What Are Strats For? A Tele Player's Musings On The Strat - ASK ZAC EP 29 

I don't think there is any real substitute for the sound of a Tele bridge pickup, so there's that. And I love the "cluck" of a Strat. But one of the things that disappoints me about 3 pickup guitars with 5-way switches is that there is no neck+bridge combination available. A mod I like to do - which is most appropriate on "Nashville" Teles, but also on Strats, is to simply flip the leads for the middle and bridge pickups at the selector switch. Instead of N / N+M / M / M+B / B, you get N / N+B / B / B+M / M. So you forfeit one of the "cluck" positions but regain the Tele-like N+B setting. Of course, some folks like one cluck position more than the other. So, for them, you flip the middle and neck pickup leads at the selector switch. That gets you M / M+N / N / N+B / B. It takes a little getting used to, but not all that much. I don't think I could ever be without a neck+bridge tone!

Great point about not just playing a “different” guitar not for a different tone or to do different things in a song-but also so that you play it differently.

One of my favorite things about Fender guitars is that they can have SUCH different voices in different players' hands. Especially Strats. Sure, this is true for all guitars, but I really feel like Strats and Teles are the epitome of the sentiment.

I'm a Tele player because it gives me the sounds I want and love. But I love Strats too, for the amazing history of the great players who have shown us how incredibly versatile they can be. From Buddy Holly to Hank Marvin to the greatest Strat player of them all----- Jimi Hendrix---- it's another example of the amazing genius mind of Leo Fender. There aren't enough words to truly describe how brilliant and inventive Leo was.

Personally I really dig the sound of positions 2 and 4, but I think that’s what’s great about Strats. There’s so many tonal options for any style or any player. That’s probably why it’s regarded as “the” electric guitar!

I'm really hoping this channel grows, you have so much information to share and I love the laid back/calm feeling and delivery. Keep it up and I'll keep watching!

I love the talk sections but love even more when you play - so laid back melodic and full of natural tone Thanks Zac and keep on keeping on !

My first pick, a strat, as always My second pick, another colour of strat. My third pick, maybe a tele... or a strat

Nice one Zac. You make a Strat sound 'Nashville' like nobody else I've heard. 👍

I was a Tele guy until it was stolen. My other guitar was a Strat and by the time I found another Tele that I liked, the Strat had seduced me. The Strat is my voice but when I need to crank up a guitar with some attitude, the Tele can't be beaten. The more refined nature of the Strat drew me in and I felt like it was much easier to play. Playing the Tele is a little more like work to me, but my Tele buddies, of course, disagree. All my Strats (except for the EJ) have 6100 frets (12" radius), Fralin pickups, and upgraded hardware - especially the Trem block. Anybody looking to toughen up the tone of a Strat should consider looking at upgrading the trem block and adding a Fralin steele pole 43 to the bridge position. Great video Zac. Thanks.

Strats were made to get the Richard Thompson- tone😊🎶🎸😉

Love the touch and sensibility of the clean tone playing with country, r&b, americana sensibilities. My kind of thing. This channel has become one of my favorites on YT.

Noticed the Waterloo in the background. I love mine. Feels so perfect. Living in Europe i never had the chance to find vintage Gibsons so getting this thing now feels like the first "real" acoustic in my life (after 30 years of trying all kinds of stuff i could get my hands on here).

There's a device called the tremol-no that allows you to easily disable and re-enable the tremelo. It replaces one of the springs in the back.

Zac, of my 55 years worth of playing, I've never owned a Strat! Always Telecasters! I met Phil Kubicki when he was making a Tele for Don Mclean.

I went to school at Texas A&M-Kingsville for a little bit years ago. Had a ton of fun down there. Thanks for a great channel!

