5 things I hate about the Strat...
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- Опубліковано 12 тра 2024
- I can't have folks attacking the TELE! So here's the counter offense: 5 things I dislike about a Stratocaster...
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0:00 Reading something shocking
0:30 My no.1 guitar
1:09 Thing 1
2:12 Thing 2.1
3:19 Thing 2.2
4:08 Thing 3
5:54 Thing 4
6:56 Thing 5
8:04 Super important bit
Hi, my name is Paul Davids! I am a guitar player, teacher, producer, and overall music enthusiast from the Netherlands! I try to inspire people from all over the world with my videos, here on UA-cam.
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Sorry, Paul I don't agree. I have a solid counterargument. Strat is the only guitar that I got. I can't afford another guitar.
If I had to pick one, a Strat it's very high on the list...
Best guitar that you can have is the guitar that you can play!
Paul Davids so hypothetically if I were to buy my first electric should I go strat or tele?
I would say as a first guitar it actually doesn't matter that much. It's after a few years of playing you truly get to appreciate what each model has to offer and the benefits of both...
I love a Strat. I love my Tele. I love my Tele. It's the controls for me.
I heard Greg Koch say : after the atomic bomb drops, two things survive : cockroaches and telecasters...and the telecasters will be in tune.
Its funny, everyone says this, but I havent found my tele stays in tune better than my other guitars
and tuning a cockroach is a real bitch. That's why I prefer Teles, really....
That and the shure sm57
@@fhqwhgads1670 damn man i choked a broadbean reading your comment! 🤣🤣🤣
Does the guy know a country called japan?
Pro tip for the volume knob: Try placing a rubber sealing ring (you can find them on some beer bottles) under the knob. The friction will prevent the it from moving unintentionally and it makes for really smooth and precise adjusting.
Also trim the pickup selector switch down to a nub.
The first time I changed pickups and pots myself I accidentally wired the volume knob backwards. I decided to leave it though since it solved my problem of accidentally hitting the volume switch and turning the volume down.
O-rings are the best! They work for knobs on pedals too in case you hit one with your foot. (Got that from Paul Gilbert).
You can also buy high-friction knobs. The brass knobs on my Slick "SL'51" telecaster take considerable torque to turn them, almost too much, but they do feel good and solid. It's a great telecaster for the money ($250-ish), pickups sound good too, I like it more than two American Standard Telecasters I had in the 1990's, beautiful though they were. The volume knob on stratocasters needs (imo) to be moved down to neck tone knob, and the bottom tone knob used for all three pickups. Doing that, along with a shorter switch that takes more force to change it, will solve the problems Paul mentioned. Then put a Telecaster bridge and pickup in place of the bridge strat pickup and wang-bar bridge, and you have a "Stratotele" (trademarked?) with the best of both models. Telecasters look crude and ugly compared to stratocasters, BUT they are great musical instruments too!!
@@pharmerdavid1432 I agree, teles definitely look more comfortable to play, but you just don’t look as cool as you do playing on the strat. I dunno why man.
As a bassist, what I'm getting from this is that strats are to jazz basses as teles are to precision basses. More versatility and controls, more room to mess up. One's a pair of really nice looking skinny jeans that doesn't fit that great while the other is a old pair of levis that fits right every time.
Well said
more room to mess up on a jazz? how so?
@@roachdoggjr155 , you can get sounds out of a jazz which are not great for rock, too muddy. Actually when using a jazz in rock you dial in the p bass sound.
@@sholland42 *can dial in the p bass sound
its not necessary
I play guitar and bass - I prefer a P Bass too, great sound.
Number one problem with strats is it doesn’t automatically turn me into Jimi Hendrix :(
biggest problem for me too....
Have you tried stringing it backwards?
Are you left-handed? If yes, you got take a right-handed guitar and turn it upside down. If no, you got take a left-handed guitar and turn it upside down. This is the first step.
Nor Mark Speer... 😪 well with floating Tremolo, no wonder he's looking at his Polytune clip ever so often
Omg it’s not only my strat then!?! You saying it’s me? 😱
Btw there is the JH strat that is a left handed one set up as a right handed. So the opposite of what he did ☺️. I love it.
It's not a matter of which to buy, it's a matter of which to buy "first".
I bought a Yamaha I really like it why do many people not use them?
@@nammar6435
Don't they have a bit different shape from regular strat ?
@@jackconnor6172 ye they do Im talking in general but I'm a begginer so maybe that's why
It's not, just get 'em both at the same time. I know I did, but that's because I started playing as an adult having a job. My first guitar was a Gibson Les Paul
@@nammar6435 I bought upgraded Pacifica 112v, wonderful quality and tone, 2nd hand for a silly price - highly recommended.
Played strat for 20 plus years, was good enough for me. Only thing I just don’t like is the action feels high. I just got a telecaster to change it up a bit and realised I bought the wrong guitar 20 years ago.
The Tele is just ace. The simplicity and how easy you can spec it up to your liking.
I love the strat but the Tele will be in my hands for the coming 20 years.
Never picked up a guitar that plays and sounds as good as a tele (imo).....
I took mine to a luthier, who lowered the action by filing the nut slots.
Action is a setup/hardware issue, not a Tele issue
@@MrVersipellis Yeah i don't know why he's so upset for that lol?🤣 really saying you picked the wrong guitar because the set up wasn't suited well for you.
Action has absolutely nothing to do with the kind of guitar. What you have is a bad set up
To overcome Strat tuning problems, when fitting new strings I used to:
1. Give them a few really good pulls (not enough to break them, obvs) and repeat until they stay in key when you tug them.
