Strat cosmetics - how not to look like you're trying to be Gilmour?

[TangerineDog]

I'm still not over black Strats but I struggle with the cosmetics a little.
I mean, black and maple neck immediately gets you close to Gilmour or Clapton, depending on the pickguard (and I'm partial to black).

But if you go black on black on black, does that still make you look like the gal/ guy who desperately wants to be Gilmour?

 

[Boubou]

Go with what you like

 

[davidKOS]

As long as you don't play "Comfortably Numb" you're OK.

 

[TangerineDog]

As long as you don't play "Comfortably Numb" you're OK.

Nah I'd switch to the yellow Tele for that one

 

[Thrup'ny Bit]

Who?

 

[IsaiasO]

"Whatcha talkin' 'bout, Willis?!"

 

[Riderock]

Stewart (Aka Ampcat) is thinking " C'mon man , everyone is gonna think that you desperately want to be Gilmour"

 

[knh555]

I see people everywhere trying to be Buddy Holly with that sunburst look.

 

[nickmsmith]

The average person has no idea about these things, other than that it’s also an electric guitar. So I wouldn’t worry about it too much.

 

[PhilippineStrat]

I'm still not over black Strats but I struggle with the cosmetics a little.
I mean, black and maple neck immediately gets you close to Gilmour or Clapton, depending on the pickguard (and I'm partial to black).

But if you go black on black on black, does that still make you look like the gal/ guy who desperately wants to be Gilmour?

View attachment 545854 View attachment 545853

nahh

unless you choose a more uncommon scheme, the classic combos are "taken"

White & Maple - Jimi
Cream- YJM
Black - Clapton, Gilmour
Burst- SRV, BHolly, JMayer
Red- Knopfler, Marvin
Blue- Cory Wong
Silver- Her, Morello
Purple- Prince


No one cares really

Maybe add a uniqe touch that makes it your own. Its why I did mine like this.

So no one thinks Im trying to be Hendrix/YJM/Knopfler

 

[AV59]

no

 

[EC Strat]

Do what you like man - no one really knows or cares. It’s a super cool looking axe

 

[Chont]

Gilmour's pickguard is all black not the Oreo ply so you're good.

he sucks anyway.















Disclaimer: The Gilmour sucks comment was a joke... I'm one of the biggest Gilmour psychos around.

 

[Fenderbaum]

For 100% Black Strat look, you NEED the acrylic Pickguard with beveled edges. But it costs mucho monedas and you need aged white plastic.
Most get the pickguard wrong as well as the chalk white plastic.

 

[Bongo]

as long as you don't trim down the wiggle stick yer fine

 

[Scotto9]

Gilmour's pickguard is all black not the Oreo ply so you're good.

he sucks anyway.















Disclaimer: The Gilmour sucks comment was a joke... I'm one of the biggest Gilmour psychos around.

It’s always about the fine print…

 

[Chont]

For 100% Black Strat look, you NEED the acrylic Pickguard with beveled edges. But it costs mucho monedas and you need aged white plastic.
Most get the pickguard wrong as well as the chalk white plastic.

Looks awesome... about as close as you can get to the real deal. is that yours? did you get that from OD Custom Guitar Works?

 

[Headstock]

Be different…?

Put something more unusual like, say, an anodized gold pickguard on there and then see whether you like it with black or aged white pup covers / knobs / selector tip.

The aesthetics can be whatever you want them to be. More than likely, 99% of folks will have no idea of the similarities with any given famous player; of the remaining 10%, 9% might think “oh, black strat, maple neck = Gilmore, but only a fraction of the remaining 1% will tell you that the original black strat actually a single-ply black pickguard…

(And most of those types are in here — and we all know this place is not in any way representative of the wider population!)

Swap stuff around, change it up a little, do what works for you at the time. Gilmour certainly did…!


Edit to add a couple of quick examples:

 

[Ebidis]

Does this look too much like Keef?

 

[Chont]

To avoid confusion and accusations of copying... perhaps you could go with the David Gilmore strat.