After playing all types off guitars over 40 years i am now a total tele convert , i sold all the rest and kept my tele and my martin dm acoustic , no more needed for just playing at home , in the last band i played in ( classic rock cover band ) i did everything with my tele and that worked just fine . My tele does have texas special pu's though wich are great for blues and rock so my tele is not a teletwang guitar . i really like the simpel aproach of a tele : a plank of wood with 2 pu's and 6 strings , leo got it right from the start .

Love the Manhattan outro reference.

Strats and Teles are my guitars. I’ve owned several Gibson over many years but could never bond with them as I have with Leo Fender’s creations. I have 2 modified Strats, one with Mojotone ‘59 clone humbuckers and one with 2 Fralin P90s which satisfies my needs for different tones other single coils. My 4 other Strats are all single coils and each has their own mojo!

I’ve found that with the right pickup choices, a Strat can cover most everything a modern working musician needs.

I think alot of us go through the same journey gear wise. I bet most of us wish we just went out and bought a top quality strat and a real gibbo and called it a day. Cos lets face it that's where most of us end up. Im just glad i grew out of the wanting an ibanez jem phase before i actually had the cash to get one. 😅

I was a strat guy after being an SG guy. An old Greco copy of a strat changed me. But recently a tele really works for me. I don't use a trem, I focus on bridge and neck pups, I like the bridge a bit more powerful than the neck pups but not a full humbucker sound. Tele fits that. I prefer a 7.25" radius too. I dunno why but the way flatter stuff feels too wrong for most of the songs because I, and most of us, play rhythm more than lead.

Great points about neck radius, IMO too much fuss is made about needing a specific curve for guitars, as it really comes down to the willingness to adapt, and the skill of the player. I used to be a Strat player, never thought I'd love those "Country Western" abominations with the funny little headstock, but finally bought my first Telecaster 3 years ago, and love it. If I was a pro player, I'd buy a few more guitars, incl a Fender Strat, and an Ibanez, and Epiphone Jazz box, but since I'm trying to learn Jazz now, my Player HH Tele is perfect, except for the stock pickups which I am swapping out for some '59 PAF humbucker clones by BrandonWound.

I really should blow the dust off my Strat. It tends to get overlooked in favour or more 'sexy' guitars but every time I play it I'm reminded of how great they are to play. Got to be the most comfortable guitar design ever

My first electric was a Strat, and I still play it. But, I've modified almost everything on it to be the guitar I discovered along the way that I really wanted. It turned out to be a path to reach my guitar destination, and I'm very happy with the results.

Never owned a strat until you convinced me to pick up a Sire S7. I'm very happy that I did! Thanks John, you da man! 🔥🔥🔥🎸🤜🤛

I freaking loved the E.J. nod you did there for your intro. Excellent!

What a joy to listen to your solos, John! I would love to hear about your thought process for solos .. as a video of course!

A good Strat is such a great instrument. It has many useful sounds which are expressive and touch sensitive. When I started to play, I used to unintentionally mess with the pup selector switch. Now I don’t have any issues with the switch. Actually I think that Strat has the optimal selector and volume pot location. The are always near to your hans. You can make the necessary adjustments so fast.

I get everything I want from Strats, John. I've ultimately landed on an HSS pickup arrangement, which I know annoys purists, but I love how Strats feel, and I love the single coil neck pickup. For that alone, it has to be a Strat. I only need position 4 for that out-of-phase snappery and position 1 gets me into the rockiest territory I want, as it's the humbucker. I keep the pickups low also, to minimise 'stratitis'. My Strat also has 22 frets, which makes bending up to a high E nice and easy.

"Except for maybe the super-heavy stuff," I don't know if you've seen Ola Englund's "1 Amp/10 Guitars" metal riff comparison videos, but lately he's thrown in a Squier Bullet Stratocaster to compete against ~$2K+ metal guitars; it always gets a few commenters who are now questioning how much they actually have to spend for a metal guitar, highly entertaining..

