Fender Stratocaster (Revisited)

 

Here was a topic I covered back in 2006, when my blog was on Myspace.  The earlier blog entries such as that one didn’t make the transition to Blogger, so I’ll redo it. 

Just this last Tuesday, I took my Gibson SG to the guitar shop in Falls Church, Virginia, Action Music, for a setup (restring, intonation, etc.) and saw they had various Stratocasters and a Twin Reverb amp.  A week or so before, I’d visited Fox Music – within walking distance, down Lee Highway, of Action Music – and saw they also had several Stratocasters – brand new (!) – as well as a Twin Reverb.  

Before I go on about Stratocasters, I’ll comment briefly on the Twin Reverb.  I’m a Marshall guy, with a 2554 Jubilee 25/50 watt combo (1x12”) and a Dual Reverb (4100) 100 watt head, 1960AV 4x12” cabinet half stack.  I love the rich, full distortion sound.   But for an amp with “reverb” in its name, the Dual Reverb (JCM900) has an extremely weak reverb sound, practically nonexistent.  A few years ago I tried out the Fender amp at Guitar Center, out of pure curiosity, and the reverb was incredible.  If there’s an amp that makes a clean sound good, it’s that one.  They started out at 85 watts, Fender boosted it to 130 watts, and then dropped it back down to 85.  If I ever wind up with another $1000 to spare, I might well buy one.  Not today.

To make matters even more interesting, marginally so, I put off finishing up the blog until after I’d done what I had to on Friday, which included a trip to Fairfax County’s courthouse.  I swung by the Fairfax location of Guitar Center, now re-opened, as it’s listed as the only Northern Virginia authorized Rickenbacker dealer.  Sure enough, high up in the rafters is a 4003 bass, and off to the side is a used Ritchie Blackmore signature Stratocaster: white, black pickups, scalloped rosewood fretboard and large headstock – for $949.  Of all the signature models, his is my favorite.  But I prefer my own Stratocaster, modified over the years (2000 to present) to my own specifications.

History.   Up until the 1930s, there were no electric guitars, only acoustic.  In the ‘30s, pickups – the electromagnetic device which captures the strings’ sound so they can be amplified - were invented, and slapped on acoustic guitars.  However, two men, Les Paul and Leo Fender, realized that a guitar with pickups doesn’t need an acoustic chamber and can, in fact, be simply a solid plank of wood.  Les Paul developed his own model, brought it to Gibson, but they laughed at him.  Leo Fender, oddly enough not a musician himself, developed the Telecaster (originally called the Broadcaster) and his invention, the first solid body electric guitar, introduced in 1948, was a hit.  Gibson realized their mistake and brought back Les Paul, who gave them the guitar which bears his name, in 1952.  In 1954, Fender upped the game with an improved model, the Stratocaster.

Initially the Stratocaster had three single coil pickups, a tremelo/vibrato bar, and was available in two color sunburst with a maple neck (to my eyes, a pale yellow).  By the late 50s, solid colors (e.g. black) became available; in 1959 the rosewood (dark brown) fretboard was introduced.   By 1965, Fender was in bad health and sold his company to CBS, the TV network.  That company enlarged the headstock, a design which lasted from 1966 to 1981.  Since then the standard headstock has been small, with various reissue models available.  The Strat also became available with double coil pickups (aka humbuckers), which are usually associated with Gibsons. 

Single vs. Double Coil.  Single coil pickups are thinner, more of a twangier sound, whereas double coil pickups have a thicker, meatier sound.  However, overdriven sufficiently, even an otherwise insubstantial single coil bridge pickup will sound almost as nasty as a humbucker.  Jimmy Page likes to remind people that the classic sunburst Les Paul he’s so often associated with, wasn’t on his agenda until Led Zeppelin II, and the first Led Zeppelin album, including “Dazed and Confused”, was recorded on the Telecaster he was using in the Yardbirds. 

Famous Players.   Jimi Hendrix, Ritchie Blackmore, Eric Clapton, Robin Trower, Jeff Beck, Mark Knopfler, David Gilmour, Dave Murray, Don Felder, Uli Roth, Yngwie Malmsteen, among many others.  Hendrix took right handed Stratocasters, flipped them over, and played them left handed (although there were lefthanded Stratocasters by then). 

