Strats - anyone else not like them?

[Philly Q]

I hate it when a band that used to use flash pointy or exotic guitars martures and suddenly just play old strats

I feel the exact opposite - although I have no objection to "proper" Strats which have been modified with humbuckers, or bigger frets, or even a Floyd.

But then I never hankered after pointy guitars at all, even at their peak in the '80s, maybe because they look really silly on small people (as any old picture of C.C. DeVille will demonstrate).

[Afghan Dave]

You Strat haters are all a bunch of Joey's and Gaylords...

And your views are well spasticated....

 :lol: :lol:

(prizes to anyone who remembers where the term "Joey" originated)  :lol: :lol:

Joey A-con
Joey B-con
Joey C-con
Joey Deacon!

Dave loves you and you know it...  :lol: :lol: :lol:

[FELINEGUITARS]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joey_Deacon

 I remember him being on children's show Blue Peter

It did become a kid's playground  thing calling someone else Joey Deacon to say they were a bit of a spaz or retard

[Roobubba]

I think the ten year olds today probably use Joey to mean the Friends character. Arguably, this is not too dissimilar to the original use of the term ;)

[Philly Q]

I think the ten year olds today probably use Joey to mean the Friends character. Arguably, this is not too dissimilar to the original use of the term ;)

 :lol: :lol:

[gwEm]

where i stand on the whole fender range:

cyclone - great guitar!
jazzmaster - looks teh sex (sorry for slang)
mustang/jaguar - also looks teh sex, however, unsure of 24" scale length
duosonic/bronco/musicman - not sure about neck pickup only in the music man case. and what of the saddle design - how is intonation? scale length again?
toronado/jagstang - look misproportioned and a bit wrong
telecaster - don't like the look at all - however very keen on the sound though since trying phil's tele selection

strat HSS - looks weird, though adrian smith and fast eddie do sound good with them
strat HSH - looks greedy
strat H(H) - like the look and the 80s overtones, but not really a strat
strat SSS - possibly weedy bridge pup :( however with some sort of potent bridge, fast eddie, blackmore and roth are bringing me round to the ideas and advantages of a strat, it really brings out the unique qualities of a player, just as people say

bad quality strats ruin it for everyone indeed... also i find that the strat body is something i like - but i'm sorry - everyone plays one - if you want to look unique, its not the guitar to choose - likewise les paul, but less so. this is why i'd never play a strat live.

[Ratrod]

There's only one thing I like about Strats and that's the sound.

They are ugly.
The trem is horrible.
The control knobs get in the way.
They feel wrong to me.

Most people who play them want to be like Hendrix, Clapton or SRV. They usually sound like cartoon versions of their idols and can't play anything else.

I wouldn't call it a poseur's axe. A Les Paul or PRS would fit better in that catagory.

[Philly Q]

but i'm sorry - everyone plays one - if you want to look unique, its not the guitar to choose - likewise les paul, but less so. this is why i'd never play a strat live.

But isn't playing unique more important than looking unique?

[gwEm]

but i'm sorry - everyone plays one - if you want to look unique, its not the guitar to choose - likewise les paul, but less so. this is why i'd never play a strat live.

But isn't playing unique more important than looking unique?

sorry, i don't agree. would you watch a live band blindfolded? the instrument you play is part of your image. look is important. even if you play a beat up tele - your saying, i don't care about the look - which is a sort of image/look itself. you have to play an instrument you're 100% comfortable with. you wouldn't wear clothes you didn't like for example.

[Philly Q]

you have to play an instrument you're 100% comfortable with. you wouldn't wear clothes you didn't like for example.

But comfort and looks aren't quite the same thing, are they?  To achieve that "unique look" you might have to choose something that isn't 100% comfortable.  To use your clothing analogy, "fashion" is generally about looking good, even if it means enduring a bit of discomfort from funny shaped shoes, overly tight trousers or a space helmet (I'm sure I saw one of those at London Fashion Week, although I try to avoid all coverage of the thing).

Maybe I misunderstood, but your original post sounded like "even if I liked Strats better than anything else, I wouldn't play one because everyone else does".  Which seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face to me.

I agree that the look of an instrument isn't unimportant.  But if you play a Strat or Les Paul, because they are so common, your audience doesn't necessarily know what to expect.  Whereas if you come out with a BC Rich Warbeast it's entirely predictable... and boring.

Sorry gwEm. I'm not trying to wind you up or anything.

[Will]

Strats have been devalued as the shape is a starter shape. I am thinking thats what gwEm is kind of getting at. Everyone that wants to have an attempt at the guitar starts on one.

[MDV]

I don't like strats. Superstrats, yes, Strats, not really.

I just don't like the necks on 'em. They can sound nice and all, just IMO they pretty much always sound a bit tinny. The only exception I can think of is Jimi. Rory Gallagher could too, but apart from that, a bit thin for me personally. Still, not half as bad as an explorer. Now THOSE things are ugly. :)

Wash your mouth out!

Explorers look awsome!

[Ben_W]

Explorers are pretty much Vs which have been sorta half flipped, but gone slightly wrong... :)

[gwEm]

Strats have been devalued as the shape is a starter shape. I am thinking thats what gwEm is kind of getting at. Everyone that wants to have an attempt at the guitar starts on one.

thats not quite what i was getting at, though i do agree

[gwEm]

you have to play an instrument you're 100% comfortable with. you wouldn't wear clothes you didn't like for example.

But comfort and looks aren't quite the same thing, are they?  To achieve that "unique look" you might have to choose something that isn't 100% comfortable.  To use your clothing analogy, "fashion" is generally about looking good, even if it means enduring a bit of discomfort from funny shaped shoes, overly tight trousers or a space helmet (I'm sure I saw one of those at London Fashion Week, although I try to avoid all coverage of the thing).

Maybe I misunderstood, but your original post sounded like "even if I liked Strats better than anything else, I wouldn't play one because everyone else does".  Which seems like cutting off your nose to spite your face to me.

I agree that the look of an instrument isn't unimportant.  But if you play a Strat or Les Paul, because they are so common, your audience doesn't necessarily know what to expect.  Whereas if you come out with a BC Rich Warbeast it's entirely predictable... and boring.

Sorry gwEm. I'm not trying to wind you up or anything.

you have some points there philly. i don't think that something cool and unique necessarily has to be uncomfortable.

anyway, maybe you're right about one thing - since i really like the feel of my highway one strat neck, but don't really want a strat, since i feel they are so common. this is why i will try it on a jazzmaster body. if it doesn't work as planned, i suppose i will have to use a strat body.