Strat experience

[alexanderzz]

My guitar is a Tele. It struck me the other day that although over the years I've played various Teles, and a handful of Gibsons, I'd never ever played a Strat. Rectified this the other night with a relative's Squier, and have to say that that I didn't enjoy the experience very much - but for a reason I'd never have thought of...

It's the body contour! This contour means that the guitar is actually very comfortable, and that the top of the guitar sits a little closer to you than the bottom. Great - better view of the strings and fretboard. All very well until you decide to play a barre. This slight 'leaning' of the guitar means you have to push your wrist slightly further under the neck to achieve a barre, and to me this made it, not much but a litttle more difficult to play. I'm sure the fault is mine rather than Leo's but surprising nontheless.

Regards

[GuitarZorz]

I agree, although everyone talks about Teles being uncomfortable without the body contour, and the vintage bridges being annoying and stuff these are the things that make me stick to Teles and not really like other guitars.

Like you I prefer my guitar to be flat against my body and not tilted like a strat can do (I wear my guitar pretty high)

I also rest my hand on the corner of the vintage bridges 95% of the time when I'm playing and pick right over the bridge pickup. Doesn't really work on any other guitars.

[wisem66]

Absolutely love strats.... I was a gibson man after having a custom, studio and several studio's, i also then went for tele's a custom shop and a vintage reissue... Hated stats!!! Then ordered a james tyler studio elite (strat style) and its awesome...Yesterday i bought a custom shop 59 relic custom order and it blows me away. Cant think of any style guitar other than strats now...

[wisem66]

Guitarzorz...

Get the fulltone clyde deluxe wah, i bought one last week for £195 and its amazing.....

[KrisUK]

My guitar is a Tele. It struck me the other day that although over the years I've played various Teles, and a handful of Gibsons, I'd never ever played a Strat. Rectified this the other night with a relative's Squier, and have to say that that I didn't enjoy the experience very much - but for a reason I'd never have thought of...

It's the body contour! This contour means that the guitar is actually very comfortable, and that the top of the guitar sits a little closer to you than the bottom. Great - better view of the strings and fretboard. All very well until you decide to play a barre. This slight 'leaning' of the guitar means you have to push your wrist slightly further under the neck to achieve a barre, and to me this made it, not much but a litttle more difficult to play. I'm sure the fault is mine rather than Leo's but surprising nontheless.

Regards

Scandalous you've never picked one up until now

I've always found the Strat one of the most comfortable guitars to play. I like the body contours. Each to his own though.

[Dave_Mc]

i like strats, and they're really comfy, but now you mention it, i think i've noticed that about barre chords too. i put it down to the 7.25" radius on mine (a tokai copy), but maybe it's the shape? though to be honest my barre technique is a bit crap anyway...

[KrisUK]

i like strats, and they're really comfy, but now you mention it, i think i've noticed that about barre chords too. i put it down to the 7.25" radius on mine (a tokai copy), but maybe it's the shape? though to be honest my barre technique is a bit crap anyway...

And I like the 7.25" radius too

[alexanderzz]

Scandalous you've never picked one up until now

I agree - it's my irrational bias against anything with a whammy bar - Strats have just never appealed.

[Dave_Mc]

And I like the 7.25" radius too

yeah, i do too... but i thought it was meant to make chording easier, not harder?

it is slightly annoying that sometimes you run out of room for long bends, though.

[KrisUK]

I agree - it's my irrational bias against anything with a whammy bar - Strats have just never appealed.

Fair enough. I'm not a whammy bar fan either. It's never made me go against buying a guitar if I like it but if it does have a whammy bar, it gets thrown on my desk and left to gather dust.

yeah, i do too... but i thought it was meant to make chording easier, not harder?

it is slightly annoying that sometimes you run out of room for long bends, though.

Maybe it's the neck profile I have that issue with a lot of Fenders where I find the neck doesn't sit that comfortably in my hand making playing harder. I know yours is a Tokai but maybe the same applies?

As for the bends, not a single one I've managed to fret out But my action is very high. I'm not all that fussed about low actions. All of my guitars, except the Yamaha, have quite a high action.