One of the greats said the guitar shouldn't be too easy to play. Jeff Beck. He was right, the Schector is too easy to play, 24 frets I love it lol. And the Jackson is right in there. I play the G and L cause it's older, action is a little higher that's all.
The most educational clip I've seen explaining the technicalities to the uninformed. Can't thank you enough. I'm an acoustic player who only recently started dabbling around with electric guitars and being a technical type I was really looking for something explaining the tech stuff. Tks sooo much....
Great video. I was blessed in the early/mid '70s to see SRV up close and personal at The Nickel Keg in San Marcos Tx and The One Knight in Austin. His hands were HUGE and he had power in them. I've never seen such an informative video before on all the variables that can effect playing and tone and comfort. Truly an education. Thanks again!
couldn't even make it to the end of the video before curiosity got the best of me, i got my ass up off the couch, got my measuring tape and measured my fret hand. 🤣
Power is knowledge. 'Overthinking' is better than 'under-thinking'... it is just a matter of making adjustments according to your personal tastes (even if it means 'dialing it back' some). This is an excellent video. It provides a basic knowledge to those that have never given much thought to "why?". It provides a better understanding of 'why' you can walk into a music store and try 10 different versions of a particular style guitar and walk away with the feeling only one was the 'perfect fit'. You have helped to explain the 'why' in all of it!
Thank you Anthony!! Been playing for a LONG time and hadn’t yet considered all these factors - which add up, especially for my love of Blues and Southern Rock! So helpful!!
Well explained. Wish someone would have done this video in the days when I was looking to put a strat together. Really, really helpful! Stay safe, dude.
Thank You! I have been playing since 1980, tried to learn TX blues in the 90's with TAB books :(. I struggled and struggled with the bends. After watching your video I bought a good quality (Warmoth with finish defect) neck with Jumbo frets and installed it on a strat style guitar. The difference is AMAZING! Yes, being able to get under the strings makes all the difference! It makes perfect sense, but no one had ever explained it to me as you did. Thank you thank you thank you. I plan to subscribe to your courses as soon as I get on my feet financially.
Thank you for the next-level advice. The bit at 28:10 or so about less output on the pickup's if you play in an aggressive style is very insightful and helpful. Thank you.
Thank you so much for all of these points. Honestly, you solved mysteries countless other channels and videos only made more obscure to me and saved me from buying Texas Specials needlessly!🥰🕺🏿
Modern C is 0.83-0.87 Early 60s C is around 0.79-0.93 (probably the normal non-modern C in non custom fenders) Mid 60s C is around 0.82-0.97 (I think thats the 'thick C') The '59 D rosewood necks are around 0.79-0.98 The american original neck should be pretty big, I believe it's comparable to the custom shop '65 neck, which is 0.875-0.98 or something like that. The fender strat neck with 1.00-1.00 dimensions is mostly used on the ancho poblano custom strat if I recall correctly... This should be a good guideline for everyone looking to buy a fender strat, I think. I bought a '62 custom shop strat with an early 60s C neck, the actual dimensions are 0.79-0.90, which is comfortable to me. :) Edit: Measurements are in inches and always 1st-12th fret.
I don’t believe it matters what style you are playing, this is a great video fo have seen! I’ve not known anyone who has put out such a dynamite video on how to choose a guitar... period. Thanks, and please continue this video with other options for playing with style! 👍
Bill Carson designed the Stratocaster for Fender. In a '91 interview he said everybody was hot for that SRV sound. He told Fender they can easily do that Just use worn out magnets..
I specifically ordered the 63 C neck on a custom Strat after feeling how well it filled in my hand for playing chords with the Hendrix “thumb over the neck” approach. It took me a while to realize thinner wasn’t necessarily better. Until it arrives, I will keep loving on my MIM Strat! It has become my go-to for my videos.
Diamond geezer, great to hear somebody who actually has an idea about what they are talking about 👍 I'm learning Texas blue as a newbie to both guitar and bass and this has saved me YEARS of trying to figure it out. Ta mate from across the pond.
Ive been playing for 44 yrs. Yikes its hard to believe. But im mostly self taught and lord knows ive wasted serious amounts of time on things that were really not needed to be a great player. I have never played with my thumb over the top. Cant do it. I couldve been better and farther along than what i am if i wouldve gotten lessons. To understand what i was doing sooner would have helped tremendously. But ive got my own style for good or bad. My strat is comfortable and made for me. Its heavy, which i like, and started out life as a Squire 2. I had the electronics gutted and the neck redone and action and intonation worked on. Im very happy with it and some who play on more expensive instruments are surprised at what a good player it is. Great vid, peace and health.
JR, when i was younger there was a brief time that i did it playing pinball wizards beginning. Anytime its played on a song i just cancel out that low E.
I remember when you first began and I actually copied your SRV Strat. I got the Graph Tech saddles & the auto trim tuning gears. The triple ply pick guard, Even went with your Zexcoils! Lol. Since then I’ve had a number of strats including a few custom shops, but I still love that SRV. The neck is just so nice! John McKenna 😎
I'm a beginner and had to say I love your channel man thank you so much for all your hard work. I grew around blues my dad played piano and our living room was were they jammed,my father has passed and I miss the watching my dad playthank God I habe some cd's of his music because I can close my eyes and see daddy play.( eyes are leaking) I got in a car crash and and now I'm disabled and in bed most of the time lot so I want to learn to play the guitar. God bless you brother
Thanks for all the input and work you have done over the years! Personally, I think this is a great place to start with achieving the srv tone/feel and is a perfect video on that. Just like to highlight as your sort of reference it's a guide and a great one at that for people to learn what works for them and adapt to there own individual characteristics. Thanks Anthony
Glad to find another Zexcoil player. I settled on them after a ton of research and ever since then the Strat I equipped with them has been my main guitar.
I started out with an epiphone less paul, went to an aria, ended up with a mexican fat strat . fellin love. Life got in the way. Didn't play for 15 years. Won a custom made steat at the onset blues festivsal. Fell in love all over again. David gurney built the strat. Quite a craftsman & luthier. Back playing again. I am 68.
The maple vs rosewood comparison and the neck profile info were very interesting to me. I have small hands and fingers - from the tip of my middle finger to the base of my hand 6.5 inches - a full inch shorter than Anthony's. For years I have had problems with guitar necks that just seem too big for me (and I like to play chords with my thumb over the top). Now I know how to evaluate neck size before I buy. Thanks again!
Incredibly informative! I knew all this stuff from being a Strat fan for years but it's always good to refresh one's knowledge. As an SRV fan and an ex-SRV Strat owner (circa '97), I always looked for the specs that similarly matched that of SRV's n˚1. In 2014 I purchased a 60th Anniversary Classic Player '50s MIM Strat (a mouthful) with a soft-V neck shape, Medium Jumbo 6130 frets, vintage Strat pickups and 9.5" fretboard radius. Not exactly what I have always envisioned as the ultimate Strat specs for the kind of music I like to play, but the selling points for me were that it was on sale for 50% off, which came up to the same MSRP in the U.S. where I live, the color which I loved, but mostly the fact that it's finished with Nitro (neck and body), which ages much better than Poly and is much thinner, hoping it allows the wood to breathe more and resonate better. The vintage pickups sounded really snappy and thin so I replaced with a set of Jazzy Cats, which sounded much better but did not produce that mid range girth I was hoping for (too scooped), great for playing in the style of John Mayer but not exactly SRV or Hendrix-esh. I realized then that the most likely culprit is most likely the maple fretboard! As far as the soft-V shape, with hand size very similar to Anthony, I always felt I was missing something, which took some time to convince myself it's just my own mental bias that's keeping me from fully contending with what I have. In comparison to my "97 SRV Strat, I would say it's fine but not ideal. Btw, I don't think the '97 SRV had an a-symmetric neck. Not sure! I also upgraded the tone and volume caps to orange drops, swapped the galvanized aluminum pickguard to a vintage mint green Nitro one and fashioned my own bone nut to make it my own. Is it ideal? Most likely not, but I would venture to say it's more than good enough for a bedroom player like myself. I'm happy!
