Hi Guys and Gals,
Listen, I'm new to the whole forum thing and ain't got my head round searching etc as yet... and you might have all covered this off (in detail) before, so this may be a complete non starter (but I hope not: if so please take my apologies for any time you spend reading this)

I'm just wondering, what as an individual makes you choose a strat as an axe? As per my previous thread, i took a long break from guitars (many years,) but returning there was only one that I wanted, naturally a strat. In my old playing with band days I had a tele, les paul and 335 for a while (only Epi's but a good standard back then) but strat's were always my weapon of choce due to their versatility and feel, a good one can handle anything. Seeing footage of and hearing the likes of Zappa, Hendrix, Clapton, Beck ... and dare I say even Marvin as a kid idolised the mark to me and got me craving... and when I first picked one up, hell I knew why they were the gun of choice for those guys. In my mind I couldn't look for anything else when I recently returned to playing.
I'm genuinely interested in learning however: why did you all choose the strat and why are they special to you?
Cheers, Wayne

back in the day?.....for me i think because all my heroes played them, Blackmore, Clapton, Beck...list goes on (i started playing clubs in the 70s)

now days....nothing else seems to feel right...i thought of getting a Les Paul but everytime i go into GC to get one, i head to the Strats (so yes im a Strat prude)

Jimmie

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2008 Am. Std. Strat
2008 Am. Deluxe Strat
2010 Am. Deluxe Strat
2011 Am. Std. Strat
2011 Am. Std. Strat
Hot Rod Deluxe
Hot Rod Deville 410

I guess for me a strat is all I have ever known as far as electrics go- I was surprised one day when I played a Les Paul Special with P90's- those things are a good feeling axe, and its a shame they are only being made by Gibson CS because they just arent worth it. Id like to own a Les Paul in Honeyburst too but for me, a strat is 'the jack of all trades'.

That is why I like 'em, they are cheap compared to what they stack up to and they are more versatile and dare I say, for the money you pay, you get better quality regardless of which one you buy if you compare the quality vs. cost against for example, Gibson.

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When I bought my first electric guitar back in the day after playing acoustic for about a year it HAD to be a Strat.

My heroes were Clapton, Hendrix, Knopfler, and Stevie Ray.

I briefly flirted with Gibsons for awhile, but 25 years later I'm fairly certain I'll never play anything but Strats and Teles for the rest of my life.

Awesome guys, great to read: I've already a feeling that the over whelming answer to this thread is one of dunno: just seems right: my hero's play(ed) em, strats do balance feel and sound unique though don't they!!!!!!!!!?
Keep it coming PLEASE!!

Just depends on the person. I seem to get a little more tone out of les pauls of course cause thats what there known for but i cant find one that feels right. Most strats feel right for me. The strat in my opinion is the perfect guitar.

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All I'm gonna do is just go on and do what I feel-HENDRIX

I chose a Stat because I always loved everything about the Telecaster, the look, the feel, the shape, the twang just everything...then my buddy let me borrow his MIJ Strat and I really started to like it as well...and I figured might as well have one of each of Fender's big guns...so recently I got my frist Strat and I have been playing it nonstop since then...but this weekend it is TELE TIME!

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

For me, it just seems that most of the players, whether famous or cult heroes, played Strats, and really grabbed my attention.

I love the balance and the feel of the Stratocaster. I play it differently than I do any other guitar. More fluidity. A very bell-like tone.



They are sublime!!! You will love one.

I suppose the list goes something like:

1. What do the guitarists whom I love to hear play choose?
2. What style(s) of music do I want to play?
3. When I tried out guitars in the store, which felt right?
4. How much money can I spend?
5. What type of image do I prefer?

That last one is true, but doesn't get talked about much (outside of a relic/roadworn discussion)

1. I always loved Van Halen, who played a strat w/a humbucker. I also love Hendrix, Mick Mars, Clapton, Buddy Guy, (Les Pauls) Jimmy Page, Joe Perry, Slash, Randy Rhoads, (SG) Angus Young.....

My American Special Mahogany HSS Strat can do all of the above other than Slash. Angus grit, Page actually sounds OK in single coils w/distortion, Joe Perry.....

2. I love 80's rock (EVH, Ozzy, AC/DC), then 60's blues rock (Cream/Hendrix), then 70's "stadium" rock....

3. I have average sized hands, yet I love to shred. The feel of the American Strat neck was so smooth. I'm only in my 2nd year playing (I bought my 1st electric March '09 @ 35 years old as a reward for finishing grad school, having kids... blah blah, I still wanted to be a kid without being a bad parent so I took up the guitar).

I kept asking my younger brother for advice ("what should I buy?" this model, MIM/US, etc.) but his steadfast answer was,"You have to play it and feel it for yourself".

It "feels" right in my hands, hanging from my shoulders, on my thigh etc.

4. I told my wife I'll keep driving used Toyota Corolla's if I can buy a $300 solid state amp and $1000 on a decent guitar. Close enough.

5. This one counts - I like the classic image of the strat, which fits into any genre of music (60's blues, 70's punk/stadium rock, 80's shred etc.).
I'm not pidgeonholed into an image - I'm holding it and I could be representing and playing anything.

I like that.

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Electric Guitar #1: Fender American Select Mahogany Stratocaster HSS
Electric Guitar #2: Agile Al-3110 Les Paul
Acoustic: Fender CD200SCE Dreadnought Acoustic-Electric Guitar
Amp: Line 6 Spider III 75 75W 1x12 Combo Amp
Piano: Yamaha M450

Cause my uncle got it for me...

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riley

... because of the sound. There's nothing like a Strat. But I'm not picky or loyal to Strats, I have a Tele and a Les Paul too

It just feel like it is equipped to do anything that has to be done.

In short, because it's sexy! No kidding! Hold a Strat with one hand on each of the lower bouts and hold it out......it's shaped like a nice lady!!!

Besides that, it's the most versatile guitar on the planet! When you get a Webster's Dictionary and look up 'electric guitar', what do you see? A pic of a Strat!

SL~61

As I was planning my retirement I started thinking about how I would fill my days with activities that I enjoy. My whole life I have loved noodling around on guitars but never really learned how to play. I vowed that I would buy a decent guitar and had figured a used Strat would be a good choice for quality and value. There are a number of others I would have considered, but the Stratocaster seemed to be what called out to me aesthetically.

The local shop had no used Strats on the wall but they did have my MIM as a "2005 leftover" that had been there a while and was marked down to $485 US dollars. I wasn't even aware that it was a discontinued "Powerhouse Stratocaster"... I just liked the look and feel of it so I bought it. I am truly enjoying it's unique features and it just feels "right" when I pick it up and play on it.

The other choice, for a Stratocaster, that was on the wall that day was a black, chrome pick guard, two-knob, MIM. It was beautiful but about $200 more than the Powerhouse. It has since been sold.

The rest is history that's already been told here. I wrote Fender customer support and learned my guitar was a "Powerhouse Stratocaster" and all about the bells and whistles that come on that model. To say "I am pleased" would be an understatement.

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You're only as strong as
the drinks you pour,
the tables you dance on,
and the friends you roll with.