Question about Stratocasters

OrangeAgent27

Silver Member
I love Telecasters and have been browsing CL looking for one (not black or midnight wine with a rosewood fingerboard) and just haven't been seeing them lately. What I like about them, amongst other things, is the hardtail due to no tremelo. So it got me thinking, would a strat suffice if I never used the whammy? Meaning, would it still go out of tune? Clearly I have no experience with them, but I've always been curious. My local CL is packed with them and if no Teles pop up, I might just take a chance on one.
 
Just tighten the springs in the trem cavity up a little bit and you can pretend it's not there.

I've also heard of people "blocking" their trems with a block of wood. If you don't want to use it then it's really not a nusance. Now a Floyd Rose trem is a completly different story.

Hmm... This sounds like an Arky thread.
 
Red Menace & HerpsMcDerps nailed it. Those are the things people usually do.

There's also a device called the Tremol No, it came out a couple years ago:
http://www.tremol-no.com/

It's a device that can be set to 'fixed bridge mode' by tightening a few clamps so in case some strings break the tuning would still remain intact. I had it on one of my guitars but somehow I learned I didn't really need it - to my ears the sound did change with that thing installed so I removed it. Maybe there's just a tiny change in sound or it was purely a feel thing but I decided to ultimately not use it. It could come handy though if you're gigging - as said, to prevent your guitar going completely out of tune in case of string break (phew - I almost wrote 'spring break', haha). Plus, even the 'open' position with the clamp loosened somehow translated into vibrato system feel and I love to have my vibrato system (almost all of my electrics have a vibrato) to feel smoothly when using it (mostly for more subtle 'scoops' then for dive bombs).

You can buy a guitar with a 'real' fixed bridge so you'd neither need to raise the spring tension nor insert wood blocks or things like the Tremol No.
 
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Honorable gentlemen, many thanks for your answers. I would love a hard tail Strat, but it seems they're all out of my price range. I sure hope I can find a Tele with a rosewood fretboard, but if I can't I'm sure I'll be happy with a Stratocaster. It's interesting how much more of a relationship/attraction I feel I need to have with a guitar than a snare or a drum set. Anyhow, thanks again!
 
First thing I do on any guitar with a trem is crank the springs tight - can still drop the pitch, but tuning is rock solid.
 
Another thing to consider is lubricating the nut next time you change the strings. I use a pencil to draw graphite into the nut slots and that means that there's no string 'sticking' when bending the strings. I have also used a combination of a dab of vaseline and graphite from a pencil (shaved off with a knife) and that proved very effective applied very sparingly.
 
Awesome stuff, folks. I do appreciate it. I got back into guitar last year (I was/am not a serious guitarist by any means) but have always loved learning to play along to my favorite tunes.

I do like LP's! Just a bit out of my range and interest right now.
 
Yea I been playing a lot of guitar since the summer. Nice to be able to play an instrument whenever I want. Trying to learn all the basics and theory that skipped when I was a kid.

I'd still rather play drums, but my schedule hasn't been cooperating for the last 3 weeks :(
 
Yea I been playing a lot of guitar since the summer. Nice to be able to play an instrument whenever I want. Trying to learn all the basics and theory that skipped when I was a kid.

I'd still rather play drums, but my schedule hasn't been cooperating for the last 3 weeks :(

Oh man, isn't it? I took a guitar 101 class last year at college and it helped tremendously. Actually my professor was in the band The Pockets, I anyone remembers/heard of them.


Bahahaha!! I think it's really a compliment more than anything!
 
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Strats, Teles and a Les Paul mentioned here. I've owned all of them and each has there merits. I prefer a tele neck, and a les paul or strat sound. Les Pauls are difficult to play in
any position except standing up....they don't balance on your leg when sitting like fenders.
Teles sound completely different than strats. I know quite a few players that put a tele neck
on a strat body. Making the tremolo so it doesn't work on a strat is easily done as described in previous posts.
 
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A Stratocaster should be just fine. I too prefer my Telecaster but i have a Strat and i've never had an issue with it. Guitar is a very useful instrument to know how to play.
 
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