What to Look For in a Quality Strat

[donna plasky]

Hi, everyone. I was wondering if I could ask for your expertise, to help me understand Stratocasters. Below is a list of the specs of my Squier Classic Vibe 60s Stratocaster. As far as Squiers go, this is the most expensive one listed on Fender's website. Whether or not it is a good guitar, I couldn't say. I have no perspective.

Based on the specs of my guitar, do you see room for improvement, if I ever bought a new guitar someday (Fender Brand, next time)? Different type of body wood, different kind of bridge, different kind of pickups, etc. etc.?

I have to be honest and admit the obvious: I would need the appropriate playing skills and the appropriate gear (amp, echo, etc.) to have any chance of "getting that sound." The odds of all that coming together are slim to none. But, all that being said, I was just wondering what is your opinion of this particular guitar? If you accompanied me on a visit to a guitar shop, would there be any Fenders that you would suggest that I look at? Or would you tell me that my current guitar is more than adequate unless any of the other circumstances improve? Every time I see a guitar catalogue, I wonder about it.

May I ask one more question: How important is the type of tremolo arm? I am assuming that Hank uses a custom one, but what do most of you use?

Thank you very much for your help. I had a difficult time putting this post in writing, because I am afraid it might sound ridiculous.

Kind regards,
Donna


Squier Classic Vibe Stratocaster® '60s

Body Material: Alder
Body Shape: Stratocaster

Frets: 21 Medium Jumbo
Position Inlays: White Dot
Fingerboard Radius: 9.5” (24.1 cm)
Fretboard: Rosewood
Neck Material: Maple


Hardware Finish: Chrome
Bridge: Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo
String Nut: Synthetic Bone
Switch Tip: Aged White Switch Tip
Tremolo Arm Handle: Vintage Style Tremolo Arm


Nut Width: 1.650” (42 mm)
Scale Length: 25.5” (64.8 cm)
Neck Plate: Standard 4 Bolt

Pickup Configuration: S / S / S
Bridge Pickup: Custom Vintage Style Single-Coil Strat Bridge Pickup
Middle Pickup: Custom Vintage Style Single-Coil Strat Middle Pickup
Neck Pickup: Custom Vintage Style Single-Coil Strat Neck Bridge Pickup


Pickup Switching: 5-Position Blade

Position 1: Bridge Pickup
Position 2: Bridge and Middle Pickup
Position 3: Middle Pickup
Position 4: Middle and Neck Pickup
Position 5: Neck Pickup

Controls: Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)

[dave robinson]

Hi Donna, the guitar that you have there is more than adequate and indeed a match for many Fender Strat models. As you know I have a vast collection of instruments and the most humble of those is my Squier Classic Vibe Telecaster which was only recently acquired, but fitted with a Stetsbar trem unit can hold it's own with any of my top of the range Fenders', Gibsons', Burns or Gretsch guitars. Don't feel that you need to buy a Fender Strat - those Classic Vibe Squiers do the business and I intend to pick one of those Strats up to add to my collection in the near future. I know one or two of my friends own them and they are cool. I wish that the budget guitars of the early sixties were anywhere near as good as they are today.

As for the trem, my preference has always been the standard arm on a Strat, I have played them for nearly fifty years and find the alternative (that I will not name) pointless. In fact I bought a USA Deluxe Strat that had been ruined by the firm that make those, as the previous owner mistakenly believed it would be a worthwhile upgrade. I immediately ditched the 'cranked' arm and fitted a proper one.

[RUSSET]

Hi Donna,
As Dave says, you can't do better than a Squier Classic Vibe guitar, for that price range, for our style of music. They are real quality. I have now got a Strat, Tele & P. Bass in that series, & have no regrets whatsoever. The only things I can fault the Strat on, is the cheap alloy tremolo block underneath the bridge; but that is easily replaced. I got a steel one & now the trem arm does not work itself loose anymore. I also found the trem arm on the Squier Strat to be a little too long, compared to regular Strats, so I replaced it with a Jap Gotoh arm which had the same screw thread size. This change was just for my own comfort, & not an essential modification.

Tony.

[Rosemary]

Hi Donna
A few months ago I tried out a Squier Classic Vibe in a music shop and was very impressed. It had a great tone even without any echoes or effects, was very easy to play and it seemed lighter than my Strats (but whether this is true or just my perception I'm not sure). Since then I've read many reports from owners of Classic Vibes who are very happy with them and some even favour them over their Strats. If I were to buy another guitar now I'd definitely go for a Classic Vibe.

While interstate a couple of months ago I bought the less expensive Squier Bullet and found the bridge was flat against the body so the tremolo wouldn't work at all. I've since read one report of this same problem from someone who bought a Classic Vibe so as Tony mentions that might be something that needs to be upgraded or maybe the shop could do it for you.

Best wishes
Rosemary

[anniv 63]

I am absolutely delighted with the Squier Classic Vibe Simon Neil Strat. For the money its
superb in terms of a quality build and modern strat sounds it produces to my ear anyway!!
The cheap alloy block and a wobble on the trem arm from day one is the only negative but
will be easily cured with a Wilkinson Vintage replacement which I did on a Hank Marvin Squier.