Great stuff Anthony! I like your notes about the lower output pickups. I think amps react very differently when you start to feed in pickups that are too hot. It can completely change the personality and thin out a guitar that would otherwise sound fat and creamy... Wonderful video.
These “Texas Blues” discussions are always interesting to me because the thought process is the complete antithesis of what attracted me to the Stratocaster. The bite and sting of Buddy Guy, Rory Gallagher and guys like Hendrix, Tommy Bolin, Ron Wood, Richard Thompson; lots of bridge pickup, very rarely the neck, and even tho I’ve got big hands, I love 7.25 radius and thinner necks.
The funny thing about the bridge radius thing is that in the 60s, they only made 7.25" fingerboards (Strats) (if I recall correctly) , and I haven't heard/read about Jimi having his guitars refretted with larger frets either, so all those crazy bends and stuff, was done on a neck that many today consider "unplayable" as far as lead guitar is concerned. Funny huh? He did use the neck pickup often though, but even more important, he was on the volume knob all the time, because his Fuzz pedal was mostly always on, so he got cleans by rolling off the volume. Pete Thorn demonstrates it in one of his videos if you are aware of his channel.
Thank you for sharing this well thought out and comprehensive video. I've wondered so often about the topics you cover here and have never found a resource that fully explains the differences in neck shapes and pickups etc.. as concisely and clearly as this presentation. I appreciate the time and effort very much. Thanks!
Very useful info for sure. I have a Les Paul with a 12 in radius fretboard, and then I recently acquired a Strat with the 9.5 fretboard. I appreciate getting a look at the various options there are with fret heights, varied radius sizes, and seeing cutaway views of the different neck shapes. I had heard of most neck options, but hadn’t heard about the ‘asymmetrical’ neck. It seems like it makes sense, and would be worth trying out. I can’t bother to ‘overthink’ all the variables, but it’s just good to know what can contribute to having a ‘better fit,’ next time I’m ready to sort of shop for another guitar, and start to check some out. Aside from all that, I appreciate getting to listen to a guy who plays killer blues guitar as well as Anthony does, as he talks about why, or why not, he might prefer one neck, or fret style over another. Thanks Anthony!
The Fender Modern C is actually asymmetric and is as close to the SRV neck that you can get from Fender's current lineup without going custom shop. My hands are the same size as yours, I measured while matching the video, and I find it to be one of the most comfortable necks I have played. Second would be the Deep C which comes in really close to a 64 Strat neck and is also very similar to my PRS Silver Sky.
I've learn quite a lot on my very first Stratocaster, a black '95 Special (MIM) i bought brand new in '96; it was the HSS config w/vintage specs and a 9.5-inch radiused maple neck w/21 medium jumbo frets bolted onto a multipieced poplar body. For over 22yrs i dealt with its imperfections like getting a dark quack from a middle SC paired w/a 3.9K split humbucking outer coil (7.8K full) on 2 so i'd reconfigure both 8K SC's moving it to the neck position giving me an unStratty tone i discovered I'd keep while retaining the deep NMQ (neck/middle quack) on 4. Weeks after the 1yr warranty expired in '97, i swapped the seized low E tuner for a cheap offset tuner that held its own among the Klusonesque tuners without ever going out of tune; however I kept breaking the D B & high E strings so I put on a set of those Graphtech String Saver saddles intended for an narrow spaced import guitar and for over 18yrs i hadn't broken anymore strings but i accidentally screwed the tremolo bar in the block too far and broke the threads in it so I blocked the already decked bridge. I replaced those mismatched tuners w/a set of Tonepros improved version of Kluson Deluxe tuners and i can feel the strings vibrate more! I did a pickguard swap from black to white and the neck positioned RWRP SC was damaged when the pickup cover came off and then decided the traditional SSS loaded pickguard was the only way to go so i ordered a B&G Golden Age Alnico 5 from Stewmac; @ DC resistances (identically similar to Fender Tex-Mex pickups [6.3K bridge, 6.4 mid & 6.5 neck]) made a big difference in the mildly spicy tone i couldn't get from stock setup but then i rewired it w/CTS 250K pots, Sprague orange capacitors (0.022 middle & 0.047 neck/bridge), a CRL 5-way switch as well as new pushcloth wiring but this time i swapped the bridge & middle SC's retaining the BMQ (bridge/middle quack) with the bridge positioned RWRP & neck pickups on 4 (only to discover that unStratty tone was similar to a Fender Classic 50s Telecaster with both pickups in parallel!), but I was still missing something. I watched a few videos of the Highwood saddles and after 18 yrs of being without the original saddles I decided to put them back on after the deburring the edges that caused the strings to break, then I put on a fresh set of strings and THAT was it along w/a Graphtech Tusq XL nut, a triple string tree and a mint green pickguard; playing the blues on 5 is SOOO awesome! By the way, seven months strong and i still haven't broke a string yet! Nearly 20yrs ago i bought a pair of Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Blues pickups i wanted to put in my Strat but I wouldn't do it without a third stacked pickup so I ordered an Area 58 last summer and loaded all three stack Dimarzios in the mintguard, starting out the Area 58 in the middle position, then I moved it to the bridge and now it's currently in the neck after watching TH-cam videos demonstrating the pickup in that position which sounds very sweet and to anyone with stacked or twin railed humbuckers in their Strats, i highly recommend opening em up w/a 1-Meg volume pot. They're guaranteed to make em sound like actual single coils without the 60-cycle hum and a treble bleed cap may be needed if you don't care for a dark roll-off but apart from that I love my Strat over 25yrs later and i still haven't broken any strings yet between changing sets of em and it's been two years ago since i put my steel saddles back on!
Fantastic video, wish there was more stuff like this on TH-cam. The Les Paul guys and British Blues style players should do something like this breaking down Les Pauls and semi-hollow bodies for nailing that style. You do a great job with everything, and I can relate to what you're talking about with necks. D profile fit me the best. For years I played those modern C necks and always found them to be feeling somewhat off with my grip. It wasn't until I started playing D shape necks, I realized what it was and what a difference it made with my hand grip.
interesting when talking about the neck/profile size, my hands are the same dimensions as yours but the hand itself is smaller and fingers slightly longer. I like the boat neck and the old Jeff Beck which is about the size of the warmoth "fatback" I do a lot of thumb over ala Hendrix or SRV. I also have the Warmoth "59 Roundback" that's pushing it a little bit for me, radius 9.5" down to 7" feels good for blues and bending, compound or flatter radius not too good for me, 6115 are great frets, I was just having a discussion with someone about 6100 are too high for chording. I find lighter bodied stratocasters sound better regardless of finish or type of wood. This video made me reconsider the SRV neck. Medium to medium high output pickup are good, Zexcoils are great, Lindy Fralin and Texas Specials, SD SSL5 all work good too, Highwood saddles are great, check them out ;) . Thanks for spending the time and detailing. Appreciate all that you do, stay safe!