No guitar has ever been more fun to play for me than my Strat. So versatile and melodic It's my only guitar (besides my SG that is also a great axe) I take my Strat to almost every Gig and it's pure heaven! That neck pickup is so creamy and smooth and paired with my tone king imperial it's my dream come true setup 😍

Great demo, fantastic playing! I love all the sounds of the strat and I even love the middle pickup by itself.

you killed it on Tennessee waltz, soulful

Everyone should color coordinate their shirts with their guitars, don't ya think?

So enjoyable are your videos Zac. It's like you are just talking to me and a couple of mates. Picked up a few good tips too.

I can’t believe you mentioned raw vintage springs. They are absolutely a great “mod” and no one ever talks about this

Another great video, Zac, thank you! Ive been a died-in-the-wool tele player since 1992 when I put my Les Pauls away. I've owned many strats, and today I still own one - an MIJ Fernandes strat, tobacco sunburst with maple board. Best strat I've ever played. I think of teles as an extension of me and my creativity - MY voice. I think of my strat as utilitarian - a tool needed to accomplish certain sounds and style just not available to me on my teles. After 25 years, though, I still struggle badly with my right hand constantly hitting the strat's volume knob and turning it down! For whatever reason I CANNOT rid myself of that tendency!

I have 2 Tele's. One black, one white. One hot rodded, one traditional. Love 'em both. I have 2 Strats, one black, one white. One hot rodded, one traditional. Love 'em both. It's a yin and yang thang!

Thanks Zac, love how you're covering the rockabilly to psychadelic to 80's sound territory.

I myself am glad there are many different types of guitars. Even the shredders like Jackson and Charvel have their place

I also spent a few years in Kingsville. Thanks for all the guitar info videos , keep them coming.

I never liked the quack sound on a strat. The tremolo system also psyches me out too much; I'm paranoid about slipping out of tune during a perfect take. It's more versatile than a tele, because it has more knobs and pickups, but I find that the pickups don't have enough contrast between them to get interesting tones as readily as a tele. My favorite part about a tele is the contrast between the neck and bridge pickups. They're really different on their own, but then they blend so well together in the middle position, creating a humbucking option with a cool glassy character.

Ha! I learned the "Eric Johnson mod" as the "Jimmy Vaughan mod." In any event, I HIGHLY recommend players check it out, especially if you play with a hotter PUP or even humbucker in the bridge. Gives you a way to tame it a little if need be. The second aspect to the mod is to have a middle pup that is well balanced and plays nicely in the 2 and 4 positions awhile also delivering the that classic Strat quack in the middle position, running wide open. Good stuff.

I got a player plus last week. Really enjoying it. At 56 , never thought I would get into blues and start using the neck pickup. What surprised me the most, was the weight. I didn't expect it to be so heavy. My shoulder is sore after a long session. Need to sit more and have it on the lap. But it's worth it.

I played this at 1.25 speed...good channel!

Great insights Zac.This is a great channel. I find myself going back-and-forth between you and Buk for Guitar alchemy/tonal tips! Thanks.

I just found this channel from Five Watt World, and I'm liking it very much! I like channels like this that are more conversational and aren't hammering us constantly with the 'sell, sell, sell...shill, shill, shill' mentality that is so common with many guitar channels on RU-vid. Thanks for doing what you do for the guitar community. I'll be back!

You hit all my points accept I love the in between settings 2&4 with a little drive!! I’m really diggin on these Dunlop hand polished picks right now. ~cheers.

Great video Zac. It bought back memories of when I was a teen and I saved all my money because one day I would finally buy my dream guitar, a US Stratocaster. That day finally came and before I purchased the Strat, the dealer asked me if I would try out a Tele.........well the rest is history ! 3 decades later that Tele has never left me and I play Teles 99% of the time !

Good video Zac....always going back and forth between my Tele and Strat!!

I clicked like before even watching. I find most videos a rehash of obvious content, but I always learn something new and in-depth in these videos and consider Zac THE expert. No wonder he’s gathered such a following in a short time.