Vs. Telecaster.  I never liked the Telecaster and have never even played one.  The lack of an upper horn, the headstock shape, etc., it still looks like Leo’s first practice attempt at a solid body electric guitar, which is what it was. 

Vs. Gibson.  As noted below, most of my guitars are Gibsons, which is Fender’s main US competitor.  Fender can and does put double coils on Strats, and Gibson has its own single coil pickup, the P90, which went on Les Pauls before the humbucker came out, and continues to feature on Specials and Juniors.  I like both companies’ guitars, and see no reason why anyone’s collection has to be exclusively Fenders or Gibsons absent budget constraints or an arbitrary preference.   

My Strats.  By now I’ve had several of my own.  I have 5 guitars: 4 Gibsons (Firebird, Explorer, SG, and Les Paul) and one Strat.  I’m not inclined to acquire more than one of any model, but rather pick what I consider the best version of that model, and the Stratocaster is yet another example.  So my progression was as follows…

1.         Applause Stratocaster Copy.  In September 1985, following my brother’s cue, I started learning to play guitar: first song I learned was “Saints & Sinners”, by Whitesnake.  And almost immediately I fixated on the Stratocaster.  But US made versions were expensive, and I had only just learned to play.  So I worked at the Visa Section of the US Embassy in Paris over Christmas holiday 1985-86 – under the guidance of a French guy, Bernard, who turned me onto Hawkwind - and in January 1986 I bought this.  Cherry sunburst with a maple neck.  Not great sounding, and the only “Strat” I ever had with a maple neck, but I was happy for awhile.

** Copies.  I may as well address this issue here.  The Stratocaster may well be the most copied guitar in the world.  In addition to faithful copies like my Applause, companies such as Ibanez, Jackson, and even Gibson have produced Strat-shaped guitars by the thousands.  Our own first guitar was an Ibanez Roadstar II, black with three single coil pickups.  I’d just as soon have a real Stratocaster, even if it was made in Mexico and not ‘Merica (California).  As Fender’s quality control went up and down over the years, some feel that there are many copies which exceed Fender’s quality.  Maybe, maybe not.  That being the case, I’ve never owned a Squier, which is Fender’s budget brand. 

2.         Fender Stratocaster (made in Japan).  By fall 1986 I was at college, University of Maryland, College Park.  My parents agreed to buy me this for Christmas 1986.  It was a Fender Stratocaster, made in Japan, black, rosewood fretboard, small headstock with standard logo.  It had a locking tremelo.  I liked it, and considered it a major improvement over the copy.  Eventually, though, I wanted a US made model.

3.         Fender Stratocaster, ’62 Vintage Reissue (made in the US).  I gave my Jap Strat and my Strat copy to my guitar teacher, Joel, who sold them for me, in June 1990.  I used the money to buy this, a US-made reissue model:  black, rosewood fretboard, three single coil pickups, small headstock with “spaghetti” (pre-CBS) logo.  Very nice, much better than the Jap Strat.  I made no modifications to this.  By January 1990 I had purchased my first Marshall, the 1x12” tube combo, 2554 Jubilee edition, so I had a nice combination – in addition to the Gibson SG ’62 reissue I’d bought in May 1989. 

4.         Fender Stratocaster, Fat Strat Deluxe (made in Mexico).  My current model.  By summer 1999 I’d fallen in love with the larger, CBS-style headstock, and saw this at the Ozzfest:  black, black pickguard, humbucker in the bridge position, rosewood fretboard, and the large headstock.  By January 2000 I succeeded in trading in my Vintage Reissue model for this – at Guitar Center in Seven Corners - and have been happy ever since.  I replaced the stock humbucker with a DiMarzio Tone Zone zebra coil (one black, one, white), replaced the stock tuners with locking tuners – just pull the string through and it catches, and stays in tune better than stock tuner – and the standard Fender tremelo with a Super Vee Blade Runner.  Pepper Keenan, in DOWN, can be seen playing what looks like one in the live video, “Diary of a Mad Band”.   Humbuckers on a Strat?  Yep, some of us like it that way, especially through a Marshall….