Hi there ! I'm play Fender for 40+ years. My favourite is a 55 whit the fat neck why I have big hands and what you did not put up is how tone increases whit big hands firm grip and big strings. Light stings on high frets is bad choice because as you did say go out of tone easy ! I never use less then 0.11-0.49 that in E tuning. For E-flat I'm use mostly 0.12-0.58 and doing so you can have high frets whit out go out of tune that's why SRV did use Dunlop 6100 and later 6150 on my 59 I'm use Dunlop 6000 super high and make big tone. The benefits is I can play a full year whit out re frets the giutar for me that a win win. Low output pickups is the key to clear tone and to get midrange up is play you amp at 10 that whill make up for it. Better use a smaller rig and go full for the tone. Thanks for the video it was a good one 👌👍Bjorn form Scandinavia Sweden 🇸🇪
My friend Ron Thompson who passed away earlier this year. Was given a guitar that was made by fender for Eric Clapton but he didn't like it so he gave it to my friend. I just wanted to share that with you. Another fine video. And maybe one day I'll be blessed with a Jimmie Vaughan signature Model Guitar. I'd really love to have the SRV model 2. Thanks again many blessings
I have a 2019 American Fender Pro Strat with rosewood fingerboard and narrow tall frets. It took awhile to get used to the frets but now I like them. Great guitar and sound.
Neck profile is a very personal preference. It’s a bit like finding comfortable shoes. I think the best way to assess neck preference is to actually play different guitars and then decide. Obviously if you have big hands you’re probably going buy a bigger neck and vice-versa. Fender offer “Deep C” on their Professional series because it suits a large number of people; it’s got a little bit of heft but I find it very comfortable. I think for fretboard radius, 9.5” is a “no brainer”. You avoid fretting out and there’s a nice balance between comfortable chord work and lead playing. I think I personally notice fretboard radius much more than neck profile. Very flat, wide fretboards are not my cup of tea at all; it feels like wrapping your fingers around a plank and is very unrefined I think. Pickups are a personal choice too. I do agree that moderate (not weak) output pickups are the best choice. I want a Strat to sound like a Strat, not some sort of compressed modern buzzy sound that high output pickups invariably deliver. Despite the opinions of all the cork sniffers out there, Fender make really great pickups. I’ve tried after market “upgrades” but honestly I go back to the Fender stuff and realise what I’ve been missing. The relatively recently introduced “V-Mod” pickups are just sensational to my ears. They chime and sing like a bell but they’ve got depth and feel bigger when you add some overdrive. The neck and middle setting (Little wing Hendrix tone) is just awesome; I can sit and noodle for hours with that. Last two things I’d say to anyone buying a Strat is fit locking tuners and set up the vibrato so that it’s floating.
Greatly appreciated. I do tend to beat the living shit out of my guitar, I don't get along well with hotter pickups. ALMOST bought a Sterling SSS guitar with Texas Specials. You changed my mind.
I always get 6105 frets. I never liked jumbo frets like the Fender Jumbos that came on my Mexican Strat. The first thing I did was sand down the baseball bat neck profile to suit my playing style. I playing all styles including what many call SRV style although my style just happened by playing the blues after listening to Jerry Garcia non-stop for several years. I listened to multiple styles but at a jam in California in 1980 or 1982 people told me I sounded like SRV. I asked them who was SRV. My Strat is Alder. It began life as a Mexican HSS Strat. It now wears a 1.650" Warmoth Warhead Modern Standard Thin. The neck was ordered with only an indexing hole. I drilled my own mounting holes and sculpted the body similarly to a Music Man Luke and 5 mounting holes. The mounting plate is 5 individual screw washers. It has Seymour Duncan vintage rails and a cool rails at the bridge. Sounds great. I play my sound and style and am.happy with it.
Awesome video! I just started playing 9 months ago, and I am an aspiring Stevie Ray Vaughan. I bought 2 strats so far, but neither is configured for Texas blues. Based on your video I have one sitting on the Fender Mod Shop website waiting to be built. Thank you so much for the advice! Looking forward to future videos to help me progress.
For me the best blues sound is an Eric Clapton with lace sensor golds that keep sustain for continuous phrasing and 9-42 gauge string for easy bending on a 9'5 radius.Just listening to is solo year's material I was sold to that sound.
edge7799 There is a demo of a 2000 Clapton Strat on Norman’s Rare Guitars recently and it sounds amazing . Lace sensor with the boost . Battery is in beside the springs .
Clapton never had a "Texas" blues sound, I know what you're saying and I do like Clapton's tone but his chain is very complex. A "Texas" blues tone is basically straight into an amp.
I hit double bends in my playing on 9.5 without any issues and low action never had issues. I'd love to know how Gilmour uses 7.25 and also doubles and 2.5 steps no fretting out. I think it's all about proper set up. Life would suck without bending . That's the emotions. Lol
My only guitar with the 7.25" rad is a '52 reissue Tele. I bend like crazy on it but it is more tiring than my Strats , which are both 9.5". I know it's limitations and the "fight" is part of the feel I expect from real old guitars, so I'm happy with it's perfectly set up , imperfections ! 😊👌
@@shaunw9270 I agree!!!! Each of my strats treat me unique in the "fight"...I think many mistake the term "fight" as being Hard to play...Nope. They have their own attitude. HahHa. Hi there. I've been buying Classic Vibes lately. I cannot lie ...I'm in love. Not sure if it's the price making me think they are so damn good and perhaps that's at least 60%, but damnit. I love strats. Still my favorite is my MIM gilmour FSR...Well they dont call it Gilmour but it's a cheaper lookalike. I scored it with pro case and that was my first electric I ever owned. Been hooked since and playing all kinds. It's a fact to my heart, I'm not able to deny that strats are just for me! I hope one day to be able to own 1...At least one USA strat. Peace guys!
@@Texasbluesalley That is so important! I believe that's what has so many beginners walking away. Love your show and Mad respect to you for being a fellow Fender and Strat representative or favor them. There is something a strat offers in my opinion that has a character forming organic nature for lack of right words. Peace.
i made my hard tail strat body out of maple and mahogany. maple for the top hog for the back. and im not talking a veneer the top is a lil over 1 inch thick same with the back. this allowed me to carve the correct contours without exposing the mahogany back. it all worked out fantastic! it sounds like a strat but bigger! the pickups are all within the 6.5k -8k range and the neck is a thick boi.with a slab Brazilian rosewood board with what wer pretty narrow low frets to start out with. after playing it for 20 yrs im starting to get into re fret territory.its a great rig to play blues on that's for sure. i could have never afforded to buy a guitar this nice. so i just made it with my bare hands and hand tools!
My perception about some subjects covered. Large frets can compensate for a thinner neck and slightly increase the treble. Higher action changes the bass response on the guitar. It sounds a little fatter. You can adjust the height of the pickup according to the amount of force you use to play. I use a lot of force on the guitar, and to make up for it I adjust the texas specials as low as I can without losing too much volume. This also affects the tone and sustain of the guitar. Grate Video.
Glad I came across your channel again. I think I started watching you back what feels like maybe 10 years ago under a different name. Great stuff. Random technical question. How did you switch between the two different views?
Great stuff but gotta in the weeds on the Jimmy Vaughan mod. Has to be top of mind. Moving the tone control from the middle PUP to the bridge is a HUGE deal. First, if you find a middle PUP rhythm quack you love this mod allows it to run wide open, with obvious impacts on your 2, 3, 4 position sounds. Second, you can run a much hotter, trebly bridge PUP confident that you have a tone pot to help tame it. IMHO you have to try the mod to fully understand the range of options you have with any given Strat.
My hand size is exactly like yours, size wise, and I just purchased a Fender American professional Strat. It has the "Deep C" maple neck, and I love it.