2. Mistreat the whammy bar a few times up and down (dive bombs etc) to iron out slippage
3. Retune and repeat as necessary until the beast stays in tune. Probably three, maybe four times. Job done.
Helpful hint - when you do have to make tuning adjustments on the hoof, keep adjustments as small as possible and always finish with an upward adjustment to mitigate sticky nut syndrome. Nobody likes sticky nut syndrome.
Sticky Nut Syndrome Sucks.
Greasy Nut Syndrome, much better.
Yep
I started off like, nah the strat is perfect. "thing one: flicking the selector" Me: yeah okay you might have a point
Totally! Same here! Haha
I think those little imperfections - while bothersome, make up the guitar :3
I have a Jazzmaster and my circuit selector can be like this sometimes;
But I still love the sound either way - even if I might switch between them by accident!
exactly my thoughts watching this
Same hahahahahaha
This really seems like a design detail they could have improved at some point
This should become a series about every brand and model of guitar! I'd love to see your honest opinions about guitars that are amazing!
You mean something where the youtuber gives his honest unfiltered opinion on famous guitar models or even songs? That would be so innovative maybe he should name it HUFO
Edit: I might have gotten a bit too sarcastic but you get my point. Have a nice day :)
@@oskarliedtke6440 😂😂 it would be awesome tho ... if Paul started a serie like sammy's!!
@@mohamedaherrisse3844 They should collaborate on that haha.
Yes please
Nice idea! There is a UA-camr here in Chile who made some videos like that. "5 five thing I don't like about my Gibson SG" for example, or the same with the LP. Paul definetley need to do that
I got my first electric guitar in 1982, a Peavey T-30, with a Statocaster style body, 3 single coil pickups, 5-way switch, and I've been a Strat guy ever since. My main guitar is a Mexican Strat, but I also have a Squire Heavy Metal Strat with an HSS configuration as well as a Hohner SG Lion HSS with a quilted maple cap. Up to this point I've been playing hard rock, heavy metal and some blues. But this coming year, my 2023 New Year's resolution is to focus on new genres with clean, tone and plenty of "jangle". I'm getting into Surf, Rockabilly, and Johnny Marr styled song-writing. With the new guitar goals, I plan to reward myself with a Fender Vintera '60s Jaguar Modified HH. It has the tonal flexibility to tap and blend in infinitely varying degrees of single coil or humbucking sounds to get the classic Jaguar jangle or push it into high-gain mode. Following Johnny Marr's example, I plan to string it with an Ernie Ball Power Slinky 11-48 set, and leave the overdrive / distortion off the pedal board, instead opting to expand my modulation effects, lush spring reverb, tremolo, Boss CE-2W chorus, and maybe a Memory Man delay.
I would add more:
6. Bad access to high frets (not as bad as on Les Paul, but still bad).
7. Screws sticking out of the saddles that make palm muting uncomfortable (there are 3rd party solutions, but why Fender can't fix it from the box is beyond me, since they already adopted 2-point tremolo unit, which is not historic, but superior to 5-point one).
8. Bridge pickup is barely usable (unless it is humbucker)
9. 3-pot layout is sort of stupid. Go either master volume - master tone or full Les Paul layout with individual pots for pickups. But classic Strat wiring makes no sense for me. Even more so because bridge pickup need tone knob the most - and it is one that doesn't have it!
10. It is too thin and flat. It could be personal preference, but for me thick arch top guitars are more comfortable, I don't have to bend my hand while playing.
11. You can't get that sweet neck tone on any other guitar. You just can't. So you have to deal with all drawbacks of Strat to have that.
which guitar is the best for high access to high frets?
@@gjkoyr SG or neck-thru superstrats.
@@gjkoyr oh and I forgot Yamaha Revstar. It is like seriously improved SG (at least geometry-wise).
@@gjkoyr Gibson '59 Flying V
i find it easy to reach higher frets
The best guitar is air guitar, because it dont have cons, you can play any music do you want, any tone, you can imagine the body of guitar.
Yeah but air guitars don’t get the girls! Lol
@@BlueRivers do real guitars?? What have I been doing wrong
You gotta rap nowadays to get a girl lmao
Yes
@@BlueRivers if it gets the men, it's just as much of a win tbh
5 things I like about Paul Davids:
- Honesty
- B E A R D
- Soothing Voice
- Musical Style and thinking kinda outside of my bubble
- Very knowledgeable
also massive golden retriever energy
Agree
Andy T. Always ready to play!
I love how Paul is to the point while being gentle, trying not to hurt anyone.
Lol Amen. -6 HE CAN REALLY PLAY most EVERY STYLE without any judgment. And he has zero in common with "Mus is Wn" deuschbg. LOL... right? hte that guys vids - - -evrywhere. Uggh.
I was waiting for you to talk about how close the volume control is to the strings; you didn't let me down! John Suhr worked in the Fender Custom Shop for a couple of years before starting his own company and I think he learned as much about what not to do as what to do. He moved that volume knob away from the danger zone; one of several reasons why the only Strat I now own is a Suhr.
I agree with everything--the love and the hate. One more thing that bugs me is the middle pickup. That's RIGHT where I like to pick 90% of the time. What do strat whammy legends like David Gilmour do to keep their instruments in tune despite using the bar every 5 seconds? Rolling bridges and string trees? Graphite spray?
And Jeff Beck too! I think his guitars have a locking nut and modded, friction reduced bridge.
Jeff beck has modern 2 point trem locking nut and locking tuners, but gilmour has classic strat-non locking tuners, non locking nut, 6 point trem, so Gilmour is wizard.
