Conference napalm::guitar

    	The guitar player who just left the band I've been playing in
    had a Strat +. IMO one of the best sounding electrics on the market
    today for all kinds of music. Congrat's
    	The bottom tone control is part of the TBX circuitry in the
    Strat+ and the American std. Fender's. If I remember correctly it
    it functions mostly to add midrange to the pickup's by changing
    the resonance peak of the guitar. At the Detent position you
    have your normal tone I believe. It is all Passive... The idea
    is to get more of a "humbucking" sound. It evolved from the Fender
    Elite series guitars which really bombed on the market. The Elite
    series pickup's were co developed with Fender and Emg. and were
    an active setup,this was later re-engineered by Fender without
    EMG involvement.
    
    						Enjoy!!!!
    
    							Rick
    

    I've been wondering about this and since you have one I'll ask. Does
    the Strat+ really stay in tune with heavy trem action with the roller
    nut? 
    
    As a generic question, does Fender (or anyone else) market just the
    roller nut? 
        
    Greg

    Re staying in tune with roller nut on Strat+.
    
    It does stay pretty much in tune with the roller nut. I think that
    the locking machines will have something to do with it though. Once
    the strings are anchored the guitar holds the intonation quite well.
    
    rm
    

    I tried one a while abck and it did stay in tune pretty damn well.
    and I'm a floyd-a-holic
    
    dbii

From some Fender literature on the Strat+:

"The middle and bridge pickups feature out patented TBX tone control. 
From the detent to 0 it acts as a standard tone control. Turn it in 
the other direction and you get increased output with the full resonant peak
of the pickup for an extra brilliant boost that's more Fender than
Fender."
	This feature is also in the American Standard Model

	The nut is refered to as the new Fender/Wilkinson roller nut,
and has a needle bearing in it. I'm sure if you call a Fender dealer
he will let you know if you can order the nut as there are several
accesories that are made by Fender that are available,but expect a 
large price. The fingerboard Radius is 9.5"(241.3mm)
	I tried several of the Strat+'s a year or so ago and found
the trem wouldn't stay in tune for me. But it could have been the
way the guitar was setup or the light gauge strings it had on it.
	Still a nice guitar!

			   		Rick

    I've been gigging with a Strat+ for a few months now. I traded
    a '74 Strat in towards a sunburst Strat+ with a rosewood 'board.
    
    I think this guitar is great! If you're a Strat fan, but don't
    like some of the quirks they have, this might be the guitar for you.
    Fender took all the things I didn't like about my old Strat, 
    and fixed them:
    
    1) I like the fact the the bottom tone control affects both the
       middle and bridge pickups. By backing off the treble on the
       bridge pickup, you can get a really good sound for distorted
       stuff. I don't really use the TBX function.
    
    2) The pickups are quiet and responsive-no polepieces.
    
    3) The whammy system stays in tune quite well. For light to
       medium use, it stays in near perfect tune. Under heavy use, it
       goes out some. For heavy use, a Kahler or Floyd would
       probably be better. However, string changes are a snap with
       the roller nut and locking tuners. The tremsetter seems 
       effective as well.
    
       One thing to note-I played several Strat+s in the store
       that didn't stay in tune very well when I used the bar. 
       I found that this was because the strings weren't stretched 
       out properly.
    
    -Tom
    

    Sheeesh, I haven't even got the guitar yet....
    
    My wife bought me a American Standard Strat for Christmas (which I 
    get to see tonight for the first time).  
    
    Question:  Should I bail the stock tuning machines and replace
    them with locking tuners ?  Should I bail the nut and get a roller
    nut ?  Should I bail the stock pickups and replace them with gold
    lace-sensors ?
    
    I can get a deal on the tuning heads, roller nut and (3) gold lace 
    sensors for about $160...  Should I do it ?  I may even be able to get
    him to throw them into a trade deal I'm working for a new mixer...
    
    What say ye ?  If I do all these mods, I'll have what is basically a 
    Strat+ ( I guess, from what I've read here)...probably a better guitar...
    But am I gonna lose that "Strat" sound in the process ?
    
    jc (who's never owned a strat that stayed stock for long...;)

    
    Why turn a nice axe into a charvel-o-caster?

    Is that what I'd being doing ?  Is a Strat+ that radically different
    from a regular strat, or is it just improved a bit with these features?
    
    jc (Who has a Charvel, and wants this guit to sound like a strat)
    
    (I can't believe I said that! ;)

    re: Coop
    
    Don't get so far ahead of yourself!  Why don't you play it and see how
    it sounds/feels before you go plotting changes?  You might like the
    sound of the stock pickups.  If you don't use the whammy bar, you don't
    need the roller nut, and the stock tuners should work fine for awhile,
    the locking ones are just a convenience.  
    
    If you wanted a Strat+, you should have told her you wanted one!  It's
    cheaper to buy all that stuff as a package then it is to buy the
    goodies after the fact.  American Standard Strat=$550 or so,
    Strat+=$650 or so...
    
>    I can get a deal on the tuning heads, roller nut and (3) gold lace 
>    sensors for about $160... 
    
    I think either you're confused or I didn't hear the whole conversation,
    'cause that's not what I heard him say.  I heard $150 for the pickups
    and $80 for the tuners and the roller nut. 
    
    Greg

    Yep, I'm convinced to chill out until I at least play the 
    damn thing.
    
    ;)
    
    thanks boize.
    
    jc

    Wanna see something hilarious?  Go read 1413.118! ;-)
    
    Mike

    Yeah, yeah...
    
    I was just thinkin' out loud is all...
    
    ;)
    
    jc (Ashamed of himself...)

    
    
    
    	Coop unit, I like yer style dude... change is growth, modification
    is bliss.  I gotta tell you, I think yer gonna like the stock pickups. 
    DOn't get me wrong, I looove my deluxe with the gold lace pickups, but
    it can be a very polite guitar (maybe the reason I like it so much is
    that it tries so hard to cover my goofs), but my new squire with stock
    squire PUs (at least in the neck and bridge) sound really rude, I ned
    both sounds and if I bought another strat (good possibility unless I
    get run over by a truck) I'd get the wire/bobbin dudes...   I think yer
    going to pay about 50 bucks a piece for lace-sensors.
    
    	I'm not crazy, although many people are, about that roller nut. 
    When I do strat plus necks one of the biggest complaints I hear ia
    about all teh tone-deadening gunk that collects inside.  I don't have
    one, so I guess I can't comment.
    
    	I'd definately recommend scraping off all the finish and
    re-spraying with metal primer.. 
    
    	You have a woman who buys you guitars???  Whoa!!

