster. are there other guitars better suited for specific things? absolutely. but there’s nothing you can’t play on a strat. as for what era is the definitive, it’s gotta be the 60s. irrespective of the actual quality of the guitars made then vs now, just the sheer number of people who made a name for themselves on a strat is staggering. then there’s the feel of a vintage spec strat. i honestly don’t care about the finish, so long as it looks good, and i use a ton of effects, so pickups aren’t as important to me, but the neck is everything when you’re talking about vintage fenders. the tighter radius fretboard is just how a strat is supposed to feel in my mind. most of the problems people usually encounter, namely fretting out when bending, are mitigated, if not completely avoided, by a good setup. if i could afford it, i’d probably have multiple vintage spec strats. in my opinion, they’re almost as close to perfect as a guitar can be
more and more, im glad i built my first strat. I learned alllll of this just buying random stuff on amazon. My neck was baseball bat thiiiiic lol. 8 in radius.
People complain a LOT about fretboard radius. IMO.
What is the name of the song he started plaing at 6:50 ?
In my opinion the most "Iconic" electric guitar of all time is the Jackson Concorde that Randy Rhoads designed with Grover Jackson. Up until then most custom shop guitars were built based off of existing Gibson or Fender body designs. Randy's asymmetrical V could not be mistaken for any other guitar at the time it was built.
This might sound silly to someone who's never compared them, but the heel-adjust rod makes a huge difference in the sound of the neck. The giant hole under the nut in a headstock-adjust rod changes the sound more than most people want to admit.
I never thought about it but I can see that.
Gotta buy a lottery ticket, it's the only way i'll get an actual Buddy Holly era Stratocaster.
oh yeah, that video "The Shadows - Apache (1960) 4K" - gotta get an early Jazzmaster too. That whole video could be a Fender ad.
My first strat was an am pro ii...and although I love it for a lot of things....I find most of the time I pick up my road worn with the 59 pickups, or the 61 vintage ii...the pickups are definitely different. I love the bell like sound of the pickups, especially the neck and especially if I'm running into a fender deluxe amp. And they're just phenomenal with fuzz
Cool comparison video on how the Vintage strats are unique. My take is the more rounded radius, the Nitro finish and the vintage pickups are the top reason that separates it from the modern ones. I have lots of Fender strats and have played many (Deluxe, American Vintage, Player Plus, American Pro, etc.) have modded them with Alnico V, dual rails, Wilkinsons, etc. What really boils down in the end is preference and depending on what tunes/genre you are playing. If you want to play cool 60s, 70s and 80s hits, I'll definitely use the Am Vintage, If I will play the modern style and tunes, definitely go to the Player Plus or Pro. etc.
But If I want some unique and different feel, and you will be playing fast shreddy stuff, nothing beats the Fender Yngwie Malmsteen "scalloped" strat. It's the best hands down.
🔥 I could also say it's the most vintage because the 17th century players are scalloping their lutes before the guitar.😉 Cheers.
I scored a 1972 Strat for fairly cheap and have not put it down since! It’s best to shit, the neck has barely any finish left, and the pickups sound great too. I think a few things that really give it that appeal are the age of the wood as well as the pickup measurements. The thing sounds pretty damn close to an acoustic guitar unplugged! And the pickups read around 5.2-5.6 compared to some modern Strats going as high as 7.2 ohms. I always thought that’s how SRV got some of his sound, because the slightly lighter wound pickups allow for that kind of touch sensitivity at high volumes!
You didn't fool anybody with that hammer. No one was thinking that you was going to smash it on the guitar, not even for a splut second.
When Strat players wise up, they start playing G&L guitars. Leo said that G&L were the best guitars that he ever built
It is a nitro finish, but it is a nitro over poly finish so it won't age like a real vintage strat. The nitro finish will fade and then you'll basicly have a standard poly finish... Sad but true
the goat posted
For me the most recognizable iconic strat was SRV's #1. If that thing could talk, imagine the stories it would tell.
That arrangement of old love was JUICY
Your recorded guitars are sounding much better now :) , they used to be flat and quiet smooshed back into video audio, but this sounds very good!!!
