New Axe in Da House..........

[Boogie1]

After much research and obsessive compulsiveness, I finally got me a Strat. This is the first Strat I have had since 1978.......wow! That's scary! 30 frickin' years!

It's a 1986 MIJ Strat. The guy I got it from had it for 15 years and never learned to play. One look at it when I got it, you could see why. It only had 2 springs in the trem, and the trem was pulled way up. The action was a mile off the fretboard. It was totally unplayable! Somehow though, I had a good feeling about it- I looked at one more and then came back for it. I got it for $400.

Somebody must have put this trem on- I've never seen one like it. Anybody familiar with it? Looks pretty much like a Floyd but with Fender stamped on it. Seems to be well made. Only thing is, somebody stripped the fine tuner for the high E and I'll have to drill it and put in a bigger size.

Anyway, I took it home, strung it up. Put 5 springs on the trem (that's right- I like mine that way!) tuned it up, and it's pretty playable as is. I didn't even have to adjust the spring tension or mess with the action- I got lucky! However, from sitting so long the 5 way switch is toast- makes all kind of noise and cuts out. I can make it work by jiggling it, but the pickups are stock, wimpy low volume junk. But it definitely has the feel and Strat punch I'm seeking- with some hot pickups it will rule!

Can anybody recommend at pickup / pickguard kit? So far I'm swaying toward the David Gilmour EMGDG20 loaded pickguard kit. I have also found a Lace kit, but I'm not familiar with Lace pickups. Anybody know anything about them? They are about $40 less than the EMG kit.

[Eric Weston]

That's a Contemporary Strat with a System 1 trem (stock-made by Kahler, I believe)...I've got a 3-toned sunburst one in the basement. I bought mine new in '85 or '86, and have played the frets right down to the fingerboard (mines rosewood). Rings like a bell and it's the best 'Fender' that I've owned. Ya don't see too many of those...most guys back then were pretty anti MIJ and wouldn't give 'em a chance . Ya might want to check the nut on that for cracks in the stringslots.....they're pretty cheap plastic and you'll have tuning issues.....Nice guitar tho'.

edit- re. the pups...they don't say anything on them but I've read on the web that they put American pick-ups on those (could be BS), you might want to give them a chance....mine sound great.

[ecnal]

I love the color; didn't Dave Murray have one like that (or was it the color of one of Steve Harris's basses)?

[Rhys]

My brother has got one of those Strats (black with a rosewood fingerboard) - it's a really nice guitar. It has an incredibly wide neck for a Strat, which I like.

I've got the EMG DG20 set in my Blade Texas Standard & I love 'em; they're not the "Strattiest" sounding pickups in the world though. If you want a typical "quacky" Strat sound you might be better off looking elsewhere.

[Steve Haynie]

I love the color; didn't Dave Murray have one like that (or was it the color of one of Steve Harris's basses)?

Steve Harris' Precision Bass was refinished in metallic blue. Dave Murray played a black Strat that had belonged to Paul Kossoff of Free.

[Zoner]

As a certified "Strat Cat", let me say first of all that you made a good choice going with a MIJ, but that trem system may be a headache if you intend to use the whammy agressively. I have had a number of different systems that put the locking clamp behind the nut and they all seemed far less stable tuning-wise than the ones that simply replaced the nut with a locking system. That said, if you only use it sparingly for subtle stuff, keeping the nut well lubed with graphite or a similar sustance should keep things in good order.

