I have played and owned so many different electric guitars over the last 35 years: Aria, DeArmond, Epiphone, Fender, Fernandes, Gibson, Guild, Ibanez, Reverend, Samick, Yamaha . . . I've gone back and forth over those years, but have come to the inescapable conclusion that single coil guitars are where I find my voice. So today my electric stable holds three single-coil equiipped guitars: a Harmony Rocket, a Telecaster and this Stratocaster. Simple, functional, toneful.
The Mexican-made Classic 60s Stratocaster, a 1999 model in this case, is a cost-effective homage to an enduring and iconic instrument: contoured body, maple neck, rosewood fretboard, "sychronized tremolo" (vibrato actually). Of course, there's always room for some upgrades, and I've made a few.
For the nitty-gritty minded, here are some details about my Stratocaster:
- Fender Mexico poplar body finished in Burgundy Mist metallic
- Fender Mexico maple neck (check out the grain in the picture below) with rosewood fingerboard
- Safe-T-Post tuners
- E-B string tree
- Vintage frets
- Fralin Vintage Hot pickups
- 3-Way pickup selector switch
- CTS 250k volume and tone pots
- Vintage-style vibrato bridge
- "Mint"/black/white pickguard
- D'Addario strings: .010-.046
- Weighs 7.5 lbs.