Mike

[donna plasky]

Dear Dave, Tony, Rosemary, and Mike: I would like to thank you very much for your valuable feedback and opinions, which are going to be extremely helpful to me. I am going to call my guitar shop and make an appointment for next week, so that I can ask them about possibly modifying the bridge, tremolo block, and/or tremolo arm. I will update you afterwards.

In my original post, I tried not to be too specific in my complaints about the guitar, to try to make it as wide-open a question as I could. To my delight, your feedback addressed 100% exactly the source of my dissatisfaction. I can't thank you enough. My complaint is: when I play the guitar (in my own amateur way) I don't see any movement of the bridge when I engage the tremolo arm. Maybe a teeny tiny bit, but basically nothing moves, it stays flat. I have watched lots of YouTube videos, and I see other people's Strat bridges "bending up" when the tremolo arm is engaged. Now that you have said the same thing has happened to people you know, I feel comfortable asking the guitar shop this very question.

As for the tremolo arm, even though I do not know how to properly use it, I have been trying and trying...and the only thing I can get from it is, if I push the arm in, I can get the note to drop down, such as from an F to E and then back up to F (in Wonderful Land). Although I would like it to sound more pronounced in the pitch drop, at least I can get the note to drop at all. But I've watched Hank play his guitar, and I see how he vigorously pulls the tremolo arm over and over, to get a vibrato effect and/or certain changes in pitch. I cannot physically get the tremolo arm to move like that. I have been frustrated, if not bordering on obsessed, with the fact that I can't even pretend as though I'm playing the guitar like Hank or other people. My Strat does not sound like a Strat, to me, if I can't put some tremolo arm into the song.

Tony, thanks for mentioning the idea about having a preference for the length of the tremolo arm. I have been trying to learn how to play while holding the tremolo arm the entire time (I started out not doing it this way) and I have been wondering whether people ever use shorter arms. My hands are small, and the most I can do is let the arm thread in between two fingers and you can how much of the arm protrudes. When Hank plays the guitar, I don't see any of the tremolo arm except the very bottom where it's attached to the bridge.

Thank you again. I hope this reply was not too long. I have been trying for five months to get this guitar to sound a certain way, and I think I've now had a breakthrough, thanks to your help. I have to do something about the tremolo block, the bridge, etc. It was very helpful to know that I shouldn't focus on other things like the pickups, the tuning machines, etc.

With sincere appreciation,
Donna

[dave robinson]

Donna, if the trem plate is laying flat to the body, take off the back cover of the trem where you thread the strings and loosen of the long screws that are attached to the springs slightly, until the plate lifts about an eighth of an inch from the body. You have to set the tension for the bridge to 'float' by retuning the strings until the desired balance and angle is achieved. The trem should then be able to be pulled up and raise the pitch, as well as depressed to flatten the pitch, returning to tune when released.

[donna plasky]

Dear Dave, and to the other friends who posted replies as well:

Thank you for all your wonderful advice. After I posted a reply earlier this afternoon, I called up the guitar shop and they said I could come right over if I wanted to...so I did. I believe the adjustment they made to my guitar is exactly what Dave described...and now I understand how it works, so I will know for the future. Maybe I could do this myself next time, but either way I am so happy to have learned what was wrong and what could be done to fix it. It was driving me crazy, trying to figure it out. And it was becoming very discouraging, to try so hard to play this guitar and still not make much progress. I can't really feel like I am playing a Strat if I cannot use the tremolo arm, and that's where I was...until today.

The guitar shop raised up the bridge, just as Dave suggested. Just looking at the guitar sitting in the case, you can see that the bridge is higher...you could probably insert a plectrum underneath it now. Before, you couldn't even have slipped a piece of paper under the bridge. I just never knew otherwise; I didn't know what a bridge is supposed to look like. I am so glad that it was as simple as making an adjustment. This guitar is extremely comfortable to play, and I would not have wanted to replace it, not that I can really afford to do that.

Thank you all so much. I am very grateful.

Kind regards,
Donna

[Rosemary]

Hi Donna
It's great news to hear your tremolo problem has been solved. You also mentioned the length of the tremolo arm. I found the trem on my Mexican Strat was too long to play as comfortably as my USA Strat and the shop swapped it for a shorter one at no charge (they sell secondhand guitars so have a lot in stock). Perhaps this might help you too though I've read Mexican Strat trem arms don't fit USA Strats and vice versa and am not sure about other types of Strats.
My tremolo arm is still not as firm as I'd like it but I'll eventually get to learn the right amount of plumbing tape to use and think it will be fine.

Along with trying to improve my playing, I still have a lot to learn about guitars and amps etc. and have made quite a few mistakes e.g. buying 10-52 strings instead of 10-48 (which my guitars were set up for) and buying a digital delay pedal I thought would give the right sound but which didn't really help.
When I first started playing I thought there was a problem with my tuning too but it was just my technique. Then I thought I might need to change pickups to get a better tone but have now heard how my guitar can sound when played through really good equipment so realise there's no need to change them.

Anyway good luck with your playing and it's so nice to read your posts as there are very few lady Shadows players around. It's just such a shame we're so far away.
Best wishes
Rosemary

[JimN]

Whenever I open a tin, I always look for the Chocolate Toffee Finger (in gold foil and cellophane) and the Toffee Deluxe in the brown wrapper.

JN