The wonderful rabbit hole of Strats. You can get lost in the details of just the modern era from the original ("vintage"?) American Standards to the American Series to the American Standard (2.0) to the American Pro and now American Pro II. You can add the MIM Player Series in there now since they are closer to a USA Strat vs. the old Standard model.
I love strats and strat style guitars and the reason is because of familiarity. The strat is just a great design. Yes, I mod them with humbuckers, but I like strats as a mod platform. They get the job done.
Nobody:
This channel: JOHN FRUSCIANTE JOHN FRUSCIANTE JOHN FRUSCIANTE
I love the sound of the Stratocaster. I think, IMO, Eddie VH was truly innovative during his time here on this little planet, and really did a WHOLE lot of things to get a guitar that he wanted. SRV..Jimi..and my all time favorite Strat player..Jeff Beck..They all got great tones and sounds out of a guitar. I think a guitar, whether vintage, or modern, just has to suit you as a player. But I do have a couple of old guitars made in USA, and the materials and components available back then...just sounded GOOD! It's all fun to try stuff and learn!
Fun video! And yeah, I went down this path as well.
Carlos Santana’s PRS? I would think the SG he played at Woodstock.
Fender just published a coffee table 70th Anniversary book on Strat history. Loads of great info and pix. It even has my, gasp, Acoustasonic Stratocaster, pictured near the end. And, hey, there’s really something to be said about an all modern hybrid Strat. Well … it takes an open mind. Thanks for the review. I am tantalized.
I think the most iconic guitar hast to be a Strat, not the best, but it is thee electric guitar. Talking artist instances it would have to be either Jimi Hendrix’s Strat or the Frankenstein but specifically it would probably be a black Strat with a maple neck.
I love all strats. My favorite is my new mim player top
lol i got an american vintage tele from 2014 yesterday in fiesta red. the nitro finish definetly has its charme
Top 3 most iconic for sure are Strat, Les Paul & 335 or argueably SG. Also the Squier Classic vibe 60's has a extremely accurate neck profile and in my poinion is a steal at the pricepoint as well as being one of the few electrics I regret trading.
I really hope the “decades and decades and decades” was a reference to the grapist wkyk skit
I still have my '62 reissue 'Mary Kay' Strat that was made in 1989. Paid $900 for it back then.
Stevie and Jimmi were the best in their area. May they rest in peace.
Amen. I listen to both regularly. Absolute legends, deservedly so.
Get the first Vintage series from 2012-2017. All Nitro, no poly sealer like the vintage II. Also some parts are closer to the original Strats.
3:22 You are showing the back of the neck while describing the 7.25" Radius of the fingerboard!
Honestly, the best Strats are being made right now. Vintage pre cbs stats have the benefit of the old nitro formula that’s illegal due to EPA restrictions, and old growth wood that just isn’t available anymore. But anyone who’s played a number of vintage fenders knows that a lot of them aren’t great. The ones that are good are the best of the best, but there’s a lot of dog vintage fenders out there. The fact now that a guitar that was meant to be mass produced and “cheap” is now being made by boutique builders is crazy. You can literally spend what ever you want on a Strat these days. You can buy a squire or something like a nachocaster or fender masterbuilt. The latter two will have more thought and attention than any Strat being made in the 50s or 60s.
I need a video testing the G&L Comanche
this video should be called 'why modern guitar players are gifted strats from sweetwater'
I’ve got a Corey Wong signature that I love!!! I don’t even play funk. It’s a great guitar, and leans full modern.
A three-color sunburst used to be yellow, red and black. Now the center color is just a muddy orange.
What’s so odd to me is idk if I went down a different avenue and instead of diving into vintage to look for that Mojo I’m looking into super strats of different brands like schecter for more aggressiveness I guess there’s 2 avenues leaving the modern Strats into super ultra modern to vintage
David Gilmore is the reason I’ve always wanted a Strat. His bends are second to none.
Jimi Hendrix's Woodstock strat is the most iconic stratocaster for me
I got the fiesta red one and I love it!