I want those pickups. I love a bright tone on the wound strings but the unwound strings are usually too bright. Love the idea of blending the magnets to balance the tone out

I always associated the Strat as more of a rock guitar than a country guitar. Some of the all time greats have played strats. Hendrix, Clapton, Rory Gallagher, Ry Cooder, Lowell George of Little Feat, just to name a few.

Great video! I worked for years as a hired gun lead guitarist in mostly the southern Ohio area. Im primarily a tele guy, but always had what I called my trinity with me. That consisted of a tele, strat and Les Paul. I felt like I could pretty much cover all my bases with those. I worked with Whey Jennings for a while. People sure loved when I'd bring out my leather covered clone of Waylon's telecaster.

I was the opposite, Strats first but I always wanted a Tele, which I eventually got. I deck my trem though. Probably from having Floyds on guitars before, just got tired of it. 🤷‍♂️ I ought to try floating it on one of mine. Enjoyed it, thanks Zac!

Great video, Zac. Informative, well presented, and great playing.

Another great video. I've played Teles since right after I started in the early 70s but have always had a Strat or two around since the early 80s. I never used the bridge pickup for years until I wired it to the tone pot. I deck the trem and use five springs so I can do that 50s Ike Turner/ Johnny Guitar Watson thing. I usually only play a Strat on a couple of songs and the rest on a Tele but awhile back I got called to do a festival with some old friends. The other guitar player always plays a Les Paul, planned on playing a Tele until I saw the set list, they were all Strat songs. So my beloved 52 AVRI sat in the stand as a backup. Sometimes a mans got to do what a mans got to do. Thanks Zac, looking forward to the next one.

finally figured out what was so different about your playing ... super light touch

Great vid Zac. Your playing style definitely suites the Tele much more than the Strat so I can see why it is your weapon of choice. Strat man myself but love a Tele as my alternate.

That is was a very appreciated relaxing opening, good for that green olive strat personality.

Great clip! In the mind of Leo Fender, the Stratocaster was intended to address all the feedback that players provided Leo from playing his Tele. They wanted something that was more comfortable (comfort carved), a vibrato (to compete with the Bigsby product that people liked), more pickups and sounds. Fender was assuming the Tele would be retired, but demand remained strong with introduction of the Strat. Once Buddy Holly and Dick Dale started using Strats, their popularity exploded. Tele's remained a favorite with the Country players.

Excellent vid as always. My two favourite guitars. Both are untouchable at what they do. Some guitars/pickup configurations come close but are never quite right.

I looooove Telecasters but Strats are just so damn comfortable, especially if I’m playing while sitting on my couch

Great video Zac. I agree about the tremolo block. I bought a Highway 1 Upgrade Strat about ten years ago in my home town of Liverpool and didn't like the particular tremolo bar so ordered a new American one and when I installed it the threads crossed so I had to replace the whole assembly as the Highway Ones had metric parts apparently and not imperial sizes. I installed a Callaham cast iron block and set it all up again and it sounds and plays great! I like the action a little higher than some people might like as I like the strings to have some room to "bounce" when playing a run. Keep up the good work mate.

My 1984 Strat (Butterball) that everyone loves, stays in the case since I bought a used SG. I'm a big fan of 12 string guitars also, so perhaps I just like to tune a lot! Great perspective videos. Thanks.

I always do those things you do to every strat I have too, move second tone control to bridge pickup, raw vintage springs always a must together with their saddles plus a cold steel block and also floating the trem.. I don't think it's best for everyone but after 3 strats and many other options/mods that I've tried, this has become my recipe. Another thing that I've found very useful is the baseplate for bridge pickup in a vintage style set to give it some body/mass. I was aware of this mod for a while but just too lazy to try and didn't think it would help much - I was wrong, it balances it out with the rest of the set nicely. Highly recommend this mod (for a vintage style bridge pickup).