You can stop strings from breaking if you take a small piece of heat shrink tubing and slide it down half way into the hole of your bridge. I used to break strings all the time, now that i do this I haven’t in a very long time. It also allows you to maintain that classic strat look ;)
The reason why strings break at the saddle is because the strings dug a channel into the saddle and are pivoting on one point and that then stresses the metal and string breaks. Normal non-etched saddle allows the string to vibrate over longer span of the string thus reducing stress.
My SRV has the best growl and most comfortable neck, the the Don Grosh is by far the best sounding and playing. I wish I could combine them. If put slightly hotter pickups in the Grosh it would probably be my number one.
So your theory about the pickups is really brilliant and makes a lot of sense. As someone who hasn't ever had forearms like popeye even when she was playing on the daily in music school and likely never will, I confess that I absolutely favor hotter pickups. Heck, I recently soldered in a set of p90s for my Les Paul to replace some lower output humbuckers and it just really hit that sweet spot for me. *Chef's Kiss* There's nothing inherently wrong with hot pickups or being unable to physically wreck a guitar (though I always have wanted to it's not something I can accomplish, I'll raise my glass to ya lads, lasses and theydys that can do so) so be sure not to chase the wrong idea here, dear viewers. The takeaway on the pickups should be to really understand your own playing style and your physicality and then adjust your guitar to your playing style (don't forget about pots and caps!).
Great informative vid, cheers! Whilst the tone wood debate will go forever, but I think too many people get caught up in it. From an acoustic point of view, 100% agree it makes a difference. When comparing say a mahogany compared to an alder body. There is a difference. But for me, once you start colouring your sound with different electronics like pedals etc, it's debatable. E.g. you can make a Tele sound like a Les Paul in my view. All tone related debates are subjective and based on individual hearing, preference etc. So not knocking anyone on the other end of this debate.
Yeah. Personally, I think that the components that are a part of the circuit is the most important part of your tone (ie pickups, capacitors, pots etc) , since it is an ELECTRIC guitar after all. I couldn't hear a difference between a Strat/Tele with a humbucker and a LP going through an overdriven amp.
I bought an SRV about 7 years ago, been in box basically since, I just somehow dont like it. Was gonna sell it to get the new Original 60s Strat, played one and loved it. Watched this video, to try understand things, your hands are 1cm smaller than mine, play the same way (but you play better) yet why why why cant I like this guitar. Got a proper pro to set it up, now liking it, will see how I go next few weeks. I wonder how the SRV would go side by side with the American Original 60s model, what do you think.
I owned a strat with the warmoth fatback profile like you’re talking about. You’re right hand fatigue was more present with that. I also bought a warmoth neck with the boatneck profile and that is still 1” thick but has a taper on the sides of the neck. Much more comfortable and that’s my perfect fit and my main guitar.
With all the references to Warmoth and guitar tech set-up, fretwork, nuts, etc., it’s odd that the only options you seem to focus on are Fender Strats. Is a “Texas Blues Strat” necessarily a 100% Fender Strat? Is buying a used Fender Strat (as you’ve done) and fitting it with aftermarket components - neck (with far more choices - tuners, profile, radius, nut, fretwire), pickups, bridge saddles somehow out of scope here? The beauty of Fender guitars is that these can easily be customized to your needs. Warmoth’s boatneck guitar neck profile happens to be the most comfortable I’ve found for my hands (avg size, long fingers) and playing (blues). Unfortunately, no commercial guitars - apart from a Nash Strat perhaps - offer this an an option.
Im a huge Jimi/SRV fan. However, I play a 50’s spec 7.25” radius, maple neck, vintage fret Strat, v neck. Quite the opposite of what you suggested, but I make it work! I do however have low output pickups.
I just don't think it needs to be this difficult. All the blues greats played off the shelf or junk guitars that they tweaked to taste. I do think that we are incredibly blessed to have all the choices we have - affluenenza is a good virus to suffer from.
The Warmoth Clapton neck is a pretty pronounced V, I have one. The fat back slows me down a bit and makes me work more on melody in playing. It is indeed a real chunk of timber. Boat Neck is like a trimmed down fat back, very comfortable to me. I like your recommendation for the SRV shape. Warmoth and others make these various profiles and some other makers allow more custom settings for thickness. For pickups Klein Epic '59's are really tough to beat. Textured, rich, and not timid. Thanks man for this video and its great to see you online.
I have an actual 1959 Stratocaster and just had new frets put on it and went with 6100s. I generally play 10-52 or 11-56 gauge strings and have not had any issues with chords or anything else. Maybe if you play 9s and if you do jumbo frets aren’t for you anyways. It had a refret with 6115s right before I bought it and I ate through them in under 4 years. I found my accuracy wasn’t as good with the smaller frets and made me focus more on the fretboard than I’d need to having a bigger fret wire. Easy tip is light strings, small frets and heavier strings, bigger frets.
That's why i have replaced my neck for a custom made with compound radius. That was not exactly cheap but absolutely worthwhile. You would probably not find a standard neck that really fits your needs.
Man you nailed it with the medium jumbo fender uses. I hate i cannot bend without worry of occasionally losing the grip of the string. Slides out. Mine are like new and I have this issue. But on my Squier 60s cv has medium tall. They are almost perfect. I am thinking the hb fusion I have has jumbo frets nice and stainless steel and tall. Makes me want all my guitars re fretted to SS same size. I love bending and its most what I play. Awesome video man.
The part about fret size and ease of bending blew my mind. Makes perfect sense.
“How you feel effects how you play”
That’s the main thing you said.
No one else will know how it feels except for you!
Good video. Very educational.
One of the greats said the guitar shouldn't be too easy to play. Jeff Beck. He was right, the Schector is too easy to play, 24 frets I love it lol. And the Jackson is right in there. I play the G and L cause it's older, action is a little higher that's all.
The most educational clip I've seen explaining the technicalities to the uninformed. Can't thank you enough. I'm an acoustic player who only recently started dabbling around with electric guitars and being a technical type I was really looking for something explaining the tech stuff. Tks sooo much....
Playing Since the 70s, and I still pick up a lot of tips from what you have to share. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us all!
Great video. I was blessed in the early/mid '70s to see SRV up close and personal at The Nickel Keg in San Marcos Tx and The One Knight in Austin. His hands were HUGE and he had power in them. I've never seen such an informative video before on all the variables that can effect playing and tone and comfort. Truly an education. Thanks again!
couldn't even make it to the end of the video before curiosity got the best of me, i got my ass up off the couch, got my measuring tape and measured my fret hand. 🤣
Power is knowledge. 'Overthinking' is better than 'under-thinking'... it is just a matter of making adjustments according to your personal tastes (even if it means 'dialing it back' some).
This is an excellent video. It provides a basic knowledge to those that have never given much thought to "why?". It provides a better understanding of 'why' you can walk into a music store and try 10 different versions of a particular style guitar and walk away with the feeling only one was the 'perfect fit'. You have helped to explain the 'why' in all of it!
Thanks Anthony for taking the time to create this lesson , I found it really interesting & useful
Thank you Anthony!! Been playing for a LONG time and hadn’t yet considered all these factors - which add up, especially for my love of Blues and Southern Rock! So helpful!!
Well explained. Wish someone would have done this video in the days when I was looking to put a strat together. Really, really helpful! Stay safe, dude.
Thank You! I have been playing since 1980, tried to learn TX blues in the 90's with TAB books :(. I struggled and struggled with the bends. After watching your video I bought a good quality (Warmoth with finish defect) neck with Jumbo frets and installed it on a strat style guitar. The difference is AMAZING! Yes, being able to get under the strings makes all the difference! It makes perfect sense, but no one had ever explained it to me as you did. Thank you thank you thank you. I plan to subscribe to your courses as soon as I get on my feet financially.
