How to Make a Fender Stratocaster Sound Better
Fender Stratocaster guitars belong to a rich history of American guitar tradition, and as of 2010, the Stratocaster is one of the most popular electric guitars. The Stratocaster was first popularized by performers like Buddy Holly, the Beatles and Eric Clapton, all of whom are said to have a unique guitar sound. The Stratocaster itself is considered to have a bright tone and ability to have a desirable rhythm and lead sound. Adjusting pickups and using effects pedals are two major ways to change the sound of your Stratocaster.
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Things You'll Need
- Amplifier
- Pickups
- Phillips-head screwdriver
- Soldering iron
- Solder
- Effects pedals
- Instrument cables
Instructions
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Switch between pickups while playing your guitar. The Stratocaster has three single-coil pickups--a neck pickup, middle pickup and bridge pickup. Each one will give you a different sound.
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2
Adjust the height of the pickup to change the sound of that particular pickup. Play chords across all six strings of your guitar and listen for the balance between the bass and treble strings. Raise or lower one end of the bridge pickup to achieve your desired sound; you do this by turning the screws at each end of the pickup with a screwdriver. Repeat the same process for the middle and neck pickups.
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3
Change the pickups entirely if you just can't get the sound you want from the existing pickups. You may choose to replace one of the single-coil pickups with a humbucker. To change a pickup, you must remove the back plate of the guitar, disconnect the wire of the correct pickup, replace the old pickup with a new one and solder the new wires in place.
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Adjust the settings on your amplifier while playing your guitar. The amplifier and effects pedals you use can greatly affect the sound of your guitar. For instance, if you feel your bass sounds are too heavy, turn down the bass knob and turn up the middle and treble on your amplifier.
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Plug in your effects pedals and adjust the knobs on each pedal. Play through one pedal at a time until you achieve the sound you want.
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Tips & Warnings
Adjusting the pickup height or type can help get rid of buzzing, weak sound or distortion.
References
- Photo Credit stratocaster image by diego cervo from Fotolia.com
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Comments
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Oh Dear. A couple of points: The Beatles were not exactly known for using Fenders Stratocasters. I've never found any need to take the back cover off a Strat to adjust anything other than the trem springs. May I suggest the writer has little direct experience in this area?
