Why I Never Play My John Mayer Stratocaster

Рет қаралды 293,921

Ай бұрын

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I've owned my John Mayer signature Stratocaster since 2012 and I that time I've never really connected with it, and as a result I never really play this guitar. But why? And why do we sometimes hold onto guitars even though we don't play them that often?
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Пікірлер: 1 300

@elusivelectron Ай бұрын

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="200">3:20</a> The Reveal: you and your dog have the same hair cut.

@Christian-ew4eg Ай бұрын

You beat me to it . 😢

@GxBxN Ай бұрын

😂

@NintenDub Ай бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂😆😆😂😂😂

@raydowley1038 29 күн бұрын

woof!! woof!!

@LuisEduardoBraschi 29 күн бұрын

HAHAHAHA

@brandongagnon9362 Ай бұрын

Rhett, the reason why you don’t like that Mayer strat is because it needs a tube screamer and you refuse to use one. Haha!

@tomaslopez2940 Ай бұрын

He needs to try the Boss Super Overdrive since he likes the DS-1

@jasondorsey7110 Ай бұрын

The tube screamer is outdated, there are many well-made clones that bring much more to the table...I never bonded with the ts808 I had, but a fulldrive2 instantly found a place on my board

@matt926uk1 Ай бұрын

lol, yeah it should come with one built into the circuit 😅

@chrish4858 Ай бұрын

Comment of the century

@AnjektusStudio Ай бұрын

@@matt926uk1Or you make a guutar that sound great as it is.

@georgedickson1410 28 күн бұрын

This guy gives me youth pastor vibes

@angeloftheabyss5265 19 күн бұрын

That there is funny, I don’t care who you are

@robmcd 11 күн бұрын

Virginity is COOL

@darbygorman2206 9 күн бұрын

😂😂😂😂😂 ☝️

@scottkidwell3601 Ай бұрын

I wasn't much of a Strat guy for most of my guitar-playing days. Then, about 6 years ago, my niece said she wanted to play guitar. I went out and found a sweet Squier Strat that I really liked. It was hard to put down. Happy birthday present for sure. Shortly after that, I picked up an MIM Fender Strat at a pawn shop, and ended up walking out with it. A good setup, and it felt (still feels) great to play. Ive played others, but for some reason, that pawn shop find is my go-to... Pawn shop is also how I found my workhorse Tele

@nissehult6768 26 күн бұрын

Those Pawn shops with their sometimes reasonable prices are dangerous man, a real trap. Years and years ago we (people I play with) couldn't pass up bidding on a local HSS MIM Late 90s Strat, said and done, we got it for $170 with a soft case. Just saying.

@RockWonder210 25 күн бұрын

@@nissehult6768I wish I had your pawnshops around here. All the ones around me price higher than Reverb. Sheesh

@nissehult6768 23 күн бұрын

@@RockWonder210 Ohh wow, this was in 2006/2007 before I went to Epping Forest in London and bought a 67' Tele.

@AndyA1234 Ай бұрын

I've seen Tim Pierce play Fenders, Gibsons, PRS, etc, semi-solid body, acoustic, through many different amplifiers and he sounds great with every combination. The gearhead mentality is destructive. No one listening to a song, apart from another guitarist maybe, cares what guitar you're playing as long as its played well.

@SergiOrtiz Ай бұрын

This and the rig! Pedals and amp might be more important to get the sound you find pleasing. Now with dsp it may be even easier

@Dirnkus_Ginish Ай бұрын

Not strictly true. Different guitars and amps contribute massively to the over sound / feel of a track. Talk to any producer that is responsible for crafting the sound of a track and they'll tell you exactly how important gear is.

@francesco0185 Ай бұрын

Very funny if you are saying this as a guitarist. Cause you're focusing of what you hear, as you were the audience. Well, you are the player! You have to connect with your gear, cause YOU have the guitar in your hands, you are touching the neck, the wood, the frets, the strings, you are feeling the action, the radius, the neck profile, and most probably you are hearing something the audience is not hearing cause they don't have a clue about neck pickup etc. Your guitar can inspire you as well as obstacle your inspiration. Pierce chose his gear very carefully and this is what every pro does and what we should learn to do.

@jrpipik Ай бұрын

I agree. You can get a great sound with a minimal amount of gear, as long as you have the skill in your hands. Of course gearheads and producers will tell you the reason something was a hit because of their sound skills, as if the player isn't the key.

@Mikey__R Ай бұрын

Often, the producer is trying to pull a performance from the player, a certain guitar might inspire the player more than another, or push them towards a different direction. It's actually got very little to do with the tone at mixdown and everything to do with how the part was played, and the guitar might be an aspect of that.

@SterlingBauerMusic Ай бұрын

Rhett, I am a massive fan of your channel and have been following you along with this BLK1 for years. I have been searching for one for a decade now and it's actually the only dream guitar I hope to own one day. I have actually had dreams of owning one. If you ever decide you want to part with yours, please keep me in mind. Sincerely, Sterling

@loganmcnitt9298 27 күн бұрын

I recently bought one. Absolutely hands down the best decision I’ve made. Plays like a monster and looks so classy

@SterlingBauerMusic 27 күн бұрын

You must be over the moon brother 🙌🏼. Congrats, you will have and cherish it forever!

@stupidthefish1979 13 күн бұрын

Have you ever considered just building your own? I imagine finding the specs wouldn’t be too hard

@SterlingBauerMusic 13 күн бұрын

@@stupidthefish1979 Funny you say that! I actually built my own replica a few years back. I love it very much but it still does not fill the same hole as owning a real one someday 🙌🏼.