    I hear ya Steve,
    
    And thanks, but I think these guys are right.  I already have two
    guitars that have sweet 'n' pretty sounds... I really want
    that 'kicked in the gnads' tone from a strat.  I think I'll
    leave it be until I get anxious.  Lace Sensors aren't going 
    anywhere.  I mean I haven't even seen this axe yet and I'm ready to
    rape it !?!?!?  the Shame...the Shame...
    
    BTW - Greg and I went to ProSound today to horse around.  I found 
    a really cool Marshall 1/2 stack just like mine (that is sick) and
    decided I needed to play with it.  So out of the hundred of guitars
    in the place I picked up a brand new american std strat (I still can't 
    beleive it.  Don't tell ANYONE! ;)...
    
    Anyway, with the Marshall set up so as not to distort too much (like
    the master was set louder than the preamp ;) the tone was great.  Real
    Stevie-Ray-like.  
    
    Well, you KNOW I had to try it screamin'.  A strat is NOT a metal
    guitar.  It sounded gross with the gain cranked...But real nice with
    just a tad of gain.
    
    Yeah, I still can't beleive she bought me a guitar for Xmas.  She got
    me an Mp1 last year...  What a babe.
    
    jc (Obviously still on his honeymoon...It'll wear off)

>    BTW - Greg and I went to ProSound today to horse around.  I found 
>    a really cool Marshall 1/2 stack just like mine (that is sick) and
>    decided I needed to play with it.
    
    ...and (apparently) that *I* needed to play with it too.  Definately an
    awesome sound!  I wasn't quite as thrilled with the Strat, but it was
    *ok*.  I'm not rushing out to get one though.  I like the feel of my
    old '70s Strat better.
    
>    It sounded gross with the gain cranked...But real nice with just a tad
>    of gain.
    
    I disagree, I liked the sound with the gain cranked, but you had to
    adjust your playing a little.  Kind of an Yngwie sort of tone.  Worked
    for me.  (now don't think for a minute that I'm claiming to have
    SOUNDED or PLAYED like Yngwie, it was just that kind of tone)
    
    Greg
                                                                 

    >                  -< I'd give that Strat about a 5.5 >-
    
    I have never met such a fussy Sum bitch in my life...
    
    I thought it played nice (a little stiff perhaps, but I'm used to a
    floyd)...
    
    

    Good news !  
    
    My strat came in Fiday night (as did my wife) and I gotta say it's
    one of the better Strats I played.  It's got a roseood fretboard
    and came from Mr C's actually set up pretty nicely.  The guy there
    told Cindi it was Midnight Blue, but it looks more purple than
    anything...
    
    RE: Modifying it
    
    I may have to slap in lace sensors one day.  The thing buzzes like
    nothin' else.  Especially in the lead pickup position...Kinda annoying
    to this humbucker-type.  Cool tone though; VERY different from anything
    else I have.
    
    Question:
    
    The little owners book says to NOT remove the whammy bar because you 
    might lose the little spring that goes in the whole (I guess to preload
    the bar)...It continues to say "Just swing the trem bar to the corner
    of the case where the output jack is".  Well, If I leave the bar in the
    silly case doesn't wanna close.  Now, I don't really care about the
    bar, because I won't use it (I don't PLAN to anyway)... But what do 
    y'all do ??
    
    Also, Pat, Scary/other fender owners - Did you ground out the tail
    piece so it rests on the body or do you still have it "floating" ?
    I feel like I wanna ground it out and make it more like a hardtail.
    Please advise...
    
    jc (Strat man - agagagagagagagaaa)

>                            -< got my new baby... >-
    
    who did ya hug first? ;-)

    
    	Coop, no grinding of the tailpiece is required.  Actually, all 
    you need to do (for non-whammy set-up) is tighten the tension of the
    springs and/or add some.  I read SRV used 5 - me too ;^).  Don't 
    forget to reset the intonation.  
    
    	As for closing the case, I know whatcha mean.  I believe you can 
    make a depression in the case where the whammy can fit into when closed.
    When I first got mine I also straightened out the whammy bar a little
    cuz I thought it stuck out too much.  That will also help it fit into
    the case a little better.
    
    	Deal with the noise, it's part of the package.  You can always 
    pick up the LP when you need a break.  Don't forget the tricks about 
    shielding the cavity.  They are supposed to quiet the beast down
    a lot, although I haven't tried it yet.

    re .18
    
    I was skeptical about leaving the bar on at first, but
    it works. Position it so it's over the jackplate, and
    the case should close. You do have to press down a bit
    to latch the case. I'm not sure if the corner of the 
    case is deeper at that point or what.
    
    Or if you feel uncomfortable about leaving the bar on,
    take it off each time. The real problem is that the
    threads will tend to get stripped after awhile. I wouldn't
    worry about the spring. All that does is insure that you
    don't screw the bar all the way in and get it jammed.
    
    -Tom

    -1
    
    Yeah Coop, it's like playing any high-gain amp..you just learn to deal
    with the noise!
    
    B.

    Thanks guys !
    
    RE: Pat
    
    Did I say grinding ??  I meant grounding, as in tightening up that
    claw that hold the springs to the point where the tail piece "grounds"
    against the body...  I think we're talking the same thing in two
    different languages.  Anyway, I remember you talking about pulling it
    back a while ago, I just wanted to see if that was the prefered set up.
    
    jc (New strat dude)

    
    
    
    	Soundin' pretty right to me, Coop..  Be advized that (at least to
    me) it looks like the tighter the claw springs, the stiffer the action.
    I use five springs and leave the claw away from the body about an inch
    and a �.  This seems to give reliable intonation and tuning and
    lightest action.  Whammy bar???   Yep, after you take tha bar out and
    discard it, ya hold your guit over the trash upside down and shake it,
    this should release that little spring into the trash for you!! 
    Agagagagagagaagaga... 
    
    
    Gree Vee (non-trem strat dude)

    Think I'll leave the whammy in there just as a handle for those heavy
    metal poses.  ;)  I think your right on the stiffness of the action.
    when you stretch a string that the tail is floating it WILL pull
    forward some, making the action feel light...Floyd are REAL bad about
    this...  I personally like a tight action.
    
    Thanks for the advise.  I'll clamp that puppy down tight tonight.
    
    cj

    When I bought my American Standard Strat, the first few months I
    kept hearing this weird tone everytime I bent strings. I realized
    that other strings were slightly ringing, and their pitch was
    changing as I bent the string, resulting in this weird tone that
    was always dive-bombing. I then realized that the bridge was not
    sitting flat but was on a slight angle. I ended up adding the two
    extra springs, and the thing plays perfect now. No more ghost tones.
    
    I hardly ever use whammy, and am tempted to remove it, and put it
    away with the manuals, etc. I just haven't gotten around to it yet.
    