Thank you for the next-level advice. The bit at 28:10 or so about less output on the pickup's if you play in an aggressive style is very insightful and helpful. Thank you.
Thank you so much for all of these points. Honestly, you solved mysteries countless other channels and videos only made more obscure to me and saved me from buying Texas Specials needlessly!🥰🕺🏿
Modern C is 0.83-0.87
Early 60s C is around 0.79-0.93 (probably the normal non-modern C in non custom fenders)
Mid 60s C is around 0.82-0.97 (I think thats the 'thick C')
The '59 D rosewood necks are around 0.79-0.98
The american original neck should be pretty big, I believe it's comparable to the custom shop '65 neck, which is 0.875-0.98 or something like that.
The fender strat neck with 1.00-1.00 dimensions is mostly used on the ancho poblano custom strat if I recall correctly...
This should be a good guideline for everyone looking to buy a fender strat, I think. I bought a '62 custom shop strat with an early 60s C neck, the actual dimensions are 0.79-0.90, which is comfortable to me. :)
Edit: Measurements are in inches and always 1st-12th fret.
Hi if you look on my 1955 and 1956 strat you find what they call the ball neck who is 0.99
I don’t believe it matters what style you are playing, this is a great video fo have seen! I’ve not known anyone who has put out such a dynamite video on how to choose a guitar... period. Thanks, and please continue this video with other options for playing with style! 👍
Bill Carson designed the Stratocaster for Fender. In a '91 interview he said everybody was hot for that SRV sound. He told Fender they can easily do that Just use worn out magnets..
Thanks really appreciate this video even though I’ve already bought my strats. Love hearing guitarist talk about blues and guitars.
I specifically ordered the 63 C neck on a custom Strat after feeling how well it filled in my hand for playing chords with the Hendrix “thumb over the neck” approach. It took me a while to realize thinner wasn’t necessarily better. Until it arrives, I will keep loving on my MIM Strat! It has become my go-to for my videos.
Jimis fingers were like a foot long.
Diamond geezer, great to hear somebody who actually has an idea about what they are talking about 👍 I'm learning Texas blue as a newbie to both guitar and bass and this has saved me YEARS of trying to figure it out.
Ta mate from across the pond.
Ive been playing for 44 yrs. Yikes its hard to believe. But im mostly self taught and lord knows ive wasted serious amounts of time on things that were really not needed to be a great player. I have never played with my thumb over the top. Cant do it. I couldve been better and farther along than what i am if i wouldve gotten lessons. To understand what i was doing sooner would have helped tremendously. But ive got my own style for good or bad. My strat is comfortable and made for me. Its heavy, which i like, and started out life as a Squire 2. I had the electronics gutted and the neck redone and action and intonation worked on. Im very happy with it and some who play on more expensive instruments are surprised at what a good player it is. Great vid, peace and health.
Nick Jimenez well when you don’t put your thumb over your neck you can’t play notes at the same times as chords.
JR, when i was younger there was a brief time that i did it playing pinball wizards beginning. Anytime its played on a song i just cancel out that low E.
Very important points, especially for us mere mortals who aren't born with natural talent. Your points were taken to heart, sir!
I remember when you first began and I actually copied your SRV Strat. I got the Graph Tech saddles & the auto trim tuning gears. The triple ply pick guard, Even went with your Zexcoils! Lol. Since then I’ve had a number of strats including a few custom shops, but I still love that SRV. The neck is just so nice!
John McKenna 😎
I'm a beginner and had to say I love your channel man thank you so much for all your hard work.
I grew around blues my dad played piano and our living room was were they jammed,my father has passed and I miss the watching my dad playthank God I habe some cd's of his music because I can close my eyes and see daddy play.( eyes are leaking)
I got in a car crash and and now I'm disabled and in bed most of the time lot so I want to learn to play the guitar.
God bless you brother
Here from Brazil, a big hug to everyone!
You too
Thanks for all the input and work you have done over the years! Personally, I think this is a great place to start with achieving the srv tone/feel and is a perfect video on that. Just like to highlight as your sort of reference it's a guide and a great one at that for people to learn what works for them and adapt to there own individual characteristics. Thanks Anthony
Glad to find another Zexcoil player. I settled on them after a ton of research and ever since then the Strat I equipped with them has been my main guitar.
I started out with an epiphone less paul, went to an aria, ended up with a mexican fat strat . fellin love. Life got in the way. Didn't play for 15 years. Won a custom made steat at the onset blues festivsal. Fell in love all over again. David gurney built the strat. Quite a craftsman & luthier. Back playing again. I am 68.
So true on the neck, I have a 56 'reissue gold top LP, you start out loving it, but after an hour it feels like holding on to the edge of a cliff.
The maple vs rosewood comparison and the neck profile info were very interesting to me. I have small hands and fingers - from the tip of my middle finger to the base of my hand 6.5 inches - a full inch shorter than Anthony's. For years I have had problems with guitar necks that just seem too big for me (and I like to play chords with my thumb over the top). Now I know how to evaluate neck size before I buy. Thanks again!
Incredibly informative! I knew all this stuff from being a Strat fan for years but it's always good to refresh one's knowledge. As an SRV fan and an ex-SRV Strat owner (circa '97), I always looked for the specs that similarly matched that of SRV's n˚1. In 2014 I purchased a 60th Anniversary Classic Player '50s MIM Strat (a mouthful) with a soft-V neck shape, Medium Jumbo 6130 frets, vintage Strat pickups and 9.5" fretboard radius. Not exactly what I have always envisioned as the ultimate Strat specs for the kind of music I like to play, but the selling points for me were that it was on sale for 50% off, which came up to the same MSRP in the U.S. where I live, the color which I loved, but mostly the fact that it's finished with Nitro (neck and body), which ages much better than Poly and is much thinner, hoping it allows the wood to breathe more and resonate better. The vintage pickups sounded really snappy and thin so I replaced with a set of Jazzy Cats, which sounded much better but did not produce that mid range girth I was hoping for (too scooped), great for playing in the style of John Mayer but not exactly SRV or Hendrix-esh. I realized then that the most likely culprit is most likely the maple fretboard! As far as the soft-V shape, with hand size very similar to Anthony, I always felt I was missing something, which took some time to convince myself it's just my own mental bias that's keeping me from fully contending with what I have. In comparison to my "97 SRV Strat, I would say it's fine but not ideal. Btw, I don't think the '97 SRV had an a-symmetric neck. Not sure! I also upgraded the tone and volume caps to orange drops, swapped the galvanized aluminum pickguard to a vintage mint green Nitro one and fashioned my own bone nut to make it my own. Is it ideal? Most likely not, but I would venture to say it's more than good enough for a bedroom player like myself. I'm happy!
Great stuff Anthony! I like your notes about the lower output pickups. I think amps react very differently when you start to feed in pickups that are too hot. It can completely change the personality and thin out a guitar that would otherwise sound fat and creamy... Wonderful video.
These “Texas Blues” discussions are always interesting to me because the thought process is the complete antithesis of what attracted me to the Stratocaster. The bite and sting of Buddy Guy, Rory Gallagher and guys like Hendrix, Tommy Bolin, Ron Wood, Richard Thompson; lots of bridge pickup, very rarely the neck, and even tho I’ve got big hands, I love 7.25 radius and thinner necks.
The funny thing about the bridge radius thing is that in the 60s, they only made 7.25" fingerboards (Strats) (if I recall correctly) , and I haven't heard/read about Jimi having his guitars refretted with larger frets either, so all those crazy bends and stuff, was done on a neck that many today consider "unplayable" as far as lead guitar is concerned. Funny huh? He did use the neck pickup often though, but even more important, he was on the volume knob all the time, because his Fuzz pedal was mostly always on, so he got cleans by rolling off the volume. Pete Thorn demonstrates it in one of his videos if you are aware of his channel.