@stupidthefish1979 13 күн бұрын

@@SterlingBauerMusic fair enough

@raoulduke8382 Ай бұрын

The set-up of the pickup heights on those two guitars look like polar opposites. The JM Strat pups are set way low, and the other guitar pups are cranked way high. That one difference will dramatically affect the tone of the guitars.

@ischi8368 Ай бұрын

But... But... Mojo!

@planej6315 Ай бұрын

I guarantee if you swapped the pickups from the white Strat into the black JM Strat, it would be a big big difference too.

@antoinelablanquie3827 Ай бұрын

Yeah they do! But keep in mind you have staggered pole pieces on the Mayer and flat poles on the boutique

@pjincho Ай бұрын

I thought u was the only person using Raoul Duke as a handle with the Gonzo peyote button fist profile pic.

@bladeoflucatiel Ай бұрын

On the JM strat the lows are set too low and the highs too high, the bridge sounds terrible LMAO, just by looking at the shabat strat you can see the pickups are set almost "flat"

@usagi2988 Ай бұрын

Real talk, that Harry Potter analogy ("The wand finds the wizard") is actually spot-on... sometimes a specific guitar just clicks with you (the danger is in trying to force that click or expect to find that click).

@erianersitetras7172 Ай бұрын

Thinking of the story of Andy Summers Tele when I read this comment. Sometimes, it's like destiny. I think Frampton had it too, but it kinda went downhill too after he lost Phenix. Only to be found decades later.

@YoLaBenicio 29 күн бұрын

Yep, I was in a music store trying to pick a fuzz. I had no plans to buy a guitar. But, I asked if they had a Strat with low output pickups because that's what I like to hear going into a fuzz. So, they handed me this used, faded Fiesta Red Strat made by a small company in Nashville. I had about 5 fuzz pedals set out going into a Fender amp. I proceeded to check them out, but after a while I was just playing this guitar for fun with the clean sound. It had the perfect feel (for me) and had a beautiful singing voice to it. Anyway, I chose the Hendrix fuzz and went on my way. But, after leaving the store I couldn't stop thinking about that Strat. About an hour later I called the store, letting them know I was on my way to buy the Strat. It was maybe my only chance since they were about to close and I was leaving to go home 4 hours away. I just so happen to have the money (and that never happens). So, I do believe this guitar chose me in a way, and at the right time. When I got it home I realized why it sounded so good. The pickups were Lollars with 50s style wiring. Pickups do make a difference, but also the feel, and the wood, the shape, the neck joint, etc. It's the total package.

@jamesc2545 26 күн бұрын

This speaks too me

@couthlazer 14 күн бұрын

Funny thing is that happened to me, I started out wanting a red special replica, got it and it was great and all but it didn't feel right, a few months later I took my 1st guitar ( a black beginner strat ) to the shop to get the neck sorted out cause it was a cheap guitar, the shop owner said he couldn't do much and I was sad but a sunburst strat caught my eye, a week later I had enough to get a new guitar, I went back to the shop and tried a les paul gold top, an SG and a strat with a humbucker in the bridge, I asked the owner to pull down the sunburst, it was a revelation rts 57, it looked like eric clapton's brownie strat, I played it and it just felt right, I only had £167 and the retail price was £200 but the owner lwt me buy it with the amount I had, a year later and I've nicknamed the guitar ginger, put 9 gauge strings on it, took to guitar shows and played it at school, on the 18th I saw eric clapton at the CO-OP live in Manchester, it reinvigorated my love of the guitar and my love of playing in general.

@GScott50 Ай бұрын

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="178">2:58</a> That dog is definitely copping your Hendrix licks!

@Angel-fz8dr Ай бұрын

lol so true 😂

@Christian-ew4eg Ай бұрын

And hairstyle , lol ?

@clemkelly2159 Ай бұрын

Dogs name is angel

@josh_baymee Ай бұрын

I love a Strat middle pickup! That’s why I put one in my Tele. So underrated!

@HomoChomsky Ай бұрын

I intend to build a Tele and do the same thing. Best of both worlds for me.

@vayabroder729 Ай бұрын

Ask the great Jimmie Lee Vaughan!

@ricardorodriguez5549 Ай бұрын

My go to pickup setting for crisp funk breaks

@SPMinerva Ай бұрын

Didnt Fender that line of guitar Nashville Tele i think the name. Stuart from Mogwai probably my favorite with that guitar

@Christian-ew4eg Ай бұрын

The only Tele I have ever bought is a 2012 Nashville , MIM . Would not have picked up anything with 25.5" scale length at that time , but curiosity killed this cat . Still love the 5-way ...

@ryanhalliwell6671 Ай бұрын

You’re absolutely right .My taste in guitar gear has grown and evolved as I have In my playing, you’ve always been a great inspiration to me in guitar tone and making good decisions in my gear choices. Thanks man

@mitchcottew1379 Ай бұрын

Something similar happened to me. Walked into a shop and saw a used MIJ strat before I even knew what MIJ meant, picked it up and started playing and it was like a strike of lightning. i just instantly connected with THAT one, and it had me playing in a new way. I've tried others, but that one just vibes different for me

@jerrystephenson1172 28 күн бұрын

Even w/CNC & digital bla, bla, A guitar is still hand made & all are different.( as are ppl.) Some just fit & feel better & you have found one for you. Matters not brand or price, but the vibe that makes you want to play.

@revolead Ай бұрын

To be honest, Rhett, I've never seen you get excited over a Strat-like guitar, even when you've done the custom shop and hot-rodded MIM comparisons. Probably just not your style of guitar. Nothing wrong with that. I have never been excited by Teles, and the one Tele I own doesn't get used as often as it should (though I don't want to get rid of it because it's the only Tele I've ever liked).

@alexsagert7609 Ай бұрын

The only one that I've seen him play which he adores was a Shabat S-style guitar that he bought. Looks and sounds phenomenal.

