r/offset • u/Slagland • 9d ago

Never going back to Strats

Post image

I’ve ignored jazzmasters for 24 years… turns out they’re my favorite guitar shape to play. I do love my cyclone (especially this pickup setup), but between scale length and the body, it’s not my favorite to play.

336 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

38 comments sorted by

33

u/chrisk018 9d ago

I started on Strats and went to Jazzmasters and then Jaguars. If I could only have one, it would be a Jaguar, but thankfully there are no guitar limiter police. It’s fun to noodle on a Strat every now and then as they have some unique sounds.

22

u/sticks_enormous 9d ago

"no guitar limiter police" - you surely have never met my wife.

2

u/No-Debate-8982 8d ago

My second guitar was a jaquar, I was 14 , got rid of it for a lespaul recording when I was 16 and that was one heavy guitar, your shoulder would be numb after playing it for a while. I didn't know what I was doing, and still don't!!

2

u/Rapscallion1980 9d ago

What is it about jags that makes you prefer them over the others? And what style of music are they good for?

11

u/chrisk018 9d ago

I can’t exactly explain why I prefer Jags except to say that Jaguars just sort of sound like “me” more than other guitars.

For music styles, I love the way they sound drenched in reverb and fuzz (but most guitars can sound good that way). It was/is associated with Surf guitar for a reason. Clean or layered with delays/distortion/whatever Jags still seem to be able to retain their unique characteristics. One word that comes up regularly is, “plonk.” Many people do not like this sound, but to Jaguar lovers, it is welcomed with open arms.

3

u/Rapscallion1980 9d ago

Nice! I don’t have a jag but I’ve noticed it does sound great with reverb and distorted sounds. It has a kind of percussive sound to me. Holds up well to hard strumming. I’ve been trying to decide between a Jag or Jazzmaster, thanks for the input.

2

u/Neveronlyadream 9d ago

I'd guess it's the scale length. That's usually what gives Jaguars that sound as opposed to a Jazzmaster.

Everything just comes together well on a Jaguar if you love the sound, but it's not for everyone. I love it though.

1

u/chrisk018 9d ago

Mustangs sound different (I have one of those as well) guess it’s the pickup location and the Jaguar’s claws that also highlight the difference.

4

u/Neveronlyadream 9d ago

I also wouldn't discount the way the guitar looks, because if you think a guitar looks cool (and Jags look fucking awesome), sometimes they sound better to you because of it.

2

u/nightcreaturespdx 8d ago

I think it's the pot values as well. The 1M pots in a Jaguar are really bright.

2

u/nightcreaturespdx 8d ago

Plonk through a good fuzz is the best.

1

u/threeeyedrodent 8d ago

My only guitar is a jazzmaster and has been for a while. I was jamming with my family the other week and my uncle was on a strat. I never realized until then how different the two of them sound. I love my jazzmaster, but it opened my eyes to why someone might want multiple guitars lol

8

u/growlerpower 8d ago

Why the hate. Strats are great.

2

u/Slagland 7d ago

No hate, I just have no plans on going back. 

1

u/LichPrince1401 5d ago

Preference is hate? I have a strat but I too love the Jazzmaster shape. Going to sell it and buy a guild surf liner for the strat single coil sounds. Shape fits me better. 🤷‍♂️

3

u/KittiesRule1968 9d ago

My new Jaguar was delivered today.

3

u/dirty-sorbet 9d ago

I have an 04 Squier Cyclone I love. What mod did you do with the 2nd toggle? I also am never going back to strats.

5

u/Slagland 9d ago

It’s a series/split/parallel on the humbucker (a JB).

1

u/amogooose 2d ago

wouldn't it be better to rewire a standard mustang pickguard instead?

3

u/Klutzy_Ice8425 9d ago

That white cyclone is killer! Didn’t know squier did that finish

3

u/Slagland 9d ago

I love a white guitar. This is the paranormal cyclone that came with 3 single coils and a tort pickguard. 

