Making mods -- at what point does a Strat cease to be a Strat?

**Zhangliqun** · 11-12-2003, 10:59 AM

Obviously there's no objectively right or wrong answer here, of course -- it's all about personal views. I'm just curious about everyone else's thoughts.

Some will no doubt say "When Fender sells to CBS" so I thought I'd get that out of the way first.

For me, I have a few:

1) Once you put humbucker(s) on it, you've crossed the line into 80's Hybrid Territory. (Stack-buckers don't count because the whole point of stacks is to retain the sound and look, just lose the hum, and some stacks do this extremely well.)

2) If you put a Floyd Rose on it -- well...yeah, an 80's Hybrid thing (because a regular humbucker usually accompanies this mod) but...well, to me it's borderline. But some have put a Floyd on and left the single coil bridge in. But then again, a Floyd will make it sound different too. So this one's too close to call for me.

3) If you put a new neck on it and said new neck has an ebony fingerboard, you can no longer call it a Strat.

4) If said new neck's headstock shape is wildly different from the Fender shape (I know it can't be exact), the line has been crossed.

Hardly earthshaking stuff, just small talk to jump-start me this groggy morning...

**Don** · 11-12-2003, 11:16 AM

These questions cause such a fuss...

My '57 Strat was re-necked by Michael Stevens, re-finished, the bridge, switch and two pots were replaced and it has Fralin Vintage Hots in it.

The body, pickguard, machine heads, one pot, jack plate, neck plate with serial number and most of the rest of the hardware are original.

I optimistically call it a Stratocaster, albeit with a long disclaimer.

On the other hand my USA Custom Guitars T-Style has all Fender hardware, Duncan Telecaster style pickups and a USACG swamp ash body and 1 piece maple neck.

I do not call it a Telecaster.

**Zhangliqun** · 11-12-2003, 12:04 PM

For your Strat, I'd have to see the headstock of the new neck, but otherwise, I'm with you, it's still a Strat.

The Tele -- if ain't made by Fender, it ain't a Tele.

**CocoTone** · 11-12-2003, 01:27 PM

A Strat is not a Strat when it ceases to sound like a Strat. Humbuckers, of ANY description do not sound like a single coil , so stop tryin` to kid yerselvs. A strat is not an easy axe to define, and when you start messin` with the origional recipe, you change it for the worse. You think Hendrix would put a bucker on his Strat?? What are we playing strats for in the first place??

CT.

**Don** · 11-12-2003, 01:39 PM

Originally posted by Zhangliqun
For your Strat, I'd have to see the headstock of the new neck, but otherwise, I'm with you, it's still a Strat.

The headstock looks just like a vintage Strat.

**detuned** · 11-12-2003, 02:09 PM

Originally posted by CocoTone
A Strat is not a Strat when it ceases to sound like a Strat. Humbuckers, of ANY description do not sound like a single coil , so stop tryin` to kid yerselvs.

And yet, Fender does this. They put humbuckers, Floyds, & other assorted "abominations" on guitars & go on blithely slapping the "Fender" & "Stratocaster" logos on them.

Others have said that if it isn't made by Fender, it's not a Stratocaster. I'm closer to this camp, myself. There's a difference, IMO, between a "Stratocaster" & a "strat". Likewise a "Telecaster" & a "tele".

Who's right?

No disrespect intended here, this is a slipperly slope, & I think the only "right" answer, in cases like this, is the one that's right for you.

Personally, I don't care for humbuckers or Floyds on my strats, either.

**grito** · 11-12-2003, 03:07 PM

A Stratocaster is anything Fender wants to slap the moniker on. Sorry about it, but any arguments trying to debunk that is empty...

**CocoTone** · 11-12-2003, 04:16 PM

Fender is big biz now,,hence the different takes on the origional theme,,to sell guitars, but the origional formula was specific, and thats the tone I`m after. Thats why I prefer a vintage style bridge, ,,becuz it sounds different from an American tandard, and i want that `Jimi` tone.

