Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: AnnunakiMassacr on October 14, 2012, 08:21:08 PM

Title: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: AnnunakiMassacr on October 14, 2012, 08:21:08 PM
I've been thinking about this for a while now: My taste's of music are constantly changing; as is the tone I'm looking for, more times than I can recall. But I sometimes like going back to certain tones.

The point I'm making is, seeing that Strat's have removable Pick-guards, I was thinking of maybe getting 2 of them - One with Alder Body/Maple Neck/Maple Fingerboard & another with Mahogany Body/Maple Neck/Rosewood Fingerboard.

I was thinking of just using both guitars and buying various loaded Pick-guards so I'll always have certain tones available depending on my current needs, without the hassle of soldering.

What do you think?
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: itamar101 on October 14, 2012, 08:35:54 PM
You'd still need to solder the ground connection....
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: tekbow on October 14, 2012, 08:40:35 PM
and also, if your tastes are changing all the time and want different combinations of different PU types, then you basically have to have a big hole milled out under the pickups to allow you to accomodate anything. think it's a shame to lose that much wood
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: WezV on October 14, 2012, 08:59:51 PM
i believe mr feline has something like this
(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af305/grahamepollard/file-34.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af305/grahamepollard/file-35.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af305/grahamepollard/file-36.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af305/grahamepollard/file-32.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af305/grahamepollard/file-33.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af305/grahamepollard/file-38.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af305/grahamepollard/file-39.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af305/grahamepollard/file-40.jpg)

(http://i1018.photobucket.com/albums/af305/grahamepollard/file-41.jpg)


other than some grain not matching on a small portion of the bottom edge i think its a great idea

obviously you can just swap pickguards - but you have to take of all the strings to do it and invariably you end up just not being bothered to do it


the old john birch version
(http://lh6.ggpht.com/-hYY2_qZiYTQ/S1Nc1B6CG0I/AAAAAAAAC5I/RpXVltDbcDc/John%252520Birch%252520J1%252520Interchangeable%252520Pickups%252520Closeup.jpg)
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: WezV on October 14, 2012, 09:00:55 PM
You'd still need to solder the ground connection....


loads of quick connect systems available. for the ground and jack socket wires
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: Dmoney on October 14, 2012, 09:07:13 PM
fender strat plus has a swimming pool route. Doesn't mean the guitar sounds bad. does mean you can use all kinds of pickup configs on interchangeable plates.
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: AnnunakiMassacr on October 14, 2012, 10:28:28 PM
Well I was looking at the Swimming Pool route from Warmoth. And by the ground, do you mean from the Tremelo?
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: Telerocker on October 14, 2012, 11:17:38 PM
When versality is your toppriority is not a bad idea at all. I have two HSS-stratocasters for my coverband. You can play nearly anything with them. If you have a second loaded pickguard it's just a matter of soldering.
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: TheyCallMeVolume on October 15, 2012, 02:08:57 PM
It's certainly not something I'd do in the middle of a gig, but it should work fine.
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: AnnunakiMassacr on October 15, 2012, 02:48:06 PM
I don't mean in the middle of a gig I'd change, haha. I just want something for a home studio. Although I guess I could just buy various mid-priced guitars like Epiphone/PRS/Mexican Strat/etc/etc and do it that way. I just want to invest in something worthwhile.
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: Afghan Dave on October 15, 2012, 04:09:13 PM
Buy two Squire Classic Vibes... Yeah, I'm being serious.  :)
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: gordiji on October 15, 2012, 08:09:39 PM
I think it's a pretty good idea. I have a irish tour loaded pick guard and often think about buying a sultans. It would take very little time at string change time to swap them over, like wes ses, you could have connecters for the jack & ground, even soldering them would only take 5 mins.   
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: AnnunakiMassacr on October 15, 2012, 09:50:59 PM
What is it exactly I'd have to solder? Just ground the bridge?
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: Kiichi on October 16, 2012, 01:57:51 AM
What is it exactly I'd have to solder? Just ground the bridge?
Yeah, and the wires to the output jack, so 3 solder points in total.
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: WezV on October 16, 2012, 08:08:00 AM
What is it exactly I'd have to solder? Just ground the bridge?

just the quick connect system so you never have to solder again

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JST-2-5-SM-3-Pin-Battery-Connector-Plug-with-Wire-x-10-sets-/120996238527?pt=Radio_Control_Parts_Accessories&hash=item1c2bf014bf&_uhb=1
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: Philly Q on October 16, 2012, 09:43:37 AM
All of these are great ideas, and I do love the flexibility of being able to chop and change pickup configurations in Strats (and Teles). 

But just going back to the thread title for a minute:  "The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?"

Yes, it's very versatile but no combination of pickups will ever make a Strat sound quite like a Les Paul, SG, 335, or a Gretsch, or a Rickenbacker.  That's not a criticism, just an observation.  :P
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: TheyCallMeVolume on October 16, 2012, 02:18:32 PM
I don't think it can be that way with any guitar.
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: Elliot on October 16, 2012, 02:35:19 PM
I have the low skill version of this - I have a HSH strat and the connections are mini-spades from Maplin - I can switch scratch plates when I fancy a change.  Works well - don't even take the strings off.
Title: Re: The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?
Post by: Telerocker on October 17, 2012, 11:24:12 PM
But just going back to the thread title for a minute:  "The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?"

Yes, it's very versatile but no combination of pickups will ever make a Strat sound quite like a Les Paul, SG, 335, or a Gretsch, or a Rickenbacker.  That's not a criticism, just an observation.  :P

A HSS- or HSH-strat is quite versatile, but as Philly says will sound like a (beefy) strat, due to the construction and timbers. On stage I use an all mahogany guitar too for obvious reasons.