I think the most famous/recognisable guitar is Jimmy Page's Gibson EDS-1275.
The most recognisable guitar model is the Fender Stratocaster in sunburst, but I don't think there's an individual guitar as recognisable by non-musicians as that cherry red double neck
I had a Silver Sky for a while, and I’ve been wondering lately how this compares in terms of feel and build quality.
the moment you get a Strato you go vintage no matter what
0.05uf tone cap, 50s wiring (switch volume pot wires around, basically) and polepieces ~8mm from string = dear lord I just picked up Jimi's strat.
0.05uf?
@@USBlues Oops, yeah. 0.05uf, 0.1uf was overkill for my taste.
Jimmy pages 12 string has the most iconic look. I don't want one. But that's number 1
Or a G&L Sabre? It’s trippy how Leo’s later developments after the 1954 Stratocasters just never hit. But they were all “advances”. He must have patented at least 5 vibrato mechanisms. The short time I played behind Johnny Guitar Watson he was using a Jaguar (I played a 72 Strat). I thought it was “odd” he wasn’t using a Strat. The Tele (Broadcaster) hit. Then it’s “advancement” the Stratocaster hit. Then…. it STUCK. No matter who played Jags and Jazzmasters. We’re STILL stuck there. Musicman amps suffered the same fate, though they led the dual wattage feature on the Fender amp model platform
Tidbit - the G in G&L was George Fullerton, as in Fender’s Fullerton factory location. Pals from the earliest days
Hit the wikipedia article on G&L
Great video as always, Mike! Thanks and have a fantastic day too!
What sets most Strats apart the most, the neck or pickups, or both :)
Unpopular opinion, I think Billie Joe's "Blue" which was a Fernandes Strat (a knockoff his mom gave him) was the most iconic guitar. You can instantly tell it's Green Day and it gives off the most in-your-face punk style. However, Derrig's guitar he made for Slash is also pretty iconic.
All of those 50's / early 60's Gibson PAF's & Fender single coils were wound by machine while someone guided wire onto a bobbin. Pickup winding was not an exact science, so close enough was good enough. There were good "hand wound", "scatter wound", "lucky guess wound", and everything in between. And, most importantly, there were just as many bad versions of each, because consistency & quality control just wasn't entirely understood as a business tactic to implement in order to lower all-around costs. I imagine there were also a lot less consumers at that time seeking reimbursement or servicing over minor & trivial cosmetic imperfections that had nothing to do with actually playing guitar
I'm pretty sure John Frusciante put Duncan SSL-1s in his vintage Strat. Look it up. Great videos. Love the channel.
You didn't mention the clay dots! I have the same axe in the same color. Its my number one. I do have a problem with the saddle for my high e string. I always have to readjust it. I can't find anything on utube or any place else for that matter on this problem. Still love it. its my third Strat.
Producing some really good stuff, really enjoy the storyteller style of video with some great nuggets of info…keep on keeping on!
I’m lucky enough to have a real 64, a professional and a US Silversky… the modern guitars will play better, be more consistent but just lack the authenticity of vintage. I would say 99% of it is placebo but vintage guitars are all so variable with very little to no quality control. I think the Silver Sky got very close tone wise to the 64 though… doubt I would be able to distinguish if I wasn’t playing it.
I have strats the one that make a difference is that the pick ups make it sounds different, also thanks for sharing this videos.
Bro, I’m gonna go a little weird on you here first and foremost. I’ve watched a few videos of guys taking American vintage too and comparing it to their custom shop and believe it or not really good set up some fretwork and a pick up swap to a custom shop pick up, they’re damn close but I will say this it has to do with the wood me out kind of weird the wood molecules back then were tighter. The rings were closer on the wood that was cut making the wood density different than wood density today. That’s why you hear a lot of guys say old growth, wood or rare Guitar builders that use wood thousands of years old or tree growth I know this because a good friend of mine buys guitars, and I didn’t realize that you could build the same exact guitar with wood with a different density with a new density and age. Everything is the same, but the tone will be very different vertex affect a video on poly versus nitro, and you can hear a total tonality change in the Guitars from that long. Paragraph a bunch of misspelled words in there, but that’s my opinion.
