Strats are nice, I love them.

[Robert****]

I don't have a Fender currently, just a crappy Mexican Squier. I wouldn't mind getting a "real" strat one day. Are the Made in Mexico (MIM) strats any good? I test drove an Anniversary Strat a while ago, very nice!

The Squier strats I've tried so far haven't been that nice, compared to my '51.

The one thing that bugs me with strats is the middle pickup is always in the way of my picking.

[Tone2TheBone]

Rob,

I love my MIM Strat. It even says FENDER on it.

It's the 2 color sunburst. I changed pickups though to the Fender Custom Shop Texas Specials. And I also relic'd the pickup covers and knobs to offset the overly bright white pickguard. I've owned American Standards in the past and love those. I sold most of them and had a couple of them stolen.

I had this one Squire that was made in Japan once and man I tell you...that guitar was awesome. It was perfect. The neck was perfect and it just sounded so much like the way you think a Strat SHOULD sound. Like a dummy I sold that one for dirt cheap and later on tried to find the guy I sold it to so that I could buy it back! Never found him.

I picked up a deluxe natural wood body Squire yesterday at Guitar Center and I really didn't like the neck on it. It was too bulky for my tastes. I have to agree with Robert that the 51's neck is sweet. I don't like overly laquer'd finishes either on necks.

-Rob

[joek86]

I have a MIM Strat and found it to be a better player than the MIA Strats that were in the store. I went there fully expecting to walk out with a MIA Strat. After 3 hours of playing, I got the MIM.

It is a Honey Blonde with a RW neck. The model is a Players. It has a 12 radius neck, and med fat frets. I reliced all of the hardware with RS Guitars stuff. Did parchment plastics and installed WCR SR's with the RS Guitar electronics upgrade kit. It is an awesome Strat!

[Robert****]

joek86, thanks for that info! I have heard many people talk about the MIM strats, I gotta try one. What is WSR SR's?

[joek86]

The WCR SR's are great single coil PUP's!


http://www.crcoils.com/

[Robert****]

Interesting, I didn't know about those pickups, or the RS Guitarworks site. Did you notice a big improvement after you installed the electronics upgrade kit? Maybe that's what I need for my Squier Tele.

[joek86]

I put it all in at once, so I really couldn't isolate the electronics influence on the tone. The guy fron WCR highly suggests the upgrade......... All I can tell you is that the tone is awesome and the tone and volume have a very full range and actually work !

[Bloozcat]

I got away from playing for quite a few years, started up again in 1999. I used to have a three tone sunburst rosewood neck Strat that was made in January 1966. It still had the small headstock and looked and played like any pre-CBS Strat. I sold that along with an early 70's Gibson LP Gold Top with the small humbuckers, and a 1974 Hagstrom Swede. I've finally stopped kicking myself for those moves about three years ago.

In 1999 I bought a black MIM 1996 standard Strat from a friend in a pawn shop for only $110.00. It looked brand new like it just came off the showroom floor. It was ok, but I was used to my old 1966, and a MIM just wasn't the same. I sold it a year later to a kid who was just starting to learn to play. The joy on this kids face to be getting a real Fender made the sale seem right.

Now instead of trying to buy an American Strat at the prices they go for today, I just make my own. This way I get exactly what I want in the guitar without having to settle for Fender's choice of options. I'm currently working on my third (if I can ever stop with the mods on my other guitars). The current Strat clone is going to be Daphne blue nitrocellulose lacquer with a maple/maple neck in 9 1/2" radius with a soft V back shape and the truss rod adjustment at the headstock. Tuning keys will be Gotoh/Kluson vintage split post style. The bridge will be a vintage style Callaham, the pickups will be True Tone Technologies True Vintage 54's. The pots will be CTS all measuring in excess of 250k, with a CRL 5-Way switch, vintage cloth covered wiring, and 200v Sprague Orange Drop 715P caps in .015mf. All of this will be mounted on a Fender '62 white three ply pickguard with parchment knobs for an authentic NOS look. I'm going to call it my Vintage 1960 Strat with modern upgrades. I can't get all of this from Fender so....

[EscalonJon]

Hey, joek86, Are the WCRs from a guy named Jim Wagner in Sonora, CA? ( www.crcoils.com ) I put a set of his Fillmore H/Bs in an Agile 3000m Les Paul clone and they surely rock! They cost a few bux, but I truly recommend them. Mega harmonics and very powerfull. The Fillmores were said to get the Duane Allman sound, and it's a fact that they do.

[tremoloman***]

Robert,

MIMs are a great value! I HIGHLY recommed them!

Pros:
* Its a Stratocaster!
* Affordable
* Sounds great - the stock pickups are remarkable good!
* Neck is well built and comfortable
* Timeless beauty and functionality

Cons:
* Bridge hardware is not compatible with American built models (string spacing is different, tremolo arm is smaller)
* Tremolo block is thing and made of zinc - not steel

The beauty of the MIM line is that you can get one cheap, then upgrade it to meet your needs. They are great stock - I wouldn't hesitate to gig one for a second. Having said that, I've found a couple of simple mods can make these guitars as good if not better than a US model IMHO.