This video was a huge help in my search for a CS strat with the perfect specs for my hands. Thanks man!
Thank you for sharing this well thought out and comprehensive video. I've wondered so often about the topics you cover here and have never found a resource that fully explains the differences in neck shapes and pickups etc.. as concisely and clearly as this presentation. I appreciate the time and effort very much. Thanks!
Anthony, thanks for breaking it down. Excellent explanation of a complicated subject.
Very useful info for sure. I have a Les Paul with a 12 in radius fretboard, and then I recently acquired a Strat with the 9.5 fretboard. I appreciate getting a look at the various options there are with fret heights, varied radius sizes, and seeing cutaway views of the different neck shapes. I had heard of most neck options, but hadn’t heard about the ‘asymmetrical’ neck. It seems like it makes sense, and would be worth trying out. I can’t bother to ‘overthink’ all the variables, but it’s just good to know what can contribute to having a ‘better fit,’ next time I’m ready to sort of shop for another guitar, and start to check some out.
Aside from all that, I appreciate getting to listen to a guy who plays killer blues guitar as well as Anthony does, as he talks about why, or why not, he might prefer one neck, or fret style over another. Thanks Anthony!
The Fender Modern C is actually asymmetric and is as close to the SRV neck that you can get from Fender's current lineup without going custom shop. My hands are the same size as yours, I measured while matching the video, and I find it to be one of the most comfortable necks I have played. Second would be the Deep C which comes in really close to a 64 Strat neck and is also very similar to my PRS Silver Sky.
Is that the new USA professional Strats you are talking about
Wooow, for me one of the best Strat-Videos. I´ve got 3 of them, each diferent. You´re so right. Fender and Warmoth shoud pay you. :)
One of the best buying guides ever
Wow, nice point about bending on the tall frets, eye-opening, thank You sir.
I've learn quite a lot on my very first Stratocaster, a black '95 Special (MIM) i bought brand new in '96; it was the HSS config w/vintage specs and a 9.5-inch radiused maple neck w/21 medium jumbo frets bolted onto a multipieced poplar body.
For over 22yrs i dealt with its imperfections like getting a dark quack from a middle SC paired w/a 3.9K split humbucking outer coil (7.8K full) on 2 so i'd reconfigure both 8K SC's moving it to the neck position giving me an unStratty tone i discovered I'd keep while retaining the deep NMQ (neck/middle quack) on 4.
Weeks after the 1yr warranty expired in '97, i swapped the seized low E tuner for a cheap offset tuner that held its own among the Klusonesque tuners without ever going out of tune; however I kept breaking the D B & high E strings so I put on a set of those Graphtech String Saver saddles intended for an narrow spaced import guitar and for over 18yrs i hadn't broken anymore strings but i accidentally screwed the tremolo bar in the block too far and broke the threads in it so I blocked the already decked bridge. I replaced those mismatched tuners w/a set of Tonepros improved version of Kluson Deluxe tuners and i can feel the strings vibrate more!
I did a pickguard swap from black to white and the neck positioned RWRP SC was damaged when the pickup cover came off and then decided the traditional SSS loaded pickguard was the only way to go so i ordered a B&G Golden Age Alnico 5 from Stewmac; @ DC resistances (identically similar to Fender Tex-Mex pickups [6.3K bridge, 6.4 mid & 6.5 neck]) made a big difference in the mildly spicy tone i couldn't get from stock setup but then i rewired it w/CTS 250K pots, Sprague orange capacitors (0.022 middle & 0.047 neck/bridge), a CRL 5-way switch as well as new pushcloth wiring but this time i swapped the bridge & middle SC's retaining the BMQ (bridge/middle quack) with the bridge positioned RWRP & neck pickups on 4 (only to discover that unStratty tone was similar to a Fender Classic 50s Telecaster with both pickups in parallel!), but I was still missing something.
I watched a few videos of the Highwood saddles and after 18 yrs of being without the original saddles I decided to put them back on after the deburring the edges that caused the strings to break, then I put on a fresh set of strings and THAT was it along w/a Graphtech Tusq XL nut, a triple string tree and a mint green pickguard; playing the blues on 5 is SOOO awesome! By the way, seven months strong and i still haven't broke a string yet!
Nearly 20yrs ago i bought a pair of Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Blues pickups i wanted to put in my Strat but I wouldn't do it without a third stacked pickup so I ordered an Area 58 last summer and loaded all three stack Dimarzios in the mintguard, starting out the Area 58 in the middle position, then I moved it to the bridge and now it's currently in the neck after watching TH-cam videos demonstrating the pickup in that position which sounds very sweet and to anyone with stacked or twin railed humbuckers in their Strats, i highly recommend opening em up w/a 1-Meg volume pot. They're guaranteed to make em sound like actual single coils without the 60-cycle hum and a treble bleed cap may be needed if you don't care for a dark roll-off but apart from that I love my Strat over 25yrs later and i still haven't broken any strings yet between changing sets of em and it's been two years ago since i put my steel saddles back on!
Fantastic video, wish there was more stuff like this on TH-cam. The Les Paul guys and British Blues style players should do something like this breaking down Les Pauls and semi-hollow bodies for nailing that style. You do a great job with everything, and I can relate to what you're talking about with necks. D profile fit me the best. For years I played those modern C necks and always found them to be feeling somewhat off with my grip. It wasn't until I started playing D shape necks, I realized what it was and what a difference it made with my hand grip.
interesting when talking about the neck/profile size, my hands are the same dimensions as yours but the hand itself is smaller and fingers slightly longer. I like the boat neck and the old Jeff Beck which is about the size of the warmoth "fatback" I do a lot of thumb over ala Hendrix or SRV. I also have the Warmoth "59 Roundback" that's pushing it a little bit for me, radius 9.5" down to 7" feels good for blues and bending, compound or flatter radius not too good for me, 6115 are great frets, I was just having a discussion with someone about 6100 are too high for chording. I find lighter bodied stratocasters sound better regardless of finish or type of wood. This video made me reconsider the SRV neck. Medium to medium high output pickup are good, Zexcoils are great, Lindy Fralin and Texas Specials, SD SSL5 all work good too, Highwood saddles are great, check them out ;) . Thanks for spending the time and detailing. Appreciate all that you do, stay safe!
Hi there !
I'm play Fender for 40+ years. My favourite is a 55 whit the fat neck why I have big hands and what you did not put up is how tone increases whit big hands firm grip and big strings. Light stings on high frets is bad choice because as you did say go out of tone easy ! I never use less then 0.11-0.49 that in E tuning. For E-flat I'm use mostly 0.12-0.58 and doing so you can have high frets whit out go out of tune that's why SRV did use Dunlop 6100 and later 6150 on my 59 I'm use Dunlop 6000 super high and make big tone. The benefits is I can play a full year whit out re frets the giutar for me that a win win. Low output pickups is the key to clear tone and to get midrange up is play you amp at 10 that whill make up for it. Better use a smaller rig and go full for the tone. Thanks for the video it was a good one 👌👍Bjorn form Scandinavia Sweden 🇸🇪
My friend Ron Thompson who passed away earlier this year. Was given a guitar that was made by fender for Eric Clapton but he didn't like it so he gave it to my friend. I just wanted to share that with you. Another fine video. And maybe one day I'll be blessed with a Jimmie Vaughan signature Model Guitar. I'd really love to have the SRV model 2. Thanks again many blessings
I have a 2019 American Fender Pro Strat with rosewood fingerboard and narrow tall frets. It took awhile to get used to the frets but now I like them. Great guitar and sound.
