Re: Customizing a MIM Strat

A serious answer.

Strats are noted for their "quack" sound.
By making changes you can lose the quack or gain on it.
Humbuckers don't quack.
Either do P-90's.
You can get drastic changes in your sound by changing pickups.

A pearloid pickguard is always nice.
Put a total of 5 springs on the vibrato.
This will raise the block and the arm where you will not be able to
bend uo.
But it makes a solid connection with the body and creates more
sustain.
Raise the pickups to where they hit the string (one at a time) then
lower them to where they clear the strings.
Play it through an amp.
You may hear weird harmonics.
Lower it a little at a time till you like the sound.
Do this with all 3 pickups.
Get some copper sheilding tape and put it on the back of the pickguard
around the pickups and above the electronics (Volume, tone, switch).
This will help reduce hum.
I had a solid brass pickguard on my '72 strat.
And an 'Alembic Stratoblaster'.
That is a preamp that fits in place of the jack.
Had an on/off switch and a gain screw.
It was cool.
It almost doubled the volume with no change in the sound.
Only louder.
I bought that back in the 70's but I hear they are making them again.
Good investment.

Pt
.

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