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First Strat

RNELEE

New member
Joined
May 16, 2004
Messages
645
I bought my first Strat. The Performer series. Lowest price American model. I left the .9's on it; perhaps should have gone to 10's. I played Les Pauls and nothin' else for 15 years. Any thoughts.......I am mixed, jury is out...It's nice to have choices but I think I am a Les Paul person. Again, I would like to hear from others that may have this model and/or playing a Strat after years of Gibson...
 

jrgtr42

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 24, 2005
Messages
2,308
I haven't played this particular model, but I personally like having different guitars around - it's a different sound, of course.
If you're going in thinking it's going to sound like your Les Paul, you're going to be disappointed. Go in remembering it's a different animal, and while it doesn't do everything a LP does, it does do things a LP doesn't do.

If you bought it from a place with a good return policy, I would say to give it some time - don't decide immediately. Obviously keep it as pristine as possible until you do make the call, one way or the other.


By the way, pics please!!!!!!
 

Ed Driscoll

Les Paul Forum Member
Joined
Apr 24, 2002
Messages
4,691
My first Stratocaster was a 1984 Fender ’57 reissue with a maple neck. Coming from a Les Paul, it wasn’t easy adapting to that particular Strat’s wide fretboard curvature, and notes tended to choke up when bending them higher up the neck. But sonically, with its five-way switch, it was (and is) an extremely versatile guitar, and worth the struggle to get comfortable with it. I’ve since had the fretboard planed down to Fender’s more modern fretboard radius, and it’s much easier to play.

i-WC2LS7F-L.jpg
 

BrandonH

New member
Joined
Nov 25, 2018
Messages
62
My 09 American Standard in olympic white has been my #1 guitar gigging for a decade now. It was my first guitar that wasn't a cheapo knockoff. There hasn't been a gig I've done that it hasn't gone to (outside of acoustic gigs). Strats are a different animal that you have to learn to tame. Resist the urge to ice pick people with the bridge pickup, tone set to 10 the whole time. You'll also certainly need to do some quick on the fly eq changes when you switch guitars. (Unless you get the crowd drunk enough and they don't care!). Especially learn to use your pickup combinations. The bridge + Middle combination can be a dream for rhythm work if you work it right. Word to the wise: Output is lower than Gibsons. (Yes, even gibsons with single coils.). Even with my old '65 Melody Maker with that one single coil pickup, I find myself having to slyly bump the volume up on my amp a hair switching to the strat. (I say slyly, because my drummer runs sound, or we play places with sound guys, and they're always very particular). So keep that one fact in mind.

Lastly, strats need to be played HARD to get the good qualities out of them, in my opinion. I developed my style as a Stevie Ray Vaughan-abee when I was a kid. That extremely aggressive picking style is a necessity on strats, IMO. Coincidentally, I break strings every other gig or so, and we play about once a week or so... I love Ernie Ball .11s, but if anybody has recommendations on something that won't break if you bash it around like it owes you money, I'm all ears. I got a couple sets of Paradigms for Christmas. We're in a break period, waiting on a long string of gigs to try THOSE out.
 

RNELEE

New member
Joined
May 16, 2004
Messages
645
I haven't played this particular model, but I personally like having different guitars around - it's a different sound, of course.
If you're going in thinking it's going to sound like your Les Paul, you're going to be disappointed. Go in remembering it's a different animal, and while it doesn't do everything a LP does, it does do things a LP doesn't do.

If you bought it from a place with a good return policy, I would say to give it some time - don't decide immediately. Obviously keep it as pristine as possible until you do make the call, one way or the other.


By the way, pics please!!!!!!

I have no clue as to how to post a picture. For a camera I have my phone and an Olympus point and shoot. Both about 14 Mg Pixels...
 

Ken Fortunato

Administrator
Staff member
Joined
Feb 26, 2006
Messages
2,742
As a "Gibson guy", and specifically a "Les Paul fanatic", I believe that EVERYONE should have, at the very least, one old school Strat... And I mean, a "typical, old school, 6 screw trem, 3 single coil p/up, Strat". It just is what it is, with all it's glory and eccentricities... :salude
 

RNELEE

New member
Joined
May 16, 2004
Messages
645
As a "Gibson guy", and specifically a "Les Paul fanatic", I believe that EVERYONE should have, at the very least, one old school Strat... And I mean, a "typical, old school, 6 screw trem, 3 single coil p/up, Strat". It just is what it is, with all it's glory and eccentricities... :salude

I have 3 LP's, a Melody Maker and an EPI that I put in open E. A friend that I jam with gave it to me. So, armed with a gift certificate, I bought my 1st Strat. I do not know how old school it is. It does have a 6 screw bridge and a humbucker in the bridge, The bucker has coil tap. I do not know what a Yosemity pickup is, something new I guess. I think it sounds pretty good as did another friend that plays Strats. Funny about 6 months ago he bought his 1st Les Paul. I do not think I will have any more Strats this one will do fine. Now, I may want one more Paul...The Paul was reissued and I may have to spring for one....
 
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