@bladeoflucatiel Ай бұрын

He said the MIM player series was the worst strat but its by far the most sold strat on reverb and probably everywhere else.

@forester057 28 күн бұрын

He sure sounds good with a strat in hand. Everyone sounds better with a strat.

@dalecoffing8655 Ай бұрын

Great vid. I'm 71 years old and played since I was 10 years old. I have connected with several guitars, un-connected and re-connected over the years. I was a 12-string play for many years and have in the past few years not so much. Ric 660-12 Tak acoustic 12. and others. Now it's Tele, Martin and 335 style. Partly because how my gigs have changed, partly because of who I play with, The only thing constant in life is change. L

@lorman1993 28 күн бұрын

Love the message!! Thank you for the stream of consciousness, really spoke to me today.

@Mr.Pringle-iv5mz Ай бұрын

Rhett , love your videos, always informative and seemingly unbiased. Also , your dog is awesome. Thanks for your insights.

@martinclayton7260 Ай бұрын

I bought my first Strat new in 1994, it was a Fender Strat plus, with those gold Lace Sencor pickups, I just didn't get on with it, as I'd been using an Ibanez RG550 for a few years, but I struggled on with it. It eventually ended up living in it's case, which was a shame, as it's a beautiful guitar. I had the pickups replaced for Seymour Duncan's, but that didn't really change the amount I used it, so it carried on in it's case, as I'd bought a few Gibson's buy then, and then a couple of core PRS guitars. But I'd been missing using a Strat, as I just love them, so I bought another Strat that had a humbucker in the bridge, and that woke me up! So I had a Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates put in the bridge, and what made a big difference was having the trem blocked off, now it gets played a lot, and I've had stainless steel frets fitted.

@missingremote4388 Ай бұрын

Good stratocaster tale

@jeremyjohnston592 Ай бұрын

HSS with a blocked trem is the only way man

@orion681 29 күн бұрын

Strat Plus was a great guitar. The hardware was very forward thinking and they had a cool tone. I have a 96 Clapton with gold lace sensors and I love the sound. And like Rhett, I didn't get it because Clapton I got it because it was there.

@kim_o_the_concrete_jungle Ай бұрын

I have two strats, an American Standard strat and a Squier Bullet strat. Which one do I play the most? The cheap one.

@averyokamura7499 Ай бұрын

I've always been a Fender guy, and after playing a Les Paul for a few years, I made the switch back to Fender, pretty much just my Jazzmasters and Mustang. I've gone back and forth considering selling it, as I had left it in the case to take up room in the closet for a couple of years. I needed the money and almost pulled the trigger on selling it last month, but after spending time with it and playing it for a good week, I will absolutely not be selling it. The Les Paul makes me write differently, play differently, and express differently, and those changes are helping me get out of a musical rut that I didn't even realize I had been in! This video came at the perfect time, thanks Rhett!

@madmick78 29 күн бұрын

@RhettShull The Shabat comes with one of three Lollar options. Do you know what yours is stuffed with? Thanks!

@carsongreen3181 Ай бұрын

😂”I don’t like $1,200 strats, I like $4,000 Strats”. Same…

@stk7778 2 күн бұрын

Why is that? What's the diff?

@neal_laugman Ай бұрын

The neck pickup playing Hendrix is an acid test for sure.

@chetcalhoun613 Ай бұрын

I get where you’re coming from Rhett. I had two Les Paul Studio guitars, and really didn’t feel comfortable with either one of them. I started migrating back to my Godin SDXT…. 2 humbuckers and a middle single coil pickup, with Fender switching, and the neck and headstock look like a Strat. The body is shaped like a Les Paul. Nice guitar that I feel comfortable playing. My other guitar is an Epiphone double cut with two humbuckers that are coil tapped and also has a phase switch on one of the tone knobs…again, I feel comfortable playing it, and get all the tones I’m looking for in a guitar. Thanks for the video.

@pierrerime1131 Ай бұрын

I can completely relate to your experierence. Strats didn't do it for me for years. I've owned several strats that I sold and a custom shop G&L that is objectively a very good guitar. But I just could't connect with any of these guitars. It changed when I first tried my Macmull S-Classic. It just had the sound and feeling that inspired me (on all 5 positions). I had a great experience with Shabat guitars too : I own a Korina Lion deluxe, not exactly the typical T-Style guitar but an incredible instrument on its own. Thanks for the great work with your channel and music !

@TheOpinionatedGuitarist Ай бұрын

I can’t get past 21 fret guitars. I love the Strat ultra, killer compound neck radius, 22 frets, cutdown neck heel and the trem stays in tune.

@gbharris 28 күн бұрын

How often are you using the 22nd fret lmao

@paulhopper1630 25 күн бұрын

You obviously don't play in B minor.

@isaiahdiekhoff3763 Ай бұрын

I love my Stratocaster! I bought my 75th anniversary commemorative Stratocaster. I did not want it but I went and played and I just knew it and I went and bought it that is my all time favorite guitar it does the SRV and Hendrix thing perfectly. I will never part with it.

@SeanOHanlon Ай бұрын

Do you mean the 70th anniversary Stratocaster? - because Fender isn't 75 years old yet.

@dragonhealingarts8993 Ай бұрын

@@SeanOHanlonThe Strat is 70 but there are Strats that commemorate 75 years of Fender as a company.

@SeanOHanlon Ай бұрын

@@dragonhealingarts8993 You are right. I stand corrected. 👍

@Irg1570 Ай бұрын

I've been playing for over forty years. I've had the same struggle as you. I loved the idea of a Strat. But, finding the right one for me seemed like a hopeless quest. I finally did find the ONE about two years ago. Finally!