I bought a 1976 Strat in 1985. It still is my #1 guitar to this day. It's been modded many times including replacing the original pickups with EMGs a couple years after I got the guitar. A Floyd was added soon after. At the time and for years after, I loved it. About 4 years ago I removed the EMGs and put back vintage style passive pickups and would not go back to active. About a year ago I sent the guitar to one of the best luthiers in Montreal and he removed the Floyd (at least I didn't have the body routed) and he put back a regular nut on the neck adding back wood and all that. Put the neck back at the normal angle as well (it had been angled to accommodate the extra height of the Floyd vs the regular Strat bridge that was on the guitar. The guy who did the work in the 80s was also an excellent luthier. The Floyd was replaced with a Vega-Trem which I absolutely adore! Feels incredible and having complete control back over intonation improved the guitar's playability significantly. It feels like a better instrument than it ever has. All in all, s Strat just feels right for me. I love my Tele but my Strat is home. It's the feel I want and it's the tone I hear.

Very nice note choices,that flow,and present well why the Stratocaster is so endearing to us all

I am a Strat player. I used to watch Eric in Little clubs back in the 70s, and between he and Robin Teower, that was the sound I needed. I thought I was a semi hollow player, but if I had to choose, always a Stratocaster. It's ..alive.

Great playing man!

Awesome stuff! God Bless!

your tones are so good, loved the manhattan chords in there too

Actually nothing beats a telecaster but i'll watch your video anyway cause you're an amazing guitar player 😀

I finally added a Strat to my small collection last year (which is surprising since all my guitar heros are Strat players: David Gilmore, Ritchie Blackmore..). One of the challenges, is that there are so many to chose from just in the Fender world, never mind all the rest. But I figured if I'm pining for a Strat, at least start with an actual Fender model. I watched Mary Spender demo the American Professional Strat II and liked her demo. One popped up in my area on Craigslist, in the same metallic blue she shows, (very purty colour) so I grabbed it. I'm loving the sounds, lots of character in almost any setting. But, I am struggling with the strings bottoming out way up on the highest notes. Had a shop do some work, it got better, then I did a careful deep dive and did my own setup, and it's a whole lot better. Now here's the thing, I can hear David Gilmour's Strat bottom out on basically the same notes on the classic Pink Floyd tracks! Listen to his solo on "Time" from Dark Side of the Moon. Those high bends are screetching out, from the strings hitting the frets in a bad way, just like mine does on those same notes. Yay? I honestly wish my Strat could be better than that, (My 25th anniversary PRS Custom 24 plays like butter up there, no issues at all), but I'm sort of resolved to beleive this is "part of the American Strat Experience" (tm). Loving the playability and the tones otherwise, so I'm not motivated yet to get a "better than Fender" Strat... Or maybe I need a far better guitar tech, which is not an easy task as "everyone is an expert"..

Been watching the channel for a few weeks now, some great stuff and your playing is right up my street. Brilliant playing. I cant see past my custom shop les paul stuff at the moment, but ive a Jason Smith 61 Masterbuilt that is a really special guitar, it doesn't get played enough atm.

my fave eric johnson playing,is his early stuff with the band electromagnets,proper fusion stuff

Been playing Strats since I started in 1977. When I was a young teenager Rory Gallagher was the one for me who made a Strat look like the perfect ergonomic tool. That said, I have been playing live my P90 Revstar virtually exclusively since it arrived on pre-order November 2022. That Spring Harvest song book! I played electric in the Pwllheli youth programme Spring Harvest Worship Band for a couple of weeks in both 1992 and 1993 ha ha!

Now I want a video with your first Ibanez.

Strat man here too ! I’ve a deluxe HSS American with a humbucker on the bridge , a Japanese 62 reissue from 1996 a Silver Sky SE and a Korean Lite Ash Strat with SD pickups . Star of the show though is -like your good self -a black Ibanez Roadstar 2 with three single coils which are black with chrome on top -it’s “ the other guitar “ from Back To The Future when the other guitarist tries to help MJ Fox . Love them all ,thought about trading a couple in to go toward a Les Paul but too scared to part with any of them .

I've always been a Les Paul player for 20 years, but thanks to your channel I purchased the blue Charvel Mod pro and I just only use the single coil settings. I found myself using much more clrean tones recently.

Got my first strat and I immediately changed out those tuners for locking tuners, way less annoying than those vintage tuners and moved the volume pot down an put a killswitch button in its place

Playing that sick synth solo from Dirty Loops cover of Circus on guitar - nice one👏

Just picked up a Vintera 2 60's Telecaster last week. I also am a Strat guy through and through (and I have a core PRS Silver Sky), but I really have been wanting a vintage radius, rosewood board Tele. I saw the Vintera 2's announced last week, and got a great deal on a "demo" model from Sweetwater on the Fiesta Red model. The frets, finish, and electronics have all been great! I play 11's, so I've working in on dialing in the set up as this is my first time with the 3 barrel saddles. My action is a little bit higher, but It's settling in the more I dial it in. My only real complaint is that the nut slots definitely needed some graphite and I obviously had to do a tiny bit of filing switching to 11s as I believe these come with 9's from the factory. Overall, it's a great guitar, and I played it live Sunday morning at my church gig - stayed in tune well and cut through the mix really well. I definitely am still a Strat guy 10000% and would consider my hardtail Strat my go to instrument as a great bridge between the Silver Sky and the Tele.