A few years ago I bought a 1965 Gibson Melody Maker for cheap- (I modified it with a Burstbucker 3). That old wood has an amazing feel and sound- plays as loud as an acoustic
Thats cool. How cheap was it?
Japanese reissue strats from the 80s and 90s are the closest you can possibly get to a true vintage strat without spending a small fortune. Blows the Vintera series out of the water, American Vintages are really nice though
For me, the most iconic player/guitar combination is Johnny Thunders with that beat-up Les Paul Jr double-cut in TV yellow. I'm kinda surprised Gibson hasn't produced a relic-ed Thunders' replica. Then again, maybe Gibson doesn't want to be associated with Thunders' destructive lifestyle and would rather go with someone more wholesome. Ergo, the Rick Beato signature Les Paul Jr. double-cut.
mmm , i have had a lot of strats in my live from squire and fender and to me they all sound like a strat , and different pu's don't really matter that much because soundwise you can do a lot with pedals and amp settings
The only "special" thing about a vintage strat is the radius. Everything else is either old and irrelevant or it's the same even today. Finish and headstock shape are not significant differences.
Agree, as much as i love buying and trying guitars , at certain point( not a far one ) are all kinda same thing. Making music and spending time woth our instrument makes the differens #GoPractice !
That is a great choice of a new stratocaster
Nice video, I'm very interested in the AM Vintage II strats. At this point in my life I'm really only looking for guitars that I want to keep forever or at least hold/appreciate in value. Because I want to keep them forever nitro finish is a huge selling point for me. My favorite strat is the White body rosewood fretboard.... If i could get a roadworn one I'd be very happy! I've been a huge fruscainte fan my entire life he's part of the reason I play guitar so I like sunburst too, but basic colors like white I never get sick of.
My only strat is a pretty nice partscaster. I've I used a late 70's black greco body (took some steel wool to the body to flaten out the black poly) and have a mexican 12inch radius neck on it, with a set of SSL1's in it. It's a very good mix of looking and sounding vintage but feels more modern with the flater radius.... that being said if i get sick of embracing the jankiness that goes along with my partscaster and getting another strat I'm looking at the vintage II 60's or maybe the Mcreedy signature.
Very cool video. The hammer got me I was saying "nooooo"!
I would have said go for the MIM McCready. Picked one up and it’s an amazing strat.
I need a strat
The Vintera line (formerly the Classic Series) gives you 7.25”. I love my Classic Series 50s w/ 7.25”
I just recently bought the American Vintage II 54 Strat
For a brief second towards the end of the video you mentioned Japanese Strats. Now that would be an interesting avenue to go down. The late 70's to mid 80's Japanese Strats really were something else. I'm thinking Squier JV, Tokai, Greco etc etc. Lots of great guitars to research, just a idea.
Yeah, and he’s cool !
Next Stop: Get a Custom Shop Strat. You won't regret it.
Love your channel mike....good stuff buddy!!
the laquer is quite a bit thicker coated than on the original vintage from the past
I think the Stratocaster is timeless. That is to say I don’t know that there will ever be a (definitive time) of the Stratocaster, because they stay great from decade to decade to decade to decade lol
Coming from telecaster and Les Paul’s I simply can’t get used to the control layout and tremelowof the strat. It’s all in the way where I want to keep my hands 😢
I know that is what people love about it. But to me it’s way to cluttered and my right hand feels a little bit claustrophobic
Jimmy page's les paul is the most iconic guitar of all time and has been estimated to be the most valuable musical instrument in the world. as far as Jazzmasters, in my teenage years they were widely considered to be the worst guitar Fender ever made along with the Jaguar. it blows my mind today that either are worth any money; the 70.s three bolt neck fenders also. i will personally never spend a nickle on one and i find $2000 and above prices for them to be ridiculous.
Keep up the good work. I've been watching you for a long time, when i have time to watch UA-cam.