@ntcowing 29 күн бұрын

Love the life growth, man! Glad you found the Strat that had the alchemy to match your hands to what your ears always heard in them

@tmmuscics2753 Ай бұрын

If you want a Mayer strat, try out the Stevie ray Vaughn signature, it’s basically a Mayer strat, it has the sound, and it has the neck shape. Mayer was a srv fan, so he had an srv signature strat that he based his signature off of

@NewHopeAudio Ай бұрын

Yes but that has Texas specials which are hot. John’s allegedly had pickups that were not “right” and lower output. No idea how truthful that is. The fretboard radius on the SRV & Mayer are different as well. You’re definitely correct though- early John Mayer stuff was him using his 90s SRV signature.

@francesco0185 Ай бұрын

You are right. I have the same Mayer black 1 Strat that Rhett owns and its heavily based on the SRV Strat. But the pickups are really different and the neck is thinner. I think they are two interesting guitars.

@SeanOHanlon Ай бұрын

I just want to remind everyone that SRV's Number One was essentially a partscaster. It had a '62 neck on a '63 body with pickups taken from a '59. Not to mention the left handed tremolo that his guitar tech put on it because that's what was handy when he needed it.

@francesco0185 Ай бұрын

@@SeanOHanlonyes, but the guitar JM played when he was a kid was SRV Fender artist Stratocaster, not the exact guitar SRV built.

@gregs8685 27 күн бұрын

I’ve owned both and the necks and pickups are different. The SRV neck has a Pau Ferro fingerboard, 12” radius and 1.65” nut. JM has rosewood, 9.5” radius and 1.6875” nut. Frets are the same, and profile is similar. The SRV has Texas Specials, a hot single coil set. JM has big dippers which are very mid scooped with vintage output.

@WoodyBlueberry Ай бұрын

Well, just change the pickups, that's what I do !

@pauljrogersmusic Ай бұрын

So much good wisdom in this video. Thank you. I started on Strats then moved to Teles. I regret selling an Ibanez Les Paul and I haven't connected with another since.

@eddieholmes3236 Ай бұрын

I may have missed it, but I’d love to see a deep dive on that Shabat - sounds awesome

@guitarplayer5932 Ай бұрын

suhr teles and strats are near perfection

@larryshields2302 Ай бұрын

Sounds like you are talking about the silver sky haha'

@guitarplayer5932 Ай бұрын

@@larryshields2302 you clearly never played a suhr

@humanbeing2420 Ай бұрын

I should hope so given their price point

@guitarplayer5932 Ай бұрын

@@humanbeing2420 you get what you pay for with a suhr, unlike a “relic” or “signature series” over priced fender thats not half as good for the same price

@Rygo-wk3jm 28 күн бұрын

@@guitarplayer5932just curious…what makes them near perfect and not perfect?! (I’ve never played one.)

@AJvsEverything Ай бұрын

So, I've been struggling to actually learn to play guitar for 30 years, I never really put the time into learning and memorizing things beyond power chords...I've always been addicted to how guitars feel, sound, look, and the whole aura around them, so I've been collecting and buying/selling guitars for years off and on... 2 years ago I bought an early 90's Fender Squier SE "strat pack" guitar as the basis for a modded Strat project, as I'd gotten into luthier work and wanted to tinker...it looked nearly perfect in the photos online and it was cheap...what showed up on my doorstep was missing chunks of finish in places that hadn't been photographed and had been obviously worn down and gigged with for years that way...I was pissed, because it was meant to be a clean guitar body and neck that I could do some mods on and find "my tone" with...and here was this battered and beaten cheapo guitar that was worth less than I'd paid for it and would never have resale value... And then I plugged it in...as far as I know it's 100% stock, but I never opened it up to confirm...from the first 2 minutes of strumming and playing this pile of shit I immediately went "Oh no, I can never get rid of this thing now"...whether it's due to someone else replacing the pickups, or the stock pickups just aging a certain way from what appears to be years of abuse and gigging, it is one of the creamiest and sweetest sounding Strats I've ever owned...the irony being that I'd bought it to make it sound that way, and it showed up looking horrible and sounding amazing...I am now the caretaker of that sweet pile of shit for as long as I'm still alive, and I couldn't be happier about it...

@diggdugg2169 Ай бұрын

Great video, Rhett. One of my favorites.

@TraneFrancks 26 күн бұрын

Well said. For me, the shift was from the Tele that was my #1 for 15 years to suddenly only really ever wanting to play a Les Paul Special. It's been pretty much everything for the last few years.

@AndyRehfeldt Ай бұрын

My strat is Mexican👍🏼💪🏼🎸

@PaulBradley-qi9ss 23 күн бұрын

I've had a MIM strat since 96, and I've never looked back. Never needed Work done on it, still sounds great. I love it.

@misterknightowlandco 2 күн бұрын

So is yours called “the brown one”? 😂

@cliftongardner4367 Ай бұрын

Great video, great thoughts! I hated playing strats for the longest time, but I always loved some of the sounds they could make. So about a year and a half ago, I bought a Squier 40th anniversary Strat with the express purpose of pushing through it and “understanding” the Strat. Not only am I beginning to be comfortable with it, it’s slowly becoming the guitar I reach for first when I just want to noodle around for a bit. I think I still want a humbucker in that bridge position, but maybe, just maybe, I’ve been a “strat guy” all along.

@BarisTosunTurkey 28 күн бұрын

Hey, thanks for sharing your thoughts. I think you could definitely do another video about the importance of connecting with an instrument (or was this that video?). Just one question: which pickups does the Shabat have? I checked the site for what I think was your guitar and there is a choice of one of: Lollar Sixty-Four, Lollar Special S, Lollar Vintage Blonde. Would appreciate it if you found the time to respond, since the pickups DO sound very nice in your video. Thanks again.

