• From: Austin, TX
  • Registered: 2007-06-22
  • Posts: 2

Topic: Different Pickups on a Fender Strat

I am looking in to buying a Fender Strat in the near future. It will be my first electric guitar and I am an bit confused about the different types. I was looking at the Standard Strat on the Guitar Center Website and then the Strat HSS which is the same think other that it has a humbuckler in the bridge position. Does this make the guitar sound different?? Also i saw the Lonestar Strat which the same as the Strat HSS but has "upgraded" pickups, Is it worth the extra $200?

  • Registered: 2007-10-10
  • Posts: 2

Re: Different Pickups on a Fender Strat

There are a dizzying variety of Strats out there and I don't blame you if you get confused.  It really depends what you want to play.  If you want to play rock or use a lot of overdriven sounds then you may want to consider the model with the bridge humbucker as this will give you a thicker more powerful tone, especially when playing lead.  The Fender Strat is a great guitar and in standard 3 single coil mode has a bright tone but can be amazingly versatile.  Are you looking at the "Standard" Strat or the US Standard?  The Standard is made in Mexico, which is why it is cheaper.  They are still great guitars and as a first guitar will last you many years.  I play one professionally as well as my US made Strats.  As with most things the more money you spend the better Strat you'll get.  Hope this helps.  Best thing is to go to a music store and try one out.  Sit with it for a while and try out all the sounds.  Don't let the sales guy pressure you and if you're not sure go away and think about it.  Too many people are selling guitars on ebay because they've bought in haste.

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Different Pickups on a Fender Strat

I agree with snailspace7, and nice to meet you here.
Once upon a time, when the animals were still speaking, you had 2 important brands, at least here in Europe.
- GIBSON: LES PAUL STANDARD, LES PAUL CUSTOM and GIBSON SG.
- FENDER, even more easy: A STRATOCASTER, OR A TELECASTER.
Today it is almost impossible to make a choice, I don't know how many different stratocasters, and I am only talking about US stratocasters, are on the market.
An important factor is: how much do you want to spend? A good advise is to go to a guitar store, and let's supposing that your budget is between 1000 & 2000$, try a few of those if possible in the store, the neck is also very important, some guitar players like a bigger neck, others a smaller. I have a US Strat 1964, and if I should sell him, I would have enough $$ to buy a few other Fenders. A pretty good choice is the relic, or a custom made, but the price is high. You can take a look to see prices on www.zzounds.com or www.musiciansfriend.com, giving you a pretty good information about prices, wood, and in fact all different guitars.
The Fender H-S-S combination: around 1200$ and a maple US standard S-S-S (coil) 1000$.
If you want to spend more (I don't have an idea about the tone) you have to go to the vintage Fenders, like a reissue '57=1400$artist serie (Clapton,...) 1500$. A cheaper US made Fender is the Fender Highway = 750$. But about the Highway, you will find different opinions.
Maybe the best choice would be a Fender Stratocaster US for about 1000$, but try to compare.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: Different Pickups on a Fender Strat

First off STK have you gotten down to a guitar shop or begged your friends for a go on their electric guitars? There are so many things you can't feel and hear on the web. Fender is a good name if you're spending mid to upper price range but there's lots of other makes that offer more value. The strat 'double horn' shape is used by thousands of guitar makers.

If you've got your heart set on a Fender Strat because your favourite player uses them have a look at what sort he favours. As snail and doc said there single coils give a really wailing ethereal sound, perfect for screaming blues solos, but they pick up noise from computers, bar signs etc. so the end result can set teeth on edge. Humbuckers are quieter, beefier, ballsier but lack that  soaring edge. The HSS combination tries to give the best of both worlds. Bridge pickups of any kind sound warmer and fatter so this is a perfect task for a humbucker.

But do get out, pick up some guitars and play them. You'll be amazed how weight varies in the strat range and how the pickups you pay for change the overall sound. A cheap Squire strat may sound snarly and wimpy but this may be exactly what you want if you're after a garagepunk 'Green Day' sorta sound.