Neck profile is a very personal preference. It’s a bit like finding comfortable shoes. I think the best way to assess neck preference is to actually play different guitars and then decide. Obviously if you have big hands you’re probably going buy a bigger neck and vice-versa. Fender offer “Deep C” on their Professional series because it suits a large number of people; it’s got a little bit of heft but I find it very comfortable. I think for fretboard radius, 9.5” is a “no brainer”. You avoid fretting out and there’s a nice balance between comfortable chord work and lead playing. I think I personally notice fretboard radius much more than neck profile. Very flat, wide fretboards are not my cup of tea at all; it feels like wrapping your fingers around a plank and is very unrefined I think. Pickups are a personal choice too. I do agree that moderate (not weak) output pickups are the best choice. I want a Strat to sound like a Strat, not some sort of compressed modern buzzy sound that high output pickups invariably deliver. Despite the opinions of all the cork sniffers out there, Fender make really great pickups. I’ve tried after market “upgrades” but honestly I go back to the Fender stuff and realise what I’ve been missing. The relatively recently introduced “V-Mod” pickups are just sensational to my ears. They chime and sing like a bell but they’ve got depth and feel bigger when you add some overdrive. The neck and middle setting (Little wing Hendrix tone) is just awesome; I can sit and noodle for hours with that. Last two things I’d say to anyone buying a Strat is fit locking tuners and set up the vibrato so that it’s floating.
Greatly appreciated. I do tend to beat the living shit out of my guitar, I don't get along well with hotter pickups. ALMOST bought a Sterling SSS guitar with Texas Specials. You changed my mind.
Took me a while to realize that my heavy attack, heavy strings, thick pick and overwound pickups were a bad combination.
Brilliant. I learned so much about my SRV Strat watching this. Awesome video man!!!
GOODNESS(!) this is simply THE BALLS!!!! I'm a believer!
I agree with your opinion about Texas Special pick ups....for people who want to sound like SRV, but can't play like him!
70s les paul deluxes used to be 'home' for me. These days, mid 70s rosewood board telecaster are what I am using.
Whoa, I just want a Strat 😁 A very nice guide through the specs, thanks 😁
I always get 6105 frets. I never liked jumbo frets like the Fender Jumbos that came on my Mexican Strat. The first thing I did was sand down the baseball bat neck profile to suit my playing style. I playing all styles including what many call SRV style although my style just happened by playing the blues after listening to Jerry Garcia non-stop for several years. I listened to multiple styles but at a jam in California in 1980 or 1982 people told me I sounded like SRV. I asked them who was SRV. My Strat is Alder. It began life as a Mexican HSS Strat. It now wears a 1.650" Warmoth Warhead Modern Standard Thin. The neck was ordered with only an indexing hole. I drilled my own mounting holes and sculpted the body similarly to a Music Man Luke and 5 mounting holes. The mounting plate is 5 individual screw washers. It has Seymour Duncan vintage rails and a cool rails at the bridge. Sounds great. I play my sound and style and am.happy with it.
Excellent video. Thanks for breaking it all down.
A fantastic video on buying a strat. Certainly given me reasons to rethink what I am looking for. Yes, I too measured my hand.
Thanks for sharing 🤠🎸
Mate, your videos are really interesting and its great that you take so much attention and love to this issues. cheers
Awesome video! I just started playing 9 months ago, and I am an aspiring Stevie Ray Vaughan. I bought 2 strats so far, but neither is configured for Texas blues. Based on your video I have one sitting on the Fender Mod Shop website waiting to be built. Thank you so much for the advice! Looking forward to future videos to help me progress.
This was a thorough and informative video. Thanks for sharing it. I really enjoyed it.
For me the best blues sound is an Eric Clapton with lace sensor golds that keep sustain for continuous phrasing and 9-42 gauge string for easy bending on a 9'5 radius.Just listening to is solo year's material I was sold to that sound.
edge7799 There is a demo of a 2000 Clapton Strat on Norman’s Rare Guitars recently and it sounds amazing . Lace sensor with the boost . Battery is in beside the springs .
Clapton never had a "Texas" blues sound, I know what you're saying and I do like Clapton's tone but his chain is very complex. A "Texas" blues tone is basically straight into an amp.
I ve got an lace-sensor-EC and and a noiseless-EC. Still i m indiferent, which is the best....
I hit double bends in my playing on 9.5 without any issues and low action never had issues. I'd love to know how Gilmour uses 7.25 and also doubles and 2.5 steps no fretting out. I think it's all about proper set up. Life would suck without bending . That's the emotions. Lol
Proper setup is key.
My only guitar with the 7.25" rad is a '52 reissue Tele. I bend like crazy on it but it is more tiring than my Strats , which are both 9.5". I know it's limitations and the "fight" is part of the feel I expect from real old guitars, so I'm happy with it's perfectly set up , imperfections ! 😊👌
@@shaunw9270 I agree!!!! Each of my strats treat me unique in the "fight"...I think many mistake the term "fight" as being Hard to play...Nope. They have their own attitude. HahHa. Hi there. I've been buying Classic Vibes lately. I cannot lie ...I'm in love. Not sure if it's the price making me think they are so damn good and perhaps that's at least 60%, but damnit. I love strats. Still my favorite is my MIM gilmour FSR...Well they dont call it Gilmour but it's a cheaper lookalike. I scored it with pro case and that was my first electric I ever owned. Been hooked since and playing all kinds. It's a fact to my heart, I'm not able to deny that strats are just for me! I hope one day to be able to own 1...At least one USA strat. Peace guys!
@@Texasbluesalley That is so important! I believe that's what has so many beginners walking away. Love your show and Mad respect to you for being a fellow Fender and Strat representative or favor them. There is something a strat offers in my opinion that has a character forming organic nature for lack of right words. Peace.
I'm willing to bet that Gilmour barely touches the strings when he plays.
Excellent video, particularly the information on neck profiles.
i made my hard tail strat body out of maple and mahogany. maple for the top hog for the back. and im not talking a veneer the top is a lil over 1 inch thick same with the back. this allowed me to carve the correct contours without exposing the mahogany back. it all worked out fantastic! it sounds like a strat but bigger! the pickups are all within the 6.5k -8k range and the neck is a thick boi.with a slab Brazilian rosewood board with what wer pretty narrow low frets to start out with. after playing it for 20 yrs im starting to get into re fret territory.its a great rig to play blues on that's for sure. i could have never afforded to buy a guitar this nice. so i just made it with my bare hands and hand tools!
My perception about some subjects covered.
Large frets can compensate for a thinner neck and slightly increase the treble.
Higher action changes the bass response on the guitar. It sounds a little fatter.
You can adjust the height of the pickup according to the amount of force you use to play. I use a lot of force on the guitar, and to make up for it I adjust the texas specials as low as I can without losing too much volume. This also affects the tone and sustain of the guitar.
Grate Video.
Such a great video Anthony!!!! A lot of great sensible info here!!!!
Glad I came across your channel again. I think I started watching you back what feels like maybe 10 years ago under a different name. Great stuff. Random technical question. How did you switch between the two different views?
Great stuff but gotta in the weeds on the Jimmy Vaughan mod. Has to be top of mind. Moving the tone control from the middle PUP to the bridge is a HUGE deal. First, if you find a middle PUP rhythm quack you love this mod allows it to run wide open, with obvious impacts on your 2, 3, 4 position sounds. Second, you can run a much hotter, trebly bridge PUP confident that you have a tone pot to help tame it. IMHO you have to try the mod to fully understand the range of options you have with any given Strat.