The #1 improvement you can make to a MIM is by adding a Callaham tremolo block. I swear the improvemnt is amazing! All 4 Stratocasters I own now have one installed. Sustain and tone go through the roof! Forget pedals and amps - this will completely make you hear the Stratocaster in a totally different way.

I went beyond the norm and installed the complete Callaham bridge assembly on both my MIMs, and the tremolo block on the American models. I can post some comparison pics if interested.

I also like to install locking tuners for greater tuning stability. If you don't use the tremolo bar much, you can get away with the stock model. But a Hendrix maniac like me needs a little more to keep things in tune.

Replacing the nut makes a big difference in sound too.

Ciao!

[Tone2TheBone]

Tremoloman...can you please explain further in detail as to this modification and why you did it. With pics. Can you really tell any difference in sound? How did the guitars sound before you did the mod? What is your playing setup? What style of music do you crank out? Thanks. -Rob

[tremoloman***]

Tremoloman...can you please explain further in detail as to this modification and why you did it. With pics. Can you really tell any difference in sound? How did the guitars sound before you did the mod? What is your playing setup? What style of music do you crank out? Thanks. -Rob

t2tb,

Stock MIM standard models are nice, but once you've experienced one with a Callaham tremolo block, you'll never be happy with the stocker. I had a MIM that I was lukewarm with at best in stock trim. It didn't have the sustain and harmonic ability I was looking for. After a few people recommended the Callaham upgrade, I figured 'what the hell' and gave it a shot. I bought a Callaham bridge, which consists of the bridgeplate, saddles, screws, springs, tremolo block, and arm.

Once installed, it transformed my blah Powerhouse into a guitar that lives up to its name! Endless sustain, much better sound, and what suprised me the most is that the instrument FEELS much better. It adds some much needed weight to the guitar, giving it the solid feel the American series have. Install one once, and I'll bet you'll be sold on the change as much as I have! Even when you strum the guitar unplugged you will hear the difference!

As I stated previously, I won't own a Stratocaster anymore without a Callaham tremolo block installed. You don't need to upgrade the entire bridge as I did, but I like Bill's saddles because they are made of hardened steel and don't wear out easily like the stock ones do. All his parts are made of stainless steel, so they are much more durable and less prone to bending and breakage. His saddles are cut correctly so the string doesn't hang up on the saddle either.

Info on saddle differences:
http://www.callahamguitars.com/bridges.htm

Info on tremolo block differences:
http://www.specialtyguitars.com/treminfo.html

Please note: I don't work for him nor do I make any morey from this - I just cannot stress enough what a major impact this has on a Strat for such little money!

Here's some good reviews I found that speak for themselves:
http://www.allthingsguitar.com/2003R...stainblock.htm
http://www.harmony-central.com/Guita...o_Block-1.html

Comments:
http://www.telecaster.com/viewtopic....4c9b14cf60b347
http://www.guitarexperience.co.uk/ht...prod&prodID=56
http://www.wholenote.com/default.asp...asp%3Fi%3D9566
http://www.tdpri.com/reviewpost/show...rt=1&thecat=32

The blocks can be ordered for MIMs, MIAs, and MIJs. His bridges are only available in vintage specs. I had my Flip-Flop Strat recently converted to vintage specs to accept his bridge - it was well worth it!

I'll post some pics comparing the two very soon!

[Tone2TheBone]

Thanks for the information. I would probably be interested in trying just the trem block only I think. Thanks again!

[tremoloman***]

Trust me... you won't regret it!

[EscalonJon]

I can testify to Callaham.....I put the trem block, saddles, and stainless trem arm on my Vintage 50s Strat (Daphne blue) last year. The results are very pleasing. Tone is enhanced as well as sustain. I also have the Callaham intonated brass saddles on my Japanese tele. All of their products are said to be amongst the best and I believe they are.

(I replaced the stock pickups on the strat with 69s at the same time as the Callaham upgrades.....as nice now as most strats I've played)

[tremoloman***]

EscalonJon,

Are you referring to the Custom Shop 69s? I installed those in my AmDlx and they are simply the best pickup I've ever heard or played.

[EscalonJon]

Amen, Trem...

Yes, I'm talking the Custom Shop 69s. What a value! Can be mellow, or turn on the spank. It's hard to deny that it is a wonderful pickup.

You might also be interested in the VooDoo clone I just finished. I'm getting that you are a Hendrix aficionado. Cheapo right-handed body (but very light alder) with All Parts licenced CBS left-handed blonde neck, pick guard with reversed bridge pickup, and 68-wound pickups with reverse staggered poles. It has the vintage 50s MIM tremolo/bridge. I don't know yet if I'm going to go to a Callaham or not. It looks just like SRV's VooDoo, only a cheapo. I built it to have something a little different. I'm not a good enough player to do Jimi (or Stevie) justice at all so I can't really make it work like it should. My mentor vinni loves it, and he is a PRS guy, and an awsome player. I really need to get linked up for photos so I could post pix of some of my babies.

Best of luck with the SX! I bet it'll be pretty cool. How exciting it is when the delivery man arrives and you open the box...

[tremoloman***]

I'm amazed the CS 69's are so affordable also... I would have bought them even if they were 2x the money. (Lucky for us they aren't!)