it's not crutches, it's a design flaw that needs to be changed, check out warmoth.com go to the pickguards, and get one with the delonge vol knob option, it scoots the knowb closer to the pu selector. >>Bottom left corner of link http://www.warmoth.com/Pickguard/StratPickguard.aspx

Oh, now there's the answer. Move the volume knob so it gets right in the way of the switch. Not to mention lookong like somone drilled the hole in the wrong spot.

Talk about a design flaw... that just looks BAD!!!

function is more important thatn looks for me. And it will get in my way a lot less than where it is now. The real answer is to buy a different guitar.

There is only one "REAL" answer...

STOP HITTING THE FREEKIN VOLUME KNOB WITH YOUR FREEKIN HAND!!!

But seriously, don't you think it's kinda rediculious to spend years developing the control and precision necissary to play guitar in the first place, yet not have enough control to keep from hitting the volume knob?

As far as it being a design flaw, I totally dissagree.

The Strat has been around for well over fifty years, and is probably the most popular guitar on the planet, and In my opinion, the only design flaw is if someone alters it from it's original beautiful self.

Just sayin...

It's wholly a technique issue. You're doing something you don't intend or want to do.
Aside from the 14gazillion strums in 2 hours or whatever, it sounds like it's not a major problem for you to address hand position.
It reads like your strumming hard and fast too near the bridge. Why you need to strum so near the bridge I can only put down to not eq'ing the amp correctly. Maybe too little mids and too much bass resulting in you needing the harder edged sound of strumming at the saddles???

Whatever it it, it doesn't sound like your a million miles from having it sorted already. I'd say if you spent a hour examining your strumming technique, you'd get the problem eradicated. No sweat. I know what it's like, I too suffered playing at speed when I was new to strats.

Anyway another definition of absurd: A strats volume control placement is a design flaw.
Sorry BlueGrass, I'm just trying to inject some humour and don't have any malicious intent.
I think 99.9% of strat players would say that it's a strength of the guitar. I personaly play on 7/8, set my sound up for that to do the bulk of the work. Go up in volume for bolder statements, down to 4 ish to clean up (never notice any treble drop off that way either). I wouldn't be able to do any of that on a LP or Tele. I've got to have that volume control right by my little finger. Clapton constantly rides the controls on his strats. As for Jeff Beck, where would you begin to imagine how his latter stuff would sound played on his esquire or LP.

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No no and no

All i can say, is I want the volume knob away from my hand. It works for some people and some situations, but not for me.

As is your right mate. For that Shred's idea looks great.

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No no and no

I agree but the strat is probably the most altered and hot rodded guitar on the face of the earth because of it's sheer simplicity.

I don't think Leo put that much thought into the pickguard and controls layout, it's a very basic design, even though i don't hit the volume knob, i have never liked it's placement.

If the placement of the guitar's controls was a design flaw there would be a lot more people up in arms about it but that's not the case.The easiest and least expensive fix is still to adapt your strumming and picking technique to avoid hitting the controls. Another thing to look at is that if you mod it and move the controls it may discourage someone from buying it if you ever go to sell it,I know that I'd be reluctant to buy a Strat that had the controls moved as they are in the perfect position as far as I'm concerned,especially the volume control for the violin like volume swells that you can make while picking.After almost 40 years of playing and owning Strats I've adapted my playing so much to them that they are like another appendage when I pick one up.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

GS
I think most of us wouldn't be discouraged. We'd just demand the seller knocked £40 off the price.
As for it being a design flaw, aside from anything else or how certain players utilize the position. All you have to do is look at the development of Fender guitars to see the volume control placement is no mistake.
Leo knocked up the tele, it got a very warm reception. Some people said it could be uncomfortable. So he set to work designing his next guitar and sent out very knowledgable people who asked the players what they wanted to see. Next thing you know you get this guitar that looks like a spaceship. A very different affair to the telecaster. Considering the majority of the Leo and cohorts got to ask would have been country players. It would seem that they wanted great upper mids at the flick of the wrist and volume swells within easy reach. What else explains the volume placement or lack of tone control for the bridge pickup?

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No no and no

All this talk about the vol knob and pickguard being a design flaw is kinda funny to me, I actually think it's a work of genius! Everything is laid out perfectly and can be easily removed and worked on or even swapped out quickly, try doing that in a guitar like a 335!

I still don't like where the knob is.

No body is saying you have to like it. Given your username, wouldn't you be better off with a Tele? That control layout is well out of the way.

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No no and no

I would have to say that for me, I've been personally straying away from the thought of buying another high end Strat. I haven't made this mod on my Strat Plus or '57 AVRI. I AM keeping them the way they are. The guitars I pictured are my workhorses. The Squiers, Hamers, other lower priced manufactured guitars.These are mainly my gigging guitars that I bought from Pawn shops usually between $50-$100.

If I'm to think about buying another high end guitar, It will most likely be an Ibanez. It's not to say that I don't like Fender, or believe that they make some of the best guitars in the world. I wouldn't mind having a TELE, but I do like at least a forearm contour. So I'm still hesitant. I think the only Fender I would consider of a higher price range would be a 24-fret Showmaster.

The last higher end Fender guitar I bought was my Acoustasonic, which was for much different reasons. Before that, I hadn't bought one since 1992 (Strat Plus Deluxe).

I do believe that you should really think about what you buy and for what reasons. For what I do, and my style, I'm more about an Ibanez design, and have been for quite some time. Even my Squier Stagemasters which I really love are more Ibanez designed control layout guitars, but with a fender type neck. It's not like there aren't other guitar options out there to give you what you want.

Being proactive in knowing how you play, and what you want out of a guitar is the real solution. With cheaper guitars, I could care less. I'll mod the HELL out of them and not blink an eye. If I'm going high end, I already know that for myself, it won't be this design. It will be an Ibanez RG or S-Series.

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HaleAmano- House Of Sharks (Now On iTunes)
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I wish I could have a couple guitars, A custom strat, a Jackson(ssh) w/FR, And a les paul or semi-hollow type guitar. I think for a all in one something like a Parker would suit me best. That's probably what I should have got instead of the Am. Deluxe, but oh well.