    When a guitar is brand new, the case is usually quite snug. This is
    intentioanal, as the case will break in along with the guitar, and
    after a short time they will fit together perfectly, whammy and all.
    Sort of like a new pair of shoes.
    
    I believe the Eric Clapton Strat comes with a piece of hardwood
    in the shape of a wedge, which forces the bridge to sit flat on 
    top of the body, and defeats the tremelo. This is Fender's (rather
    cheap) way of getting around offering an actual hard-tail. 
    
    I read an interview with Jeff Beck one time. He mentioned that he
    had several Ibanez guitars, which the factory had made special
    for him. They kept appearing at his door with yet another special
    model. He'd tell him he liked it except for a certain feature, and
    the next thing they would show up with another guitar with that
    feature. He has several old Strats (which he freely admits are not
    as good guitars) which he prefers because "they challenge him" every
    time he picks one up. Go figure..
    
    Mark

    
    re: metal poses.
    
    Ack!  Please, when playing with your neck strutted and your butt
    pointed to the sky, use the Ibanez...  Better yet, the Charvette.
    Remember, metal posers shop at women's clothing stores and their 
    eye makeup matches their guitars.  
    
    many 8^)'s
    

    I'm rollllllling !!!
    
    BTW - The Charvel is NOT to be confused with one of those Charvette
    Hondo reissues...  Tsk.Tsk.  ;)
    jc 

    .26??  Mark??  I'm glad you mentioned that block of wood, Mark.  Call
    me crazy, but I tried that with a strat of mine early on, and the tone
    went south big time with the wedge in.. my theory at the time was that
    it pushed the front of the bridge in a way that diminished sustain. 
    Whatever the cause, I've never stuck blocks of wood in the trem cavity
    again, because of that tone deadening experience.
    
    	Heh, heh... WANTED: light action with, heavy strings, and deep
    tones, with no compromises!

    I've got a piece of maple in both my '57 reissue and '72 totally hopped 
    up Strat.  I bend a lot of notes and I just cannot take the open strings
    dropping in pitch whilst bending.  I got the piece of wood just about
    right...a tad on the thin side...and then shimmed it to the correct
    thickness using a couple of thicknesses of PostIts(tm).
    
    Re: Comments about tone degradation using blocks:  IMHO, there was 
    no change in tone, but that may be a result of the tone I use, which
    is fat.
    
    Regards,
    Johnny

    
    	re: last.
    
    	Wow!  That is *exactly* what I did to my Strat too.  'Cept I used
    	a thin slice of oak.  Definitely need hardwood.  I think the
    	sustain is *better* than with the thing floating.  With 5 springs 
    	that block ain't going nowhere either.  

    Has anyone tried the "TremSetter" (sp?)? It's not originally 
    a Fender product but they do sell a version of is specifically
    for the Strat tremelo cavity. It's made by HipShot and Stewart-
    MacDonald sells it. Fender installs it in Strat Plus and Strat
    Ultra. The claim is that it fixes ALL pitch problems associated
    with the Strat-type tremelo system. I'm thinking of putting it
    into my '65.                         

    Like everyone is telling me:
    
    Leave your strat alone !
    
    ifin ya wants a good trem, but an Ibanez.
    
    ;)

    The tremsetter doesn't require any serious modification to the guitar.
    Just replace the springs with it. So it's completely reversable.
    Besides, I'm not so much interested in the resale value of the
    instrument. I've had it for 24 years (I'm 37) and I'm not interested
    in playing an Ibanez.
    
    rjb
    

    
    
    	Dunno about the tremsetter, but I'm blocking the trem on
    my Amer. Strat. I never use the thing and it's giving me 
    fits as far as tuning goes. 
    
    -T
    

    >>Just replace the springs with it........
    
    I'm pretty sure the Tremsetter only replaces the center spring. You
    still need to use two of the stock springs with it. 
    
    I generally prefer not to modify my guitars much, especially an Amer-
    made Fender. One of the main reasons I bought an Amer-made Fender was 
    resale value. Mods tend to lower resale value. The exception is where 
    you modify it using stock Fender parts. I would think that replacing 
    the nut with a Wilkonson roller, replacing the tuners with the locking 
    style, adding a Tremsetter, and changing to lace sensors would not harm 
    the resale value at all, as long as they are Fender parts. They may not 
    increase the value proportionally to the cost of the mods, but they 
    shouldn't harm the resale value. The Wilkonson roller nut and locking 
    tuners will probably set you back about $150. I wouldn't expect this 
    mod to add $150 to the resale value of the instrument. Three lace sensors 
    will probably cost you about $200. I wouldn't expect this mod to add $200 
    to the value of your Strat either. If you decide to do these mods, it's 
    mainly to improve the playability (for your benefit) rather than increase 
    resale value. I'm almost positive that the locking-style tuners are a 
    direct replacement for the precision tuners generally used on American 
    Standards, so there should be no unsightly scars from upgrading.  
    
    If you're planning to upgrade to the Wilkonson roller nut, and locking 
    tuners, theres one thing I found out that you should keep in mind. The 
    setup used on the Strat+ and Deluxe Strat+ is finished in a satin-silver 
    color. The set up used on the Strat Ultra is plated in a glossy chrome 
    finish. If I upgrade my Amer Std. I'd like to find a Chrome set.
    
    I've been considering some of these mods since I bought my Strat
    (June) but the fact is, it plays great without any of these features,
    so I haven't been very motivated to do them. I may do a few mods a
    little at a time.
    
    Mark
    
    PS: Since I bought my Strat, the only time I play my others guitars
    is when I break a string on the Strat and don't feel like fixin it
    right away.

>    
>        Wow!  That is *exactly* what I did to my Strat too.  'Cept I used
>        a thin slice of oak.  Definitely need hardwood.  I think the
>        sustain is *better* than with the thing floating.  With 5 springs 
>        that block ain't going nowhere either.  


	I was taken by the idea that the Eric Clapton strat used a block of
wood to improve sustain, so I did the same (using a small homemade hardwood
block).

I removed the strings and springs first, so I could position and measure the 
gap exactly (with the block sitting vertical).

Now, I figured the more wood the wang block touched, the better the 
sustain. So I made TWO wood blocks to sit either side of the wang block.

I also tried to make their sides parallel rather than triangular in cross 
section to get a fuller fit. I stored the springs in my guitar case, but on 
reflection I maybe could have designed the neck end block so they could be 
re-installed.

I did not try doing an A/B comparison between one/two blocks, so I can't say 
how much of an improvement this would make, but it made sense that two is 
better than one.

Hope this is food for thought....