CT.:rolleyes:

**BLUELOU** · 11-12-2003, 04:28 PM

who knos its a stratocaster if it says it on the headstock and has real fender logo
i
slammed a 59 gibson humbuker into my 62 strat in 74- am i so bad no?
i was lookin for beef and no guitar switching on stage
now i do it to most of my strats my pop almost had a aneurism but its wonderful combination

adrian smith of iron maiden also did the same thing long ago
who knos Great band
it aint tha bad i still got the very original body and the tremolo
/neck i love it/i use a nother strat neck on it now because i wore the shit out of my old one only so many fretjobs etc on it

but i can still use the original one if needed......i like to mess with my guitars
financial value isnt important its wha i want out of a guitar that matters i personally do not buy them to collect them i buy one to play one
like my 62 originals neck its very playable but i like another strats profile better and i wore my old neck frets out again
hey it comes with the mileage /territory when you love somethin you never put her down !!!i'm happy its my baby i dont complain i wasnt lookin to make a gibson i was lookin for more beef.....i got gibsons if i need a gibson i love stratocasters
a strat is a strat tilll its made in alaska or egypt or mesopatamia and its logo is in heiroglyphics
if its a real fender stratocaster the sky is the limit to customizing

BlueLou

**chuckocaster** · 11-12-2003, 04:52 PM

i'm with lou on this one. at heart i am a fender purist, but in my soul i'm a rock and roller. it doesn't matter to me whether a guitar says fender or not for me to call it a strat or tele. humbuckers or floyds, makes no difference to me. granted i don't have them on any of my guitars. i think really this comes down to personal taste. and me being a hotrodder, i mod the shit out of my guitars, but i really never stray too far. pointy headstocks and "grip" cutouts are not my bag. and honestly, i only own three fender guitars, the rest of mine are clones that i wish fender would make...

**Fripperton** · 11-12-2003, 05:22 PM

One of my main strats is 100% Fender but by the definitions above it's not a Stratocaster. It has an ebony fingerboard and LSR nut because the neck came from a 1990 Elite model. It has a humbucker in the lead position because the pickups/pickguard assembly came from a 1997 Lone Star Strat. It has the 2 point tremelo and worst of all it has the DSPR. Still, I bet most audiences would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between mine and a "Real" strat.

**kasba22** · 11-12-2003, 05:52 PM

Gee I must have an American Deluxe Fat Rat then.
:^)

**CocoTone** · 11-12-2003, 06:25 PM

Don`t get me wrong fellas,,,hot rodding a Strat, or a Les Paul, ,,you still change the TONE to the point that it is not recognizable. The tone of a Strat with a Bucker, is differnt from a Les paul tone,,but a Paul with a split coil don`t sound like a Strat neither,,catch my drift??

CT.

**BLUELOU** · 11-13-2003, 03:51 PM

Originally posted by chuckocaster
i'm with lou on this one. at heart i am a fender purist, but in my soul i'm a rock and roller. it doesn't matter to me whether a guitar says fender or not for me to call it a strat or tele. humbuckers or floyds, makes no difference to me. granted i don't have them on any of my guitars. i think really this comes down to personal taste. and me being a hotrodder, i mod the shit out of my guitars, but i really never stray too far. pointy headstocks and "grip" cutouts are not my bag. and honestly, i only own three fender guitars, the rest of mine are clones that i wish fender would make...

