Phillip Saved this interview lol

The Stratocaster is one of those legendary designs that not only got so much right, it jumped so far ahead of it's time, that it is STILL modern and relevant. You pick up a good Strat and notice it's comfortable... kinda molds into you. You play it realize it plays really easy (if set up well), balanced, easy upper fret access, the whammy bar is so intuitive you can find yourself using it without realizing... Your playing might alter a little.... Then the SOUND. There is a reason Strats are on so many legendary recordings. Not just a sound, but several, all of them great. Great clean, great distorted. Great straight into an amp, great playing with effects. It's not good at one thing, or a few things, the Strat is a stunning design for the ages because it is good at EVERYTHING. It's the 6 string swiss army knife. Not sure what to bring? Bring a Strat. 'When in doubt, Strat' is actually not bad advice. I love Teles, SGs, Les Pauls... I had a Korina V I'd kill to get back (just an Epi, but loved it, stolen years ago). But stranded on a desert island or selected for a mission to Mars... Only one electric allowed... Gotta be a Strat. Fat Strat (HSS) in my case. No other serious option. It's the one guitar that can do it all well for me. Not even a difficult choice. For me, my tastes, my preferences, my style of playing... Nothing does it as well for me as a good Fat Strat. Followed closely by a traditional SSS Strat. Thus, for my money, the Stratocaster is the single most important musical instrument design in the sum of human history. Again, for ME. For my tastes and my money, absolutely nothing beats a good Strat.

I especially liked how they demonstrated the sounds of these guitars

There is a lefthanded guitar on the wall, what a rare beast :)

Ron Thorn, the man the myth the legend

When you write everything down but forget your notes 😂😋😎

I’m fender for life. Got my first Squier at age 9 played in high school jazz band and started my own band. Got a Mexican fender Stratocaster, telecaster. Kept playing and my grandmother gifted me a 1972 Fender Stratocaster. Got a refret and it plays beautiful. Fast forward to now, I picked up three classic vibe squier guitars. I just love fender all the way down the line, the history the players the colors, the style it’s a dream come true.

"This is probably the best conversation I've had in a very long time." ~ anybody in a room with Phil and Ron, ever, probably.

I am amazed at the quality of the Squier's. It really makes me happy to see that a kid can get a inexpensive guitar that plays well. Not like when I was a kid. Because of guys like Phil, Dan from Stew mac and others, I have kind of become obsessed with guitar repair. I started to buy guitars that need repair or just some setup, fix them up and give them to local schools. Squier's are my go to for that. Dan and Mick probably cost me the most $$ for my own rig. :)

Great job guys... Totally enjoyed the conversation. Thank you Guillaume of Thomann and thanks Phil McKnight and Ron Thorn. Wish I could have grabbed a beer and sat down with you... oh yeah, I did.

Man I want that guitar... SMOOTH. Love Rob Thorn interviews. So open and down to earth. No pretense, how refreshing!! Great video!

i was playing some custom shop teles in the same room 3 weeks ago. i remember the carpet XD they have so many amazing guitars there. and i agree with guillaume regarding relic guitars. it is ridiculous until you play one. and then you don't want anything else anymore

This is so good, I enjoyed the episode a lot as well!

Gorgeous guitars and such a great discussion. If I ever manage to justify a custom shop Strat, I'd get Ron to build it, because I wanted a Thorn so bad at one point, and he doesn't build those any more!

KZfaq has such a brilliantly genius algorithm that it saved this video for today after I’ve spent the last two years obsessively searching for & watching Stratocaster videos on the platform. 😂.

Quality content. Very good exchanges of ideas. ❤Strat

Phillip McKnight rules! How fun!

loved this interview guys

@PhilMcKnight - I've played Strats for 20 years and never owned a HSS one until today, was inspired after watching this vid.

Phil owned this video!

The placement of the volume control on a Strat is perfect. That's actually in the Bible.