Dave

    TH tremsetter replaces the center spring and the claw that the springs
    attach to. If you have a shallow spring cavity then you may have to
    modify the cavity as well...actually shallow is the wrong word, it it's
    one of the shorter ones you'll have to drill a hole for the center
    shaft of the tremsetter to slide into when you pull on the trem.
    
    they work ok, but mine may not have been adjusted correctly.
    
    re: lace sensors
    
    I don't like them, they are buzzy (hum etc.) not as bad as a regular
    single coil but much more than a stack, and the sound is tinny IMHO.
    
    Dimarzio and Duncan both make several models of stacks, I'd look at
    them before I bought a lace sensor
    
    dbii

You can also use a metal bracket to block the tremelo. I found this to be the
most effective. You should use the hardest material around. Using wood really
isn't as good an idea:
1) Aligning alot of flat area against the wang can be very discouraging.
2) It has to fit in the cavity.

I took a small piece of metal, drilled a single hole in it. rounded the end,
and screwed it in. Took me 30 minutes and it has lasted like a charm. On the
Ibanez, I had to screw it in after the bridge pickup, which is why I could only
use a single screw. The rounded edge has a larger radius than the distance from
the contact point to the hole, so it's stable. I used a flathead screw so it's
in there for good.

I never use my whammy, I've got my axes fine tuned to commit rhythm guitar.
If you're doing nothing but lead, then tuning is less important anyway.

							John.

    
    
    After searching all of the various Strat notes, this must be
    the place to put this.....
    
    
    	Can anyone comment on the differences in sound between the
    various Lace Sensor varieties? I have a Strat with 3 Gold 
    (50's sound) sensors, which sound a little thin to me. I'd
    like some info about the "Blue" humbucker Lace Sensor.
    
    -T
    

    Strats are suppossed to sound thin, to a degree. The blue lace
    sensors do not sound like strat pickups. They sound like Gibson
    humbuuckers. Not my cup of tea on a Strat. If I was gonna swap
    the pickups on my Amer. Std, I'd probably go with the gold lace 
    sensors. I compared them side by side with an Amer. Std. pickup
    and they sound very close.
    
    Mark
    
    

    
    
    re: .-1
    
    	Thanks for the info. I guess a trip to a local store is in
    order.I think having one of the blue sensors in the bridge 
    position might be good for me.
    
    -T
    

    re: .41
    
    I don't mean to quibble, but I disagree that Strats sound thin at
    all. I play a stock mid-sixties unit and when I am playing through
    a reasonably good set up, my sound is BIG AND FAT. Fender PUs in 
    general are very bright, however the bottom is there too. If one
    doesn't take care with the treble and presence controls (and middle)
    the sound can easily be top-heavy, so-to-speak. Refer to the Hendrix
    classic "The Wind Cries Mary" for a good example of what I mean by
    big and fat. Besides it does one good to listen to this track
    from time to time anyway.
    
    rjb

    re .43
    
    Sorry my man, but I have to agree with .41 and others who feel that a
    Strat is inherently thin sounding. I've gone from a stock model to hot
    rodding it with a Seymour Duncan 1/4 pounder, a DiMarzio Hs-2 (not a
    hot rod pickup but fatter than stock), and a Fender Lace Red. In a side
    by side comparison, each pickup is much thinner than a Strat I have
    that's outfitted with Dual Coil Humbuckers.
    
    Now don't associate the term "thin" with "bad" or less desireable.
    "Thin" is a characteristic and no more. I find that I prefer playing
    my Strat with the dual coil humbuckers because it has the sound that
    compliments *my* playing. I do use my Strat with the single coil
    sound, I think it sounds best with natural or no distortion at all. 
    With this guitar, I'm relying on its characteristic sound to color the 
    music. 
    
    Insofar as your example of Hendrix, what does it for me is in
    fact his use of the guitar without distortion. The man played a lotta
    bullshit for theatrics. But more often, he played with the dazzling 
    brilliance of a consummate artist. In the latter sense, I think the  
    best examples of his talent were displayed when he just played the axe
    as if to let the music out of the guitar. The sound was *monstrously*
    "thin".
    
    "sakman"

    There's a difference between bright and thin.
    
    My strat is NOT thin at all, it IS overly bright perhaps ('specially in 
    "the lead" position...But ifin' ur askin' me, my strat is WAY more
    FAT than my Gibson LP... 
    
    I think we're all talkin' the same thing, just different ways of
    puttin' it.  I remember Steve Dandrea and I barked at each other for
    days about strats bein' 'thin'...  Then he started in that my Ibanez
    was thin sounding...  Ack!  Mega-rat-hole !

The best way to approximate it is to use the neck pickup, cut the treble, and
boost the midrange. I've never tried it, but a bit of foam rubber on the
bridge might do it for you as well.

Fenders are FAT, as fat as they get. They have harmonics out the wing wang.
Les Pauls tend to cancel and dampen highs. In short, I believe that making
a Strat sound like a Les Paul is subtractive technology. Fenders have highs
that are out of this world ( distortion is definitely overkill ).

Sustaining lows may be a bit of a problem, as the Strat is alot lighter.

As far as pickups go, it's hard to separate the brilliance from the bullshit.
I'd look into the EQ pretty carefully before tossing pickups. I've never
had to replace a pickup because it gave me a "bad" tone. The most common
problems are that it's too fat or thin, or that it's top or bottom heavy.

Make sure to cut the highs out before sending the signal through a distortion
box or it will sound like fingernails on a chalkboard.

Maybe if you describe the setup your using and what sound you want to get out
of it it would be easier to help.
							John. 

    
    
    re: a few back (rjb)
    
    	And how do *you* know what *my* guitar sounds like? :-)
    
    re: Thin
    
    	Part of the "problem" is that I'm coming from playing a 
    Hamer that had a Humbucker in the bridge position, as well
    has a couple of single coil pickups. 
    
    	I don't want to start a debate on strats, it just that
    this guitar doesn't have a really wide range of tones in
    it (IMHO, please no flames). Since I can only afford to
    own one guitar, I'd like to make it as flexible as possible.
    
    	I know, why didn't I buy another guitar? Well, I got this
    American Strat for an excellent price. It plays great and is
    very comfortable. I can afford to do a little experimentation
    on it. 
    
    Re: gear
    
    	I'm not a guitarist, per se. I run the strat into a Rockman
    soloist direct into my 4 track. I do have an EQ, so maybe I can
    try that.
    
    
    	Again, this isn't a *big* problem for me. I may just need to
    get used to the "strat tone".
    

    You have a genuine Fender Stratocaster, right?
    
    It *should* have a decent variety of tones, right out of the box.
    If guys ranging from Buddy Holly to SRV to David Gilmour to Mark
    Knopfler can wring their own signature tones out of it, you should
    be able to get a few different sounds.
    
