Fat Strat or STD Stratocaster?

dropkick · Nov 22, 2004

Just get the one that sounds best to you.

..and they're humbuckers, not humbuckets

Low_b · Nov 22, 2004

If you can coil tap the humbucker, I'd say get the Fat Strat if they both feel equal in terms of playability.
Over all they both will give you great tones.
You need to try both and figure out which one feels best to you.
You can always change out pickups to get the exact tone you want.

Good Luck!!

Zark · Nov 22, 2004

Single coil pickups have a habit of "humming" through the amplifier while "humbuckers" cancel this. Humbuckers are better sounding to me, but I play hard rock/metal and a single coil just starts wailing like a cat and in a clothes dryer with that much distortion and volume. My advice, screw the Strat, Fender necks are like a sawed off baseball bat with strings.

I'd look at something from Ibanez, the neck shape is great (nice and thin) and the hardware is usually pretty good. I'm also partial to rosewood fretboards which neither of your choices have. The maple fretboards just look funny to me

Noah
~Resident metal head and occasional guitar geek

Low_b · Nov 22, 2004

Zark said:
Single coil pickups have a habit of "humming" through the amplifier while "humbuckers" cancel this. Humbuckers are better sounding to me, but I play hard rock/metal and a single coil just starts wailing like a cat and in a clothes dryer with that much distortion and volume. My advice, screw the Strat, Fender necks are like a sawed off baseball bat with strings.

I'd look at something from Ibanez, the neck shape is great (nice and thin) and the hardware is usually pretty good. I'm also partial to rosewood fretboards which neither of your choices have. The maple fretboards just look funny to me

Noah
~Resident metal head and occasional guitar geek

Ibanez are great guitars but for the sounds he describes the strat would be better suited.
If he was going to look at I banez I'd say look into the older Artist series.
These guitars are very nice, but can be hard to come by.

Also check out the SE series at www.prsguitars.com
For the money there isn't a better made instrument.
The EG SE is awesome so is the Santana SE.
If you are intersted in these guitars they can be had for around $450.00 with a great gig bag.
Let me know I can tell you where to get a deal on them.

Zark · Nov 22, 2004

math2014 said:
So the humbucker/single coil is interchangeable in the future???

Kinda, you'd have to get a new pick guard & rewire the guitar, not exactly fun.

So I guess fat strat is my reccomendation since the deal is sweet and you're starting out. Plus its black dude, black friggen rocks! :devil:

Low_b · Nov 22, 2004

math2014 said:
What does "coil tap the humbucker" mean?

I noticed that the Ibanez have twin humbuckers. Same with Gibson. So i guess humbucker = more rock stuff, whereas single coil = more mellow stuff.

Sorry if i sound stuck on the strat option, but in the UK i can get a veeery good price for those... whereas ibanez, gibson and others were expensive... my budget is 300$ with amp... and the strat fullfills it... it is just a matter of black with humbucker or red with single coil

Coil tapping is where you wire a switch to the humbucker. That switch allows you to chose using both coils of the humbucker or just one coil.
Using the one coil position will give you a single coil tone.

Being stuck on a strat is not a bad thing.
They are very versatile guitars and can be modified very easily.
I'd say the Fat Strat will be the most versatiel option between the 2.

Full Trucker · Nov 22, 2004

math2014 said:
What does "coil tap the humbucker" mean?

Some guitars come with the "coil tapping" ability on the humbucker, which basically means that with a flip of a switch, you can turn on of the humbucker coils off, turning it essentially into a single coil.

As for advice, I would say to go with the Fat Strat, as it will offer more versatility overall and in the end. Kick that humbucker on when you want to get distorted and it will scream, whereas the single coils sound kind of "thin"... for "clean" (non-distortion, almost acoustic) sounds you can't beat the combo of the middle and neck single coil together, with a touch of reverb and a little chorus effect. TASTY!

EDIT: And most of all... HAVE FUN! It sounds like you're on your way!