Gibson SG

Note.  This blog was originally published on June 20, 2008.  In the process of transporting my earlier blogs, I accidentally deleted this one.  I might as well rewrite it anyway.  Moreover, I updated the blog in 2021 for some edits, including my current collection.

Gibson’s most famous guitar is the Les Paul, designed by jazz guitarist Les Paul himself.  However, that model wasn’t selling too well in the late 50s – there was no Jimmy Page or Eric Clapton around to popularize it back then – so Gibson tried something else.   In addition to the Flying V and Explorer, they tried changing the body on the Les Paul itself.  First they gave the body a second cutaway, then they sharpened the edges on those cutaways, and by 1961 a slimmer, lighter, nastier looking guitar was born: the SG.   The SG Standard has been Gibson's best selling guitar, and one of the few guitars in continuous production since it began in 1961.  

A few points about the Les Paul before I go on.  The Les Paul has a single cutaway at the base of the neck.  Like other human primates, I have opposable thumbs.  I like to be able to reach both sides of the neck when I’m soloing at the end of the fretboard.  Apparently the lead guitarists who favor Les Pauls over SGs seem to disagree.  Anyway.   Another issue I have with the Les Paul, relative to the SG, is its weight.  It’s all well and fine for sustain (e.g. Nigel Tufnel) but as Jimmy Page himself noted, when he reminded his fans that the first Led Zeppelin album was recorded with a Fender Telecaster, even a Stratocaster can sound heavy if the Marshalls are overdriven hard enough.  

The SG is one of my five current guitars.   My current SG is a 2013 Standard, for which I tried in my prior SG, 1 1989 '62 Reissue.  In 2013 Gibson didn't make a 61 Reissue, so the Standards are very close to 61 spec, especially the neck joint, the most noticeable difference being the crown on the headstock having a slightly different location.  My 2013 is ebony, better known as black. My prior and first SG I bought in May 1989.  It was ’62 Reissue, later modified with Tony Iommi model chrome pickups.  It was cherry, the only color it came in.

Specs:  In Standard format, it has two PAF humbuckers, nickel hardware, a slim double cutaway body, a rosewood fretboard, and trapezoid inlays.  The guitar is VERY light, so much so that the neck is heavier than the body and tends to drop down.  It has a bright but strong sound and excellent access to all 22 frets.  The Reissue neck joins the body closer in than the Standard, for a better feel.

            Of course, the most notable element of the SG is its shape:  the cutaways are more pronounced than on the Melody Maker or Les Paul Junior (with the top one being slightly bigger) and even give a sort of “devil horn” look, especially appropriate for AC/DC and Black Sabbath. 

Models.  Since its introduction in 1961 to the present, the SG has been the one guitar Gibson makes which has been in continuous production.  To go into all the different models would be impossible, so certain models and trends are worth noting.

SG Standard.  The “standard” model, but not the most basic.   Over the years the SG has been offered, this has been the model most consistently offered. This had two humbuckers, a bound fretboard with pearl inlays (usually trapezoid but sometimes block), a pickguard, 4 knobs (2 volume, 2 tone, each controlling one pickup), a 3-way selector switch, and the crown inlay on the headstock.  The “standard” color of the Standard is called cherry – other colors have varied in availability, but included ebony, natural, and tobacco sunburst - but I’ve noticed that this color varies considerably.  My own guitar is more like a deep, uniform maroon color, whereas some others of the same model are considerably brighter, even approaching red, or looking more like brown possibly due to either age, poor paint quality, or both.  The degree to which the wood grain shows through the cherry finish also varies, with mine not showing at all.

           

SG Custom.  This was the deluxe model.  It shared the diamond inlay, bound headstock of the Les Paul Custom.  Like the SG Standard and Les Paul Custom it had a “standard” color – in this case, off-white compared to the LPC’s black – but was still available in other colors.  It had three humbuckers, sometimes mounted immediately next to each other and sometimes spaced slightly apart.  The Custom has also come in ebony and other colors, and sometimes with two humbuckers instead of three.  They all have the block inlays, diamond inlay on the headstock, and gold hardware.  

SG Special & Junior.  These were the economy models, the Junior having one pickup and the Special having two.  These were sometimes the P90 single coil pickup instead of the humbucker.  They had a bare headstock, and a nonbound fretboard with dot inlays (though some 70s model Specials had block inlays).