Perhaps strats could be the subject of conversation with Mick when you appear on that pedal show? Is that happening? I would like to see that episode

A proper setup, a cleanly cut nut, and wrapping the tuners correctly for whatever type they are is all you need to keep a guitar in tune, in my experience too. I was surprised as to how stable my first 6 point Strat Trem was.. I have Floyds, Wilkinson VS100, Gotoh NS510T and a stock two point 1990 fender American standard trem for a time, all can be equally stable when set up right.

I can't imagine not having a Strat ( or 7 ). It's the quack of 2 and 4 and that neck pup tone. I've been playing my Teles more as I have gotten older, but, if I had to choose one guitar only....well, you can guess. I enjoy your playing so much. Sad to admit but I can't listen to too much solo guitar playing in general. I just tire of it fairly often. But your phrasing and tone are never predictable or cloying. Even the fast runs are melodic. Thank you for the playing and the teaching. You are very appreciated and admired.

Nice Eric Johnson licks! Catching him in a couple weeks here in Tulsa, Oklahoma! I’m totally in love with my Custom Shop ‘59 reissue! Sherwood green, gold iodized pick guard, rosewood frettboard, quarter-sawn roasted maple neck…Texas specials pickups…etc etc! ❤️ I’ve had MIM fat Strats, MIM player plus, MIJ (late 80’s)….all great! Another great episode! 👏

I play Ventura 2 in my band. We mostly cover classic rock so it fits in the mix quite well. Its my first strat personally but I did borrow a buddies player series for about 2 months before I got it. I also own a reverend crosscut to give you an idea of what Im used to. I find the Ventura to have more high end then the other guitars. But at the same time the pickups are far cleaner. It can be a bit of a challenge dialing in my tone sometimes. But once I get it that guitar sings, and its sooooooo easy to play with the action setup right. I love it, has alot of character.

Let me put it like this......the Stratocaster is the thing that drew me to the guitar in the first place.

Love my Strat. It's a bit modded. Has a freeway 10 way switch which is awesome! But if i had to pick one guitar it would be my Baja Tele. But can't imagine not having a Strat too!

I own over 20 guitars and majority are Strats or Strat derivatives. I have several USA, several Mex and one MIJ. I also have a couple of Schecter Nick Johnstone traditionals which are basically Strats with humbuckers. I've owned 5 Telecasters but cannot get on with them. For me there is no better guitar than a nice Strat. Keep up the good work.

Same thing, after 30 years of ibanez, prs and others... i discover the telecaster and fell in love. That said i need a strat too. :)

Strat's all day long for me. In my fifties now, tried everything else. Currently the happy owner of a Custom Shop Heavy Relic 61 HSS and a 1996 USA Lonestar.

Have been on the Ibanez bandwagon for more than 25 years at this point. But my tastes have evolved over time and I find myself reaching for my Strat more and more. Still, there are things my RG’s are just better suited for, so I have a couple which still get a lot of use. Believe it or not, Ibanez did make a few guitars without super thin neck and lucky for me, most of their biggest fans hate them and everyone else refuses to consider an Ibanez.

I'm absolutely a Strat guy (with a few Teles), but it has to be super. I currently have 6 "Strats" (with various logos on the correctly shaped headstocks), all with floyd roses and at least 6100 or 6000 fretwire. No small frets or round fretboard radii. What "Leo got right" IMO doesn't include the fretboard radius, trus rod access or fret size. Also the 5 way switch is absolutely key on a Strat if you want all the trademark sounds, but that wasn't part of Leo's original design either. I'd say "Leo got really close" (and then with G&L we see the maturation of his designs like the split pickups, 2 point trem etc.) For me super Strats were my first exposure to strats. Dave Murray, Glenn Tipton (granted he didnt have a floyd, just the humbuckers). Then later I got into EJ and YJM with the single coils and vintage trems. Years later I would discover a youtuber called John Cordy who plays a light bluish Strat with excellent single coil tone often through modellers 🙂. And that shifted my interests a little and I put together an amalgamation-of-influences Strat, sameish blue color ("tidepool" in my case) with scalloped 1 piece maple neck, modded to have truss adjust wheel at heel. 3 singles (hum cancelling DiMarzio Injectors) and my prefered gotoh 1996T floyd style. It's my Paul Gilbert/Yngwie/John Nathan Cordy build.