@cbarrett34 Ай бұрын

If you needed a strat so bad, why didn't you just go to Guitar Center?

@NewHopeAudio Ай бұрын

Because if he wanted a premium lifelong Strat, why not?

@francesco0185 Ай бұрын

I don't understand what you mean.

@bellsclubsbarsandbows76 Ай бұрын

Because he probably didn’t want to overpay

@KimmyJimmel69 Ай бұрын

I will never purchase anything from guitar center for the remainder of my life. They are the worst.

@The11eleven Ай бұрын

@@KimmyJimmel69how so?

@edgeofeternity101 Ай бұрын

Your pup had a front row seat.

@TeleTonemonkey Ай бұрын

Guess it was a front pup then. 😂 … (I’ll get my coat.)

@reilly890 28 күн бұрын

Great video and really well said about the whole philosophy of musically evolving as you evolve as a person in general too, very true! Love it 😎

@lisan_al-ghaib Ай бұрын

Glad to hear I'm not the only one who doesn't like the strat single coil bridge sound. Changed mine to a mini humbucker and it's way more usable.

@ryanlittleton5615 Ай бұрын

<a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="535">8:55</a> Now that's a lick I didn't think I'd ever hear on this channel.

@MetaCometa335 Ай бұрын

what is it?

@Andy-ri1ns Ай бұрын

@@MetaCometa335 Lenny by SRV.

@thestradiosmiles 29 күн бұрын

Why?

@kevinvandenberg5548 Ай бұрын

In my opinion the Eric Johnson Rosewood stratocaster in lucerne aqua firemist is the best looking strat Fender put into production.

@Clayphish 13 күн бұрын

Damn right. I bought a used one with tropical turquoise. I wish it was the firemist colour. With this said, I will say it’s one of the better strats I’ve played. The neck is very nice!

@kevinvandenberg5548 13 күн бұрын

@@Clayphish the tropical one is beautiful as well! The neck on those models are amazing. Nice and thick, but not too much. Just right.

@thebh8016 Ай бұрын

Rhett, love your videos and I'm a big fan... One thing I have to comment on. When you do demos, particularly guitars and amps the tone is often modified and difficult to determine what the actual gear sounds like. For some of the tones on this video, it sounds pretty clean, then at other times it sounds very layered. It would be nice to have a comparison between clean and with effects (with an explanation of the signal chain that creates your gear tone). Just an observation... Keep up the good work...

@81ghale Ай бұрын

I’ve never wanted anything to do with any of the 70’s style strats, but I saw online my closest GC had a perfect 3 tone burst with rosewood fretboard that I’ve always wanted but could never find, and I had never tried Fender’s U shape neck, so went to check it out. It ended up being a 2001 MIM Classic Series Reissue 70’s someone had put custom shop pickups in (I think Texas Specials by the pole pieces, rwrp, and enamel wire) that were probably from around that time from the looks of them. I fell in love with it and it came home with me. I think it’s the best sounding Strat I’ve ever owned and I’ve had most of the American Vintage/Original and lacquer reissue road worn and classic series, I’m a vintage spec guy mainly the radius. But it beats all the more expensive ones I’ve had and I NEVER would have guessed it would’ve been a fat headstock 3 bolt neck 70’s Strat if you had told me that just a few months ago lol.

@buckkylem Ай бұрын

I absolutely love the Strat sound. I have such a hard time branching out stylistically because of how much I love that 2 and 4 position

@NewHopeAudio Ай бұрын

It’s magic.

@DaveMorrisonMusic Ай бұрын

It's so 'human' sounding.

@keithzuccolo6729 Ай бұрын

Try a Les Paul Jr. With a P90. You'll fall in love.

@DaveMorrisonMusic 22 күн бұрын

@@keithzuccolo6729 I actually have a Strat with two P90s in it. I like it a lot. Strats are amazing in the hands of a Strat player, but I've never been able to make them sing. My current favorite is a Tele. So simple and reliable.

@dvs6121 9 күн бұрын

Position 4. 😊

@deadmozs Ай бұрын

You are spot on with the point you are trying to make. Prime example - Cobain played crappy guitars for the most part... and yet he managed to figure out how to get the sound HE wanted out of them. It really isn't about the price of an instrument...it's about the "feel". I personally own some crappy guitars myself, but there's something about how they feel and how they make ME feel when I play them, and that totally makes it worth having them. Very cool video, Rhett.

@JaredR-gk6rx Ай бұрын

damn is almost like the guitar itself doesn't really make that much of a difference in the tone isn't it?

@jasondorsey7110 Ай бұрын

@@JaredR-gk6rxWhatever rig you use, you're gonna try to dial it in as close as you can to the sound you hear in your head...and if you're handy with an eq pedal you can get there with pretty much anything

@electrofuzz7396 Ай бұрын

Warm, dynamic and very expressive = love

@davesenergyguide 29 күн бұрын

Wow, amazing guitars. I have been thinking about getting a Strat and this video helps. Thanks!

@steveeckert8396 Ай бұрын

Besides the player, two things effect the tone of a start, the pickups and tremolo. My 92 Strat bought new was a dog. Five years ago I swapped pups and got halfway there. Put a bell steel trem block in it and now it finally sounds like a classic strat.🥰🥰🥰

@GCKelloch Ай бұрын

I agree the trem block makes a difference, but no more so than the pieces of wood in the guitar, and probably less so than the saddle type and alloy. Every S-type I have ever owned or played over the last 4+ decades with an Indian RW FB has had less "glassy" sparkle than a neck with a thickly lacquered Maple FB, but can also have less punch and midrange cut. It's all about how whatever is under the frets damps string vibrations, just as true with the saddles and trem block. The body also has some affect via the neck pocket. Even removing the rear trem cover can allow the wood from the neck pocket to the bridge to absorb more midrange. Assuming you stick with the neck and body you have, there is one more factor. An Aluminum pickguard or pickguard shield, as came standard in the early 60s, creates eddy currents in the pickup coils that reduce the upper-mids. That's probably a key reason those Strats are so coveted.