Man you've explained stuff I didnt know I needed to hear.....Subbed for life!
I have a 2012 Fender American Vintage 56 Stratocaster with 2-tone sunburst, 7.25 radius fat neck and it's magical.
Great vid with lots of hints and explanations!
Thank you very much for sharing.
My hand size is exactly like yours, size wise, and I just purchased a Fender American professional Strat.
It has the "Deep C" maple neck, and I love it.
The new Fender Deep C that the Professional II has is really nice.
You can stop strings from breaking if you take a small piece of heat shrink tubing and slide it down half way into the hole of your bridge. I used to break strings all the time, now that i do this I haven’t in a very long time. It also allows you to maintain that classic strat look ;)
The reason why strings break at the saddle is because the strings dug a channel into the saddle and are pivoting on one point and that then stresses the metal and string breaks. Normal non-etched saddle allows the string to vibrate over longer span of the string thus reducing stress.
Cool ! This video couldn't come at a better time. Just deciding on which Strat to buy. Thanks
My SRV has the best growl and most comfortable neck, the the Don Grosh is by far the best sounding and playing. I wish I could combine them. If put slightly hotter pickups in the Grosh it would probably be my number one.
So your theory about the pickups is really brilliant and makes a lot of sense. As someone who hasn't ever had forearms like popeye even when she was playing on the daily in music school and likely never will, I confess that I absolutely favor hotter pickups.
Heck, I recently soldered in a set of p90s for my Les Paul to replace some lower output humbuckers and it just really hit that sweet spot for me. *Chef's Kiss*
There's nothing inherently wrong with hot pickups or being unable to physically wreck a guitar (though I always have wanted to it's not something I can accomplish, I'll raise my glass to ya lads, lasses and theydys that can do so) so be sure not to chase the wrong idea here, dear viewers.
The takeaway on the pickups should be to really understand your own playing style and your physicality and then adjust your guitar to your playing style (don't forget about pots and caps!).
Great informative vid, cheers! Whilst the tone wood debate will go forever, but I think too many people get caught up in it. From an acoustic point of view, 100% agree it makes a difference. When comparing say a mahogany compared to an alder body. There is a difference. But for me, once you start colouring your sound with different electronics like pedals etc, it's debatable. E.g. you can make a Tele sound like a Les Paul in my view. All tone related debates are subjective and based on individual hearing, preference etc. So not knocking anyone on the other end of this debate.
Yeah. Personally, I think that the components that are a part of the circuit is the most important part of your tone (ie pickups, capacitors, pots etc) , since it is an ELECTRIC guitar after all. I couldn't hear a difference between a Strat/Tele with a humbucker and a LP going through an overdriven amp.
just got my stratocaster brutally worked on to fit the lefty tremolo 👍definitely worth it
I bought an SRV about 7 years ago, been in box basically since, I just somehow dont like it. Was gonna sell it to get the new Original 60s Strat, played one and loved it. Watched this video, to try understand things, your hands are 1cm smaller than mine, play the same way (but you play better) yet why why why cant I like this guitar. Got a proper pro to set it up, now liking it, will see how I go next few weeks. I wonder how the SRV would go side by side with the American Original 60s model, what do you think.
I've been contemplating replacing my neck pickup with either the Tex Mex or Texas Specials. This helped me decide, thanks!
I owned a strat with the warmoth fatback profile like you’re talking about. You’re right hand fatigue was more present with that. I also bought a warmoth neck with the boatneck profile and that is still 1” thick but has a taper on the sides of the neck. Much more comfortable and that’s my perfect fit and my main guitar.
I play with soft v, EC strat and love it. I wish music stores would carry samples of different necks, and know exactly which ones they are.
Excellent discussion. I learned a lot.
With all the references to Warmoth and guitar tech set-up, fretwork, nuts, etc., it’s odd that the only options you seem to focus on are Fender Strats. Is a “Texas Blues Strat” necessarily a 100% Fender Strat? Is buying a used Fender Strat (as you’ve done) and fitting it with aftermarket components - neck (with far more choices - tuners, profile, radius, nut, fretwire), pickups, bridge saddles somehow out of scope here? The beauty of Fender guitars is that these can easily be customized to your needs. Warmoth’s boatneck guitar neck profile happens to be the most comfortable I’ve found for my hands (avg size, long fingers) and playing (blues). Unfortunately, no commercial guitars - apart from a Nash Strat perhaps - offer this an an option.
I’ve got about 10 different strats on my list. Now, thanks to this video, I can narrow that list!
Vintera 50s modified is about the best bang for the buck right now.
Just upgraded my MIM with Kent Armstrong SSS medium output, the Gilmour mod and Mallory volume pot......and it is a real beast now, unbelievable 😳
Im a huge Jimi/SRV fan. However, I play a 50’s spec 7.25” radius, maple neck, vintage fret Strat, v neck. Quite the opposite of what you suggested, but I make it work! I do however have low output pickups.
Lots of wisdom in this video. Thanks!
So so interesting and produced ! Well done 👍....love it ...even if I know my neck shape ! Awesome video. Kind regards from France 🇫🇷
amazing video Mr.! Super clear. Thank you.
I just don't think it needs to be this difficult. All the blues greats played off the shelf or junk guitars that they tweaked to taste. I do think that we are incredibly blessed to have all the choices we have - affluenenza is a good virus to suffer from.
True dat. I think there's something to be said about YOU adapting to the GUITAR as opposed to vice versa.
Agreed here
Nonetheless, interesting video
We have too many choices
PS this guys an engineer, so what do you expect!?
The Warmoth Clapton neck is a pretty pronounced V, I have one. The fat back slows me down a bit and makes me work more on melody in playing. It is indeed a real chunk of timber. Boat Neck is like a trimmed down fat back, very comfortable to me. I like your recommendation for the SRV shape. Warmoth and others make these various profiles and some other makers allow more custom settings for thickness. For pickups Klein Epic '59's are really tough to beat. Textured, rich, and not timid. Thanks man for this video and its great to see you online.
Another great helpful video Anthony thanks again!!
Great video Anthony! Representing Berks county PA here!
I have an actual 1959 Stratocaster and just had new frets put on it and went with 6100s. I generally play 10-52 or 11-56 gauge strings and have not had any issues with chords or anything else. Maybe if you play 9s and if you do jumbo frets aren’t for you anyways. It had a refret with 6115s right before I bought it and I ate through them in under 4 years. I found my accuracy wasn’t as good with the smaller frets and made me focus more on the fretboard than I’d need to having a bigger fret wire. Easy tip is light strings, small frets and heavier strings, bigger frets.
Does your strat have the vintage fretboard radius?
Best video ever. Very helpful and info is spot on!
Great knowledge, thanks man,really helps to understand the whole stratocaster .
That's why i have replaced my neck for a custom made with compound radius. That was not exactly cheap but absolutely worthwhile. You would probably not find a standard neck that really fits your needs.
On the fretboard segment..that SRV has a cool sound. The brazilian rosewood is beautiful, but the unplugged srv sounds very cool.
The Maple v Rosewood fretboard ‘snappiness’ was well demonstrated here. Maple what makes strats so percussive.
I finally found my problem because I have jumbo and it sounds good but hard to play. Thanks!
Man you nailed it with the medium jumbo fender uses. I hate i cannot bend without worry of occasionally losing the grip of the string. Slides out. Mine are like new and I have this issue. But on my Squier 60s cv has medium tall. They are almost perfect. I am thinking the hb fusion I have has jumbo frets nice and stainless steel and tall. Makes me want all my guitars re fretted to SS same size. I love bending and its most what I play. Awesome video man.