    Does it have the five position selector switch?  If not, put one in
    right away.  Then you can have the famous Position 2 and Position 4
    at your disposal...a sort-of out-of-phase Knopfler sound.
    
    Another trick:  With distortion, or at least very heavy gain, put
    select the neck pickup and roll the tone completely off.  Voila!
    A very sweet, smooth, almost-humbucker lead sound. 
    
    Flip the switch entirely in the opposite direction to access that
    rear pickup.  It's a bright one, that sucker!  If you have a
    traditional Strat, your tone knob isn't connected to it.  With some
    careful "side of the hand" muting, you can control the harshness.
    Great surf sound!  Great pick slides!  Try playing "Pipeline". (Used
    as the intro theme for the WCGY Club and Concert Report, also a
    hot SRV-Dick Dale-Jimmy Vaughan version of the song on the (gag)
    "Back to the Beach" soundtrack album. (Yep...with Annette Funicello.)
    Surf Strats are usually swimming in reverb, too.
    
    Strats are sensitive to wear you actually pick the strings.  Get your
    right hand back near the bridge for some heavy, biting rock work.
    Move it up to the center, towards the base of the neck for mellower
    stuff.
    
    There are loads of sounds in a Strat....as evidenced by the wide
    variety of different style players who use them.  Unless the pickups
    are really bad, I wouldn't spend a lot of money changing them just yet.
    
    Good luck...
    
    Brian
    

    
    
    	Lots of great advice here!
    
    	Being a bass player, I need a little help in learning how
    to get useable/desired tones out of my strat. Does anyone
    else (thanks Brian!), have any favorite strat tones they
    could share? 
    
    -T
    

    Using the neck position pickup with the tone set for more highs through
    some distortion (and a wah) is the epitome of what I think of Jimi
    Hendrix's lead sound.  SRV also made heavy use of this kind of sound.
    
    I think that the stock bridge position pickup on Strats sounds pretty
    shrill.  An EQ should help.  I always liked the position with the
    bridge and center pickups selected.  Kind of adds a little meat and
    kills a little of the bridge pickups shrillness.  Sounds especially
    nice to me with a little chorus.
    
    I think you'll have to approach it a little differently then you did
    the Hamer, Tom it's kind of a different beast.
    
    Greg

    re: .47
    
    I never presumed to know what *your* guitar sounds like. I was simply
    pointing out that standard Stratocasters are not -- in my humble
    opinion -- inherently thin, and I wanted to object to what I considered
    to be a generalized and misleading statement that might send someone 
    off on an expensive and maybe unnecessary quest for better pickups. 
    
    I agree completely with Brian. This is an extremely versital instrument
    and that fact is evidenced by its current popularity. It may not be
    perfect for a particular application, but it has a wide pallet of
    sounds from which to work.
    
    Does anyone recall the interview in Musician with Robbie
    Robertson. He describes being approached by Seymor Duncan after a show
    that the Band played a long, long time ago. Duncan wanted to know
    what Robertson had done to his guitar to get that sound. Robertson
    quipped "Oh, there's more wire in the pickups". Seymor didn't realize 
    it but he was only kidding.
    
    moral of the story? I don't know. You figure it out. But in my opinion,
    tone's gotta come first from your hands.  
    
    No doubt, bad parts between your hands and your ears (wood, pickups, 
    pre and power amp, speakers) can hurt it. 
    
    But jeeez, the whole topic of sound is SO SUBJECTIVE! Brian's response 
    was ROTM (right on the money).
                                   
    rjb

    I moved the tone control from the middle PU to the bridge PU. I've
    never used the middle PU by itself anyway and the bridge PU benefits
    a great deal from having control over the highs. Flat out, it has 
    the potential to be *VERY* shrill. (I wish I had done this back when I 
    played out!) 
    
    rjb

    
    My Strat sounds fat to me too.  Different ears hear differently.
    Subjective discussions are OK.  I play 99% on the neck pickup.  
    Sometimes I play on the middle one - but only when I'm thrashing 
    so hard that I accidentally hit the switch!  Maybe I'll re-wire 
    the switch so all positions are the neck.  My ES335 is big time
    fat too.  My Ibanez is skinny (the runt of the litter, but I
    like it).

    Tom,
    
    I'd agree that a outboard EQ may be helpful, since the Rockmans
    don't have any EQ circuit... I personally LOVE the Tone I get with just
    a hair of distortion and the strat in the "4" position...  The neck is
    too fat (IMHO) for any kind of distortion, but is just right for clean
    stuff...
    
    jc

    re -1
    
    
    >The neck is too fat (IMHO) for any kind of distortion, but is just
    >right for clean stuff...                                                   
    
    I'd have to disagree with you there!  Check out SRV for some neck
    pickup leads with tons 'o gain.  You're not working that Strat if you
    use the neck pickup only for clean tones!
    
    Kevin
    

    That was a rash statement... Lemme expand:
    
    Kevin, your right, SRV gets an awesome tone... I think what I meant to 
    say was that whne I pull up a 'Screamin' patch, the neck PU is too
    fat...  Just a tad is great though, like that Bad Co. sound...
    
    jc

>    Kevin, your right, SRV gets an awesome tone... I think what I meant to 
>    say was that whne I pull up a 'Screamin' patch, the neck PU is too
>    fat... 
    
    Yo Coop.  Remember that you build all your MP-1 patches with massive
    bass boost though.  Try that neck pickup with one of those patches that
    I like (that you are so fond of blasting for sounding 'thin') and it
    won't sound so massive.  Seems to me like a lot of your patches are
    geared toward getting a thick sound from a bridge pickup and that is
    probably going to be too bass heavy for the neck pickup.
    
    The sound my homebrew Strat with EMGs makes with the switch set for the
    neck and middle pickups is killer through the MS-2 (toy amp) with just
    a little overdrive.
    
    Greg

    
    
    	I got a chance to play the strat quite a bit over the holidays
    and I'm pretty pleased with it. The Rockman (a "soloist") has 
    a really bright, I mean *REALLY* bright sound, with no built in
    eq to tone it down. Running strat direct to the MIDIverb, sounds
    much, much better. 
    
    	As far as eq goes, I have an eq and I'm starting to use it
    more. Sounds good. 
    
    	BTW, I had the trememo block with no noticeable loss of sustain.
    Stays in tune better, too. 
    
    

        I'm really having a blast with my new Stratocaster Ultra!
      Everyone in the band thinks it looks great (crimsonburst w/
      flamed maple) and sounds incredible. I've actually been using
      more pickup combinations than ever. It seems there is a really good
      balance between the tone and volume of these Fender Lace-Sensors.
      Altogether this is a great axe. It wasn't cheap, I paid $900. 
      List price is $1499 or $1399. 
        The tremolo system stays in tune really well considering it's
      non-locking. I have the tension of the tuners cranked down fairly
      well. The ebony fretboard has a good feel to it, I really think
      Fender has taken a turn for the better.
    