Great video I love my Telecaster's and Gibson's LP although, for me my favourite is the Stratocaster ❤🎸 great playing you are an awesome guitarist 🎸 ❤

Very nice take on one of my favorite EJ songs. Could easily recognize it but you still made it your own. :) I started on a Squire Strat but found them to be not very ergonomic for my picking hand because the controls feel crowded and I tend to hit the pickup switch by accident. I still love single coil sounds these days but prefer more modern styles of Strats that relocate the control scheme.

I’m transitioning out of metal kinda and traded my 8 string for a Mexi strat. Put an EMG 81tw and SA in the neck position. I can do traditional strat stuff and still go full metal. It’s a great workhorse for everything.

Me too! I have a few guitars but love my MIM Strat and PRS SE Silver Sky. They just speak to me sonically and physically. ( just don’t tell my Tele. That one thinks it’s my favorite, best to let that be.😅)

I love Fender Strats and Music Man Cutlass RS models. Those are the best 'S-type' guitars I have played. I would love to try a K-Line.

Great overview and history of how you found strats to be your favourite type guitar You action looks like high action, but hard to tell from a picture

Hi John. I feel the same as you. I am a Strat player - if I like it or not.... :-) Fortunately I like it, but it used to surprise me a lot that I'm obviously calibrated to Strats, somehow. I'd like to be a Les Paul guy too, but it just doesn't work out that way. There's something about Strats that magnetically attracts me. But I have a deep feeling that one day I'll stumble across a Telecaster and everything will change. Tele´s are something mysterious to me. I'm afraid there's a powerful force inside them that will draw me in... 🙂 Anyway. my current guitars are (anything but a Tele!, strange right!?!): Fender American Strat from 1987, PRS Classic Electric from 1994, MusicMan Luke II (the one without (!) the Floyd Rose), Cort Hiram Bullock Signature (great guitar, definitely underrated), Line6 Variax, Hohner The Jack (Headless), Valley Arts Custom Pro (pre Gibson, awesome Guitar!!!!!), Gima Les Paul, Gima ES335, Squire Deluxe Jazz Bass, Cole Clark Fat Lady, Sigma 000 6-String Acoustic, Gima 6-String Acoustic, Custom made D28-Style & Custom made D45-Style 6-String Acoustics. Which one do I grab most of the time: the Fender Strat & the cheap Sigma 000...it´s crazy.

I love my custom Oswald strat based on a 57 design - but my real love is based on the two humbucker guitars with separate tone and volume pots - just not the Gibson versions. Currently enjoying an ESP LTD Les Paul copy with Fishman Open Core Classic humbuckers which really helps to scratch my 59 Burst itch for sound if not price and showing off.

I’m a strat player and still have the 1996 Spring Harvest music book

First electric was a Fender lite ash strat MIK wow.....still have it with a different neck though, and i have like 2 more....whenever i get to the point of buying a guitar, and i want to get a tele and this and that......but cant get over the strat......fuckin perfection Strats are!!

Intersting perspective on the Strat. I have 2 Teles (owned since new): 1993 G&L ASAT Sp; 2011 Fender AmStd. I don’t see any need for anything else in an oldies cover band. BUT!!! In the years I’ve sub’d your channel, you have given me pause to consider a Strat (I think 😉). But I have done a lot of research as to which Strat brand and config I would buy - which is quite exhausting - so I retreat happily back to Tele land until… ???

gravitate towards strats/strat type myself,had loads ,usa/mij/mim etc currently 5 fender japan strats/1 levinson blade texas mij 90s/g and l legacy usa,a mim classic player 60s and a couple of super strats ibanez mij and modded charvel mij,my g and l legacy 97 is actually pretty light,the mij levinson blade is a great guitar ,but a bit on the heavy side,has vsc switching system,all the stuff under the hood,boost,battery etc adds to the weight

