Hello,

I am looking to buy my first electric guitar. I have narrowed my choices down to a Standard Stratocaster or a Standard HSS Stratocaster. Which would you recommend for an amateur and what are the differences between the two?

Thanks!

The difference....VERY simply.....the HUMBUCKER in the HSS ! (get it...Humbucker, Single , Single)

If you plan on playing somewhat heavier stuff...a HSS is the way to go !

Pretty much all I own are HSS formatted Strats.

I play in a copy band an I find them incredibly verstaile. I can go from Hendrix to Zeppelin in the flick of a switch!

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I refuse to have a battle of the wits with an unarmed man!

The only problem I have with my 2 fat Strats (HSS) is that the availability of alternate humbuckers properly spaced for the Fender string spec is limited to a small handful compared to literally hundreds of pickups spaced for the Les Paul.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

This "PROBLEM" as you call it....is so miniscule in the grand scheme of things!
WHO GIVES A RAT'S TAIL if the frikkin' pole pieces don't line up?!!!?

Mine don't...and I guarantee the drunk assed fool who I'm playing to in the bar doesn't notice either!!

Jeez...sometimes we guitarists can be so petty!!

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I refuse to have a battle of the wits with an unarmed man!

Easy there, killer. People are entitled to have their own opinions. What may be unimportant to you might be important to someone else.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

just incase you didnt get it from the above posts. because i wouldnt of two yrs ago.

the standard strat has 3 pick ups, all "singlecoils". (sss) which produce nice sparkly tones like a proper strat.

the standard hss strat has 3 pickups, one humbucking pick up, then 2 singlecoils.(hss) humbucking pick ups produce a thicker fuller tone (great for rock)

so basically it makes the strat more versitile. but it depends on what you wanna play really. by the way sss strats are great for rock.
personally i prefer the sss strats because i love that bridge pickup to much.

hope that helps.

good luck

the hss

Of course this is a great way to introduce a newbie into the forum.displaying an attitude like that to someone asking an honest question about his first electric guitar purchase.

There may be dozens of "Gibson" spaced humbuckers. But that doesn't matter when the very best is available for Fender spacing.

There is a Fender spaced version of the Pearly Gates that came on some older models of HSS Strats, and it was the best sounding bridge bucker I ever heard.

Hmmmm... Maybe I should redo my Strat.

Actually I've tried the Pearly Gates and I think it's a great pup for straight ahead rock 'n roll but I would really like to see DiMarzio's SuperDistortion spaced for a Strat. I find it to be more versatile than the Pearly Gates on the LP and can only assume that versatility would translate well on the Strat as well.

My 2¢.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Yeah the best part about the MIM standard strats are the fact they are all routed to have either a humbucker or a single coil put in the bridge. I'd go to a store, test both out and if you change your mind about the sound a year later after ya bought it, like I did. You can always go out and get a replacement pickup for 40 bucks and switch it up.

Mine has went from SSS to a different SSS to a HSS to a HS in 3 years. I've loved it since the day I got it even though my sound changed.

No one says you have to stick with the same things on your guitar.