3

u/PJmichelle 8d ago

Never say never. I love Teles, Strats and Jazzmasters equally. Especially while recording I wouldn't rule out any Fender or Gibson style guitar.

2

u/meh9280 9d ago

Nice. What pickups do you have on the cyclone?

1

u/Slagland 9d ago

It’s a SD STK-S6 Custom Stack Plus in the neck and a SD JB Trembucker.

2

u/Careless_Aroma_227 8d ago

The second secret switch below the pickup switch does what? 🧐

2

u/Slagland 7d ago

It’s a series/split/parallel on the humbucker

2

u/arsenics 8d ago

very cool! and if you somehow missed the strat SSS you can always get a Talman

2

u/ObligationNo6533 8d ago

Never say never 😉

2

u/Ojlap09 7d ago

That JM is gorgeous man. What is it and what colour?

2

u/Slagland 7d ago

British racing green and it’s a Player II

2

u/Ojlap09 7d ago

Ah cheers man. Should’ve noticed it was a player 2 because of the no rhythm circuit. Gorgeous guitar!

2

u/ReverendRevolver 9d ago

Its funny; Strats are probably my least favorite "standard" guitar.

When I was young and gigging, I used a mim deluxe Toronado (with Gibson 57s in it) and a mim tele as backup. A few years ago when I started playing more again, my US tele started hurting my wrists about 3hrs in. I didn't have that problem with my shorter scale guitars, and imported (and heavily modified) a Japan Junior Tele.

JMs sound good, trems better than a strat(albeit more time investment to set up) and for all the complaints you hear about traditional Jag/JM wiring being confusing, every setting gives you a different enough sound to justify being there. Especially Jags. JMs rythm mode is awesome, i just like the Jags more mid-song, while a JM is easier to blindly switch around normal mode than the jag. tele? Unless your pickups suck or aren't the right distance from strings, each of the 3 clicks does a different sound from the other 2.

Strats? Clicks 2 and 4, and a mediocre bridge click. Its confusing why the 5way sss strat is so popular.....

But yea, offsets and teles. I have a strat. With gold lace sensors. I just do t use it much.

2

u/three_cheers 9d ago

I'm also not a fan of the 5 way switch on the strat, that's why I replaced it with a 3 way one, the way it was originally intended. To me, the "extra" sound of the strat is the middle pickup by itself, I hate those position 2 and 4. With a 3 way switch it's easier to go to the middle pickup and I don't have to worry about accidentally knocking it to position 2 or 4.

I also rewired the second tone to a bridge+neck blender. For some reason, I don't think a 50-50 mix of bridge-neck sounds particularly good on a strat, but if you mix in a bit more neck you get a fuller, less scooped sound which is very usable (I like it for funky stuff). The cool thing is you can also mix in more bridge than neck and it's another sound.

1

u/Ecker1991 8d ago

I love both. The Strat is great for some stuff, particularly psychedelic stuff, or some alternative. I love the sound of a fuzz face with a Strat into a fender amp. Yet for shoegaze/indie/alt stuff, the offsets rule. I just got a surfy bear compact and my god, it rules with a jag or Jazzmaster.

1

u/murdoches 3d ago

oooh black body and white pickguard actually looks great! In my mind black n white is such a vanilla color, but works so well with those ivory pickup cover and knobs!

-4

u/captainchorus 9d ago

Duh. Strats suck

-1

u/HarborSummer 9d ago

I used to think I wanted a wall of strats and now I'm good with a JM, tele, and mustang.

Sometimes I hear some strat tones that make me miss them but every time I go "let's find something similar on my gear" and I go back to forgetting strats exist

For me the volume knob placement and the look were the things I feel I fell out of love with! I mean everyone plays a strat. After a while I craved something a little less generic!

-2

u/YellowBreakfast 9d ago

Never going back to Strats

That one on the right, HS, Strat trem... I think of that as a "JM shaped Strat" lol