Biggest complaints about consistent Fender Stratocaster features? Wanting to learn for a build I'm planning.

[Leee]

different pickguard screw hole placements.

Hmmmm…
Why would you need that?

 

[efstop]

You and me both!
When people ask if I play guitar, I just tell them I am a collector.

Removes that whole expectation that I might actually know how to play.

Hence my usual reply,

"Damn it Jim! I'm an owner, not a player!"

 

[Wes T]

The tone controls are useless.

 

[Dilver]

Make the belly cut consistent. How f‘ng hard is that? And yet..

 

[Deftone]

I'll add locking tuners as well. It's just too easy to restring w/ locking tuners. Even with a lock nut I like locking tuners.

 

[Deftone]

strats only have one good feature and that´s ergonomics.

IMHO Strats are comfortable because of the 3/8" edge bevel around the body. Jackson's have a 1/8" edge bevel.

So I asked Butala Customs for a Basswood Dinky body, single Hum, flush mount Floyd rout and a 3/8" edge bevel. He questioned me on that but it came out perfect. The guitar is light and super comfortable. Amazingly easy to play.

I think chambered/weight relived Mahogany with a Maple cap may have sounded better though.

https://www.butalacustomguitars.com/product/build-a-ss80-2/

 

[efstop]

I can't complain about my '04 Squier Bullet "Strat" as I only paid $65 for it's all plywood body, rosewood finger board, hard tail bridge and single generic HB at the bridge. Once I swapped in a Gibson P-90 and added a tone control, it's now my Fender-scale Junior.
No trem or goofy 5-way switch, and the controls are well out of the way.

 

[the_lawyer]

The humming and buzzing…..while our last session it was unbearable. I hate that darn thing, but it sounded so good!

 

[Brek]

I need more talent.

don't we all, hella nice toy room all the same.

 

[cmjohnson]

Tone controls are most definitely NOT useless. A couple of my Marshalls are very bright and very loud and if not for the tone controls on the guitar, to tame that top end, I'd be unable to get my tone or stand being in the same room with the amps. Because backing down the treble and presence on an old Marshall via its own controls doesn't just kill the treble, it kills the awesomeness of the Marshall's tone.

 

[Banastre]

@Leee doesn't really apply to the OP's build obviously, but it is a complaint many have trying replacement pickguards that are supposed to be direct fits. Different years had different holes placements and some that are the same "year" reproductions can be off by a few millimeters. Many Strat guys just make their own.

 

[Dr. Arkam]

Heel joint too square and tone control not wired to the bridge pickup.

Other than those I feel like the Strat is a damn near perfect guitar that I can get almost any tone out of. For some reason I don’t own one anymore but will be changing that soon.

 

[Leee]

Different years had different holes placements and some that are the same "year" reproductions can be off by a few millimeters.

Yeah, 8 or 11 holes, Squier, Japanese…

Many Strat guys just make their own.

I had to for oddball pickups.
Danelectro lipsticks meant the top of the pickguard had to be higher.

 

[Weaseldust]

I don’t know if I agree with that.

There are some pretty badass Strat-slingers out there, there’s been plenty of them throughout history.

One of my Strats is a hardtail, and I’m building a second.

As far as “sleeper” features go, I don’t have anything to hide.

In various Stratocasters, I have had any number of pickups.
Different types of humbuckers, the P-90s I posted upthread, and going on the shortlist now is a set of Filtertron’s from TV Jones.

do the models with hardtail have any added name prefixes or anything you know about?? people suck at adding "hardtail" on ebay and such

 

[Leee]

do the models with hardtail have any added name prefixes or anything you know about?? people suck at adding "hardtail" on ebay and such

Not really.
Look for terminology such as hard tail, fixed bridge, or non-tremolo.

 

[Weaseldust]

Not really.
Look for terminology such as hard tail, fixed bridge, or non-tremolo.

perfect, thanks

 

[danohat]

I was playing and recording something last night for a friend. I wanted to use my Strat in the 4th position but I put it on the bridge pickup because as soon as I start playing I was going to do it anyways by accident.

 

[Cozmik Cowboy]

1) Improper grounding & lack of shielding

2) Impossibility of getting a 7.25" fretboard with a headstock-accessable truss rod

3) Need to jumper the 2nd tone knob onto the bridge p/up to make it usable

4) Flatsawn necks; they twist

5) 5,734,201 different versions; just make a Strat, dammit! Choice of color, choice of fretboard wood - that's it.

 

[questionman]

Still no consistent tone knob for the bridge pickup

Sharp screws on saddles

Still using 6 screw bridge - 2 point is where its at

Lack of mahogany bodies

Lack of ebony fretboards

 

[Neffco]

Mostly that poorly placed volume knob for me. It’s kept me away from strats completely. Now after my new found appreciation for telecasters, I’m tempted to try one again, but with only two knobs. Volume and tone, with a deleted knob, the one my hand always hits and turns down.