‘62/61 Reissue.  The “SG-62” was introduced in 1986, and eventually changed to the ’61 reissue.  This is the model I have, the model my buddy Baron had (which is what inspired me to purchase it), and the model my friend Leonard has, who was inspired by me to purchase his own.  These are all in cherry and are set up to ‘61/62 specs with stop bar tailpieces, cherry finish, and bound rosewood fretboards with trapezoid inlays.  The major difference between this model and original ’61-62 models is that the latter were equipped with a unique Gibson vibrato system operated by springs, whereas the reissue simply has the stop bar tailpiece.  The Gary Rossington signature SG – a replica of the guitar he played on “Freebird” – has the vibrato and is meant to be a closer approximation of the SG as originally issued.

Doubleneck.  The EDS-1275, with a 12 string on top and a six string on the bottom, had been out of production when Jimmy Page popularized it in the 70s as a way to perform “Stairway to Heaven” onstage.

Pickguard.  From 1961-66 and from 1973 onward, the SG had a small wing-like pickguard to the right of the pickups (the Junior had its own special pickguard).  From 1967-70 the guitars had a larger pickguard which surrounded the humbuckers (most often seen played by Angus Young in the 70s and Robby Krieger).  Oddly, in 1971-72 the SG had the Les Paul’s triangular pickguard (e.g. Tim Sult of Clutch).  The current “Standard” features the ’67-70 large pickguard.

70s. In the 70s the models proliferated, with lots of weird stuff going on.  Les Paul pickguards, natural finish models (“the SG”), sunburst finishes, the neck was tilted parallel to the body, the bridge design changed, the body was a bit larger without as much beveling, Super Humbuckers were introduced, and the triple pickup spacing on the Customs varied back and forth.  Clearly this was a period when Gibson was experimenting heavily on this model, sometimes switching back to earlier features as it learned the hard way what worked and what didn’t.

Players.  Many different players have been seen, from time to time, playing SGs.  Eric Clapton played a stylishly painted SG in Cream, Frank Zappa had been an SG player, and Gary Rossington of Lynyrd Skynyrd played one on “Freebird”.   Mick Box of Uriah Heep, Jerry Garcia of the Grateful Dead, George Harrison of the Beatles, Mickey Jones of Man, Pete Townshend of the Who, John Cipollina of Quicksilver Messenger Service, Frank Hannon of Tesla; plus Jimmy Page, Don Felder, Slash, Frank Hannon, and Alex Lifeson have all played the doubleneck version.

The big two are Angus Young of AC/DC and Tony Iommi of Black Sabbath - since both of these bands are tied as my favorite, it was a no-brainer that I had to have this guitar. 

Iommi only started using his SG when his main guitar, a Stratocaster, crapped out (before Sabbath even started making albums) – but once he started, he never looked back.  He started using it on the first Black Sabbath album, and has been exclusively playing SGs on every Black Sabbath album and on every tour ever since.

Angus Young has noted the “devil horn” shape of the SG’s body, and AC/DC, for their part, have no less than 3 songs referring to “hell”: “Hell Ain’t A Bad Place To Be” (From Let There Be Rock), “Highway to Hell” (from Highway to Hell) and “Hell’s Bells” (from Back in Black).  Not only does he use the guitar exclusively, but he is prominently pictured on the band’s album covers with his SG.  On If You Want Blood (You Got It) (the live album), he’s impaled by the guitar.  Angus Young, even more so than Tony Iommi, has been the #1 publicist for the Gibson SG among all musicians (he should get a royalty for every SG sold, even if it isn’t to an AC/DC fan).  No one is more closely associated with the guitar, or has prominently displayed it as often or widely, as him.

In March 1989, I was trying to work out a deal to sell my Japanese made Fender Stratocaster in France and buy a US made vintage reissue Stratocaster.  At the same time, I borrowed a Gibson SG ’62 reissue from my friend Baron in March 1989, and two months later I was the proud owner of my own.  It had a much stronger sound than the Strat, so it was more in line with Sabbath (learning “The Warning” at that time) and AC/DC.  Clearly, the fact that Black Sabbath and AC/DC were my two favorite bands, had a major impact on my decision.  The Jap Strat was traded for a US Strat, which was traded for a Mexican Strat, and I got an Explorer in 1990, but the SG is still here.  To these I added a Gibson Les Paul Studio Pro in black cherry pearl, and a Gibson Firebird V in ebony (with a black pickguard), which has the Steinberger tuners.  