Zac ... another beautiful video - I enjoy them as much as your column in Vintage Guitar magazine. Your playing here reminds me of the wonderful Eldon Shamblin ... a beautiful tribute to his memory.

I just love the strat's ergonomics. Looks like a spaceship and is so comfortable i often fall asleep with it on

Damn it's good to have someone who can actually play to listen to. Also Zac's content is the best. One thing I done different is, I ALWAYS put roller saddles on the bridge. That just seems to help keep it in tune better, and I put brass or bone nuts on everything. May or may not help sustain, but it's my little mojo.

Tele fan here and I’m so happy I found your channel! I’ve been Rona-GASing lately and was thinking about trying a Strat again since I already have my LP and Gretsch bases covered and definitely don’t need another T. The vibrato and middle pickup always annoy me, but damn nothing else sounds like a Strat. Loved the Vince Gill vibes you were getting.

Interesting video! Love how honest you are about everything... I first started out with a L.P. Custom, it's actually on my thumbnail photo right now. I sold my car to purchase it!!! Being a lefty I had to wait a long time before receiving it. a band member hit the stand, fell over and broke at the top of the neck, broke my heart!!!!! To make up for the disaster at hand my friend lent me a Stratocaster, this was some time ago and oddly enough I have been playing that Stratocaster guitar ever since, it is so exciting and good sounding, and versatile! It did not even come close to my L.P. sound, but I actually liked that, because I came across another complete world of sounds... Though telecaster guitars are incredible, especially when played by someone who's been playing a telecaster all their life. I bonded better with a Stratocaster. There's something special about a great Stratocaster that just blows my mind, I can play for hours on end. The Stratocaster was made to fit my mind, my body, and my fingers, it's just perfect, and the volume knob is in the perfect place lol :-) :-) :-) :-) I have played many types of guitars in the past but there's just something mystical about a good ol' Stratocaster :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) That's why as a guitarist you have to try difference guitars until you find your better half :-)

I don’t use the trem but don’t like the way hardtail Strats sound. The trem definitely an essential part of the classic bluesy Strat tone.

Great video Zac; your tones with the Strat are incredible! I love my Danocaster Strat, and I agree with you about the quality of the Raw Vintage springs. I use 3 on my guitar (it was bought used and only came with 3) and use a 10-46 set. Mine is wired so that the tone control works on the bridge pickup only, and the middle is wide open at all times.

Hey Zac, love your show. The mention of the Ovation reminded me of Wyatt Rice, who frequently teaches at a flatpick camp I go to over in Ridgetop TN a couple times a year. His brother Tony got him into these and loves them now, though it looks kind of incongruous among the herringbones and so on. Of course, he would sound good on a cigar box...! Keep up the great work!

I enjoy your Gear knowledge and your playing,great gear you have your opinion is valued.

I played a friend's Jazzmaster years ago, and couldn't come to grips with anything about the guitar other than how comfortable it felt against my body. I'd veered back and forth between Teles and Strats, never quite being satified with either, until I had a custom body made: a Jazzcaster with a Tele neck, top mounting Tele bridge, a P-Bass control plate, and three noiseless pickups, strung 0.013-0.058. It has a four way Tele pickup with a phase switch for the neck PU(P/P pot) and a series/off/parallel for the middle PU. It wouldn't be everybody's cup of tea, but this one makes me happy.

Hardtail strats all day long, I have two of them..my neighbor calls them wimpy telecasters...but, I can play me some sweet slow blues on a strat, through a super...

I love all of your videos but this is my favorite to date. You impart beautiful emotions with the "Tennessee waltz ". Absolutely beautiful. Thank you sir

The Strat is the younger pretty sister of the Tele. It looks more stylish and is the 80s pop posers go to guitar. But personally I find it’s fizzy and lacks tightness with overdrive and distortion. While clean it’s very predictable, try position 2 without sounding like Mark Knopfler! I’ve played 100s of Strats and own five, two of which are USA. A Tele on the other hand does it better for me with only 3 positions it’s less fuss, more direct and you don’t have to worry about the indecision of 5 tone choices! My favorite Strat is my Fender Noventa with 2 MP-90s and yes, you guessed, 3 positions and a hardtail, just like a Tele!