My fave part is when you abruptly pick up the guitar and stand up at the end of then opening jam. Thought you were about to throw it

just bought another YAMAHA PACIFICA 112V superstrat( 200€s): mine mostly comes out at the niteritetime fo the bluesyjazz neck pup! tuned E octave down with 9-11-15-22-30-42 sets my 6 trusties keep the tune with minimal tuning & string change! just poring that Dunlop 65,and the strings last longer..., I had a coepla lessons: tuning...with a nylon one, wrote all my songs (100) with them Classicals, then had a Tele, aJoe Pass ...I guess IF my left hand was OK, I would still hanker for my ol songs, but NO more barre chords said I a long whilw ago..., Yamaha Pacifica strats´necks fit me, scale fit me, nuts can be lifted a bit without breaking tele thinnies...AND I LOve the Yamahas NECK PUP; AND I tune a WHALE octave low, SO THE SPRINGS are actually a lot of help defining the Touch: with a non-spring gtr( TELE) its like a Classical with no truss rod: IT IS a plank of wood or 2 , yes like the strat, but without the springs, THANK YOU LEO FENDER FOR THEM SPRINGS IN A STRAT!!!!!!!!

Hey John ! Love your videos. Could you please make one comparing a Yamaha Revstar to a PRS SE of your choice ?

One of my favorites is a 2004 American Standard in three tone sunburst and maple. That's when they started adding the option of taking the tone control out of the circuit (don't remember what that's called) and that really makes the bridge/middle option cut through the mix better. My 2004 has has one of the best middle pickup sounds I've ever heard. Its weakness is that the neck pickup is a bit anemic. My 2022 strat (black HSS limited edition with ebony fretboard) has huge frets, low action and a neck pickup that sounds huge. Its weakness is the middle/bridge position sound is negatively affected by the split humbucker. Each has its place. The 2004 is 7lbs and 6oz and the 2022 is 7lbs 12oz. Both have 22 frets.

Fucking love RG’s tho. So affordable and playable. Inexpensive not cheap.

the first Electric I ever had was a strat clone, ever since I've always needed to have a Strat around. I play Gibson and Fender., currently have an Eric Johnson Strat, want to get another Strat with Rosewood FB.

Hi i love to hear your solos and i comeback so many times on your videos only to hear it do you have a spotify or something like that with your solos ?

To me it’s like picking favorites between ketchup and mustard and bbq sauce and salsa. They all do their own thing, and they’re all necessary. I have to have a tele, a strat, a lp, and a p90 lp. I would be uncomfortable without any one of the four. That’s how I see it.

I would like to see you showing off your DT chops.

I started with a sub $300 Yamaha Pacifica strat. There's just something special about it, how it feels as smooth as the more expensive Fender strats I've tried in shops, and it sounds pretty great too. And its got a wide and flat fretboard. Maybe I lucked out.

I have an American Pro ii strat that I got and I just can't vibe with it.. the strings feel tense compared to my Les Paul. Is there a way to make the strings feel less tight?

Who sets up your guitars John? I travel to Exeter sometimes and haven't found anyone reliable near me.

A strat. Barks, Quacks and Buzzes 60 cycle hum. The BARK part always got me. The bark is what sounds like fret Rattle, what is weird is tele's do not seem to do it, it is a coloration sound of Strats.

Yeah, I have a roadworn Strat as my no 1, but my Reverend Club King is a close 2'nd as it can do fat tele, Gretsch and 335 /LP sounds so it may be slightly more versatile. The ergonomics and the HD tone on the Strat can't be touched, though.

Come to Sweden and have a coffee with Ola ❤🎸☕

Hi John, how high is the string action on your k-line?

I love all kinds of guitars, but for me it's a good Strat

How is your trem set? Just a slight float?

I have a Fender strat with a 12" radius fretboard (and that's stock, too). So I guess the best of both worlds?

Can’t believe your timing with this video. I was a Les Paul player for most of my life (and a Les Paul snob at that ha) - up until a few months ago. Then Harley Benton released their latest 25th Anniversary line and I reckoned since I had lots of Les Paul’s and Sg’s (probably because my hero’s played them) I give the rather fetching gold Firemist Strat a go. It was quiet affordable so the risk was low. It changed everything for me. I haven’t played a Les Paul since (have a few for sale) and am awaiting my 3rd Strat this week. For me it just works. The sound is so versatile (I play HSS) and well suited to the variety of songs I play in my gigs (rock & blues covers) It’s so easy to play,neck access is great. The dusty end of the Les Paul (mine was just that) never encouraged me to get below the 15th fret but with the Strat im literally all over the fretboard The weight is so much better and manageable- especially for longer gigs it’s great It’s a very comfortable guitar, belly carve etc. So nice And then you have that sound - it’s so identifiable, it’s crazy. I’d been playing so many well known classic songs on a Les Paul that sound so much better on the guitar they were recorded with …..a Stratocaster. My only negative is the 3 knobs. For someone like me who is used to a lot of lose picking while rhythm playing etc and lead playing I found myself turning down the volume all,the time. Just could not get used to that top knob. Fortunately Jet guitars on their Js400 have taken care of that with only 2 Knobs 👏👏👏🙌. I’ll always keep a Les Paul or 2 and an SG or 2 around, mainly for recording etc but for live playing and practising etc it’s a Strat All The Way 🎸

