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typical strat tone? - 70ies Stratocaster - settings

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  • typical strat tone? - 70ies Stratocaster - settings

    Hi everybody,

    I'd like to share and collect some experiences about the settings of a Fender Strat. Maybe it had been discussed before - I don't know. My object of discussion is a 76 Strat with alder body, thick maple neck and fretboard and big headstock.
    I am someone who can't leave any guitar untouched because I always think that there is something on the guitar that could be improved. The guitar has the typical 70ies Strat tone which is similar to Blackmore's tone of that era. It sounds good on old Marshalls when played aggressive. But I wanted a more smoother tone and so I played around with different things.

    What interests me mainly is: at the connection between head and body there are 2 round steel plates inserted with a screw to adjust the neck angle I guess. I removed these plates once and suddenly the tone changed incredibly: The guitar got very resonant with a more woody tone and dominating mids. Playing this guitar acousticly (no amp) the difference was really big. Playing amplified in a clean mode the tone was rich of mids and beautiful, distorted it had lost the typical thin and scratchy strat tone that it had before. It was fat but missed these typical highs that I was used. It was not as mellow as a SRV tone, more edges in bass and highs. So these steel plates must be responsible of the strat tone. But I saw pictutes of 60ies strats that do not have these plates - does anyone know when they started to put them in?
    I wonder about a typical strat tone - it must be a result of lots of imperfections of this guitar.
    Any similar experiences around?
    Anyone knows when they started with these steel plates between neck and body?

    Bernd

  • #2
    Originally posted by Bernd View Post
    Hi everybody,

    I'd like to share and collect some experiences about the settings of a Fender Strat. Maybe it had been discussed before - I don't know. My object of discussion is a 76 Strat with alder body, thick maple neck and fretboard and big headstock.
    I am someone who can't leave any guitar untouched because I always think that there is something on the guitar that could be improved. The guitar has the typical 70ies Strat tone which is similar to Blackmore's tone of that era. It sounds good on old Marshalls when played aggressive. But I wanted a more smoother tone and so I played around with different things.

    What interests me mainly is: at the connection between head and body there are 2 round steel plates inserted with a screw to adjust the neck angle I guess. I removed these plates once and suddenly the tone changed incredibly: The guitar got very resonant with a more woody tone and dominating mids. Playing this guitar acousticly (no amp) the difference was really big. Playing amplified in a clean mode the tone was rich of mids and beautiful, distorted it had lost the typical thin and scratchy strat tone that it had before. It was fat but missed these typical highs that I was used. It was not as mellow as a SRV tone, more edges in bass and highs. So these steel plates must be responsible of the strat tone. But I saw pictutes of 60ies strats that do not have these plates - does anyone know when they started to put them in?
    I wonder about a typical strat tone - it must be a result of lots of imperfections of this guitar.
    Any similar experiences around?
    Anyone knows when they started with these steel plates between neck and body?

    Bernd
    It's called a Tilt Adjust.
    If you look at this service Diagram It shows the 3 screw rear plate.
    http://support.fender.com/service_di...0072A_SISD.pdf
    It's shown as #7.
    Look under the parts for #7 it lists the parts that go with it.
    This was all part of the Post CBS Strats.
    This was after Leo Fender sold the company.
    I don't think that lasted too many years, then they went back to the 4 bolt neck.
    It makes sense that a solid wood to wood neck joing would be better, and have better sustain.
    Don't know if it is all lined up without the metal spacers or not.
    Or maybe you could use another material for a shim.
    Good Luck,
    Terry
    "If Hitler invaded Hell, I would make at least a favourable reference of the Devil in the House of Commons." Winston Churchill
    Terry

    Comment


    • #3
      Hi Terry,

      thank you for your answer. I have got another strat from 1983 with the 4 bolt neck and it also has got the tilt adjust in a slightly different way. Did they leave away these parts later on? How about today's strats?

      Bernd

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      • #4
        I don't own any real fenders, Just Clones.
        I will try to come up with some more answers.
        Terry
        "If Hitler invaded Hell, I would make at least a favourable reference of the Devil in the House of Commons." Winston Churchill
        Terry

        Comment

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