    							-B()()M-

I picked up my first ever Strat this weekend. Its a used Strat plus of
recent vintage with gold lace sensors. First impression is I really like
it. The strat shape makes it really a comfortable guitar to play.
It also offers an amazing range of tones with the three PUs, and tone &
TBX controls.

A couple of questions:

1) I'm not sure how old (or new) the guitar actually is. The serial # on
   the neck is E95793. Anybody have a rough idea what year that might be?

2) I like to do some string damping with my right hand but also find that
   I sometimes inadvertently am changing the volume control because of my
   hand position. I suspect that the position of the volume control is
   actually pretty convenient but I need to modify my hand position somewhat.
   Has anyone else found this to be a problem? 

jim

Yep.  I pulled the volume knob off on all my strat and Ibanez.  I'm always
doing that !!

jc

    re : -1
    
> I pulled the volume knob off on all my strat and Ibanez.  I'm always
>doing that !!

>jc
 
    Coop don't need no stinkin' volume control....just solder the pot WFO
    and go!
    
    Steve (who can't tell if his ears still ring form Coops' KH or mine!)
    
    ;^)    

    re: .60
    
    You're right about that volume knob being convenient, after you get
    used to it.  I've played Strats (and Strat style guitars) for years and
    that's one thing I *love* about them.  I really like changing the
    volume a lot as I play and that's the one thing that just drives me
    crazy about trying to play my Les Paul now.  The volume knobs are HARD
    to get to!  I'm getting used to it after a few months with the guitar,
    but nothing compares to that close master volume on a Strat!
    
    Greg

re .63

Seconded, the volume knobs really convenient. Plus you can do all those
backwards/violin effects with your little finger...
(i.e. pluck the note with the volume turned right down, and then raise the
volume right up.)
Anyone know what I mean? You must all know this technique...
*DC

    ..sometimes referred to sas "swelling" or "volume swells"...
    
    Coop,.. you pulled off the volume knobs eh? Hmm.. If'n ya really
    want to hear som eggod tone, pull the strings off too dood :-) :-) :-)
    
    						/Bill_just_having_some
    						variable_voume_fun
    

>   Coop,.. you pulled off the volume knobs eh? Hmm.. If'n ya really
>    want to hear som eggod tone, pull the strings off too dood :-) :-) :-)
    
Pull the strings off ??  Then it would sounds like the NULL device !!

FWIW - I just pulled the knob - I can still do volume changes (and do),
but I just don't knock the pot down to ".004" in the middle of my lead.  :)

jc
    

>FWIW - I just pulled the knob - I can still do volume changes (and do),
>but I just don't knock the pot down to ".004" in the middle of my lead.  :)
    
    Now he just cuts his hand up when he hits the shaft on the pot in the
    middle of his lead!
    
    8^)

Jim,

	I must have modified my damping position years ago, because I don't
have any such problem.......however if you want to keep it looking stock you
could:

1. re-wire (a simple job) such that you have the tone control AFTER the
   pickup selector switch ( ie. you will only need ONE tone control).

2. This will free up a knob, and allow you to designate the original volume 
   control nearest to the bridge as a "dummy". What this means is that you
   would fit the unused tone control in the top position without any internal
   connections to it. This will allow you to "accidently" move it as often 
   as you wish without annoying volume changes.

3. Simply select which of the two farthest knobs from the bridge you would
   prefer to designate as the volume, and which the tone.

4. This mod does not change any of the tone characteristics of the strat.
   All you have lost is the ability to pre-set a different tone for the neck
   and middle pick-up when changing the selector (which is a facility I rarely
   use....I tend to adjust my tone after selecting a pickup/combination).

5. To keep it looking totaly stock, you could even keep the original tone/vol
   knobs in their stock position.

Just a thought.....

Dave

    Help
    
    
    
    	MY TBX isn't working.   On my stratplus when I adjust the bottom
    tone control there is no change in tone at all.  I have checked all
    the solder joints and they are okay ....how drastic should the change
    in tone be anyway???
    Thanks
    P.K.

    re: -1 
    
    I'd say the tone change is very significant. You'd notice it. One thing
    you might check for is a problem I had on mine. Somebody probably
    abused the TBX control and if I push down on the control, the knob
    just spins with no effect, like it was stripped. If I pull up on the
    knob, then everything works fine again. 
    
    When you turn your TBX, is the detent position obvious? If not you
    may have the problem I had.
    
    jim

	On the TBX -

	Do you have the right pickup selected?

    re -1 -2
    
    	The detent is definately present and I do have the right pick up
    selected.  There is a tone change from 0 to 5 but from 5 to 10 its
    dead.
    
    	I might take it in and get it looked at.
    
    P>K>

    RE: .60
    
    Your E9... serial # suggests a 1989 or 1990 date. The 'E' prefix was in
    use in the 80's with the 2nd digit indicating the sub-year, so an
    E5.... should be an '85, for example - all though the date could be 6
    months or so off either way.
    
    Re the TBX - shounds like a dead pot wiper (as suggested earlier), or a
    wire to the pot broken. Those TBX circuits aren't active, are they
    (i.e. battery powered) like the Elite models??
    
    /Jimi ('78 Strat owner & diehard Strat fan)

    re: -1
    
    Thanks for the date info. I figured it was quite recent as it looks
    brand new.
    
    As for the TBX, I doubt that its active. I've got a TBX on my Tele
    which certainly isn't active. However I've never opened it up for
    a look. If I keep reading this notes file, I probably won't be able
    to keep from opening it up to do some kind of surgery to it. :+)
    
    Given that my TBX does misbehave occasionally, I've thought about
    just replacing the POT with the detent. Does anyone have a suggestion
    where I can get a replacement without paying big $$$$. Do I have
    to contact Fender? Could a dealer help? Or can I get stuff through
    mail order.
    
    jim

    I've heard that Fender's customer service dept. is very good and will
    sometimes even give you the part you need at no charge.  Give them a
    try!
    
    Greg

	The Fender TBX tone control is available thru Fender dealers
	for about $13. I bought one once and installed it in a Bullet H2.

    
    I'm going to go look at a black Strat + this afternoon that is supposed
    to be in cosmetically perfect shape with the exception of one very
    small ding.  The guy who's selling it sounds like one of those guys who
    changes the oil in his car every 2500 miles and he hasn't been gigging
    with it.  But get this, he going to use the money to buy an
    accoustic!!??!!
    
