Good Strat vs. Bad Strat

[Ants]

I've got a few Strats - A 2000 CS Custom Classic, a 2002 Am. Std (with a swapped neck from a USA Lone Start Strat), a 2022 Am Pro II, a Jackson Dinky (MIM), a Squire Bullet Strat... so I'm familiar with a wide range of Stats and Strat-like guitars.

The CS and Dinky feel the best...I couldn't tell you which one sounds the best, as they all sound different, but good in their own way.

But I'm wondering if what you guys (and gals) consider to be a "bad Strat"...or something that just seem unacceptable to you?

I recall back in the 80's I was at a music store when at college...this was before I knew much about guitars, but had been playing. I picked up a 1979 Strat as I recall. Um, "no". It just felt like crap.
I recall back in the 90's, when it seemed as if any MIM Strat I picked up at a store had nasty fret sprout. Also, "no".

The reason I ask --- I recently purchased a 2022 Am Pro II Strat off of Reverb. The guitar is basically mint, but needed a setup. I like my action pretty low. But on this guitar, "low" seems to include "fret buzz" - more than I typically allow. I'm still in the tweaking process - I'll put on new strings of a different gauge, intonate, take care of a couple of high frets, etc.
But it got me thinking - my other guitars have low action with minimal fret buzz. If I can't get this guitar to a point where I think it's great, I may just move on from it.

yeah yeah, spare me the "I would never buy a guitar unless I can play it first". I get it...but sometimes GAS is GAS, you know what I mean? LOL

So, what has caused some of you to pass on a guitar...or move on from one already owned?

 

[Cerb]

The worst guitar I’ve ever owned was a beautiful Gibson SG special in Pelham Blue. Unfortunately the neck was about as stable as a wet noodle, it suffered from neck dive bad enough to take your knee cap off if you let go of the neck, and f-notes were dead. By dead I mean DEAD. When you played an F the neck would vibrate instead of the string. That was a bad guitar!

 

[Slacker G]

But I'm wondering if what you guys (and gals) consider to be a "bad Strat".

One that's played by the kid down the street when he's trying to show his girlfriend how he can play guitar.

 

[ido1957]

I've been lucky I guess, my three all work ok. They've always been setup new or used before I play them by "my guy". My action is medium I guess because I like to "dig in" as they say - just my style. But I couldn't shred if my life depended on it lol...

But if you just can get into it, sell/trade and try something else. It just has to fit.

 

[Bob the builder]

This is a bad strat

 

[The-Imposter]

But I'm wondering if what you guys (and gals) consider to be a "bad Strat"...or something that just seem unacceptable to you?

A BAD Strat?
Well, if it messes on the floor it goes out the door.
I’m not sure there are bad Strats.
Just Strats that don’t fulfill a certain need.
I never cared for the Heavy Metal Strats. But they looked cool
.

 

[Intune]

I've got a few Strats - A 2000 CS Custom Classic, a 2002 Am. Std (with a swapped neck from a USA Lone Start Strat), a 2022 Am Pro II, a Jackson Dinky (MIM), a Squire Bullet Strat... so I'm familiar with a wide range of Stats and Strat-like guitars.

The CS and Dinky feel the best...I couldn't tell you which one sounds the best, as they all sound different, but good in their own way.

But I'm wondering if what you guys (and gals) consider to be a "bad Strat"...or something that just seem unacceptable to you?

I recall back in the 80's I was at a music store when at college...this was before I knew much about guitars, but had been playing. I picked up a 1979 Strat as I recall. Um, "no". It just felt like crap.
I recall back in the 90's, when it seemed as if any MIM Strat I picked up at a store had nasty fret sprout. Also, "no".

The reason I ask --- I recently purchased a 2022 Am Pro II Strat off of Reverb. The guitar is basically mint, but needed a setup. I like my action pretty low. But on this guitar, "low" seems to include "fret buzz" - more than I typically allow. I'm still in the tweaking process - I'll put on new strings of a different gauge, intonate, take care of a couple of high frets, etc.
But it got me thinking - my other guitars have low action with minimal fret buzz. If I can't get this guitar to a point where I think it's great, I may just move on from it.

yeah yeah, spare me the "I would never buy a guitar unless I can play it first". I get it...but sometimes GAS is GAS, you know what I mean? LOL

So, what has caused some of you to pass on a guitar...or move on from one already owned?

I’ve been in situation lots of times. I’ll see a deal hanging on the wall, noodle a bit and grab it. I don’t need to plug it in or go through a bunch of test procedures. I’ll do that when I get home through my rig after I go through my set up procedure. I’ll spend hours getting it right. Full fret level if that’s what it takes. I’ve never had a guitar that I couldn’t get low and slow so to speak.