I have 5 springs in my Strat and mine barely ever goes out of tune. I guess I just have a one in a million guitar lol
2 springs, floating bridge and 0 tuning issues. Locked tuners help, but if springs are well set, there are no issues with tuning on Strat. Much better than Gibson design, despite lack of tremolo (G string always out of tune)
Well, you _could_ try shimming the neck. You might need a 2-point tailpiece if that's going to have any hope of working, though, depending on how high you want it.
'Wait a second, I really don't agree.' That is not how you argue on the internet. Attack them personally, be as petty and offensive as possible! ...jk
Lol
Why win an argument when you can insult a person’s family tree and look so cool for your fellow Cheeto stained keyboard wizards?
hahaha
Davids: "Where's my guitar?"
Random other guitarist: *Laughs in humbucker*
Random Strat Guy: *"Laughs at mud-bucker."*
You can make a single coil sound like a HB any day of the week. Just roll off the tone knob. It's a lot harder to go the other direction and not introduce a lot of high frequency noise! =]
If only they made HSS Strats (looks lovingly at the one sitting on my rack). :-)
@@RandyKeelingJr They do actually
@@UninstalledGamer I think you missed the joke here
@@Dartheomus or just buy a decent guitar with a full-bodied tone...? 🤔
😜
The pickup selector was pretty well placed on the Danelectro Danoblaster, which is an early 2000s mashup of a Stratocaster and a Mosrite Ventures. It's far more Stratocaster than Mosrite, but the selector switch... Fantastic place for it.
Both brilliant guitars... stood the test of time and design. Wonderful sounds for all styles. No complaints... cheers Leo and Co.
This reminds me of how Slash said "“As far as I'm concerned and Gibson probably wouldn't want me to say it, the Strat is, hands down, probably one of the best, most versatile guitars there is.” and people were boggled. As a LP player that came from a high-end 59RI to a Mexi-Strat, there was a ALOT to get used to especially all the things you mentioned. Unfortunately, the only solution I've arrived at is to buy them all.
He did have some strat copies during the making of AFD before getting the LP
I have to agree with this line of reasoning!
He played a black strat alot in the early days before GnR
Robby Kreiger, who’s played a Gibson SG for 50 years lol
Exactly what I thought
@@JohnDoe9764 yeah, me too
Ha ha ha SG stands for Shitty Guitar
@@gretschbasher lol nice
Dudes, I like SGs. SGs and telecasters are way better than strats. I know I'll get hate for this, but I genuinely do not like Les Paul's. They're really uncomfortable
Totally agree about the cut through the mix issue. The volume used for sound check never worked when the audience came. I also checked my volume pot often to make sure it was fully open but most of the times it was
Get an EQ pedal?
Thing3.: Squier fixed this with the Contemporary Strat: It has one volume + one tone pot and the volume pot is positioned a bit lower compared to the regular Strat.
Thing4.: Many player blames the 6 point tremolo for tuning stability issues but my experience is that in most cases it is the string tree which does not let the string slip back to it's original location. Swap the nut and the string tree to graphtechs and you have a much more stable instrument.
There are no bad guitars; there are, however, bad guitar players: I'm one.
Lmaoo
@BigBrain Time or those guys who brag about how good they are and then you ask them to play and they play smoke on the water on one string muting every note after ringing it immediately and getting a buzzing sound on every fret change.
This hits too close to home lol
oof
Me too, and i have Strats Teles Les Pauls and lots of others, just love buying guitars and diddling around on them
The last point is EXACTLY what I discovered when I bought my Tele.
I was a strat guy from the beginning, but - I hate to admit it - the tele freed me from strat cliches and led me to discover my voice. That’s why I use it more now.
With a strat you play stratty, but the tele is more like a neutral pallet. It makes you focus on the way you play and the notes you choose. But that’s just me
You are in pretty good company with Danny Gatton, Robben Ford (for a period), Roy Buchanan. I am harmonica player but, those are some of who I listen to.
Gabriel N Great taste mate ;)
@@GuitarFeels of course amplifiers make a difference! I like the early BB King tone when he was playing out of fender tweed amps and I think a 335? I plug into either one or two 1959 Bassman amps depending on the gig! Any guitar sounds good plugged into one of those with the original Jensen speakers 😊
Gabriel N totally agree! I’m amazed when sometimes I see 3000$ pedalboards plugged into entry level amps! To me amp/guitar combination is key and must sound great by itself. These days I’m finding myself gravitating more towards Vox amps: good amount of mids and sparkle, never get lost in the mix... love Bassman, great choice 😉
@@GuitarFeels between Bassman is just a great harmonica amp. Also the narrow panel pro and deluxe, for bigger amps the concerts are good too. Yes on the pedals, I plugged straight in or at possibly most just a little delay pedal. Look at people like Buddy Guy, They just plugged straight in the amp and all the tone comes out of their hands. It's actually kind of the same with harmonica, your tone develops internally over time and years. I listened to quite a bit of Jeff Beck and Jimi Hendrix also, any guitar players that are good tone shapers 😊
You are so right, especially the switch thing. Since 40 years, students come to my lesson with pickup switch in the bridge position.
Those volume swells immediately reminded me of Keaggy..nice job my friend..you are a great teacher..love this channel. Keep it up..
Paul’s next video to trigger his subs
“8 things I hate about guitar”
“Im gonna turn this into a bass channel”
episode 3 is "top 10 things i hate about music"
"5 things I hate about UA-cam"
and THAT is exactly why we love this place
Since you did one on the Strat, you should probably do one on the guitars like the Tele and Les Paul
@@matej2268 thank you very much !
@@matej2268 and I actually fell for that xD
@@matej2268 damn you... baha
@@matej2268 well played
You got me!😆😆🙌🏻
For everyone agreeing with these points: try a Yamaha Pacifica. Looks, feel and tone of the strat but without most of the design problems of the Fender. (humbucker in the bridge, just one tone + master volume, volume knob out of the way, blade switch in a better position, sleeker body).