    So, based on the above information, and the fact that he's including
    the hard shell case - does his asking price of $475 sound out of line? 
    I think it's a steal, the only other strat + in the recycler is listed
    at $550...
    

    With case,.. thats a good price IMHO
    
    							/Bill
    

    
    I lied...while I was waiting for the guy to show up I saw another Strat
    Plus in the Recycler for $425 - so I picked up the ol' phone and
    called; of course it was gone...
    
    Just as well, the guy did eventually make his way through rush hour
    traffic on the 405 and I sat on the back lip of his Cherokee and played
    the guitar through my little Boss headphone amp after checking the
    tuning with the Sabine tuner - nobody ever bothered to set up the
    intonation on the guitar!  It didn't take long to figure out that the
    guitar really was a solid piece of work.
    
    The cosmetic blemish is on the upper bout (outside of the right hip
    for you biology majors).  The guy says the lid of the case fell on it -
    and it looks like a good possibility.  No biggy - at least it's already
    got the first scratch on it...now where's the lighter fluid?  *8')
    
    Well, I just put it down a few minutes ago after spending a couple of
    hours of guitar enlightment.  You see, I've never spent more than a few
    minutes playing strats before...it takes more than a few minutes to get
    the real feel of a new instrument.  All I can say is, Leo was a
    practical genius.  (Yeah, I know he was out of the picture by the time
    the Strat Plus was designed, but he cut the original contours, right?) 
    
    The guitar fits me, short arms, little hands, and all.  It feels good
    and it feels real natural in my hands, and it's light enough that I can
    wear it without being reminded of the damage done to my collar bone in
    an unfortunate motorcycle incident.  Neither my Steinburger or my Les
    Paul feel this good.
    
    OK, I've raved enough, and there are enough other Plus players here
    that I don't have to go on about the sound.  But I will, for a few
    seconds, anyway.  This baby cuts!  With different combinations of
    pickup and tone control settings you can either select a rounded,
    mellow edge or go to the Wilkinson Sword razor tone at the other
    extreme.  It's quiet (the noise floor anyway) and gives lots of
    character in its response to different pick attacks.
    
    Summary: I'm jazzed to the max - it's time to seal the Steinburger in
    nitrogen to protect its investment value - and put the Les Paul in the
    standby position...this is the best $450 I've spent on guitars yet!
    

    
    Have been looking at Deluxe Strat Pluses in stores and bought one
    today through the want-ads. Great guitar!
    
    Has an Ash body with a natural finish, rosewood fretboard. Red, silver,
    blue lace sensors in the bridge, middle and neck. White pickguard.
    Is virtually brand new too. Sounds/looks/feels just fine.
    
    Bob - who is a happy camper with his first Strat.
                                           

    
    OK, Bob's in the club!

    
    Can anyone give me some help on adjusting the tremsetter on the
    Strat plus? I want to set the bridge so it rests flat on the body
    but it wasn't clear to me how to do this.
    
    Do I just need to tighten the screws on the springs? There's a
    middle spring something or other that disappears into the body
    cavity towards the neck. Does anyone know where this thing goes 
    to?
    
    Does anyone have any documentation on this that I could get a copy
    of? Or can it be described here in simple terms for the
    technically challenged?
    
    Thanks in advance,
    Bob
    
    Changed the strings and raised the action last night. Immediate
    improvement in tone. Still sounds/feels wonderful!

    I added two more springs to my trem, ran the screws in until is floats
    "flat" and took the trem handle off and stashed it.

    
    Bob,
    
    the tremsetter you describe sounds different than mine....so I'm
    not sure how you should adjust it....
    
    
    guy

    
    I got it straightened out this weekend. Adding springs seems like a
    good idea but there's no room in the cavity for any more. There's
    2 on each side with that weird whatever-it-is thing going through
    the middle.
    
    Anyway I adjusted the action, then tightened the springs until
    the bridge rested flat on the body. This lets me tune down if I
    want to without affecting the overall tuning. I can also bend a
    string with an open bass string sounding without it going out of
    tune. (if I don't bend too far) The springs are pretty tight.
    
    So, I've got it more or less set up like a fixed bridge.
    
    Bob

    Is the bridge humbucker on the Ultra tapped?
    
    thanks,
    Mike

    I don't think it's tapped, but I'm pretty sure you can switch from
    single coil to double coil. 
    
    Mark
    

o.k...  so what exaclty is this TBX supposed to be all about ???

at the detent it's supposed to be flat ?

If you go to 10, (I was told anyway) that it offers
a mid boost ???  yes ???  No ???

I picked up a strat plus back in late feb.  I luv it,
the lace sensor (gold) are a lot quieter than the
standard fender s.c. and they don't really stray that
far tone wise from the standard...

Just really curious about this TBX thing..

MR. C's didn't cough up a Strat Plus owners guide,,
so...

   re: TBX - I think it's a treble boost, not mids, and it works only on the
   middle and bridge PUs, if I remember correctly.  I pretty much leave mine
   set at the detente.

   -- Sam
   

	Correct if me if I'm wrong...but I think TBX just cancels out
	the damping of higher frequencies, due to the use of one or more
	capacitors in the classical strat pickup circuitry...something
	like this:


			---------------------o
			|	|
			|	|
			-	|
		  TBX  | |	-
		  ctr. | |     | | pickup
			-      | |
			|	-
			|	|
		  cap. ---      |
		       ---	|
			|	|
			---------------------o


	One wouldn't believe I have a degree in electronic design, eh?? ;-)


	Poul

    
    According to the "Strat FAQ" ...
    
     Fender claims that the TBX tone control is an advanced design tone
    control that can not only roll off the highs, but boost them as well.
    Specifically between full counter-clockwise and the center detent, it
    acts like a normal tone control and between the center detent and full
    clockwise position it boosts the highs.  Actually, at full clockwise
    it's effectively out of the circuit, as you turn it toward center it 
    shunts the pickup with an 82K ohm resistor, and from center down to
    full counter-clockwise it shunts the pickup with a capacitor like a
    standard tone control. So it doesn't boost the highs at all. 
    
    Author's own personal comment follows:
    
     "I don't like the TBX myself; being a double-ganged control, it's 
      more difficult to spin with your pinky, and the interesting part
      of the adjustment range is all cramped between 2 and 3 or so."

Thanks guys,for the info.  makes sense, someone said it
was a mid boost, but when i rail it, the last thing I
hear boosted are mids...

In not knowing how it functioned, I was going by taste,
I like to keep it set around 7/8 and usually leave it..

Oh one other question, my case is the small contoured case,
I hate it!  What case was fender offering when you guys got
yours ?  (I was THIS close into talkng Jim at Mr. C's to swap
me a tweed case, and I still may hit him up for it..  I don't
like the stock Fender Plus case, there's no room for toys!)

