What to Look For in a Quality Strat

[Paulps]

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

No Jim. Quality STRAT, not Street!

A quality Strat should, of course, be FIESTA RED!

Where's my tin hat??

[JimN]

Where's my tin hat??

You can always use the tin when all the chocolates are finished.



JN

[RogerCook]

Hi Donna

Glad to hear you've got it sorted.

I hadn't played a guitar with a trem since the 1960's until I got back into playing Shadows Music about 5 years ago. I think how they are set up is quite a personal thing. I like mine set with quite a lot of resistance, otherwise I can pull or push it out of tune whilst picking. I probably have 2-3mm clearance under that rear of the plate and with 11-52 strings I prefer 4 springs. I also have the pivot screws a little tighter to the body than some other players. On guitars with freely floating trems I also find I can push it out of tune with palm muting. I prefer a slightly shorter than standard arm that allows me to pick comfortably between the middle and neck pick-ups. I find the cranked Easimute type of arm does give just a little extra room whereas with the standard arm, I have to make sure I push it out of the way. Also the height if the arm is quite important and you need to be able to allow the arm to rest under your palm surrounded loosely by the fingers but so that you can still reach the strings with the pick under control and not catch the strings with the rest of the fingers that are around the arm!

Hank's technique has changed over the years. If you watch the early live footage he grabbed the arm when he needed to!

Roger

[anniv 63]

Never mind the full Ludwig drum kit. The Quality Street tin has tonal characteristics
second to none when banged hard!!!

Mike

[John M]

http://www.thebakerskitchen.net/photo_g ... t_cake.jpg

[anniv 63]

Very nice John . Unfortunately Keith Moon would have totally destroyed it on
its first wallop!!!

Mike

[donna plasky]

Roger and Tone: Thank you for the info on the shorter tremolo arm. I am going to look on the internet and buy one or two like you describe. I am appreciative of your help, especially since the guitar shops in my area are just not interested in helping me with these things. Thinking back on it, the shop should have asked me how I wanted the bridge set up when I bought the guitar, especially since they knew I was a beginner. I didn't know any better, or I would have asked.

Paulps: You're right...the guitar should be Fiesta Red and I wish it was. The model guitar I bought comes in only two colours, Candy Apple Red and Three Tone Sunburst. Based on the pictures I saw, candy apple red is not really red. It is somewhere between dark red and purple, with a metallic tint...and I hated it. If I ever take the plunge and buy an expensive Fender Strat, it would have to be Fiesta Red. This sunburst one, with a tortoise shell scratch plate, reminds me of Jet's guitars...so I chose that over the other colour.

Rosemary, thanks for your help and advice. It's very nice to know another lady guitarist who likes the Shadows. You live a little closer to Hank than I do, but I do wish you and I lived closer. It would be fun to collaborate.

Thanks to everyone for your help.

Kind regards,
Donna

[Tab]

Re floating bridge set-up, the link below may be of interest.

Kind regards,

Terry


http://video.answers.com/stratocaster-t ... -241991022

[alanbakewell]

Thanks for posting that Terry.Two years ago I had my CS Strat set up by a local Luthier. At the same time he made me a new bone nut. I've never had any tuning problems since.
I've never seen that "Off set" business with the claw before. Like most things I suppose, it's so obvious isn't it?

Cheers, Alan.

[ernie1958]

Hi Donna

Glad to hear you've got it sorted.

I hadn't played a guitar with a trem since the 1960's until I got back into playing Shadows Music about 5 years ago. I think how they are set up is quite a personal thing. I like mine set with quite a lot of resistance, otherwise I can pull or push it out of tune whilst picking. I probably have 2-3mm clearance under that rear of the plate and with 11-52 strings I prefer 4 springs. I also have the pivot screws a little tighter to the body than some other players. On guitars with freely floating trems I also find I can push it out of tune with palm muting. I prefer a slightly shorter than standard arm that allows me to pick comfortably between the middle and neck pick-ups. I find the cranked Easimute type of arm does give just a little extra room whereas with the standard arm, I have to make sure I push it out of the way. Also the height if the arm is quite important and you need to be able to allow the arm to rest under your palm surrounded loosely by the fingers but so that you can still reach the strings with the pick under control and not catch the strings with the rest of the fingers that are around the arm!

Hank's technique has changed over the years. If you watch the early live footage he grabbed the arm when he needed to!

Roger

I agree with you all the way Roger...it all depends on what you prefer and how you play.
I've done my own setups to all of my guitars and not one of them is the same...point is each guitar needs it's own setup to be able to play it
with the best possible sound,action,etc.
As for vibrato unit action the setup of that needs to be done with care so you can get the best out of it.
This means also taking into consideration how many springs for tension,which arm and so on.
I recently found myself shortening the length of the vibrato arm on my Marquee for better playability because just like you mentioned you
must be able to play between the neck and middle pickup with ease and not hitting anything else in the way like pickup covers..lol!

In short once again..it all comes down to personal preference.

Regards,
Ernie