As a pacifica owner,
I agree
Many years ago now I bought an oddity, an Oakland XS 100. It was everything I wanted, Strat shaped, thru neck, and 2 humbuckers with none of the issues dicussed here... I still prefer my Tele though
Pacificas don’t sound like Strats.
@@jsullivan2112 they don’t lmao at all
i had a strat as my first guitar, now i have the pacifica 612 and its like all the advantages you get with a strat (twang, comfortable shape, classic look) without all the disadvantages (tuning issues, since it has a wilkinson locking bridge and grover locking tuners)
also its HSS setup so its very versatile, and all 3 pickups are seymour duncans. playing open chords also sounds so much better since it comes with graphtech tusq nut
since i got the pacifica, i almost never touch my les paul anymore lol, but im looking forward to trying a tele in the future
I went out and bought a telecaster and it was cool to play but I couldn’t fully bond with it! I kept going back to my Strat! It was much lighter , easier for me to play and I love the Strat tones way better
What I hate about my Strat; only one thing.......having to change the strings! Trying to thread the strings from the back of the guitar is like trying to thread the eye of a needle, gggggggr!
Take the tremolo backplate off, far easier . Haven’t had mine on a Strat for at least 20 years.
@@christophertodd1980 Ah ok thanks.
I don't have any strings to change and I have a dean vendetta so an
"Offbrand"
Strat
The Backplate is the first i throw away after buying 😂
You have this same problem for tele too. At least for my tele.
"I have no idea what you're talking about" - My dad who doesn't play guitar but wanted to have a comment
Dass noice innit
@@silvermediastudio BEARMINGUM
Is he the guy that writes those amazon reviews that are like "I don't know I don't have the product"?
@@rzeka lol yeah, family tradition.
@@rzeka the worst is the people who answer questions as if it was directed at them only, and are clueless on how the product question section works. "I haven't tried it in the cold I live in Florida." ....wtf are you even responding??
Very nicely done, a treat to watch as ever. I own a few Strats, a Tele, a Les Paul, other stuff...each has a different voice. Your point: they inspire different playing (or similar playing) is absolutely true. Thanks!
A lot of players stick a Grolsch washer underneath the volume knob, just enough friction. For me the bad thing about Strats is that I never remember on which pickup the tone and volume control is working... 3 pickups but 2 tone controls always looked weird to me. (But I mainly play Tele and LP)
Your guitar is your tool to make music, i don't care if someone find strats be the best or not i just love the way i can have different tones 3 single coils, 2 tone knobs, over 10 different tone variations, plus a lot of confortable and playable, and is way more fun to dive the tone with the whammy bar, i just love it. i dont know if strat is the best guitar in the world i just know is the best guitar for me.
What I love about the Strat. EVERYTHING.
love is blind as they say
I'm saving up for a Fender American Ultra Stratocaster
@@hamishkay3010 worth the wait, American Professional II looks like a solid one too. Jesus loves u bro
@@vincentdalai6807 thank you respect bro
Smith Js sienna burst, rosewood fretboard and black pickguard and backplate👍🤔
Love your videos. I agree with you about the switch. However I think the volume knob is in the perfect spot! My pinky finger is always on it and I am often tweaking it.
All very valid points. The volume knob on my strat doesn't bother me much but man the amount of times I've hit that pickup selector ugh
The end of the video sounded like you're in an abusive relationship with your strat
About the tuningstability: Take a serious look at the nut. Friction means tuning trouble. If the string has friction because of the narrow slots it will never return to "point zero". Locking tuners defenitly help but that's only half the problem. It's all about friction! And the bridge can easily been set up floating. Again: friction! Use the outer 2 (of 6) screws as pivot points. The inner 4 adjusted a fraction higher so they only function as stability points.
So true. All those points. My Strat never goes out of tune. Unless I break a string of course.
Absolutely right! Welding torch tip cleaners are often sold as nut files. A cheap solution to widen the slots a bit and keep them round on the inside.
+ what I just wrote:
"The fact that your guitars stays in tune despite the frequent tremolo 'abuse' has nothing to do with the tremolo itself. It means that your nut slot resistance is either ZERO % (graphite lubricated) or A HUNDRED % (nut-lock or lock-nut).
Anything between 0% and 100% sucks, because a part of the strings (mostly the [round]wound ones) won't slide back in place.
If you have a classic bone or white plastic nut, it is wise to "lubricate" the nut slots with a graphite pencil each time you replace your strings.
It is also possible to replace the nut with a GraphTech String Saver nut, but if you want to keep the original nut, the pencil trick mostly works fine."
I have both Strat & Tele love em both 👍🔥🎸🦅
Thanks for the correct term for rolling the volume knob ‘swells’
Totally agree with this. Specially the accidental flick on the switch and awkwardness when palm muting.
People argue which is better and I just sit here with my jazzmaster :D
I just got a Jazzmaster last week. Holy moly, it has changed my world. I don't think I can go back to anything else!
Cameron Moore 100% agree with you. JM are just pure perfection for my ear. Congrats on your purchase! What model did you get?
@@annalipiarz3884 Thank you! It's a brand spankin' new 2017 American Professional lefty JM in mystic seafoam finish. My only other electric is a cheap offbrand strat from the early 2000's, so this is a _huge_ step up!
The pickups sound amazing in every position, and _good God_ the tremolo is better than I could've ever imagined. I don't know why more guitars don't go for a similar configuration. The melty vibrato tones I can get out of this thing are out of this world!