Les Paul

A few months ago, Les Paul died.  He was 94.  His passing was noted by much of the musical community – he was a remarkable man, well ahead of his time.  Here are just a few of his accomplishments.

 Gibson Les Paul guitar.  In the 1940s, Paul had been working on solid body guitars.  With the exception of Rickenbacker’s “Frying Pan” electrics, most, if not all, electric guitars made in the 1930s were hollow body guitars which simply had pickups installed.  Paul reasoned that since electric guitars were amplified through the pickups and amplifier, they no longer needed to be hollow body – they could be solid body.  He developed his own crude but very workable model, which he called “The LOG”.  Paul went to Gibson with this, and they laughed at him, calling him “that guy with the broomstick.” 

            Fastforward to 1948, and Leo Fender released what is now known as the Telecaster, the first widely sold solid body guitar.  Gibson saw this, and reconsidered its earlier rejection of Paul’s not-so-stupid-after-all guitar.  His design had a single cutaway, two single coil pickups, and a gold finish.  This was issued in 1952 and became widely known as the Les Paul, even having his signature on the headstock (except for Les Paul Customs).  

            In 1957, Gibson released the double-coil pickup, also known as the PAF (Patent Applied For) humbucker, and the Les Paul got this pickup.  In 1958, sunburst became available as a finish.  Oddly, the guitar sold poorly at the time, and was discontinued in 1960 in favor of the SG.   In the late 60s, with Eric Clapton and other guitarists discovering the Les Paul’s thick, rich sound and superb sustain (Nigel Tufnel: “Listen to that sustain!”) the ’58-60 sunburst models became in heavy demand – and continue to be produced today.

            Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin), Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Slash (Guns N’Roses, Velvet Revolver), Peter Frampton, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Steve Gaines & Gary Rossington (Lynyrd Skynyrd), Ace Frehley (KISS), Joe Perry (Aerosmith), Adam Jones (Tool), Duane Allman, and Robert Fripp (King Crimson) are just a few of the many guitarists favoring this model.  I’ve never owned one, but my brother has a Les Paul Custom, black with 3 pickups, similar to what Robert Fripp plays.  When the money fairy strikes, I’ll get myself a Les Paul Studio, black with chrome hardware.

 Music.  "I've copied more licks from Les Paul than I'd like to admit."  Jeff Beck. His music itself is very jazzy, mostly short instrumentals, with some singing by Mary Ford.  I’ve only heard it recently – I guess I’m spoiled by the guitarists of the 60s and 70s who built upon their own influences for decades and brought it up to modern times, so much earlier guitar work kind of goes in one ear and out the other.  I find his music to be soft jazz with competent but hardly special guitar playing. 

 Studio Innovations.  His most important studio innovation was multi-track recording, first using acetate discs and later reel-to-reel recorders brought to the US from Germany by Bing Crosby.  In 1951 he had recorded 24 track music – consider that even the Beatles were recording in only 4 tracks in 1967.  The principles behind multi-track recording, as developed in the 50s and which continue to this day, were invented and established by Les Paul, thus he has an impact on the entire music industry far beyond his own substantive music.    He also invented tape delay echo, phasing effects, and other innovations which we take for granted today.

Gibson Explorer

In March 1990, the spring and final semester of my senior year at University of Maryland, I had spring break, and nowhere to go.  Out of curiosity and boredom, I went to Chuck Levin’s music store in Wheaton, THE go-to place for guitars in the Northern Virginia/Suburban Maryland/Washington Metropolitan area.  There I saw, and immediately fell in love with, an ebony (aka “black”) Gibson Explorer ’76 reissue (as shown above). 