@aaronwinter1092 Ай бұрын

What pickups did you put in it?

@steveeckert8396 Ай бұрын

@@aaronwinter1092Before I started this process I was well on my way to selling the guitar. I put a set of 57/62's in it. That really helped. I then swapped out the saddles for vintage. And yes I heard a slight difference. In a mix the difference was negligible. About a month or so later I heard a guy playing this $5K custom shop Stat at Guitar Center. It had the sound I was looking for. When he put it back on the rack I saw the huge stainless trem block. That was my aha moment. I bought a Calaham trem block and problem solved. Guitar has all the chime I could ever image. A few more things to note. A good EQ can solve alot of problems and if you can get the mfg pickup spec Seymour Duncan, Dimarrzio and Guitar Fetish in most cases sell pretty much the same thing.

@RobertNolan Ай бұрын

Penny adores you, clearly. Her carefully watching you play, that's a good dog.

@RhettShull Ай бұрын

She’s the best

@madmick78 29 күн бұрын

@rhettshull The Shabat comes with one of three Lollar options. Do you know what yours is stuffed with? Thanks!

@TheFreeman4955 29 күн бұрын

⁠@@madmick78 I like the sound of that Shabat and looked that up myself. I’d like to know what set is in there.

@matthewdavis473 Ай бұрын

I see you with the digitakt in the background. Love it

@user-tk7es7zd2f 9 күн бұрын

Great video Rhett, I have an HSS strat that is firmly 3rd under my tele and SG for very similar reasons. the strat was my first excellent guitar, and I was certain it would be the only one because of how much I loved JM's music at the time. Hundreds of videos, product demos to live at nokia confirmed that i was a Strat-Man™. It was my best guitar for a long time, so I was strat man, until I bought my tele, and the shift was immediate. It's been years, and the strat still didnt do *IT* for me the way the tele did, or the SG with 14's on it in C# tuning. I took a nearly year long guitar break, and just picked up my acoustic again a few months ago, and have very recently just started to hear the melodies again in my head, and I think they're strat-voiced, so once i'm ready to plug in again I think that is where I will start.

@ValWillKay 28 күн бұрын

Rhett really made an entire video to convince his wife he needs a new guitar 😂

@jonathanrees6122 28 күн бұрын

I love the channel and love your videos, but one thing I hate is when you do exactly what you did here: you take a $1000 (initially) Fender and compare it to a $3500+ dollar boutique guitar. There isn't really a comparison. It's like comparing those weird fruit drinks in the little plastic barrels with the foil top to a $50 Moscato. Sure, this wasn't a shoot out video comparing the two, except that it kind of was.

@oliviercastello4093 29 күн бұрын

Hi Rhett, completely right about things that change and where you are as a musician, as a person. Also the state of mind, the place, feelings,… It is not cheesy. I recently rediscovered some of my guitars I was not using and thinking to sell. I am even looking at other guitars now. It is just like life. Music is a quest. Cheers from France, Hungary and wherever I may roam 😉

@chrisredman9500 23 күн бұрын

What you played on that strat was magical

@thermalegoogle Ай бұрын

I'm sure the John Mayer strat is technically just as good as your Shabat but you do sound way better on the Shabat, probably because of how much more it inspires you.

@brianh4625 Ай бұрын

"Why I never play my John Mayer Stratocaster,"

@EJBGuitar 29 күн бұрын

After you missing out on that Julian Lage guitar, the lesson learned is I now jump on anything that gives me that "oh man" feeling! Not gonna miss out on something if I can help it.

@golaguy Ай бұрын

I completely understand where you’re coming from. I have a Carvin CT6. I had it custom made, pickups, woods, fretwire, electronics, tuners, everything. It is a beautiful piece of kit. I played it for a couple of years, and it just doesn’t do it for me. It should, it was everything I wanted in a guitar. And, it sucks I don’t love it. However, I picked up a gently used Squire Strat at a local music store in Delaware. It just felt great. For a cheap guitar, the neck just felt right. I bought it just to test pickups, and I dropped in a set of no name humbuckers and a EMG select in the middle position. Split the coils with a push/pull, as well as added a Gilmour switch to play the bridge and neck. This has turned into my “go to” guitar. Set up was easy, action is super low and it is a breeze to play. Mostly playing acid jazz and funk. So the sounds totally fit my current tastes. I really don’t want to get rid of the Carvin. Especially, since I will never get back what I put into it. And I could by 10 Squires for what I paid for the Carvin, including the pickups and wiring… It goes to show, nothing is written in stone. Inspiration comes out of nowhere sometimes. You just have to let it happen. Your video resonates with me. Thanks.

@jamesjudd6577 Ай бұрын

I think a lot of players get guitars and geek out because they simply play guitar... Idk. Dont buy it. Best guitar players ive personally known have just a few

@Aspkkr Ай бұрын

Maybe the ones you know personally but as far as actual pro's they all have huge collections.

@erianersitetras7172 Ай бұрын

(coughing in Joe Bonamassa) 😅🤭

@tooruoikawa8985 Ай бұрын

Instructions Unclear, I still sound nothing like John Mayer after purchase.

@thebassrogue 29 күн бұрын

Gotta get o one o of those 100k dollar dumble amps friend

@skinny0ne 29 күн бұрын

you gotta curl your lip a bit and jut your head out awkwardly. that’s how you tap into this guitar’s soul

@joannalewis5279 22 күн бұрын

Such good points about what makes a good instrument

@the-creech4790 Ай бұрын

I bought a Gibson 335 new off the wall in 1997. Plays and sounds beautiful, but I never bonded with it. I still have it and take good care of it.