Cameron Moore wow that’s amazing! Great choose of quality equipment, no wonder you like it so much. Well Fender knew exactly what to do to crate magnificent work horse - pickups and tremolo go so damn well in every genre of music especially in clean channel with proper reverb and delay! Enjoy your amazing guitar :)
@@annalipiarz3884 Thanks so much! I definitely will. Time to turn the reverb up and melt away into those velvety vibratos. :-)
Well , I have been playing Strats and Teles for over 50 years . I still own 2 Teles , 2 Strats , and 2 Jazz Basses .I love Strats , but the tele can sound like almost any guitar in any style . Of course , the Strat has it's own sound , which is beautiful, and I love , but if I could only own one guitar , it would be a Tele . You were right on with your video . Both my Strats have the whammy disabled , because it is more of a problem , than the added effect is worth . You still need a 335 , and a Les Paul , and that is the truth . For the same reason you need a Dreadnaught and a parlor guitar . And nothing replaces a nylon string classical .So , that is why most guitar players own so many guitars . God Bless any genius who can do it all with only one guitar . I cannot , I love all my guitars , and play them every day ( I am 72 years old ) . I gigged from the time I was a teenager , until I retired from my day job ( Gotta have one of those to have any financial stability ). Oh , and everybody needs an archtop Jazz box . I have an Epiphone Joe Pass model , which takes care of anything I need in that department ! Thanks for so many great videos . Love your podcasts !
Hello
One question please
Joe Pass is a hollow body ?
Can hollow body's quitars sound full volume with no feedback?
@@dimitrisaivaliotis5616 , that depends on your amp . The Joe Pass is more of a Jazz guitar for me . I play clean without a lot of volume . I will tell you this . If I would use it like my Telecaster on stage , it would feedback for sure ! Hollow body guitars are not designed for that kind of application . Some guys use them , but sometimes they fill the body with something to absorb the vibrations . I think it would be better to mic your amp to get the volume . I almost always played in Bars , and when you are playing loud with people dancing a hollow body guitar will feedback . That is why you will see most guys playing solid bodies or semis in that situation !
@@gangnamstylegrandpa6352 All right 👍
I'm semi begginer
It was very kind of you
@@dimitrisaivaliotis5616 , you are very welcome . I am 72 years old now , and am retired , but if I can ever help you out let me know . Keep on playing , learn everything you can , and remember that everybody has something valuable to learn . The best experience you can get is to play with more experienced people , and gig as much as you can . Experience is the best teacher !
Yes sirr
I own both. I prefer my Tele for its playability. I also agree 100% that there is something special about the Strat. I'll always have both. I pick the guitar up that suits my mood.
There is no one perfect guitar....just the one that is perfect for you.
1000%
Yeah, cool how some of the best players, just kept playing the same guitar or model for years, or decades. Justin Hayward of the Moody Blues put a lot of mlles on his Gibson ES-335, for sure.
Yes, it would be a Les Paul
Recently bought a Fender Telecaster. Love it and it’s my new favorite guitar. It’s up there above my Hagstrom III and SG.
Interesting piece. Tuning instability on a Strat, however, is mostly caused by improper string stretching in addition to the string sticking in the nut and/or string tree due to friction. This friction also causes the ticking noises you sometimes hear while tuning. It can be completely eliminated by lubricating the nut or, better yet, replacing it with a Tusq nut, also lubricating or replacing the metal string tree with a Tusq one, in addition to properly stretching in new strings all the way up to the tuning post. This combo in my experience solves literally all tuning stability issues with a Strat, even when using the whammy bar like a Floyd Rose one. There's quite a few informative videos on YT on properly achieving Strat tuning stability. Surprisingly, the Tusq nut/string tree are not often mentioned, which is weird, as they actually work superbly.
Anyway, interesting video (again). Keep it up!
Yep, that's been my experience too. The strat requires more attention to little details to get tuning stability with the trem, but it's absolutely capable of it with the right setup. One other thing to mention is the saddles not being level -- if any are tilted even a little bit, the string pushes them slightly off to the side as the trem is used, which causes tuning to shift.
Yess!👍🏼
Unlike acoustic guitars, electric guitars dont "sound better" the more expensive they are. Sound is completely subjective. There's gonna be an electrric guitar for YOU, but it doesnt always have to be expensive.
@fouccodefire he asked about the sound of strats. i answered with the subjectivity of guitar sounds.
@fouccodefire i wasnt replying to that. i was replying to his statement about sound is subjective in the end of the video. did you not watch the whole thing?
In my experience, anything under £300 ain't worth it. Poor sustain, very tinny sounds.
Granted, when you go above the £2k mark, it's not really the sound you're buying it for, you're paying that additional for customisation and finish.
@fouccodefire dont try to be a smartass youre really not being smart
I think this is a valid point, but only if you look past beginner models. It definitely is worth it to go past the $300-400 mark usually, since this is where the craftmanship starts getting better, and you start to have diminishing returns. Once you get past this its more of a placebo, since you think the guitar will sound better, you play it more confidently. If you really are set on improving your sound you would probably want to look towards upgrading amps and pedals. But that isn't as fun as getting a new guitar :/
Totally agree with this feeling of adoration for the Strat... but having to admit Telecaster is my most palyed guitar, so simple, so efficient, and can be very subtle also. And that tone issue with the band, I had exactly the same experience. Loved to play with the Strat neck pick up when I was on my own, but with the band I played with, I couldn't hear the Strat anymore, so in the end always position between middle and bridge (which I love), just one sound out of the theorical Strat wideness! Thanks for this subbtle analysis !!!
