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September 23rd, 2009, 09:42 PM
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#1 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: U.S.A
Posts: 1,191
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Hardtail Strat
I am looking to get a hardtail strat, any ideas or recommendations? Anything that I should stay away from? I need some guidance.
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September 24th, 2009, 05:53 AM
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#2 (permalink)
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Strat-Talker
Join Date: May 2006
Location: S.Florida
Age: 37
Posts: 145
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I cant tell you whats good for you but for me buying a cray strat seemed to beat the purpous the strat feel and sound . I just block mine off with anything metal that i can find so that everything my strings vibrate off is metal .
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September 24th, 2009, 06:02 AM
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#3 (permalink)
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Strat-Talker
Join Date: May 2006
Location: S.Florida
Age: 37
Posts: 145
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The key is to get more volume and sustain and off course staying tune ... for me the wood block works but but the metal sockets I crammed in between the bridge top really brought my guitar to life while the wood just dulled my sound ...
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September 24th, 2009, 07:17 AM
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#4 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: U.S.A
Posts: 1,191
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I have 8 Strats and 7 of them have blocked trems. I am really interested in a hardtail.
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September 24th, 2009, 06:21 PM
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#5 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Blighty
Posts: 3,863
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightprowler
I cant tell you whats good for you but for me buying a cray strat seemed to beat the purpous the strat feel and sound . I just block mine off with anything metal that i can find so that everything my strings vibrate off is metal .
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Eric Clapton said the same. "without the Trem it doesn't sound like a Strat". I had a 1979 Hardtail many years ago and it did sound different. As I recall, more "honky", and almost Tele like. Never went out of tune though! |
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September 24th, 2009, 09:14 PM
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#6 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: in New Orleans' past
Posts: 4,966
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gliderider22
I am really interested in a hardtail.
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A) MIM Artist Robert Cray, or the CS version but play them first in person. Lots of shoulder, but not a very deep neck. Strange neck shape, IMO. Great pickups.
B) Check out G + L Legacies, S-500s and Comanches in Hardtail form. The Saddle Lock bridge is a sweetie, as is the PTB system. I've got an S-500 Hardtail, Alder body and ebony fretboard, wonderful. There's stuff on You-Tube of Mr. Glen Campbell tearing it up on a Comanche Hardtail.
c) Make you own S style hardtail with parts from USA Custom Guitar. I have a 3 piece alder and a 3 piece ash hardtail Strat in various stages of completion. Use a bridge from Bill Callaham.
Aside from what Mr. Clapton has said, choices of amps, of pickups, and the neck on the guitar (not to mention individual technique) make huge differences that can swallow any difference that could be associated strictly on the hardtailed versus blocked trem factor. |
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September 24th, 2009, 09:16 PM
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#7 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: U.S.A
Posts: 1,191
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Fender has made a lot of "strats" that don't sound anything like what a "strat should sound like.
Quote:
Originally Posted by fenderkev
Eric Clapton said the same. "without the Trem it doesn't sound like a Strat". I had a 1979 Hardtail many years ago and it did sound different. As I recall, more "honky", and almost Tele like. Never went out of tune though!
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September 24th, 2009, 09:24 PM
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#8 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
Age: 36
Posts: 4,284
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Billy corgan model
__________________
"The problem with the world is that the intelligent people are full of doubts while the stupid ones are full of confidence." -Charles Bukowski
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September 24th, 2009, 09:25 PM
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#9 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: U.S.A
Posts: 1,191
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I haven't seen one in person, what's the price?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Giant
Billy corgan model
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September 24th, 2009, 10:48 PM
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#10 (permalink)
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Administrator
Site Admin
Join Date: Apr 2006
Location: Hill Country, Texas, USA
Age: 63
Posts: 1,935
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I had a '79 Hardtail and they do sound different. But it's a good difference. I recommend Strat lovers give a hardtail a try.
There were a lot of 'em made in the late 70's and early 80's but they've gone up in price and can be hard to locate. The Robert Cray model is probably the most common one that is easily available.
Or, you can buy a Strat body and neck and build your own. Heck one of your existing Strats could become a donor to finish out a hardtail body. And, all you'd need to buy extra would be a bridge.