I loved the headstock, the color, and the white pickguard.  Of course, like 99% of Gibsons, it had a rosewood fretboard (I can’t stand maple – thank God Fender makes Strats with rosewood fretboards!). I just had to have it.  Sure enough, two months later, I had the guitar.  Oddly, despite being a big Metallica fan, James Hetfield’s choice wasn’t much of an influence.  Back then he was playing contemporary models without a pickguard.  For me, the contrast of the pickguard, i.e. the reissue model, was what drew me to it.

However, Hetfield did influence my decision, in 1992, to replace the stock “Dirty Fingers” open coil pickups with EMG-81 active pickups, for a warmer, thicker, though somewhat less raspier sound.  It takes a 9 volt battery, which only rarely needs to be replaced.  More recently, around 2004, I replaced the white pickguard with a mirror pickguard, so now it’s truly unique. 

Origins.  In the late 50s, Gibson found that its Les Paul models were not selling well – ironic considering how valuable original ’58-60 Les Pauls are nowadays, with even the reissue models being damn expensive, and Lenny Kravitz complaining about the cost of vintage models.  Gibson’s reaction was to introduce 3 new models: the SG, the Explorer, and the Flying V; by now the consensus is the Moderne was never actually released.  The SG and Flying V survived, while the Explorer died off fairly early.  It’s not hard to imagine how this outlandishly styled guitar was too far ahead of its time for 1958.  The first handful of guitars had a bizarre split headstock (which Dean now uses for its guitars, see Dimebag Darrell) and very soon the “banana” shaped one took over.  The original models were also in Korina wood.  By 1976, the public was ready for the Explorer, and Gibson reissued it.  Later, they reissued the reissue, so to speak, adding ebony (black), cherry, and white to the mix, though the original Korina (natural) finish is currently offered. 

Players. 

Eric Clapton briefly played an Explorer, in the early 70s, although he cut off the end to be more rounded – it did not improve the looks, though he apparently felt it was easier to play that way.  I’ve never had a problem playing it in its original shape.  This was a brief transition phase between his Gibson era, when he played an  ES335 and an SG (famously painted by The Fool) with Cream, and a Les Paul with The Yardbirds and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers, and his solo era when he eventually settled upon the Fender Stratocaster he’s so often associated with. 

In the mid-70s, Allen Collins of Lynyrd Skynyrd often played an Explorer, as well as a Firebird.  He can be seen playing the Explorer in the “Freebird” movie.  His unique Explorer Affectation is to draw the guitar strap over the front of the guitar, whereas everyone else – myself included – keeps it behind the guitar.

Rickey Medlocke, of Blackfoot – and now back with Lynyrd Skynyrd (he was originally with the band before they became famous) is also an Explorer enthusiast. 

Since the late 70s, Matthias Jabs of the Scorpions, taking over (by force?) from prior guitarist Uli Roth, also plays an Explorer, with stripes on the body.  He still plays them, though now he prefers a custom-made 90% model (scaled down to 90% the size of a regular Explorer). 

The Edge, the guitarist for U2, has been seen playing Explorers more recently.  He’s about the least impressive guitarist to pick it up.  I really hate his jingle-jangle guitar sound, which could easily be replicated on a Telecaster or just a cheap guitar. 

Gary Moore is most often associated with the Les Paul, including Peter Green’s with the reversed neck pickup.  But at the 2003 Monsters of Rock show, half his set is played on a white ’76 Explorer reissue.

The new Australian band, Airbourne, is pretty much an AC/DC tribute band, for all intents and purposes.  Joel O’Keefe and David Roads both play Explorers.

In terms of being both closely associated with the guitar, and being prominent in his use of it and his overall publicity, James Hetfield of Metallica is probably the top Explorer player.  He started out playing Flying V’s in Metallica’s early days, switching to a standard (non-reissue) Explorer on the Ride The Lightning tour (including the August 1985 Donington show).  He replaced the Gibson pickups with EMG-81s, and ended up having ESP make him a series of Explorers in various colors and varieties.  I still see him playing Explorer-style guitars, though he’s taken a recent preference for Les Paul variants.  Despite his long-time preference for Explorers, I don’t think I’ve ever seen him play the reissue model.

Whether it has the original PAF humbuckers, the Dirty Fingers humbuckers, or EMGs, the styling and pickups combine to make this guitar stunning in appearance and sound, perfect for rock and metal.