The number one annoyance at the strat for me is the placement of the volume knob. I'm super tempted to move it. I love the floating trem though, it's the only reason I bought one and with a small setup, it works amazingly well
Love the sound of a Strat, but I absolutely agree about the placement of the volume knob! It's so often in the way for me
It's good to see someone mentioning the annoying volume and switch positions. My first guitar was a strat and when I went out to buy my second guitar I had a list of "deal breakers" in my head based on what I did and didn't like about my strat. One of the most important "deal breakers" was that, no matter how much I liked the guitar, I would not buy another one that placed any knobs or switches anywhere near the positions where my strumming hand goes. I also wanted a fixed bridge because I ended up blocking the bridge on my strat because I never use it and find it annoying.
Strats are great for people who want to use effects like volume swells and tremolo wobbles to spice up their playing, but for people who have a more "no frills" approach to playing, teles and Les Pauls seem to be much more user friendly option. Incidentally my second guitar was a gretsch pro jet (very similar to a Les Paul). I'm now thinking of getting a third guitar and leaning towards a Tele, although the contoured body of a strat seems like a total no brainer to me and I don't really get why they aren't a more popular design feature on teles.
I use s-style for years with that diagonal switch style. Ibanez RG, Yamaha Pacifica, mainly. I even owned a Japanese Fender strat, 62 reissue. For me, the options paralysis what got me. I was more focus into "which pickup position?" or "picking closer to neck or closer to bridge to avoid hitting the middle pickup", rather than expressing myself over note choices. I slowly ditched all them and by 2019 I started doing shows and recording using 1 tele style. I mod it fit my need, with MFD G&L pickups, 330k pots, big stainless steel frets and flatter radius, but it's still that 3 way switch, 2 knobs, 2 single coil pickups, and 21 frets tele as it were made in the 50s.
Paul I thought we talked about this, we never hate on a strat because that would be disrespecting the dead.
A tree had to die before it could exist.
The wood had to be worked into the proper shape and merged with metal and plastic to achieve its final form.
Its abilities are legendary just like you.
As a matter of fact two or three trees, depending on what fretboard you bought.
@@gingerbeer914 Plus a cow (pr a pig, goat..whatever had bad luck that day) for a proper bone nut.
6:28
Unless you're SRV...
Or Frusciante
My first guitar was a Squire strat for about 300-400 Euros. 20 years later it's still crazy how this thing stays in tune even though I "abuse" the tremolo...
20 years ago there were no euros. The euro was introduced in 2002.
The price of a Squier Stratocaster or Telecaster before the introduction of the euro was ± hfl. 495,- which is only ±€222.75 in today's currency.
There were some special ones from Japan that were just as expensive as the MIJ Fender (the ones with the black headstock), but that was in the end of the 1980s,
The fact that your guitars stays in tune despite the frequent tremolo 'abuse' has nothing to do with the tremolo itself. It means that your nut slot resistance is either ZERO % (graphite lubricated) or A HUNDRED % (nut-lock or lock-nut).
Anything between 0% and 100% sucks, because a part of the strings (mostly the [round]wound ones) won't slide back in place.
If you have a classic bone or white plastic nut, it is wise to "lubricate" the nut slots with a graphite pencil each time you replace your strings.
It is also possible to replace the nut with a GraphTech String Saver nut, but if you want to keep the original nut, the pencil trick mostly works fine.
All totally true Paul. I think there are silicon friction washers that you can put under the volume pots to give them more friction.
Been playing a Strat since I was 20. Got my 1st Tele-style (Carvin) at 42. Got my CS NOS Nocaster when I was 50. Know what? I love them both.
You need to drink some Grolsch beers with the “swing top” caps and place the rubber washer under your volume knob-it won’t move when you bump it anymore.
Or do it Cory Wong style and tape the switch into 4th position
Also make great strap locks!
Wow, I hadn't heard that one yet! And I'm DUTCH!
I still have at least 10 old bottles of Grolsch (filled) in my garage because I got a terrible headache of the first two...
I went straight back to my white and Belgian beers.
But I will probably empty the bottles for the rubbers, throw the beer away and get my money back for the bottles and the box.
Generally speaking I hate Pilsener beers...
But I can always ask some buddies in the East of the country to save up the rubber rings for me. They don't mind, as long as they can drink the beer.
Or just press the volume knob down further on the shaft ... to keep it from accidentally moving on you. Rep;ace it with a tough to turn CTS pot. I do agree very much on last statement. I guess you could use it as a challenge, however: Write a piece on a strat that doesn't sound like a strat.
I played a Strat for years. Upgraded it, changed the look, played hundreds of gigs with it. Then played a telie ONE TIME and knew I wanted it. After I gone one my beautiful Strat just started collecting dust. I ended up selling it but instantly missing it when I seen it again in my local guitar store 20 miles from where I sold it.
Forget it. That's your ex. Now you have wifey 😁
@@invdvr4034 yeah but that ex was looking reeeeeal pretty 😭
@@MatthaeusEbonah hell nah man I can't get along with my telecaster shame it was an 18th birthday gift I can't sell it lol I'll take my beaten up squier strat all day long lol
Same experience !!!
Learned how to play guitar on my dad’s Stratocaster and recently bought a Tele. Strats are cool but I really prefer Teles.
All what you said is 100 percent right. The tele sounds more amplified and cutting through. I'm experiencing that atm.
most of the points you mentioned in this video.. I have gone thru as well in my 20 + years playing strats in different bands... the guitar getting lost in the mix... I experienced in the last band I was in.. Very severely.. it drove the sound guy and the Bass player crazy.. they always thought it was my inability to adjust to their settings..the Bass player was constantly messing with my amp settings.. and re positioning my amp saying.. I wasn't getting the right tone.. etc... turned out it was the guitar that could not sound out above.. the mix... the other guitarist used an Ibanez.. and he always seemed to be fine with his sound...
