The Stratocaster: The guitar of Ultimate Versatility?

[Philly Q]

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

[TheyCallMeVolume]

I don't think it can be that way with any guitar.

[Elliot]

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.

[Telerocker]

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.