@jakobmorningstar Ай бұрын

It took me 3 years to finally connect with my Silver Sky… even listed it for sale a few times. Something finally clicked in 2022 and now I can’t imagine getting rid of it.

@carlkerkman7028 Ай бұрын

I hear you, my favorite guitar is one that I picked up and played without being on a guitar buying search - it talked to me and I bought it and that seems to be the best way for me to find "the" instrument.

@greggalbraith2842 20 күн бұрын

This vid explains a bit of why I always put a Tele bridge pickup in all my Strat builds.

@dxdelafu 28 күн бұрын

2 months ago I bought my first strat. Not just any, but one that was “my” strat. Way down in South Texas (McAllen) I went into a Guitar Center to destress from work and stuff. Inside a glass cabinet they had a Fender American Pro 2 in Olympic white, with a maple fretboard. SSS pickups. No intention of buying this one until I played it. Went back to Dallas where I live and tried the identical model and color. None even felt close to the one in south Texas. A month later the two guys (Randy and Tony) that attended to me in McAllen somehow still remembered me and remembered the guitar I played. Bought it and they shipped it. It’s amazing how when a guitar speaks to you, you can’t get it out of your mind. So I get you Rhett.

@alphadogstudio Ай бұрын

I had a similar experience with the Telecaster. Never liked them, other than the sunburst double bound custom, I never even liked the way they looked. I'm sitting around a local music store one day and some guy was trying to sell an amp, the owner says, "you mind playing thru this amp, I just need to see if it works." A Danny Gatton custom shop Telecaster , a guitar I never would have normally picked up, even though I like Danny Gatton, just happened to be the nearest guitar to me so I picked it up and just instantly fell in love with it! It became my main guitar for about 10 years. It's still my go to guitar for studio work. You just never know...

@Nugmania1 29 күн бұрын

Rhett, you are nailing it on the head, Firstly, how it feels and how it sounds. Most hobbyists get hung up on the features ie: pickups, bridge, wood , finish etc. I have a friend, Paul Richl out of Winnipeg, phenomenal player, who is currently using a Squier Infinity Tele, he is out gigging all the time with this as his main.

@costabotes9107 Ай бұрын

You don’t like the 2 and 4 positions? Jeez, that’s like saying you don’t like popcorn or icecream. Ah well.

@chiefline7084 20 күн бұрын

I can deal with position 2 but position 4 is just ugh……..horrible.

@iagobroxado 16 күн бұрын

Whaaaat, that's probably one of my favorito things about a Strat!😂@@chiefline7084

@kentucker7921 23 күн бұрын

Hi Rhett...really enjoy your channel...I really understand the thing about" not really connecting with a guitar at this time"...I have become more patient with myself and realize that as we develop (that goes for most everything in life) our perspective change. I have had a few good guitars that I "let go of" that I have missed. I remember a session with you and Dave O on Beato and you mentioned that G&L guitars were definitely worth a look at...neither Rick or Dave reacted, responded , or said anything. I love my G&L's...perhaps you will mention them again!

@jasonbaines3371 Ай бұрын

The big dipper pickups are awesome too. I like my Strats but this is a great one

@chrisaaron7755 Ай бұрын

One of my dream guitars. Absolutely love it

@mikecarbone828 Ай бұрын

Salutations Rhett! I’m happy for you that you have finally found the particular Stratocaster that suits you! While it is true that you could have built a Stratocaster from scratch, or from parts that might have suited you, instead you found one when you were not even looking for one, and it just so happened to meet the criteria that suited your playing style. Guitars are tools for the musician, and a well stocked collection of guitars can provide the musician with a wide variety of sound options, had you more than just the one Stratocaster in your collection, you may have potentially found out sooner, the features you prefer most in a Stratocaster to suit your playing style, frequenting guitar shops and sampling many instruments is a great way to help one find what they like most about particular instruments. I found out many years ago, that instruments that come from an assembly line can vary widely from instrument to instrument, and that you could potentially play one-hundred examples of the same instrument, and possibly only find one or a small fraction of them suitable. Nowadays, with the advent of CNC machines, there is a greater percentage of suitable instruments in the same number of control group, but the same principles apply. When you are a beginner, you tend to pick up and play what you can get your hands on, and then you expand from there, sometimes settling on a particular model, or like me and yourself, you select several key instruments in your collection, and then expand from there. Every once in a while, you find an instrument that just speaks to you, that you connect with in such a way that it makes a profound difference in how you see that instrument. There are a lot of great guitar designs, and some are ubiquitous, such as the Telecaster, Stratocaster, Les Paul, SG, and the 335, a well equipped collection should have at least some of these guitars within it, however, there are some guitarists who use essentially one kind of guitar for their entire career, others however, have made changes over the years, Eric Clapton and Jeff Beck both didn’t start out playing the Stratocaster, but they both transitioned to eventually playing the Stratocaster and being known for doing so. Enjoy playing your new Stratocaster! Thanks for sharing your personal experience! Please have an excellent and awesome day! ☀️✨🎸

@mattmanley7118 Ай бұрын

It’s gorgeous I’m glad you got enjoyment from it Rhett. Sometimes you just wanna play something different or even just noodle on something else. Sure it’s a very expensive piece and collectors will drool over it but I’m glad yours has been played❤

@AncientGranules Ай бұрын

You have taken the words out of my mouth... As soon as you played it, I actually heard Jimi Hendrix sound, straight away! ❤🎸😎

@Behrater 26 күн бұрын

Hey Rhett, which Position do you like most on this Beast? The Middle is really good! Is it this? Or is it, that 2 or 4 is a more usefull Tool?