As far as pickups go, getting the pickup height correct is critical to getting the best tone out of a stock Strat. Too high and you get tuning issues and your sustain will suffer. Too low and they will sound weaker and thinner than you might expect. And if your switch is funky from non-use, you need to clean out the pots and jack to make sure there isn't something keeping the full signal from making it to your amp. Another thing to consider is that you are coming back to a Strat after a very long separation and you might need to re-aquaint yourself with what a stock Strat sounds like. Having the combination of stock single-coils, a 2-point pivot locking trem system, and a Maple fingerboard is a recipe for a rather thin, plinky sounding ride that might REALLY sound bad if you have been using fatter sounding stuff for all those years. The EMG DG set is a very versatile setup and with the 2 active circuits it will allow you to dial in a whole bunch more "beef" should you desire it. They are, however, EMG's and for some of us that is something that is not going to be a satisfying option (I never got on with them in any configuration-YMMV). I am a big fan of the Fender Lace Sensor pickups for a very traditional Strat tone (I use the "Gold" Fender Lace Sensors that are stock in my Jeff Beck model) without the noise, and have also had great success with pickups from Bill Lawrence (directly from Bill, not the "other" ones). I use Strats because I adore the big, round bell -like tones that they can produce. If I want a fatter tone, another guitar comes out. There are lots and lots of choices out there for fattening up the tone of a Strat, and you can spend a whole lot of time and money trying to arrive at the set that is right for you, but I would urge you to first solidly identify what it is you are trying to do tone wise. If you want classic '50's Strat tones, that requires one set of changes. If you are a Hendrix fan and want some Jimi vibe, that's another path and different changes. If you want fat, searing high-gain tones, get out the router and drop some hummers in there. The EMG set will probably get you the most versatility and still keep thing relatively stock if that is a concern. I hope this rambling was of some help and I wish you luck and congrats on your new Strat. Love the color, by the way. Z

[Boogie1]

As a certified "Strat Cat", let me say first of all that you made a good choice going with a MIJ, but that trem system may be a headache if you intend to use the whammy agressively. I have had a number of different systems that put the locking clamp behind the nut and they all seemed far less stable tuning-wise than the ones that simply replaced the nut with a locking system. That said, if you only use it sparingly for subtle stuff, keeping the nut well lubed with graphite or a similar sustance should keep things in good order.

As far as pickups go, getting the pickup height correct is critical to getting the best tone out of a stock Strat. Too high and you get tuning issues and your sustain will suffer. Too low and they will sound weaker and thinner than you might expect. And if your switch is funky from non-use, you need to clean out the pots and jack to make sure there isn't something keeping the full signal from making it to your amp. Another thing to consider is that you are coming back to a Strat after a very long separation and you might need to re-aquaint yourself with what a stock Strat sounds like. Having the combination of stock single-coils, a 2-point pivot locking trem system, and a Maple fingerboard is a recipe for a rather thin, plinky sounding ride that might REALLY sound bad if you have been using fatter sounding stuff for all those years. The EMG DG set is a very versatile setup and with the 2 active circuits it will allow you to dial in a whole bunch more "beef" should you desire it. They are, however, EMG's and for some of us that is something that is not going to be a satisfying option (I never got on with them in any configuration-YMMV). I am a big fan of the Fender Lace Sensor pickups for a very traditional Strat tone (I use the "Gold" Fender Lace Sensors that are stock in my Jeff Beck model) without the noise, and have also had great success with pickups from Bill Lawrence (directly from Bill, not the "other" ones). I use Strats because I adore the big, round bell -like tones that they can produce. If I want a fatter tone, another guitar comes out. There are lots and lots of choices out there for fattening up the tone of a Strat, and you can spend a whole lot of time and money trying to arrive at the set that is right for you, but I would urge you to first solidly identify what it is you are trying to do tone wise. If you want classic '50's Strat tones, that requires one set of changes. If you are a Hendrix fan and want some Jimi vibe, that's another path and different changes. If you want fat, searing high-gain tones, get out the router and drop some hummers in there. The EMG set will probably get you the most versatility and still keep thing relatively stock if that is a concern. I hope this rambling was of some help and I wish you luck and congrats on your new Strat. Love the color, by the way. Z

Thanks for the input! I'm hoping to go with the DG EMG's, but I don't want to lose that Strat tone, especially the neck pickup......