CHUCK VOUCH FOR ME YOU KNO I BEEN DOIN THE GIBSON OR HUMBUCER IDEA FOR SO LONG IT AINT WEIRD AND YES I THINK HENDRIX PROBABLY WAS CONTEMPLATING THIS APPROACH ON ADDIN A GIBSON HUMBUCKER TO HIS STRATS AS HE HATED BUZZES ETC...TOO BAD HIS CREATIVE GENIUSSES IDEALS DIED WITH HIS TRAGIC DEATH
I STARTED DOIN THESE MODS IN THE VERY EARLY 70'S TO STRATS ITS FUNNY HOW A STOCK STRATOCASTER TREMOLO WILL KEEP UP WITH THE BAD DOGS OF TODAY
I KEEP MISE ALL STOCK EXCEPT FOR THE PICKUPS HENDRIX WAS AFTER THE TONE HE WASNT A PURIST HONESTLY OOOH YEA A ARBITRER FUZZ FACE A OCTAVIA A VOX WAH OR VIBROVERB PEDALS WERE ALL PURE NAAANOTHIN WAS PURE HE WAS A GENIUS OF OVERTONES IN QUEST OF A SOUND MAN HENDRIX WAS FAR OUT HE WASNT A TRADIONALIST GUITARIST BY ANY MEANS LIL RICHARD SAID HENDRIX WAS A BALL OF FIRE HE WAS UNIQUE HE PLAYED INTENSELY WHEN HE BACKED LIL RICHARD UP AND THE ISLEY BROTHERS STILL COPY ALL HENDRIX INNOVATIVE LICKS STILL TO THIS DAY BECAUSE HENDRIX WAS SO FAR AHEAD OF HIS TIME WITH HIS STYLES MAN HE SET THE ROAD FOR MANY OF US

THANK YOU
BLUELOU

**CocoTone** · 11-13-2003, 07:35 PM

Originally posted by BLUELOU
CHUCK VOUCH FOR ME YOU KNO I BEEN DOIN THE GIBSON OR HUMBUCER IDEA FOR SO LONG IT AINT WEIRD AND YES I THINK HENDRIX PROBABLY WAS CONTEMPLATING THIS APPROACH ON ADDIN A GIBSON HUMBUCKER TO HIS STRATS AS HE HATED BUZZES ETC...TOO BAD HIS CREATIVE GENIUSSES IDEALS DIED WITH HIS TRAGIC DEATH
I STARTED DOIN THESE MODS IN THE VERY EARLY 70'S TO STRATS ITS FUNNY HOW A STOCK STRATOCASTER TREMOLO WILL KEEP UP WITH THE BAD DOGS OF TODAY
I KEEP MISE ALL STOCK EXCEPT FOR THE PICKUPS HENDRIX WAS AFTER THE TONE HE WASNT A PURIST HONESTLY OOOH YEA A ARBITRER FUZZ FACE A OCTAVIA A VOX WAH OR VIBROVERB PEDALS WERE ALL PURE NAAANOTHIN WAS PURE HE WAS A GENIUS OF OVERTONES IN QUEST OF A SOUND MAN HENDRIX WAS FAR OUT HE WASNT A TRADIONALIST GUITARIST BY ANY MEANS LIL RICHARD SAID HENDRIX WAS A BALL OF FIRE HE WAS UNIQUE HE PLAYED INTENSELY WHEN HE BACKED LIL RICHARD UP AND THE ISLEY BROTHERS STILL COPY ALL HENDRIX INNOVATIVE LICKS STILL TO THIS DAY BECAUSE HENDRIX WAS SO FAR AHEAD OF HIS TIME WITH HIS STYLES MAN HE SET THE ROAD FOR MANY OF US

THANK YOU
BLUELOU

Man,,your `STREAMOFCONCIOUSNESSTOPOFYOURLOUNGES` posts are hard to digest sometimes, Lou,,,but I dig where your comin` from!!!

But, a Humbucker on a strat is not a Strat,,,and Hendrix would not have done that mod to his strat!! He had a Flyin` Vee for that tone,,,just like Albert King. Different tone,,,diffent axe. Fer godsakes all us `ol timers shoulde realize this!!!
When Beck was hot, he used both a Strat and a Les Paul, to get two diffent textures. It was only after he matured that he settled on a Strat,,,just like ALL Mature players do. ( I won`t bother to list them, as we all worship them!!) Nuff said!!

CT.

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