Although the tuning stability is horrible, and I never use the whammy, I still let it float because it just sounds better that way.
If you have a floating setup, you can use the whammy bar to tune back. Otherwise, if the tuning is flat during bending, no way to tune back except tweaking the machine head.
I recommend the GOTOH 510 tremolo unit (if possible, select the FST block.). They has improvements of the major friction points, such as tremolo block holes and bridge plate holes.
Many people consider the friction and deflection of nuts and machine heads to be a problem in tuning stability, but the most important point to consider is the friction points of the unit itself.
The notes float morr
ua-cam.com/video/Iy-F7iSIopA/v-deo.html
Need to keep working on your set up. I float set up for intervals and do not lose tune.
To each their own, and I'm perfectly happy with my hard tail.
My first guitar was a Strat. When I bought a Tele I totally abandoned the Strat (which I am re-discovering now) for the tone, and the easiness of Tele. The thing that annoy me more in the Strat is the middle pickup which I hit sometimes. I really hate it. Of course I don't have that issue with a Tele.
ZoSo so why not just not use the middle pickup?
Like the Tele has a middle pickup?
You don't HAVE to use it
@@brianschwartz5673 In my case I use the middle pickup a lot so lowering it isn't that good of an idea. I would have to use a hotter pickup and then lower it but I'm too broke for that
@@brianschwartz5673 If I can't use that pickup why don't use just the telecaster so? :)
another thing I would add: when I palm mute (close to the bridge) I end up picking right on top of the pickup, and I have to lower it quite a bit in order to avoid hitting it.. what I like about Les Pauls in contrast is they have a massive empty space in the middle to be able to pick without worrying about the pickups being in the way.
Agree with the floating bridge tuning stability comment but using a TUSQ XL nut helps that problem a good bit. Also a tiny drop of Teflon grease in each nut slot so the strings don't catch and return to correct pitch (apply with a toothpick).
Watched an interview with Jeff Beck a few years ago on a tv show "Jeff Beck Talks Music". The interviewer Malcolm Gerrie asked Jeff about changing "his weapon of choice from the Les Paul (featured on all Jeff's early albums) to the Stratocaster". Jeff replied that the Strat gave him "Endless colour!" Jeff then proceeded to demonstrate exactly what he meant. Each man to his own...........
What
@Caleb Stevens. .........choice.
Couldn’t agree more.
Specially the “cutting through the mix” part.
yeah Iron maiden sounds terrible
Adrian Moreno elaborate
@@frunnkk I'm being sarcastic
Gotta adjust that amp bra
@@gretschbasher ye
My American deluxe strat HSS with locking tuners and LSR roller nut is the best option. The Jeff Beck artist series are excellent as well, and you can be fairly hard on them and remain in tune! Also your videos are the easiest to watch and learn from, really enjoyable!!
Agree completely... Plus the tele has some unique tones. Just got a used Vintage V58 JD... Superb range of tones and so playable.
Just need to get the fingers to behave themselves now!
I was waiting for "Hum" on that list. Maybe It is just me..
Nope I got the same thing, or maybe not. I get a buzzing sound that normally tops for a second when I cover the higher strings but it still comes back.
@@sharko3211 probably from the pickups
Doesn't Paul have one of the new pro series Strats with the noiseless pick-ups now?
Teles are just as bad for hum, so it's kind of irrelevant in a strat vs tele discussion, but both have noise/hum issues (at least if you have only single coils)
unless you have a very cheap strat or a faulty pickup, or a problem in your power outlets, noise should not be a problem.
A couple of things re playing a Strat live:
Cutting through the mix in a big band: Totally amp dependent in my case. Makes all the difference.
Set your guitar up properly: practically no tuning issues - even dive-bombs
Volume pot being in the wrong place: Move the volume pot down to where the first tone pot sits normally. Run all pickups [except maybe the lead pickup] through this pot. One volume + one tone pot. Sorted.
I've never hit the pickup switch while strumming - my strumming technique comes from playing a Les Paul for years so it shaped the way I strum in a way that removes this possibility. Lucky, I guess.
Oh, and one other thing: I LOVE the Strat! ;-)
You may laugh but I miss my '65 Jazzmaster. Played a lot of teles and strats but never owned either one; got the jazzmaster back in the 80's as a favor so someone could buy something so someone could by something so my guitarist could buy a mesa boogie. It immediately replaced my LP copy as my main guitar and I loved it, especially the pickup tone. All the while I figured "I probably really should have a strat." Well, house burned down and the jazzmaster is ashes. My best friend GAVE me his G&L strat (isn't that what best friends are for?) The G&L is really sweet, but if I still had that jazzmaster I'd reach for it most of the time. Frankly, I wish I could have all three, but I'm a keyboard player and the purchasing department would never go for that.
And oh yeah, the jazzmaster tremolo bar. I hated out-of-tune guitars so I didn't even put it on for the first 15 years I owned the guitar. Then one day I just tried it out and after that never left it off. The tuning always returned to perfect, and it was easy to get that real mellow barely-moved tremolo tone. On the G&L I can repro that effect, but I have to work at it. (I think it has the G&L 2nd gen trem bar.)
Ow I get it! I have one of each and expected to prefer my strat but my first instinct is to reach for my tele. I’ve had it longer and thought it was just an emotional connection but this video showed me how it’s probably more.
For the knob, i guess that's why Cobain didn't often play a strat, there is something in the way (5:48)
He would have sounded like a gut shot cat no matter what he played 😵
He played strats all the time live and mostly destroyed them
Well I just remove the knob Easy fix
Owen 4602 it’s a pun
Not Applicable FINALLY ! Somebody finally get it
I love when someone with knowledge and a lot of experience is giving the talk. Thanks Paul!