Low_b · Nov 22, 2004

Also if you want a forum with alot of musical info check out
http://www.harmony-central.com/

GumbaFish · Nov 22, 2004

I'm a standard strat man myself, have a highway 1. I've played a bunch of guitars in my day and as far as I am personally concerned the fat strat is kind of cheesy sounding. If you really want the warm deeper tones and are on a budget I would look into getting an epiphone if you can't get a gibson, although epi's will probably be out of the price range you suggested. A fender with humbuckers is like guitar blasphmeny. I play a lot of blues mainly, but also zeppelin, and ac/dc and stuff like that and I don't have a problem getting the sound I need, you just need to play around with your amp and guitar a little and you should be able to get a decent sound. Also concerning the neck i don't know what model was played concerning the sawed off baseball bat comment but my neck is thin and fast, and the action is amazing. Thats just my 2 cents, bottom line is to get something you like and feel comfortable with, because you are going to be the one who has to hear it the most and if you dont like the way it feels and plays then it isn't going to be fun to do so.

Low_b · Nov 22, 2004

math2014 said:
hmmm so basically with the fat i could coil tap the humbucker and have the sound of a std frat, and the inverse does not apply ....

ok fat for me

That would be true.
And as far as the person who posted before saying Fats are cheesy, that's just one opinion.
I've played guitar for close to 30 years and have been a pro touring musician for 15 years and find that comment silly. There are so many tone choices in pick ups and wood to say a generic set up is cheesy just doesn't hold water with me. There are to many variables.
By the way what is a cheesy sound?

What doesn't sound good to one player is the holy grail to another.

Being a new player you will not go wrong with a Fender Strat no matter which one you buy.
As you learn more about playing the guitar and what guitars give what tones you can make an even more educated choice on your next instrument.
Either way get a guitar and play, you won't regret it!!

Leethal · Nov 22, 2004

Hey I am exactly like 2 months ahead of your decision... I ended up with a American Strat mostly cause I got a good deal... and I mostly want to learn bluesy rock stuff. When I get good enough and know tone well enough I will most likely want a second electic (Les Paul) to round out my sound....

oly · Nov 22, 2004

Just make sure you have a really loud amp and a buch of effects! And learn to Squelch!

vallEbikes · Nov 22, 2004

get a epiphone les paul or a samic les paul they will be betwean $250-$499
and are great guitars and lots of fun.
i curently have a strat clone with a floyd rose tremela and cant stand the low- action! :mad:

GumbaFish · Nov 22, 2004

I find the fat strat cheesy because on fenders there is no bridge tone knob, and since the humbuckers are only located at the bridge position if you want to use the humbuckers and be able to change the tone from you guitar you can only do it at the 2 position where you will be able to adjust the middle single coil. This really limits the breadth of use and tone that can be achieved by having the humbuckers, and in my opinion is a half hearted attempt at including them in a guitar setup. If being able to use them in only two positions and having any tonal adjustmant while using them at only one position doesnt bother a player then they are fine, it is just something to me that seems a half hearted attempt to swing fringe gibson players without the cash to purchase a fender with the allure of humbuckers.

Low_b · Nov 22, 2004

GumbaFish said:
I find the fat strat cheesy because on fenders there is no bridge tone knob, and since the humbuckers are only located at the bridge position if you want to use the humbuckers and be able to change the tone from you guitar you can only do it at the 2 position where you will be able to adjust the middle single coil. This really limits the breadth of use and tone that can be achieved by having the humbuckers, and in my opinion is a half hearted attempt at including them in a guitar setup. If being able to use them in only two positions and having any tonal adjustmant while using them at only one position doesnt bother a player then they are fine, it is just something to me that seems a half hearted attempt to swing fringe gibson players without the cash to purchase a fender with the allure of humbuckers.

What you say about the bridge tone is true with single coils also.
You can easily wire the bridge pickup to one of the tone knobs.

Also Fender makes strats and teles with humbuckers in the neck position.

Leethal · Nov 23, 2004

It's time you start ignoring allt he customizations, to put iti in bike times you need a general all purpose bike say like your Specialized... The three single coils was/is good enough for Jimi Hendrix Eric Clapton and SRV.

Universe · Nov 23, 2004

http://www.power-tab.net/ for the software

http://www.powertabs.net/ for the tabs...

These are rated and generally fairly good (although never perfect)

dropkick · Nov 23, 2004

tons of tabs and no extra software needed

if you're using Firefox you can add some tab search engines here

bpatterson6 · Nov 23, 2004

Neither. 2 Words:
ESP Guitars

Mr Tiles · Nov 23, 2004

There's some pretty good info in this thread. I've owned an American tele for about 8 years now. It's starting to get some "personality" even though I've had it in storage for about 6 months now. Harmony Central has been around for ages. I used to print tab off that site in the early years of college like there was no tomorrow. I'm glad to see it's still around.

Fat Strat or STD Stratocaster?

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