/r

    I have no use for any plastic case, period. When I bought my Strat
    I insisted they swap the plastic case for a tweed case. The plastic
    cases may be durable, but they look cheesey. 
    
    A lot of stores will make you pay a premium for the tweed case. A
    small markup is reasonable but if you have to pay an extra $100 to
    get it, you're not getting a fair deal. The store will sell the 
    plastic case to someone else for full retail.
    
    Mark

    Well, I actually like the new contoured cases.  After years of lugging
    around big bulky square-riggers that weigh a ton (like try stuffing a
    Thunderbird case in a VW at 2:00 A.M. in the Combat Zone :-) these new
    contoured Fenders are like going on vacation.  And personally, I don't
    think these particular ones look cheesy at all.  Hey Ray, if I still
    had my re-issue Strat tweed case I'd swap ya in a heartbeat.
    
    /rick
    

it's not that they're Cheasy, they've actually got decent
hasps on them, and they fit nice and tight, but there's
no room for tuners, straps, cables, notebooks,, etc...

I would trade for the tweed in a sec...

/r

   Don't know about this "contoured" case, but I guess I've got the best of
   both worlds:  A rectangular plastic/ABS case, plenty of room for toyz, etc,
   that's fitted inside to match the shape of the guitar.  Nice and light,
   doesn't stain or rip like cloth/tweed, good hardware, etc.  I'm happy.

   -- Sam
   

    Okay - Now who was the guy who bought my gorgeous laser-blue American
    Standard a few years ago??  I wanna buy it back...
    
    jc (WHo thinks it'd kick BUTT thru my Crate!)
    

    Sooooooooo........CooP!
    the only thrill bigger than buying new toyz is rebuying them after
    you mistakenly sell them, right?
    
    Mike -I don't have to do the GTS thing, I just watch Coop.
    

    
    Yep.  I screwed up twice on this deal.  First, I sold the guitar
    to buy something else...  Second, it was a xmas gift from Cindi.
    She said she didn't mind, but I've yet to hear the end of it.
    
    Twas a gorgeous strat too, man.
    

    YOU SOLD A STRAT THAT YOUR WIFE GAVE YOU FOR XMAS!!!???
    

    <uncloak>
    
    OK, I fess up, I bought it.  But it is not for sale!!!
    
    > YOU SOLD A STRAT THAT YOUR WIFE GAVE YOU FOR XMAS!!!???
    
    Yowza!!!
    
    It ended up as a birthday present from my wife, so I'll not repeat your
    mistake!!!
    
    -johnb
    
    PS.  It does sound Sweet through my Peavey Classic 30.
    
    <cloak>

    My wife bought me a Telecaster the first Christmas we spent together.
    Needless to say, I still own it and have no plans to ever sell.
    When we celebrated our 10th anniversary, I told her she should buy
    me another guitar. She gave me the cash and I bought a Guild D25-12
    12-string acoustic. Another keeper!. 
    
    Shame on you, Coop!
    
    Mark
    

    Are the gold lace sensors standard in the Strat+?

    Yes. the Plus Deluxe has 3 different LS's. Blue-Silver-Red, neck to
    bridge.
    
    -k

    Whahhhhhaaa....  I shoulda not done it...  Just lemme know if you ever
    change your mind...
    :-)

    I'm convinced of the superior quality of U.S.A.-made instruments now. 
    Maybe my tastes have dramatically changed, but I can't get over the overall 
    craftsmanship of my new Strat+ and Les Paul compared to my old Ibanez
    RG550.  In addition, you don't have to sacrifice tone by removing a
    large chunk of wood to fit the Floyd in there.  The new system on the 
    Strat+ stays in tune very well.
    
    With respect to cost, I didn't pay much more than I did for my Ibanez 6
    years ago.  In today's dollars, the list for the RG550 is more than my
    out-the-door price for either of my new guitars.
    
    a happy camper,
    Mike

Hi Mike..

I bought my Strat Plus about 8 weeks ago.

I luv it...  

I previously had a 62 Jap-reissue, and that was
one fine guitar, it played great, sounded totally
'62, and was DEAD ASS mint...  (Bought it brand
new from East Coast Sound probably back in 86/87)
I paid about $350 (w/case+shipping) for it back then
and sold it in  February of this year for $275 to help 
finance the  Strat plus 

..I do believe I priced it a little too low cuz it
went to the first buyer after about 15 minutes of
him playing with it..  Ah well..  

Anyway, I think the primary diff, that I've seen,
at anyrate, is the finish.. compare a USA with a Japense
issue and you can tell pretty quick, without looking
at the headstock, which one is which.  But beyond that,
the Japenese factories aren't putting out 'bad' pieces..


and as long as you can find em (jap made) for reasonable money,
they  are a nice alternative if you're not able to drop the 
(close to) $800 bucks the USA Strat Plus will cost...

I've also found through experience, and I'm hoping this
holds true,,, is that the resale of the US made fenders
seems to hold up alot better, (and we're talking pure 
percentage here..)

I've also got a USA Standard Tele, and that's one SWEET piece
as well (I believe it's a 93) Oddly enough, I had a 69 or
70 tele I had bought new, when I was a kid, (my first REAL electric)
and I recall always having a hard time keeping that in tune...
I think I had it for like 2 or 3 years and I traded it up
for a 71/72 Strat...

But this one here, never goes out..  Strange....

And you're right about the plus..  Them Spertzels with
the stock plus trem bridge stays in tune well, I do
think the strings need more time to stretch than in
other guitars I've used with some sort of lock
on the strings..

/ray

    re: .21 et al. - leaving whammy on Strat+ in case
    
>    I was skeptical about leaving the bar on at first, but
>    it works. Position it so it's over the jackplate, and
>    the case should close. You do have to press down a bit
>    to latch the case. I'm not sure if the corner of the 
>    case is deeper at that point or what.
    
    Does this apply to the SKB cases as well?  The sales dude where I
    bought mine said not to leave it on with the case closed.
    
    Mike

    
    Never *ever* leave a whammy on your guitar when in a case!
    
    
    
    						Ian
    
    ps...learned the hard way! 8(

I think this is the same as shipping an acoustic with the end plug in - yes, 
you can do it, but you may regret it later.

Jim

with the contoured fender cases, you can't...

It just won't go...

If you have one of the older style, tweeds, you
probably could get away with it, but the trem
bar for Strat + is bent up...

Next question....

I'm looking for the springs for the Stock Strat Plus bridge..

I went down to my local store, and asked for 2 springs, and 
dave pulled out the old silver style...

The ones for the Start Plus looked different when I opened
up the back access panel...

So, where you boys getting your SPRINGS ???