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • From: Austin, TX
  • Registered: 2007-06-22
  • Posts: 2

Re: Different Pickups on a Fender Strat

Thanks for all the info so far, I really appreciate the input. I guess I need to just go down to the local music store and play them all.

  • From: BELGIUM
  • Registered: 2007-01-27
  • Posts: 3,403

Re: Different Pickups on a Fender Strat

Yes, this is possible, but you can narrow your choice, depending on your budget. If you say, I want a stratocaster between 1000 and 2000$ it will be more easy to choose.
I will try to give you some ideas, and the parameter: I USE THE OPINION OF CUSTOMERS AND THEIR RATINGS BETWEEN 4 and 5 stars.

- Fender American Stratocaster Electric Guitar: price between 950 and 980$
- Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster Electric Guitar: 1200$
- Fender American Deluxe Ash Stratocaster Electric Guitar: 1300$
- Fender American Vintage 57 Stratocaster Electric Guitar: 1400 to 1500$
- Fender Artist Series Eric Clapton Stratocaster: 1500$
- Fender American Vintage Series '70s Stratocaster Reissue: 1300 to 1400$

Cheaper:
- Fender Highway One HSS Stratocaster Electric Guitar: 700 to 750$ and a s-s-h combination
- Fender Highway One Stratocaster Electric Guitar: 750$ and s-s-s coils.

More expensive:
- Fender Custom Shop Time Machine Series '60 Strat Relic Electric Guitar : 2550$

So all the guitars here are high rated by customers, all ORIGINAL US STRATOCASTERS.
I worked quit hard on this topic, but my only concern is to help. Some sites:
www.music123.com     www.musiciansfriend.com    www.zzounds.com
They are all on line stores, and if I am not wrong, cheaper than in a store. I worked a lot like this, writing on a paper, some different types, try them out in a Music Store, if they are a lot more expensive---> sites, if the price is similar (or a little bit more expensive) buy it.
I hope I could help.

[color=blue]- GITAARDOCPHIL SAIS: TO CONQUER DEAD, YOU HAVE TO DIE[/color]   AND [color=blue] we are born to die[/color]
- MY GUITAR PLAYS EVERY STYLE = BLUES, ROCK, METAL, so I NEED TO LEARN HOW TO PLAY IT.
[color=blue]Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.[/color]

gitaardocphil's Website

  • From: Nottingham, UK
  • Registered: 2006-08-08
  • Posts: 690

Re: Different Pickups on a Fender Strat

Amen Phil, the great thing about a shop is that you should be handling the actual instrument you will walk out with. No matter what guitar sites and magazine reviews say you may be lucky enough to pick up a guiatar that somehow got superior wood due to a mixup or upward substitution in the factory. Maybe a worker just lavished a bit more time prepping it or maybe the tree just happened to grow in a way that gives a superior sound to your ears. Here's to real world shops :-)

'The sound of the city seems to disappear'
  • Registered: 2007-01-29
  • Posts: 533

Re: Different Pickups on a Fender Strat

Fender makes at least 50 models of the Stratocaster (seriously) and it's awfully hard to pick just one. If you are fortunate enough to live near a large music store like guitar center then go by and try them out. Tell the sales people what kind of music you are into, then just try different ones. Yes, the humbucker models sound different than the single coil models. Different models have different sounds, neck radius, tuning and bridge options, and more.

My preference if you can afford the $1000. range would be an American Stratocaster with the three single coil pickups. This is a very versatile guitar with an amazing range of sounds. If you decide later to change things then it's easily modified with different pickups, etc.   For less money you can get the Standard Strat which is made in Mexico...it's and excellent guitar in the 400-500 dollar range.

I think that a lot of people want to make a Fender sound like a Gibson and try different combinations of humbuckers...others like Van Halen took an old Fender body, put a Gibson Humbucker, and created his own distinctive sound!

giraardocphil made some excellent points and choices...

It's always best if you can actually play the one you want and see how the neck fits...how it sounds...and even the color that you like...

Middleaged Redneck sorta guy who refuses to grow up...passion for music, especially Southern Rock but like bout everything cept Gangsta/Hip Hop. Collect guitars, mandolins, and love to ride Harleys.