I’m a year late but talking about relic guitars made me think of the song “Perfectly Good Guitar” by John Hiatt… Well, he threw one down from the top of the stairs Beautiful women were standing everywhere They all got wet when he smashed that thing But off in the dark you could hear somebody sing: Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars Smashing a perfectly good guitar I don't know who they think they are Smashing a perfectly good guitar It started back in 1963 His momma wouldn't buy him that new red Harmony He settled for a sun-burnt with a crack But he's still trying to break his mama's back Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars Smashing a perfectly good guitar I don't know who they think they are Smashing a perfectly good guitar He loved that guitar just like a girlfriend But every good thing comes to an end Now he just sits in his room all day Whistling every note he used to play There ought to be a law with no bail Smash a guitar, and you go to jail With no chance for early parole You don't get out till you get some soul Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars Smashing a perfectly good guitar I don't know who they think they are Smashing a perfectly good guitar Late at night, the end of the road He wished he still had the old guitar to hold He'd rock it like a baby in his arms Never let it come to any harm Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars Smashing a perfectly good guitar I don't know who they think they are Smashing a perfectly good guitar

hey phil most educational episode yet! thanks now i understand my compound fender!!

I totally want that one with the P90S it's friggin gorgeous!

Love the strats!!!

I think one of the best things about a Strat is you can replace or upgrade things (it’s almost modular) easily. Want a new neck made from exotic wood, with stainless steel frets… So easy to do!

I really wanted to hear that strat with p-90s!

Great discussion.

What pickups are on that strat in the intro playing ? Sounds amazing !

Awesome!

Brilliant! My favourite guitar ever :-)

Good chat. To me, IMHO, a strat is a particular body and neck configuration that gives the player a particular feel first dating back to 1954. Pickups are secondary, but I must say that the 3 single coils with a 7.5" radius maple neck, 6 screw trem, and maple fretboard and ash body for a classic Fender strat sound. I went a little hybrid with H-S-S (Tim Shaw pickups) with a 9.5" radius maple neck, 2 screw trem and a rosewood fingerboard and an alder body in a fender american professional with a classic 3-color finish and I love the sound. To me it feels and sounds like an original fender strat.

wow that telestrat was gorgeous, i want one...is that one for sale?

Nice that they didn't use the 360 camera on this one. It's a good conversation, although it would have been nice if it were a bit more focused.

That’s a beautiful guitar!

Canessa? WTF that cracked me up as he had no idea what he was saying looool.

I think the guitar you (Phil) can't recall the name of at 26:00 is the TC-90 thinline, then replaced by the JA-90 signature.

The strat will always be relevant. It finds it’s way in every decade of music in some form. They can really do anything, and you know the sound of one when you hear it. There’s yet to be a guitar in todays era that has you like, wow that’s a ______

I’d love o hear that P90 Strat! Great video, love Fender Strat’s! Question: You see more video’s and more people basically raving about or leaning towards the Fender guitars, but not so much towards G&L or Musicman guitars? Didn’t Leo Fender go on to form those companies after selling Fender!?!

I Love Ron, he is a Top Guy,..and Phil too of course. Both Real Genuine men indeed 🇬🇧

You remember beatle mania? That was awesome

I just got my first fender strat last week and I love it so much. The neck feel and the tone from the neck and middle pickups is magical

RonThorn is a breathing encyclopedia.

#1 Fender Stratocaster #2 Gibson Les Paul #3 Fender Telecaster/Esquire/Broadcaster/Nocaster i have all 3 they are fun.Just my humble opinion oh and the First Act lineup are #4 alll the way.

I have a 2009 American deluxe strat - I did at one point out the EMG KH set in it and I shit you not... it sounded like a strat! It sounded completely different to any EMG guitar I had! Now has Bare Knuckles - still sounds like a strat 😂

This whole video is so passive aggressive lol

First 10 years playing guitar, Jackson, ESP, 2001 Ibanez RG thru neck (that I still have). Never played a real Strat. 2011 played a friends American Strat and I wanted to take it. Went to guitar center the next day played a few but didn't connect with any like I did my friends, they just did not feel the same. When I was about to leave someone came in to return a 2011 Olympic white American Deluxe. I did not know about compound radius then but turns out I loved it. Got it for a deal because it was a return and it has been my #1 from then on. #2 and 3 also have compound radius necks.