Beautiful guitar, beautiful playing, great video. Thanks Zac. I’m off to look for old springs...

I have a black 1995 Fender Stratocaster Special I bought brand new in '96. The HSS configuration was a challenge soundwise because I could never get that clean bright quack with a split bridge humbucker paired with a middle single coil on 2 so I decided to swap the single coil positions putting the middle pickup in the neck position and I got a different sound that really moved me. Over 20 years I've been sounding like a Tele but never knew it until one day I walked into a Guitar Center and played a Telecaster for the second time ever in life and it was a Fender Classic 50s Telecaster with both pickups in parallel, realizing my Strat sounded similar to this Tele; at that point I really fell in love with the Telecaster more because of my reconfigured Strat. A pickguard swap took out the RWRP pickup when the pickup cover came off so I decided to convert it into a traditional SSS configuration with a new loaded pickguard I rewired with CTS 250K pots and a CRL 5-way switch w/pushcloth wiring but that Tele bridge/neck sound was missing so i swapped the bridge & middle pickups as a true Tele homage to 1st reconfiguration and all positions are bright especially the 2nd position quack that defines a Strat as much as the twang of the Telecaster bridge pickup and I've acquired two Teles (a Tradition CAB10 & a used DIY kit i Esquired!) and two Strats (Squier Affinity & Bullet) since then.

Excellent playing. This video just proves why I love strats so much. I haven’t bonded with Teles but it’s cool to see you explain what you like about them. I have to agree with you for the most part. Ironically, the in between sounds are what I think make Strats wonderful. Exhibit A: slow dancing in a burning room. My favorite thing you said: you don’t want it to sound like a Tele, and I appreciate this. It’s not a direct comparison, let them be what they are and enjoy them for their own innate qualities! Thanks for all of your work on these videos.

I really like the “popcorn “ reference. You and I see things differently at times, but I get your take. You help me to evolve!

In fact, being a strat guy, I feel exactly the same when I play a tele... But this neck pickup is magic...

I have both . Country pickers have played Strats as well as Teles , Steve Wariner , Vince Gill for example . Strats do make me play different too and I do like that . My Strat is a hardtail though. Nice video Zac and nice playing.

Zac,you have made a very good clip here. Straight-up.👍

Great video, lovely playing, gorgeous guitar!! I’ve got the Squier Classic Vibe 50s Tele and 50s Strat, to cover the bases. They each have a sound and a reason, I love ‘em both. Through my Tone Master DR blonde I can get lost for hours and hours. Happy playing!

I just switched from an Ibanez 7 string to an American standard strat. I couldn't be any happier.

So funny, I love all of the out of phase in between tones. In the last few years I’ve added the tone to Bridge and I just had a treble bleed installed on one . Love that mod. I’m thinking I need it on every guitar now.

The proof is in the playing. And it seems like it really works for you. You sound great, felt playing. Keep 'em comin'.

After 40 years of playing Gibsons and Fenders, Strats and Teles are the only guitars I play now and I go back and forth which one is my favorite. They are both such great guitar designs.

The #2 & #4 sounds sound great for more delicate stuff. My fave positions.

I might be one of a handful of players who find the Tele more comfortable than a Strat. The contours and rounded edges cause a Strat to slip if I'm playing sitting down. But Strats are my second favorite after Teles. Add a treble bleed and mini switch for the bridge/neck combo and I do love a good Strat....especially hardtails.

That guitar sounds amazing. Looks really nice, too.

For those double bends I learned to use my ears and my right hand meaty section of the palm to counter the m movement of the vibrato when doing those bends. I also do use raw vintage springs.