Then it’s ready and if then I’ll give it the honeymoon phase. A few weeks and if it’s still just okay it goes out the door or in the trade pile. Certain guitars just don’t do it for me. Why did I buy it then, well it now plays amazing and I can probably make some cash on it or trade it for something even better and start all over again. I hardly buy retail though because that’s always a loosing battle unless there’s a return window.

 

[Ants]

I’ve been in situation lots of times. I’ll see a deal hanging on the wall, noodle a bit and grab it. I don’t need to plug it in or go through a bunch of test procedures. I’ll do that when I get home through my rig after I go through my set up procedure. I’ll spend hours getting it right. Full fret level if that’s what it takes. I’ve never had a guitar that I couldn’t get low and slow so to speak.

Then it’s ready and if then I’ll give it the honeymoon phase. A few weeks and if it’s still just okay it goes out the door or in the trade pile. Certain guitars just don’t do it for me. Why did I buy it then, well it now plays amazing and I can probably make some cash on it or trade it for something even better and start all over again. I hardly buy retail though because that’s always a loosing battle unless there’s a return window.

Yeah, that seems to be the way it goes for me as well. In fact, at a local GC they had the EXACT same Strat that I recently purchased...it was new, but discounted. It had issues (trem was way off, high action), and I passed on it because I just wasn't sure what other issues were lurking with this particular guitar. When I'm off from work on Wednesday, I'll see if I can make the changes on my guitar I mentioned and see where it goes from there.

 

[DonP]

A BAD Strat?
Well, if it messes on the floor it goes old the door.
I’m not sure there are bad Strats.
Just Strats that don’t fulfill a certain need.
I never cared for the Heavy Metal Strats. But they looked cool
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I thought I didn’t either (I have 3 originals) but I played one yesterday and damn if it didn’t sound great and play great.

 

[Robins]

I got that bad Telecaster but a really bad Strat? not even back in the ´70s but maybe I only tried the good ones.
All of my Strats are absolutely great (just two from Fender - Blackmore and Antigua).
Sure, there are bad ones out there.

Take care,
Robin

 

[Murphcaster]

I'm fairly practical. For me, a bad Strat (or bad guitar in general) is one that won't keep tune. If it keeps tune, I can work with it.

 

[El Gobernador]

yeah yeah, spare me the "I would never buy a guitar unless I can play it first". I

Sorry...no sparing here.

Every guitar I've bought without putting my fingerprints on it was a dog. Every single one.

So, what has caused some of you to pass on a guitar...or move on from one already owned?

Not bonding with it.

I've played since 1964. I know when it's good or when it isn't. When a good setup to my liking doesn't cure it...it goes.

I made my living with them. I. Know.

 

[dirocyn]

I had an Affinity with fret sprout so bad it was like playing a saw. That's fixable, and I fixed it. It didn't sound very good through any of my amps. That's fixable, and I fixed it. I realized I was getting hand cramps from the narrow fretboard--that's not fixable, except by replacing the neck. I didn't do that. Now it's my daughter's Strat, she has smaller hands than I do.

I had an Epiphone SG (I took a chance of a Shopgoodwill auction) that turned out to have a very flexible neck. Too flexible--it went out of tune just from gripping a G chord. That makes a bad guitar. I didn't keep it for very long.

 

[wooders]

All about the action
Set at 0mm/0" good strat
Set higher, bad strat.

 

[Handsome McClane]

I'll go with the "won't stay in tune". I see a Floyd Rose or a Bigsby as a deal killer since I've rarely had one that tuned up properly and then stayed there for an entire song. Also if a Strat has a neck profile I don't like I'll probably sell or trade it because I don't want to separate the stock neck from the body. I've also had budget guitars that needed new pickups, hardware, or fretwork that I've sold/traded because I couldn't see spending more money on that particular guitar.

 

[sam_in_cali]

The only guitar I let go because of an issue was a Schecter damien 6 with a hump in the neck/fingerboard. It could have been fixed but at that point the repair would be as much as the guitar so I let it go. FWIW, the tech said it was actually a common issue with a lot of instruments, especially imports, that use newer ('green') lumber.

 

[sssstratsss]

I've never had a bad strat that stayed bad. Usually it's all set up related.

The $80 squier bullet I bought off of facebook marketplace plays just as good as any other strat I have

 

[Can of Beans]

Never get into a room with Good Strat, Bad Strat. They'll work you over, shockin'.

 

[Startocaster]

I've never had a bad strat that stayed bad. Usually it's all set up related.

The $80 squier bullet I bought off of facebook marketplace plays just as good as any other strat I have

It's one of the greatest things and genuis of the Strat design IMO. You can adjust more or less everything that you need to adjust. I love Gibsons but you are stuck with the neck angle that you get and that defines a load of other stuff. It makes finding a good one much harder.