You got me laughing with that one Ceri

_________________
...I for one, sure would appreciate the return of intelligent conversation, spirit of assistance and the simple yet effective ignoring of those who can't seem to hang with that...
Best regards,
rob

The Stratocaster is primarily a body shape. If it's shaped like a Strat, then it's a Strat.

_________________
"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

A few years back I tried to get one of those Bender Strats to go along with my Cat-With-The-Strat persona but I guess they went out of business fairly quickly. IIRC I think they were made somewhere in Great Britain. Pics of the guitars are pretty much all that's left.

_________________

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.

In the context of the way this question is put, many of you might remember that we've had this discussion before. I contributed information given to me by a friend who is a trademark and copyright attorney who represents clients whose brands all of you would recognize. We realize that Fender produces a wide variety of guitars which carry the name Stratocaster. As along as all of the components remain 'factory original' the guitar can legally be represented as a Fender Stratocaster, let's say, for purposes of resale. Once that changes, it cannot. The more changes made, the further away it becomes from the original. In the past, when I've posted this, we've got ourselves into shaving fine lines of discussion on this. However, like it or not, from the point of view of trade/mark and copyright law, you cannot offer for sale, any modified guitar, and legally represent it to be a Stratocaster.

As an aside....The recent patent litigation which Fender lost allows the use of the body design by other builders but the term Stratocaster, Strat and others, the litanny of which we've all seen on Fender literature is patent/trademark protected. Thus one sees these guitars by other builders referred to as 'S-Type' or 'classic' or something of that sort.

I trust that the foregoing will have been found to be civil and on topic.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

A Strat is typified by the 3 single coil pups and the 5 way selector switch. Change that and you no longer have a Strat. I can see why one would want to modify to a Fat Strat for the option a humbucker would give you. But I've never understood having a double Fat Strat. Why not just buy a Les Paul if you want dual humbuckers?

It's a reasonable question, but remember that body and neck design, woods, and finishes as well contribute to the tone of a guitar in addition to the electronics. From the variety of Les Pauls Gibson is making available in todays market, with respect to the aforementioned specs, I would expect a yield of equally large variety of tones.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

Fender has offered the HSS and HH - Fat Strat and Double Fat Strat. So, they were and are "real" Strats.

Oh I agree. I guess the question comes down to what time frame we are speaking of. You know time was we all bought specific guitar and amp combos for a specific sound and were limited in choice. If you wanted a Strat sound you had to buy a Strat period. If you wanted an LP sound ... Now a days it seems you can buy just about any shitbox guitar and with the available electronics make it sound like anything you want. Of course playability is another question entirely.

Some of us [yours truly included] remember when there was only the option of one for Teles, Strats and LP's. Which makes the late 50's era guitars so treasured.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

I have to respectfully disagree David. True, Fender has offered the HSS and HH pup options on a Strat body but if you bought the HSS IMHO you bought a Fat Strat not a Stratocaster. Much the same as Fender also offers in it's lineup a Telecaster or a Mustang.

Speaking of Mustangs(the automobile) presents a good analogy here. If one purchased a Shelby Mustang would you still call it a Mustang? You can bet the owner of a Shelby would always call it a Shelby and rightly so. The Shelby is about as far from a stock Mustang as an HSS or HH is from a standard Stratocaster.

Check the headstock...Stratocaster most likely.

@davidwhitson

And so the "agree to disagree" impasse has been reached. Good talking with you David.

Your Shelby would be re-badged. Correct? The HH and HSS still are labeled as "Stratocaster" only. My 2000 Hot Rodded American Series Stratocaster Texas Special has no other markings to show anything different from a regular American Series Stratocaster except the pearl PG.

The automobile analogy is interesting. The platform upon which the modification is made is never 'formally' left out...hence...Shelby Mustang GT; Calloway Corvette and others of the same ilk. It is the enthusiasts who split the difference. Though the original concept for the Stratocaster's electronics are the single coil pickups, that which defined the guitar were first and foremost it's body, and then, its headstock. After, what ever 'improvements' the company chose to bestow on the original concept, the guitar still carries the name of the base platform, which is Fender Stratocaster.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

So my Fender Stratocaster that has been upgraded with Fender Custom Shop '69 pickups is no longer a Fender Stratocaster! AIEEEEEEEE

_________________
"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"