Hey thanks there for researching that up for me. So as from what I read for a Strat you would use the F-Spaced pickup.

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Fender Natural reissue 70's Stratocaster!

yes

Fender made an awesome guitar for heavy metal. My 1990 HM(Heavy Metal) USA Strat has ALL the things you need to shred. Flat radius neck, 24 frets, HSS pickups, sculpted neck heel. I bought mine for $200 and it was loaded with EMGs to boot!!!Add in the Kahler locking tremelo, and you have a nice metel guitar. I know the color kinda sucks, but, remember the big hair 80's??

I installed some Seymour Duncans into my HSS type Strat. The humberbucker wasn't too agressive, but the Metal Zone pedal makes it so. Strats should be included in Metal, they are very versitile guitars.

what decent metal player couldnt carry off playing a pink guitar. Fender need to bring back the HM strat and the tele, or atleast just make me one of each. I cant find em anywhere and have the pliers on grandma's gold teeth as i type.

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No no and no

or get this one Fender American Special Mahogany Stratocaster HSS Electric Guitar
Crimson Red Transparent, Close Angle
url is
http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=511165
my friend has this one,
he plays fade to black on it and sounds great.
oh and under 1000.
the diamondback hb is pretty sick.

I have MIM with a set of Hotrails. I can play metal just find with it and my Marshall. I am looking into doing a second guitar and installing a Kahler 2300 or Floyd Rose.
I would love to have Iron Maiden guitar, but they are hard to find and the cost is too much. I would rather just build my own.

I would recommend a MIM Strat to start with for under a grand. They are'nt bad guitars, especially if you want to modify them to make them into your dream guitar without having the benefit of experience behind you. The quality is good enough to hold up to trial and error until you can get the sound and feel you are looking for, and still keep the expenses down. IMHO, it's just the most practical way to go about it.
I mean no disrespect to anyone's opinion here, but I would not pay much attention to the comments about Strats not being heavy enough sounding for metal. If Dave Murray believed that, would he have modified and used his Strat?
Generally, "F" Spacing would apply to most Fender guitars since the string spacing at the bridge is wider than it would be on a Gibson, or PRS guitar. The only Fender guitar I can think of that would not use "F" spacing at the present time would be a guitar like the Mustang, since that was 24 3/4" scale like a Gibson.
If the Guitar you choose to modify does'nt quite get the kind of sound you are looking for, yo might do some research into different pickups based on the body and neck woods of the guitar you might want to get. There are a lot of beefy pups that you can choose from.
-Take your time and learn all you can about doing it, you'll have fun

-Harley

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I only have two brain cells left, and I'm saving them....for this weekend!

I think strats are so versatile they can be played in any style of music, i personally play alot of metal and strats are always my main guitars. Yngwie, Jake E. Lee, just two names in metal that play strats. If you want a metal strat i would reccomend a highway one hss perhaps, or an american deluxe, but i wouldnt go for an american standard if i were you.

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GEAR:
Esquires & Teles --> Tuner --> Wah --> TS-9 --> Reverb --> Bassman

D'Addario 11-52
Who needs more?

I gotta side with Gamma. I think the sss strat makes one of the most distinctive metal sounds around. You never get that attack out of buckers, and lets face it attack is what its all about.

Decent ammount of middle on the amp and the bridge pickup on the guitar coupled with a load of poweramp gain. Classic metal sound.

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No no and no

Hell yeah! I made my own Dave Murray Tribute from a new Highway 1 model. It's almost exactly like his orginal '57, if it had a small headstock it would be exact. I like the Highways' neck cause it has the Jumbo frets which are great for me.

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2 Customized Strats w\DiMarzio's
07 SG
Modded DSL50 w\Mercury OT,PT & Choke
Carvin 2x12 V30's
Pitch Black Tuner-EH LPB-1,TS-808
Mxr 108 EQ-Modded Phase90
Carbon Copy
George L cables-Voodoo Power 2 Plus
Pedaltrain Board

These are my strats, I use them for metal and they sound great, I have different setups for different sounds though. The red one gets more of a classic rock sound with the lace Pickup. The White one gets a real good 80's Metal sound, Pearly Gates in that one, both of those have alder bodies. The blue one, however is a Metel Monster, Ash body with a single EMG, this thing just screams. Try out different things untill you get what you want, use the internet to do research, trial and error is the best way to finding what you are looking for.

Farmerman, get a clapton mid boost for that emg'd strat. I just repaired a old circuitboard from a busted clapton boost and put it in my jackson with emg's in. I use that guitar in my slayer sounding rig. Kick that boost on, ontop of the 2203kk's mid boost and you've a thrash tone to knock down skyscrapers. It certainly killed the emg boost that i had installed.

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No no and no

Are you not aware of these new guitars? Or am I missing something?

The new Fender 'Dave Murray':


Jackson's new 'Adrian Smith':


Fender 'Steve Harris':

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

The new Dave Murray Strat will be at the NAMM Show along with an Adrian Smith Jackson.

SWEET!

Here's hoping they don't cost an arm and a left nut.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"