What do I need a Strat for.......???

[trag-o-caster]

..... when I've got three Teles!

My Stratocaster came back to me last Saturday night. I'd traded it off months ago, and the new owner came to the gig carrying the guitar wanting to know if I wanted it back. Well not really, but I did get it back. I tried to sell it to the other guitarist, but he didn't want it either. That's exactly what I said to him too:

"What the heck do I need a Strat for? I've got three Teles!"

I want that on a T-shirt!

It's not a "real" Strat. It's another Fernandes copy, but you'd never know if you didn't see the headstock. Nice sunburst finish. Nice neck, but too thin for my liking. I'll probably keep 'er. Strats do look cool, even if they don't sound as good :P !

[kewlpack]

Well... I'm always grateful for charitable guitar-related donations. :lol:

~A~

[Wally]

I can't understand how an inamimate object can be so tempermental, but sometimes my Strat sounds great, then there is the rest of the time....

I love Strats, most of my favorite guitarists play Strats, but but I have an "on again off again" relationship with my Standard Strat. It's a great looking guitar, nice neck, but sometimes I love the sound of it, sometimes I don't. Very picky when it comes to strings...Fender 150's sound awful on it, 250's sound the best....Everly's sound good sometimes, sometimes they don't. My Tele is a lot more consistent.

[kewlpack]

Ah yes, strings... the bane of all great guitar. Sometimes... :roll:

I tried a whole bunch of different kinds of strings - some DOA. I tend to have acid for sweat so regular strings don't last long. I finally settled on using Elixir Nanoweb 10's on all of my guitars (using Acoustic 80/20 Nanoweb on the Ovation). I was going with 12's on the acoustic - but I found I only lost a little tone yet gained a lot of playability with 10's.

Here's why I like the Elixirs (FWIW): The coated EAD(and G on acoustic) stay tonally bright and crisp for six to eight weeks, and sometimes longer. When the coating has worn off (picking area), I'll finally throw some new ones on. To keep them clean, just wipe off with dry cloth.

For the GBE strings - which are uncoated and similar to Ernie Ball 10's (or pick your brand), and therefore get all kinda funky after a jam - I take a Scotchbrite pad (plastic kitchen scrubby) with a teeny bit of alcohol on it, fold it over the string and scrub the string (just a few times); wipe everything down with a dry cloth; every now and then, apply GHS Fast Fret to the strings and neck, wipe off excess oil with dry cloth. :shock:

It looks more involved than it is. This keeps the strings clean and shiny (looks good), and sounding like new for weeks and weeks.

Anyway, maybe you could try putting a set of Nanoweb (not Polyweb!) Elixirs on the strat... help it sound sweet for a LONG time. 8)

I play every day. Sometimes for a few hours a day. Sometimes all day. Elixirs seem to take it very well.

My 2¢,
~A~

[trag-o-caster]

Speaking of strings, do you know the lighter fluid trick?

I used to have to change strings before every gig. I would EAT UP a set of strings in no time. If I gigged six nights a week, I changed strings six nights a week.

Now I change strings about every three months!

I take a coffee can, thoroughly cleaned out, and fill it up about 2" deep with lighter fluid. When I take the strings out of their envelopes, I try to handle them as little as possible before placing them in the lighter fluid. I leave them coiled up and just drop them in and let them soak for an hour, or so. I've even left a set setting in there for a month and forgot about it!

When you pull them out of the can (use rubber gloves), let them dry. After the lighter fluid evaporates, it leaves behind a coating that neutralizes the acids in your sweat, thus saving your strings.

This trick doesn't seem to work for everyone though. And I never seemed to have any luck with it using Dean Markley strings either for some reason. Ernie Ball, and D'Addario worked fine. I usually just get Ernie's, or the cheapest strings that I can find. I was getting boxes of 10 sets of Darco's for $1.25 a set for a while.

It doesn't seem to work very well on acoustic Bronzewound type strings either.

I wouldn't try it on coated strings. It would probably eat the coating off.

[kewlpack]

Oh wow... do your hands stink of lighter fluid after you play???

I wonder if the brand of fluid matters (special formulae?)...

~A~

[trag-o-caster]

Well firstly - unless it's a skunk, I can't smell it. I have almost no sense of smell. That's more of an inconvenience than you may think.

Brand? I've used both Zippo, and Ronsonol with the same results.