@jsalmons84 29 күн бұрын

My fav things to do to make a Strat bridge more usable is to move the middle pickup tone control to the bridge pickup. I also add a steel baseplate to it, which ups the bass and lower mids and gives it more body, similar to a Tele bridge.

@JDStone20 Ай бұрын

That bridge pickup sounds awesome!! Nice guitar!!

@jeremyjohnston592 Ай бұрын

I agree! I know Rhett said he didnt like the bridge pickup on this guitar at all, but I thought it sounded great!

@forester057 28 күн бұрын

Yeah it’s the pickup not the $5000 two rock 🙄

@GuitarNoize111 11 күн бұрын

I totally agree. Great playing also.

@TheMegsie1 27 күн бұрын

I've had a similar journey with Strats. When I first started playing in the 90s, I never knew about scale length and how it affects the feel of an instrument. I was always a Gibson player and could never get on with Strats. It wasn't until years later that a luthier told me that a Strat being 25.5 inch scale length and a Gibson being 24.75, the Strat requires more tension in the strings to bring it up to pitch and the strings will feel tighter under the fingers at the same tuning with the same gauge strings. That was a game changer for me cause after that, I tuned down half a step on a Strat and it felt like a Les Paul in terms of string tension.

@atguitar.ca. 25 күн бұрын

Right on. Very few people get that. I'm pretty sure that is also a big part of the difference in sound between Gibson and Fender, beside the obvious humbucker vs single coil dynamic.

@moonboogien8908 Ай бұрын

When i started playing in bands at 14, my buddy had an old SG that absolutely sucked to play. For a loooooong time i thought i hated SGs, but once i played a properly set up one, i was in love and now they're on of my favorites. Apart from strats, of course. Lol

@christopherhansford6876 20 күн бұрын

My 1995 MusicMan Silhouette Special is my "strat". It was all about the neck pickup for me too. But the neck! Oh, that neck. Lovely to hold.

@13opacus 2 күн бұрын

I had a 1992 or 3 sunburst Fender Strat ultra with the lace pickups and ebony fb. I bought it new and waited about 6 months to get it after it was ordered, it was a beautiful axe but I always preferred my 1983 Ibanez Roadstar 2. The Strat stayed in it’s case under my bed for about a year and I eventually decided it had to go so I sold it and bought a new bicycle and I still play the Ibanez today and love it. I know how you feel Rhett, some just don’t gel.

@josdurkstraful Ай бұрын

It's funny that you do this video just now: it is exactly my experience of the last two weeks! I have an American Standard STrat for almost 20 years because I needed a Strat. The sound never clicked with me the same way that you explain it here. Two weeks ago I had it modified to a vintage '63 with Van Zandt true Vintage pickups et voila: there were the chimes that I want to hear from a strat, it sounds similar to the one you nought at Namm.

@chrisrussoroos6091 26 күн бұрын

Nice discussion about something we all encounter - just had this experience last week so very relevant👍🏼 Shabbat is a beaut

@andreasfetzer7559 25 күн бұрын

Very nice playing,man!

@user-rd2mp2jc1h 29 күн бұрын

Hi Rhett, i notice that Shabat s style guitars use lollar pickups, do you know which lollars are in your guitar?, sixty four, special s or vintage blondes?, thank you Rhett!

@stickmanmusic5840 Ай бұрын

Great tones, especially on the Hendrix bits. I'll watch again just for those parts. It really shined!

@stickmanmusic5840 Ай бұрын

I've played guitar 50 years. I just got my first telecaster, a cheap Squier that just had "that" sound. I'm still surprised.

@derekspring8462 Ай бұрын

If you're not liking 2 and 4, I'd tweak the pickups, maybe reverse wound middle. That JM strat sounds really harsh, I'd dial back the presence on the amp.

@PaulAmlin Ай бұрын

As a drummer of 40 years, I can say that “the sound” is true with drum sets and cymbals as well. Three ride cymbals of the same make and model can have different tone. Drum shells are unique as well. Really enjoyed your video today! Thanks.

@painter08 29 күн бұрын

Great essay about guitars, I had a fender mustang in teal..still miss it.

@garyrouleau4676 Ай бұрын

Question: Are your trems decked or floating? I find floating stays in tune better imo.

@rickstout5524 Ай бұрын

Yep, what he said. As I grew older I took a second and third look at single coils. I haven't purchased an off the shelf guitar in years and eventually gravitated to putting together Strat style guitars, they just fit. It was years later, of course, before I stopped running home to mommy humbuckers in the bridge. Sigh, I finally put together a standard SSS combo and gee, love the extra articulation and spank. I still need an overwound in the bridge to solve the 'tin', but at least I appreciate contrast from what I couldn't get when I was younger, that, and using a boost instead of maxing distortion. If I could go back and have a talk with my younger self...

@dejavoodoo7204 Ай бұрын

Super Mid-Scooped Pick-ups on a Strat are certainly a good platform for adding tube screamers etc. to fatten things up when required. As far as a "plug straight into the amp" kinda strat, some fatty ol' A5 magnets with Formvar wire seem to suit me best (to generalise), particularly on middle and bridge positions,...with 2 and 4 positions with plenty of meat on the bones if possible

@Jeffy2n Ай бұрын

Hi Rhett, I too longed for a strat I could bond too, I even bought a SRV signature, since I love his tone, and like you It just wasn't what I thought I would be. I ended up selling as it was just collecting dust, funny thing is, I was at the music store, and they got is this limited run Mexican made strat that was the most gaudy color I have ever seen on a guitar (Sunshine sparkle Orange). played it for 1 minute, and bought it, as it played amazing. I ended up replacing the pick guard, pickups, and a brass block and claw for the tremolo and it is the only strat I have now.