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Thread: Solution -- 2 Strats?

  1. #1
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Solution -- 2 Strats?

    I love my 2008 AmStd Strat with 62/whatever vintage pickups. I dreamt of having a Strat that I can milk Clapton and Gilmour tones from.

    But sometimes, I wish I had a second Strat, with a more powerful pickup set. I'd probably get some SD Hot Rails. I'm not thinking of buying anything in the near future. When I do buy a second Strat, it'll probably be an AmPro. I like the hardware and tone. The stock pickups are good, and I might stick with them. If not, I'll be as happy as a hog in mud with a change to the Duncans.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

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    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    I think about this all the time. I love my Fender Hwy1/USACG/MJT/Fralin/Callaham mutt for traditional Strat sounds but would also like a Strat like guitar with more power. That's how I ended up with my Carvin DC135, but that guitar strays a little too far from the formula and might not work out.




  3. #3
    Forum Member DanTheBluesMan's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    I really like my strat build with the Lace Sensor Golds but I would really like a 1960's style strat. That 62 AVRI posted the other day has me jonesing.
    "Live and learn and flip the burns"

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    Forum Member CoyotesGator's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    Quote Originally Posted by Don View Post
    I think about this all the time. I love my Fender Hwy1/USACG/MJT/Fralin/Callaham mutt for traditional Strat sounds but would also like a Strat like guitar with more power. That's how I ended up with my Carvin DC135, but that guitar strays a little too far from the formula and might not work out.




    Damn Carvin gave me a boner.

    What happend?
    Who let the magic smoke out?

  5. #5
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    Quote Originally Posted by CoyotesGator View Post
    Damn Carvin gave me a boner.

    Wood gave you wood.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  6. #6
    Forum Member S. Cane's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    I love my 2008 AmStd Strat with 62/whatever vintage pickups. I dreamt of having a Strat that I can milk Clapton and Gilmour tones from.

    But sometimes, I wish I had a second Strat, with a more powerful pickup set. I'd probably get some SD Hot Rails. I'm not thinking of buying anything in the near future. When I do buy a second Strat, it'll probably be an AmPro. I like the hardware and tone. The stock pickups are good, and I might stick with them. If not, I'll be as happy as a hog in mud with a change to the Duncans.

    A man gotta have a classic SSS strat like yours. If you need more beef, get a cheaper one and load it with a SD JB on the bridge or the hot rails you mentioned!

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    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    Not a big fan of the SD Hot Rails. I've tried them twice and not been impressed. One of the things about PAF-style is that it's wider, it's magnetics are affected by more of the string.

    I've never been able to get a good, cutting sound from the Hot Rails. OK when I'm just plugged in by myself but they never seem to hold up in a mix. They have plenty of output and grind, but not very articulate, if that makes sense. I've had limited success changing to 500k pots which brings up the highs up a bit, but still not great.

    The other failing of the Hot Rails is there's a distinct lip on the top of the bobbins and I've had several occasions when mid solo the hight E string got caught under the lip. That's severely annoying.


    Chuck
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  8. #8
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    Quote Originally Posted by Sérgio View Post
    A man gotta have a classic SSS strat like yours. If you need more beef, get a cheaper one and load it with a SD JB on the bridge or the hot rails you mentioned!
    I'm stupid. I've got one Mexican 12 string and a Hofner Korean bass, great sounding, great playing instruments, and yet when it comes to Fenders, I like the American made products. I don't need to have a CS or artist sig, but it does have to be American, and the AmPro, like the AmStd, has the right feel and sound and quality to me.

    I wish I weren't so close-minded about it. If I saw a great deal on a Mexican Fender, I'd swoop down on it. But I'd always feel lesser--even though one of the best sounding Strats I ever heard was a 2003 Mexican Strat with Duncan Hot Rails.

    I do not feel my guitar superior to other people's Mexican Fenders. So I'm not putting your MIM Fender down if you have one. It's just my subjective taste in guitars.

    The American Fenders are part of the Myth of America. They represent the American dream that includes Route 66, 57 Chevys, Marilyn, James Dean, and the Headless Horseman. My father was a factory worker, and I've always admired the worker who makes quality products. Fender represents that for me, however mythical that is.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  9. #9
    Forum Member jrgtr42's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    I used to know a guy that had the wires to the jack set up with quick-clips, or something, and had a good half-dozen pickguards built up for his Strat,
    A SSS, HSS, HSH, active (couple EMG sets,) and so on.
    He could swap it out in under 5 minutes - slack off the strings a bit, unscrew the one there, slide it out under the strings, and reverse.
    ********************************
    "Do you call sleeping with a guitar in your hands practicing?"
    "It is if you don't drop it."
    - Trent Lane, Daria, Episode 1-2.

  10. #10
    Forum Member ch willie's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    Chuck. Thanks. That would be a problem with the lip.

    The Mexican Strat was played by the lead guitarist of my band at the time. It sounded wonderful live and in the practice space. Now, he only had a Hot Rails in the bridge. Stock Mexican pups in the neck and mid.
    If we'd known we were going to be the Beatles, we'd have tried harder.--George Harrison

  11. #11
    Forum Member Offshore Angler's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    Chuck. Thanks. That would be a problem with the lip.

    The Mexican Strat was played by the lead guitarist of my band at the time. It sounded wonderful live and in the practice space. Now, he only had a Hot Rails in the bridge. Stock Mexican pups in the neck and mid.
    If you can find them anymore, the old red lace sensors could sound pretty nice. A lot more cut and grind than the golds.
    "No harmonic knowledge, no sense of time, a ghastly tone, unskilled vibrato, and so on. Chuck is one of the worst guitar players I know" -Gravity Jim

  12. #12
    Forum Member Don's Avatar
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    Re: Solution -- 2 Strats?

    Quote Originally Posted by ch willie View Post
    Chuck. Thanks. That would be a problem with the lip.
    New Hot Rails don't have that lip anymore. They changed to a molded cover a few years ago. I don't know about the tone- I've never tried them.

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