Overall the Strat is probably my favourite model ( with modifications) but I also love the bridge tone of a Tele and also various Gibsons , mainly Les Pauls and the 335 etc.

Phillip McKnight....daaaannngggg!! Always good to see him with others!!

It‘ nice to see Phil in the TGU, his channel is awesome.

Would really have liked to have heard about some of the lesser known Strats or "misfires". Remember the push button controls in the mid 80's? I own a Powerhouse Strat. It's a fantastic guitar, but It's extremely difficult to hear anything about that model!

Is this why @phillipmcknight didn't do the live q&a ?

Hey, PHIL!!

My vote - Super Strat: HSS, Wilkenson or top of the line Fender bridge, locking tuners, flatter radius neck, additional switching options... If I had to play a standard Strat, I probably wouldn't play one 😂

This basically a 20 minute passive argument, nobody wanted to yell during

Nitro over baked maple! That actually does sound nice haha! Oh you Fender guys know how to get us all fired up don't you! ;)

That custom shop p90 strat has beautiful flame top. It looks a lot like the new prs on my knee right now... Same orange colour stain... I wonder what they call that..?

I feel the exact same way, about Les Pauls. But I'll never NOT have a Strat in my gigging collection. Nothing sounds like a Strat, like a Strat.

My g&l was made by the inventor who sold the company to those now stamping his name on the headstock

They should've called me to do the interview, and I'm a kook.

Love it when Gill pretends to be Le French :)

Phil & Ron are great to listen to! The Strat Ron was holding was beautiful. I also loved the Peridot green one on the back wall to the right of the THOMANN sign!

the stratocaster is the best guitar ever made

I'm really curious 😄

So the G&L legacy is the best guitar of the best model ever made

The Strat shape, with contours is the most comfortable body shape. The beauty of a Strat as a design, is its modularity and the variation that can be brought into it. The Strat sound is a thing as well, but infinitely variable. Because the instrument is so easily modular, you can switch out pickups, and tailor the tone to a large degree. Very hard to make a Strat sound like a Les Paul...impossible to make a Les Paul sound like a Strat.

No doubt the Strat is the most important electric guitar, However the later improvements like humbuckers, flatter or compound radius, and Floyd(if you use a trem) are legitimate improvements!

The lefty on the side of the billboard is one of the most beautiful guitars i have ever seen. UAU. Wondering how many internal organs i would have to sell to be able to get it...?! hehehe

Great discussion. I want everything on the wall plus the strat Phil is holding. BTW if you have been awake for days trying to be a good host to hundreds of you tubers you might be s bit forgetful too. The host isn't awkward...my guess is he is exhausted.

... i got 5 of 'em... what & why, a strat, is just SO-OH phat, that, I'm funkin' out, & I'm funkin' out, & I'm funkin' outa here-!!!

Phillip dang good to see you on this man!!🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘👍

The Strat, Fender fixing something that wasn't broken, Leo got it right first time around with the Telecaster,

Duosonic

The host is terrible, but kudos to him for getting Phil and Ron together on this topic.

For me it's simple it has"that sound" nothing else has that crispness that strats can produce and yet you can mould that to your sound with how you play it I'll happy act as a test pilot for fender custom shop ! Thanks Gulllome as always

The Telecaster is the best guitar ever, the man, the boss, while the Strat is the beautiful younger sister. Strats have changed over the years, in 1987 the American standard introduced 22 frets and that horrible 2 point bridge. There’s Strat plus, Strats with buckers, etc, but in my mind, and my personal favourite specs are prefer is pre CBS, because they botched the headstock. That’s the nicest Strat whether it’s 50s or 60s.

The Stratocaster is the Chevrolet of guitars, why I believe that too be true is parts are found very easily almost anywhere, and at very reasonable prices.

