I see many comments on here about some strats being better than others. What I mean here is comparing two similar models, not an American delux with an MIM standard!!

I'd be very interested to know what objective creteria can be used to assess two otherwise identical guitars? Two American Standards, for example should both have identical hardware and, QC being Ok, the standard of manufacture and finish. So why can two be so different from each other sometimes, and what is the best method of judging quality?

The sound I guess might be the answer? Wood is a notoriously inconsistant material, and could affect this, albeit subjective, quality; maybe that's the answer.

Sustain too, although that will be affected by action height.

I'd be very interested to learn more about the art of guitar selection. Does anyone have any guides as to the type of things they look for when selecting a new (or second hand) guitar?

I've often wondered if I've been the mug that walked out of the shop with the one they couldn't shift!!

hi adrian,

i love the warm sound of a strat. when i would compare between two am standards i would choice the one wich sounds warmer to me. and has this one also sustain, yep, it's mine.

for others could be another creterias important. so i also interessted what will be wrote here.

cheers

A Stratocaster is an industrial object, mass-produced and very much the same from one to another.

Aside from the possibility (and we've all played them) of a guitar that is simply lifeless because of non-resonant body wood or something, about the only difference between a good Strat and a bad one is a thorough set-up.

A good set-up fixes playability issues, changes tone, improves response and sustain... virtually any Strat can be made right by taking the time to tweak it out.

When you play one at The Guitar Pile and say, "Man, this is a bad one," you are actually saying, "This guitar is poorly set-up."

I think you've got it.

Every piece of wood sounds different and how that combines with the nut, pickups, electronics, etc. is unpredictable.

So, I'd say the sound and playability are the two biggest things to consider followed next by the appearance and cosmetics.

_________________
Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

The person playing it.

Well... yes, there's always that of course...

Cheers - C

Thanks folks! Perhaps I should learn to have faith in my own opinions?

Reading my question again, it sounds a little retorical, I really did not mean it to. It's simply that I've often wondered if the other people I see trying out guitars -cos they usually play better than me- automatically have a better idea of what to look for........

Strats are quite simply a love affair.
I own a few and love them all for their own personalities. I still wipe the fingerprints away after each session. I still pop open the case and stand admiring each one over a cup of morning coffee.
You will find that each becomes an extension of your mood. One of my Strats gives me a much more aggressive edge while the others have a silkier squeeze to the neck.
All are nice. It is of course personal preferrence to each but at the same time if the instrument is properly setup and maintained it is an experience of growth.
1982 Cream Strat
1996 Sunburst Strat
2008 Black Strat
All bought new...

+1

This is what led me to pick mine mostly by the figuring in the wood. I was buying a sunburst, so the wood was important to me. A solid color would not have mattered. But I found there was huge inconsistancies in the figuring in the wood. I looked at all the sunburst at Guitar Exchange, and only one of them all met what I ws looking for in total. I originally wanted a Oly White with maple FB, they did not have one. I have always wanted a guitar that showed the grain, but I was thinking more in the lines of something with a flamed maple top. So the sunburst strat met a couple of desires, a strat and a guitar that the grain shows.

My problem was finding a sunburst that did not have figuring....alder and ash is not flamed maple, so figuring was undesirable to me. i loved the Sienna SB, and got really excited when I saw a few of them there. The rosewood board one was perfect, but I wanted maple. So I got even more excited when I spotted the maple board version, but the upper horn was figured pretty bad and made it stand out from the un-figured lower horn and main body. yuk. That was the only Sienna SB with maple, so it came off the radar. Then I started looking at three tone SB, and ran into the same thing. One had RW FB and looked pretty good. Then I fond a maple board version, but it was badly figured. uggg. Then I found it, at the top of the wall on the highest rack. I had it brought down, and played and it sounded as good as it looked, and I bought it on the spot.

So, of the 50-100 strats at GC, only one made the grade for me. It had nothing to do with the others being bad guitars, or sounding bad. It was all about the aethestics. I just used a process of elimination by color, MIA, and the wood before I even played one. However, if the guitar had not sounded great and played well, I may not have a strat today

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Guitars:
1. mid 70's Ventura MIJ Gibson l6-s clone (Pre-lawsuit) in Black with Rosewood FB and EMG 81 BR/ 85 Neck
2. ESP KH2 Neck Thru
3. 2008 Am Std Strat in 3 tone sunburst

could never figure "sound" of a guitar. play what you have and develop the unique sounds the guitar has. my guitars, stats, les pauls, godin, martin, washburn etc. all have their own sound(s) and were never tweeked to change their individual character. imho

Every guitar that I buy, I listen to UNAMPLIFIED! For good ot bad, that voice of the guitar you hear at that point can never be altered. Also, I strum a few chords and put my hand on the body of the guitar...I should be able to feel it.

After that, then I plug it in.

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AmDlx HSS
62 Hot Rod
Luke w/Piezo
Carvin Belair

To my ears, the good Strats are the ones with single-coils - an American Standard, anything with Tx Specials, if they're set up well. As much as I want to like them, noiseless just never sound as good.

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"Now, bring me that horizon."
-Capt. Jack Sparrow

Playing the guitar unplugged to me is the first thing I go for. Some guitars will amaze you when you play them this way. After that I plug them in and the neck is my next issue to contend with. It has to feel right in my hand. Sound plugged in is my last area of concern pickups are easy to change. Has to stay in tune also.

For some reason some guitars of the same model are different,and that is outside of just cosmetics.If you ask anyone with multiple guitars I bet they have a strat they payed less for that they like, or will say sounds better than a higher end model.I guess it all just adds up to MOJO some you get rid of and some you will never part with.

Wow, those are great words of wisdom! More such words from another thread:



I agree wholeheartedly!

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Member #26797
My other guitar is a Strat.