Well said Paul!! I do have a few guitars .. and I love them all! Each of them for their own characteristics!
So glad I’m not the only one. Especially the control layout.
Just play a “left handed” start upside down; all problems solved
Just change to a pickguard with a different layout. Much easier, and better ergos.
Agreed.
My sentiment exactly :D
Or just buy a HSH or HSS super strat and change the pickups to Single coil xD
YOU ARE A GENIUS
Telecasters are my thing.
1: The controller layout is better. You are spot-on with Stratocaster controls being annoying. Telecaster controls are better.
2: NO TREMOLO. Seriously. I am all about hardtails. Yes, you can block a tremolo, but I prefer something I don't need to modify.
3: The Telecaster body shape is much more me.
Also a tele can be used as a weapon to smack a fool around, then go back to playing no problem
And Keith Richards agrees with me
I hate tremolo systems just because they're incorrectly named
Guitar Nerd
I don’t play either of these models anymore but yes, I absolutely agree.
Lawrence Redmacher
Vibrato!
;)
And be used to chop broccoli.
I just got my first "real" Strat today. Mex, but still Fender. Absolutely adore the spacious fingerboard and relatively massive neck. And the chime...
i love strat too, also love jazzmaster.....but i've always dwelled in a telecaster dream......i wouldn't say better or worst, each one's got its vibe
A bit of foam fitted under the volume knob is reputed to help avoid accidental adjustments.
Man, i feel all of this! Best thing is the tick to always check if the volume control is maxed.. Still love Strats
Paul that's my problem too. I absolutely love how strat looks (and sounds in those middle positions). But for the road I'd rather prefer a tele, it's just much more reliable...
I traded my favorite Stratocaster, a purple, 1998, with rosewood fretboard, for a Gibson Les Paul, Special w/single cutaway, bound fretboard, zebra pups, push/pull knobs for coil splitting, and a beautiful gloss finish over a brown stain. Freaking gorgeous guitar! Oh yeah, it also has the slim taper, 60s neck. Got a standard Gibson Les Paul case too, in brown. I loved my strat but that was the best trade I ever made!
When I wired up my dual humbucker partscaster, I put a cutoff button in place of the top volume nob and use 1 master volume and 1 master tone nob. Because of turning the volume down accidentally. Stays in tune good using the American fender professional series two posts tremolo. I lean towards strats over teles for the trem options.
Childhood dream to own a real Strat. Finally bought one in my retirement. Love it love it, but recently bought a Tele - wow why didn't I do this before, its amazing. I now regularly use both in any live set.The Tele is all round easier to live with but the Strat has more tonal options.
1 thing I like about the squier...
It is cheap but it doesn't sound cheap!
I play a squier that got custom rebuilt and its my absolute favorite. Dual humbuckers instead of the triple single coils, and the middle position on the three way switch is the sound from both the bridge and the neck. When I buy a real strat, i'm going to do the same thing to it.
My first guitar, a red Squier... Legendary.
@@PaulDavids Didn't you hate the colour red? Love/hate relation i see.
Ps. Succes verder met de hittegolf. Nog een paar dagen, als het goed is.
but it does feel cheap, except classic vibe s
My squire with Seymour Duncan hot rails is my number one guitar. It has a sweet spot right between the bridge and the middle pick up that just no other guitar’s sound can touch !
The Strat is a wonderful guitar. It was my first guitar and my only electric for over a decade.
It's missing a bunch of little things that add up to a second very different electric guitar.
Turns out you can't fake the warm clear tones of a humbucker pickup on a strat. The half positions are close but have a muddiness that disappears in the mix like he mentioned.
The Strat is like a good adjustable wrench. It can do a lot of jobs well, but there's other tools that can do those jobs with less fiddling about.
Very nice video. Those points are totally true. Specially #5. Tendency to play like a strat guy and it’s hard to get out of that stigma and make your own sound.
If it’s one person I didn’t expect to talk about Fenders, it’s the SG master Robby Krieger
I was just thinking that. I scanned the interview, feels like they took it out of context, as usual ;-), but it sparked some cool ideas :-).
Recommend everyone reads the interview. I feel he was not judging anyone or any guitar. Enjoyed this video, even if we got baited into it a little :-).
I love my Telecasters! More versatile than any other guitar I've owned.
A Telecaster, a Vox AC30 and a fuzz box, I'm in Yardbird Heaven- that's what I want!
I think, I heard someone make a comment the other day that went something like " I wonder how many Les Paul's and Marshalls a Telecaster plugged into a Vox AC30 have sold?"
That's my setup too!
Please do a video on how to play the guitar "swirls" during thing 3, looks really cool and sounds amazing
I moved the volume pot to the first tone pot position and put a kill button switch in its place, also switched round the direction of pickup selector and blocked off trem with a chunk of hardwood....
I've owned three Gibsons, still own one. My latest guitar is a Strat Professional. The neck is silky smooth, absolutely love that guitar.
Every guitars amazing in there own ways, but they all have there downsides, that’s why no one should disagree with this video
110% Agreed. That's what makes being a guitarist so great....I mean how ELSE can I justify buying so many haha
And everyone have different styles and preferences
For me I like to share my stress over the input jack. If you ever attempted Pete Townshend-esque level of windmill strumming, you will hit and damage the input cable. Plus the fact you need the trem-arm screwed in first, or not your cable will be in the way. In the end I love my Strats but I agree with all your peeves and I like to share mine.
Yeah, I never understood that. It's not an improvement in any way that I can see.
I'm so glad I’m not alone! Ironically, every problem you have with the Strat I also have with the Tele. That’s why I made my own custom Tele control plate with all the switches moved back and out of the way. Loving it!