I used to play an RG9…. Now I play Strats

When is the solo album dropping lol.

The average weight of American and Mexican strats seems to be around 8 pounds in recent years. Finding modern examples at or below 7.5 lbs. is actually a little difficult, unless you are willing to shell out for custom shop.

one strat, and one Nashville Tele for me.

Played a vintera ii at pmt at the weekend. It was set up horribly, clunky, frets were really gritty. Would need a visit to a luthier I think straight out the box!

John Nathan Cordy, how do you play that melodically? Do you have a video on this? I love your note choses, it sounds very beautiful.

Quite likely, a Fender Stratocaster Eric Johnson signature with its 12" radius fretboard and special pickups is the best one available today.

Strats are the greatest guitarist ever invented. They've looked the same for 60-plus years because of its flawless design (I kind of don't think Leo fender designed it). Also, that was some awesome playing over the Manhattan backing track!

Can you show us some of those cord voicings?

3:20 - "after LED was born" 🤭

@JohnNathanCordy "Vintera set up for slide" lol.

Question: are musicians especially prone to getting Alzheimer's/dementia? I would have thought the constant sturm and drang of trying to play badly would keep these two conditions from the door coz ur exercising the ol' grey matter. So, the more you played the 'fitter' more active your brain was? Is that utter tosh? There's a clip on YT of Gershwin in his eighties, not only playing piano for 'Rhapsody in Blue' but also conducting the New York Philharmonic at the same time. If you were able to film below the waist, he was probably also working a bass drum pedal along with cymbals strapped to each knee.

Love me a good strat! The only thing I don’t like about the K-Lines are the colours and 21 frets.

I cannot handle the super flatop string geometry of Strats. Even Teles can achieve a slight arched top string geometry but with Strats it is very difficult to raise the bridge. I settled up with a Jazzmaster with triple single coils

Firstly....pls get that Ibby out of the loft and make a video about it ! Secondly....can you tell me what fret wire you gravitate to now ? I was a RG550 lover..then strats, I need a refret - what would u choose on a Strat ?

The Strat was designed for people with big hands. That neck sucks for anyone who doesn’t have Hendrix or SRV hands. That’s why I went super Strat with a Schecter Reaper 6 Elite. I played a Fender Strat for ten years and a G&L tele for ten because it was fashionable. It crippled my progress as a player. V necks and C necks are obnoxious for small handed players. The Schecter had an Ultra Thin C neck with jumbo frets and it opened my world to improving as a player. I’ll never buy a normal strat again.

Eric Johnson is the best strat. player ever, NO.2 is JOhn Nathan Cordy, at least in my Opinion. Hendrix was probably 1st to put it on the Map. Or maybe Buddy Holly.

So many things you said makes me think we have lots of thing in common, from Gary Moore, 22 fret for strat, G3 and EJ Just 1 diffrence, I'm so far away from your level 😂

I never liked strats. The middle pickup annoys me. It is a psychological thing. Clearly it can't get in the way of picking. But it just feels like it can. Even when you deck it flush to the pickguard. Telecaster it is for me. Or I have strats with only one pickup (a humbucker) which makes them not strats I guess.

You mean an S-style guitar?

I can't believe you didn't know that white guitars look weird in a band. EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT! Always consult the band manager when selecting instruments and colors. You should probably look into getting a shell pink guitar, for the tone...

Strats are BORING! LP style, 335 style, but with P90's have the absolute best tone. They RULE!

For me the Strat construction is great...but every other thing about it is infuriating. The trem, no thanks. The electronics layout, hateful, cumbersome, in the way. The sound, typically too specific "Sounds like a Start" when I want it to sound like me. I've tried; but it's very much not my thing.

They sound good, but they need their everything replaced.