__________________
Strat-Talk Site Administrator
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September 24th, 2009, 11:01 PM
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#11 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Los Angeles California
Age: 63
Posts: 1,288
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My PartsCaster or FrankenStrat or whatever you want to call it is a hardtail, either late 60s or early-to-mid 70s body (depending on who you talk to) and I think it sounds like a total Strat. Everybody who hears it does, too. At Guitar Center in Hollywood, ears perk up as if somebody had blown a supersonic whistle in a dog pound when anybody rips off a lick or two on it. If you want the tremolo, it's just a stomp switch away with most amps, as with mine, but the axe itself has the sustain and ring or a full-blood Strat, whammy or no. It just has that unmistakeable, Strat vibe.
_______________________________________
"Veni, Vedi, Visa," - I came, I saw, I shopped. - Mrs. Julius Caesar
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September 25th, 2009, 01:51 AM
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#12 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: in New Orleans' past
Posts: 4,966
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gliderider22
I haven't seen one in person, what's the price?
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Best Buys seem to have them; check their website for MAP.
This has a Highway One Upgrade neck on it, and an alder hardtail body that is basically a Highway One body except it is:
Cut for a Hardtail and has a "Modern" American Series left over bridge on it;
Comes in Satin Black or Satin White.
It has some distortion style Dimarzio single coil sized pups, noiseless.
This mean really huge frets, BTW. And, best I know this is nothing like what Billy had ever used, at least historically. Not sure what he's doing now. |
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September 25th, 2009, 12:52 PM
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#13 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Aug 2009
Location: Blighty
Posts: 3,863
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gliderider22
Fender has made a lot of "strats" that don't sound anything like what a "strat should sound like.
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Yeh I was already aware of that!  |
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September 25th, 2009, 03:29 PM
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#14 (permalink)
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Dark Cabaret
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Chicago
Posts: 13,316
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you could check out the Tom Delonge strat model too, those are hardtails. Either Fender or Squier.
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September 25th, 2009, 06:24 PM
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#15 (permalink)
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Strat-Talker
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: NYC
Posts: 247
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I have to agree with fenderkev. I owned a beautiful sunburst hardtail w/maple fret. But the beauty was only skin deep because it sounded nothing like what I expected. It just sounded very flat. Not that Strat sound that I expected. So I sold it and never looked back. Bought myself a Lone Star instead.
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September 26th, 2009, 12:03 AM
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#16 (permalink)
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Strat-Talker
Join Date: May 2009
Location: Seattle USA
Posts: 385
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I have a Robert Cray body on my Partocaster. I tried several pick-ups including HW1 and Tonerider City Limits both are pretty hot and over-wound and can really pump out the sound. But to my ear, the hardtail just cant put out the sound nor sustain of my trem bodies. I'm not saying the hardtail does not sound as good, just that it seems to be less resonate and tone-full. My theory is the the alder body soaks up some of the sound before it gets to the pu's.
But I must say the RC violet body is absolutely beautiful!
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September 27th, 2009, 01:47 AM
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#17 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Los Angeles California
Age: 63
Posts: 1,288
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Okay, Bundini, I'm going to compare. I have a hardtail and I'm building a trem body so I'll let you know the results of my independent test flights, assuming I get the trem body completed this decade.
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February 3rd, 2010, 11:17 AM
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#18 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: U.S.A
Posts: 1,191
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anymore hardtail info?
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February 3rd, 2010, 12:04 PM
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#19 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: Fort Wayne, IN
Age: 22
Posts: 1,211
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__________________
08' Fender Sonoran A/E (black)
08' Fender P Bass (Chrome red)
02' Squier Affinity (Orange?)
04' Squier Standard (black)
00' Gibson Les Paul Studio (Green)
01' Epiphone Les Paul Custom (Black)
Orange crush 20 watt
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February 3rd, 2010, 01:24 PM
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#20 (permalink)
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Senior Stratmaster
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Tuscaloosa, AL
Age: 25
Posts: 1,972
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Yeah Fender Used to offer a hardtail American Series/Standard option up until maybe 2-3 years ago, I used to have one:
__________________
1972 Fender Stratocaster
'99 Fender Custom Shop 65 NOS
1978 Gibson Les Paul Pro Deluxe
1962 Epiphone Sheraton 50th anniversary
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