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I have Strat GAS...and bad!

Yesterday at GC, I played an American Fat Strat with the LSR roller nut and locking tuners...and oh my, did that thing play! A bit shorter radius than I'm used to, but it worked out great! The setup was awesome, bends were smooth as hell, and the neck felt great in my hands.

I've always liked split tones for leads, but true single coils are another thing entirely! So rich and toneful, cutting and smooth at the same time, chimey and perfectly defined. For rythm, I'd need a minibucker, of course, but for leads? SC's definitally kick ass!

At my current budget, without saving for a while, I can only get an MIM, which is fine by me! What I'm wondering is if it will play similar, or as good? I know the MIA's have rolled fingerboard edges and whatnot, but I can do that myself. The 21 frets is not an issue, as I have two 24 fret guitars as it is. I'd replace tuners, nut, and saddles, as well as at least the bridge pickup in time. Would an MIM be a good buy in my case then?

If you want a new strat and don't want to save for a MIA, I'd check out the Jimmy Vaughan strat or the Highway 1's. If you don't mind used, Japanes is the way to go. I'll put my MIJ 62RI against any MIA strat in terms of looks, playability, and tone. In fact, I did just that before buying it.

i got a MIM and it plays great

im gonna put a 59 in the bridge for some nice humbucker tones, and maybe another 59 in neck
strats definitely are awesome

I'd actually be going used for the MIM, they run cheap on eBay! I've heard alot of great things about those MIJ ones though, I'll go run a search for them. If I could find one with bigger frets and maybe a large headstock, that'd be killer!

i've had strat g.a.s. for years bro. I'm FINALLY in the process of collecting parts for one...

It's bound to happen, EVERYONE gets bitten by the strat bug

BWWWAAAAHAHAHHA!!!! I TOLD YOU IT WOULD HAPPEN AND YOU DIDN'T BELIEVE ME HOW DO YA LIKE THAT?!??!? AAAHAHAHAHA*cough* ahem... what was I sayin?

If you wanna get a good strat to start with if you're just getting into them I'd go for an MIJ as well. They're only a tad more epensive on ebay but worth it for what you get.

So what do you want... locking trem? vintage trem? fixed? HSS? HH? gimmie some specs mayne!

LOL!!! I've got gas for that same strat too!!

Hopefully it will be in my hands soon...

Back to your topic, I think thats alot of work and a lot of $$$ to invest in a MIM strat... Even after you've done all that work you might still be gassin' for that deluxe. Why not just save the $$$ you'd spend on new parts etc. and get the American deluxe that you wanted? I think it'd be worth the wait...

How about a Highway 1 Strat? I love those guitars!

hwy 1's are good, but go for the jimmy vaughan without a doubt IMO. I've played some of these at GC that play smoother than many of the american series strats.

Has almost all the features of a MIA strat for an MIM price! I sound like a Fender spokesman!

I'd say get the Highway 1, everyone I've played I loved, they feel better to me than the regular MIAs. I guess its just the feel of the finish. I've always had a little thing for strats, quot;Bold as Lovequot; does it for me, I can't get enough of that clean SC sound

Ha...you did tell me B2D...I just never listned

As far as specs, I'd honestly love one with 22 frets, a Wilkenson, the countor on the neck pocket like the one I played had, locking tuners, Hot Rails, JBJR, or Lil 59 bridge, most likely stock for now in the middle, and neck I'd either leave stock, or get a hotter SC, maybe try out some Dimarzio's.

The 22 frets isn't that important, but it'd be cool. I actually dislike vintage looks to an extent, I don't really like the yellowed maple or the bullet truss rods or the ping tuners. The Wilkenson would be a definate plus, and I believe the standard 2 point trems can be changed for one without any mods? They have the same spacing between the trem posts, IIRC.

Unfortunately, my budget really doesn't allow me much freedom in that area. If I sold off my GE-20, which I most likely will be doing, haven't used it in 3 weeks, I'd have around 240-250, which isn't a ton to spend on a Strat, but I figure'd I could get an MIM and **** around with it until I had enough cash for neck pickups and tuners and whatnot.

I've been looking at those HWY 1's, and used they go for about 500. That'd be cool to work with, but if I was going to drop 500 on it, I'd probably go with one of the lite ash strats, and have the 2 point trem at my disposal. That comes with stock Duncans, too.

Agile has a Wilkenson Strat for 250 in a killer lake placid blue color, would that be a good starting point? Stock locking Grovers, Wilkenson, 22 frets, look's like it might be killer...Anyone have any experience with those?

you dislike vintage looks?

You'll grow into it as you age...

I dunno why, It just doesn't appeal to me. Somewhat with the big headstocks and sometimes the yellowed maple, but that bullet truss rod and that old trem are disgusting to me...

Also, forgot to mention, medium jumbo frets are the smallest I'll go! I can't play on tiny frets!

Hmmm... I seem to recall a recent PM from a certain somebody saying he really didn't like Strats...

Dude, beware the Stratocaster. The first one just hooks you, then you need another...

Anyway, go for an MIM amp; mod the hell out of it! When shopping for bridge pickups, give some serious consideration to the Livewire Hot for Strat. It kicks mucho ass, enough, that I'm pulling the Invader loaded pickguard out of mine amp; putting back the Livewire. It's less quot;activequot; than the EMG 85 you tried.

When you get to the neck pickup, take a gamble on a Blue Lace sensor. The Silver is a great middle pickup, as well, and I simply can't say enough good things about Lace Sensors.

If you want a MIM let me know i have a rosewood and mignight wine color MIM strat that is right now set up with a single hum in the bridge (dimarzio tone zone) and one volume knob. it also has two MIA style string trees on it....i'd be willing to pull out the electronics and sell it without them so you can pick your pickguard color and electronics of your own...let me know if you have any intrest and we can try and work something out.

-Mike