The thing is is, guitars are purely subjective though...

Im trying to gather funds for my first real Fender Strat, i cannot decide yet if i should get some from the player series or classic 60', i love the looks and style of the classic 60', but Player series has more usable tremolo, alnico V pickups (i love alnico V's), and modern tuning keys which i can change to the Fender Locking ones very easily. There is also the classic Player series, and it would be the best for me, but the 12 inch radius is playable for me if the neck is thin, like Ibanez Wizard. Fat neck with 12 inch radius feels strange to play for me. Also if Deluxe series had normal, small headstock i would probably just get hss tobacco sunburst one. It's soo hard to decide, if You live in places like Poland, and have very limited funds... Also not alot of places to see the guitars and try them out..

What about guilluame screwing up the word ‘connoisseur’ 🤣🤣🤣🤣

So if you make it with a set neck, humbuckers, and hardtail bridge wouldn't it still be a strat?

It's versatile. Simple. Practically indestructible. Immensely customizable. Some think it looks sexy. It has allowed hundreds if not thousands of guitar builders to make a living. :/

Imagine you would play Violin and you can choose between any Brand or a Stradivari that doesn't cost more, what would you choose 😉

Guillaume actually looks rested HA! Strat master Thorn! the strat can be everything you want it too and more!

Duo-Sonic?

I love my strat and have played it for years. Yet here lately I’ve found myself wanting a bigger tone, started favoring my 58 explorer better because of the tones I can get. Installing a bridge humbucker is not an option for the strat. I don’t know, I love the thing and find myself wanting it to be my main guitar but i just can’t get the fuller sound I’m looking for.

Too bad the volume knob location sucks!!

Strat vs Tele and why?

18:23 I have to disagree with the Great Ron Thorn on this one. That’s not really a Strat. It’s Fender’s official version of something another company would have borrowed from them. But he’s still great. 😂

My god this dude is horribly awkward at interviews. Phil saved it.

A tone is not just what you hear. It's the feel. A strat is the feel, which gives you a single coil tone. Adding humbuckers, it's still a strat. As one will play the guitar as a strat. Playing a Les Paul, the same way you do with a strat, it doesn't work. That feel is missing. So, one has to adapt their playing in terms of the instrument used. Pickups, amp, pedals are after. But an instrument that is not inspiring to play, you can't achieve the tone you are looking for.

Ok, if you have 4000 usd to invest then just go tell Mr Ron Thorm to make it happen and just feel happy you did because only then you will find out how really seriously good a Fender can be...it will have no equal.

Wait, hold on, what if you are a chef by profession and a musician by passion? And you owned a Les Paul, a Gretsch, a jazz, master, a Jackson, but not a Strat. Am I doing things wrong?

Great point Guillaume... "When does it stop becoming a Strat?" I think that's it. That was the essence of this conversation. "Marketing" perhaps has more to do with "What is a Strat" than the Luthier does. They didn't "Edit" it. They kept it real. This is a legit "Gearhead" gathering. Phil McKnight at the wrap said... "This is the best.". He meant it. No B.S. It was "Live" and it was "Real".

Fender stratosonic 😛😍

It's "Con - oye - zerr"

Why is it the best ever? The quality is good. It looks brilliant - the design has never been surpassed. It’s versatile - you can get almost any tone out of it, particularly if you install a bridge humbucker. It’s affordable - there’s a Strat for almost any price point. In terms of relic guitars, I just don’t get it. Why would you buy a custom shop guitar that someone has attacked with a sand belt? Personally I want to buy a guitar that looks perfect, retains some of the vintage vibe, but has some modern features. Locking tuners should always be standard? Noiseless pickups are pretty much essential? A humbucker in the bridge should be the modern standard - does anyone ever use the single coil bridge pickup unleashed these days?

Yes if you count super strats as strats

The Mount Rockmore of guitars would perhaps be A Strat, a Tele, an LP, and an SG.

Just because