Being a strat guy, I loved this so much! I have 3 strats and a tele, so I get it. I should note that one strat is actually a "Hello Kitty" strat. Make your own jokes here, it plays well and the humbucker sounds great when I need that (hardly ever). Here's why I hit you up on this old vid: if you want to maintain a floating strat trem, use your palm to gently hold things in place while you do bends & steel player stunts. I can't remember if I got this from Tim Pierce or Littly Tommy from Cleveland, but it works. Also, one of my strats has that hip shot thing in the center. I have gone through periods w/ and w/o it. It does really help. It feels different, but is not really impacting tone or anything else. Hope that helps you!

Loved the episode Zac! You sound great on a strat!

First time watching your channel and Kingsville came up. I’m in Austin now, but I grew up in Corpus and got my first real guitar, an 81 Strat at Sound Vibrations. I’m sure you remember that shop. Anyway, I’m a tele guy as well. I’ve two American standards and a USA special with a b-bender installed. Otherwise I mostly play Les Pauls…Keep up the good work

Such beautiful playing!

I love guitars, all of them, Strats, Super Strats, Tele's, LP's, 335's....If it has strings and I see it, I want to play it.

I think that the Telecaster has a natural sound that fits most music universally and the Strat is good for particular applications.

My theory on why they had no tone control wired to the bridge pickup originally is that the three identical pickups give a naturally quieter bridge pickup so if you have no tone control it has 250k across it instead of 125k (two parallel pots) which pushes up the resonant frequency of the bridge pickup making it seem louder: compensating for it's position but it makes it pretty bright of course...having an overwound bridge pickup solves the problem much more effectively of course! Thanks for the videos!!

I,m an old man now but all the guitar players used to say,,, to play pro you need a strat, a tele and something with humbuckers then you can cover everything.

Thanks for the video!

A little trick some techs use is to screw the outside bridge screws all the way in and leave the inside four up a bit Good sounding strat Second time watching 4-22 Love the RE pups

Great Video...strat and tele player here...love both

Interesting video. A couple of months back I installed a Vega-Trem tremolo on my Japanese Strat, what a great move that was. The Vega's require no routing and screw holes match up perfectly. I also have a Cunetto Custom Shop-Strat with a vintage floating trem which is wonderful, but I'm seriously considering getting another Vega for this as it involves no invasive surgery.

Hello Zac, greetings from Southern California. A few years ago I traveled to Nashville to listen to all the great musicians. Thinking I would see a lot of Gibsons being played, I was wrong. Huge percentage of guitars used were telecasters. I was impressed with Tom Buller. Anyhow, like the shirt so I bought one.

I own a Tele and love it, but I miss my Strat for that R&B tone you just can’t get without one.

Love that Strat. Soft v, Ellis pups, even the color.

Thanks. I use the EJ writing but 7 way switching and an Illitch silent single coil pack plate with K-line signature pups on my Xotic XS-1 I also use five raw vintage springs love this guitar. FYI loved the video dig the channel

I stopped by to hear how inferior the strat was, and end up wanting another one! Man! That thing sounds good!

Love this video. I remember a few years ago thinking, "I'm not really a strat guy, but then why do I own three strat style guitars?" Because they do what only they can do (as I reach for my Strandberg Salen Tele style guitar.) Sorry about the Blue Chip Zac. It's like that old joke, "the first one's free, ;)"

Yesterday I was rigging lights at a venue. I was working at the back of the stage a band came in for sound check. I couldn’t see the band properly but I was struck by the guitarists skill and tone. It sounded like the best Tele tone I’ve ever heard - except there was a trem being used. When I checked I was amazed to see he was playing a Strat! Turns out it was a well worn 89 Strat with Lace pickups! He was playing thru twin amps with slight stereo , Deluxe Reverb and Trace Elliott. Anyhow, he played almost exclusively on the bridge pickup and, as I said , he had it sounding like the best Tele you ever heard!