Fender Standard Strat HH?

[az123]

Has anyone played either the American or the Standard (Made in Mexico) Fender Strat HH (dual humbucker model)? The MIM version goes for $399 and looks like it might be a fun guitar. I've seen them in catalogs & on line but haven't spotted one in any local stores yet.

I imagine they sound somewhere between a regular strat and a "real" humbucker guitar like a Les Paul, but wondered what you all thought of them. Thanks for the feedback.

[Ol Geezer]

az123 said:

Has anyone played either the American or the Standard (Made in Mexico) Fender Strat HH (dual humbucker model)? The MIM version goes for $399 and looks like it might be a fun guitar. I've seen them in catalogs & on line but haven't spotted one in any local stores yet.

I imagine they sound somewhere between a regular strat and a "real" humbucker guitar like a Les Paul, but wondered what you all thought of them. Thanks for the feedback.

I have a Standard MIM Fat Strat (one humbucker, at the bridge) that I really like. It has a unique tone, different from a Strat or a Tele. A version with two humbuckers might be twice as nice.

Remember, the Fender scale length is 3/4" longer than the typical Gibson/Epiphone, so it will sound and play differently from that aspect as well.

[az123]

Thanks for the information. One of the reasons I'm thinking about the Strat HH is that, as near as I can tell, the Fat Tele isn't available anymore except from Squier. I've seen a few of the MIM fat teleson E-Bay, but people want pretty high prices for them, unfortunately.

I've also looked at some of the newer Tele HH models like the Celtic model, the goldtop version (whatever it was called), and such, but don't like the contoured bodies, paint jobs, and lack of pickguard. I'd rather have the "slab"...so, please forgive my envy for your Fat Tele!

Have you heard any talk about Fender reintroducing the "regular" Fat Tele? In the meantime, I might break down and try the MIM Strat HH, since the Atomic Humbuckers sound like fun...Thanks again for the reply.

[Ol Geezer]

az123 said:

Thanks for the information. One of the reasons I'm thinking about the Strat HH is that, as near as I can tell, the Fat Tele isn't available anymore except from Squier. I've seen a few of the MIM fat teles on E-Bay, but people want pretty high prices for them, unfortunately.

I've also looked at some of the newer Tele HH models like the Celtic model, the goldtop version (whatever it was called), and such, but don't like the contoured bodies, paint jobs, and lack of pickguard. I'd rather have the "slab"...so, please forgive my envy for your Fat Tele!

Have you heard any talk about Fender reintroducing the "regular" Fat Tele? In the meantime, I might break down and try the MIM Strat HH, since the Atomic Humbuckers sound like fun...Thanks again for the reply.

I thought Fender was still making a Fat Tele type guitar in their American line, but I guess I'm mistaken. Remember, the Fat Strat has the humbucker in the bridge position and the Fat Tele has it at the neck. Very different tones. So, I have both!

The Fat Strat is stock MIM, and my buddy modded a MIM Standard Tele for me with a Duncan '59 at the neck -- my favorite guitar! Yeah, I like the "slab" too.

It's a pretty simple operation to build one yourself since the MIM Tele bodies come already routed-out under the stock pickguards to accommodate a standard humbucker -- and you can order a Warmoth custom pickguard to hold it. You could even go P90 with some of the new humbucker-sized ones.

[az123]

Thanks for the information. I wasn't aware that MIM Teles were already routed for humbuckers; that makes for many more choices than I thought were available. Thanks again!

[Ol Geezer]

az123 said:

Thanks for the information. I wasn't aware that MIM Teles were already routed for humbuckers; that makes for many more choices than I thought were available. Thanks again!

No problem -- when we opened one up to change single-coil types and I saw the space there I got excited myself! I called Fender and they confirmed that was indeed the intent.

I wasn't about to cut into a perfectly fine Tele, but knowing I could mod it so easily I just had to go for it....

[zep]

Another option to consider is the humbucker type that has one coil on top of the other so that it looks like a single coil but plays like a humbucker - just another option to throw in the mix. Then all you need is a coil tap and viola! humbucker or single coil that looks like a single.

I don't have a strat or tele, but the extra space beneath the large pickguard sounds like it could be a lot of fun to customize.

[az123]

After all that, I ended up ordering a standard strat hh from MF; the $25 off coupon offer was just too tempting. I should get the strat in about a week, and I'll add a note with my (hopefully positive) review at some point after that.

[az123]

So, I got the Standard Strat HH (MIM) from MF and it's a lot of fun. I got the black-on-black model, and the humbuckers sound good. Not quite as rich as an LP, but much closer to that than the single-coils you usually get on a Strat.

The Fender 'buckers really work, too; single-coil guitars drive me nuts with their level of noise if there's an electric light within three city blocks of the amp, but these pickups work great.

I would recommend that you try it out before purchase, though, because people familiar with Epiphone/Gibson sounds may expect the Fender humbuckers to have a similar sound, when they're pretty distinctive. Anyway, I never expected to get a Stratocaster of any type but have really been enjoying it thus far.

If anyone else picks one up, let us know what you think!

[Ol Geezer]

az123 said:

So, I got the Standard Strat HH (MIM) from MF and it's a lot of fun. I got the black-on-black model, and the humbuckers sound good. Not quite as rich as an LP, but much closer to that than the single-coils you usually get on a Strat.

Glad you're enjoying it! As I mentioned before, the slightly longer scale of Fenders also contributes to a difference in tonality. And the rosewood fingerboard will give it less "bite" than the maple ones on some Strats and most Teles.

Should make a great addition to anyone's herd....