Hi all.

I was just wondering if anyone had any suggestions on how to get a tone as simular to this as possible?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tHXKkL9r2SU

or this -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZhisRbim-c

Thanks

FredeJyllMusic

I should just say that I have a strat and a fender hot rod deville already, but I can't get this tone out of it.... :'(

He's assuredly using some sweet vintage amp spec'd out to his needs.

Bus since you are posting this in the Strat forum rather than the Amp forum...
as far as his guitar:

he has a very brightly toned guitar with low output pickups.

http://store.guitarfetish.com/gfspiialiiha.html Check out these pickups. Mayer's strats don't have high output pickups like most of the Texas and Tex-mex stuff that you'll find in a lot of Fenders.

You will also notice that his guitar is not covered in a poly finish, which is what is all over Mexi strats, in fact it is totally relic-ed. Paint and poly finishes can really hold tone inside of a guitar. His guitars are bright with good sustain but, in no way sound tinny.

If you have a bright tone, with cheap components in your guitar, your guitar will sound like tin.

If I were going to make a regular strat sound like his, I would:
-strip off the poly finish
-upgrade the saddles, and the trem block (a big steel one)
this would help your tone and increase your sustain.
and...
-get some smooth low output pickups like the ones above.

I've been thinking about making the same kind of guitar myself, and you might be inspiring me to do it.

all you need is a solid mexi strat, some relic-ing supplies, the tremblock, saddles and pickups. Probably a $150 job if you do it yourself to a guitar you already own, or less than $500 you can buy a Mexi Strat and have a newly John Mayerized guitar from scratch.