$10 fix for Fender Stratocaster tight string tension problem
I almost returned the Fender Stratocaster I just bought because of this. Fortunately, the fix was easy and cheap.
I just bought my new Fender Player Stratocaster. I haven't even owned it a month. But I noticed a problem.
The strings felt too tight when compared to my '89 Squier II Stratocaster. That guitar feels just right where the strings are nice and "slinky", but the Fender absolutely did not.
At that point I did what most Strat players do. Adjusted the string saddles, took out a tremolo spring from the back (you only need two, especially if you don't use the tremolo system), adjusted neck relief, and so on.
None of this worked.
After that, I tried a different string brand.
That didn't work either.
What I was attempting to do was get the same slinky feel that my Squier has. I thought I covered everything.
I didn't. There was one thing I missed. The string guide (a.k.a. string tree).
As it turns out, the Fender Player Stratocaster uses a string guide for the B and high-E strings that does not use a spacer.
When I compared this to my old Squier, I then knew the Squier had a spacer and the Fender did not. Yes, my Squier has two string guides instead of just one, but even so, both have spacers.
After discovering this, I detuned the B and high-E strings on the Fender, removed them from the string guide, then tuned back up to pitch to see if the guitar felt any better.
It did. Now I had that nice slinky feel I was looking for.
At this point I needed a spacer. I drove to Guitar Center and bought a Fender Stratoacster string guide set. Nobody sells the spacers individually. You have to buy the whole string tree set. This means you spend 10 bucks for something that's literally worth about 25 cents. Yes, I could have bought just the spacer for cheap at a hardware store, but I didn't want to deal with the issue of having a spacer set too high or too low. The one Fender makes is exactly correct for their headstock and nut, so I paid the ridiculous 10 bucks just to get that stupid thing.
After installation, the string guide is now raised, resulting in less string tension. Problem solved.
Why does a string guide spacer affect string tension so much?
Let's find out.
The 101 on break angle for Stratocaster and Les Paul guitars
Break angle affects string tension. A lot.
In order to have the least amount of string tension when tuned to pitch, the strings have to be as straight as possible from end to end when installed on the guitar.
Installed strings on electric guitars do not travel exactly straight from end to end because of break angles. Decrease the break angle (where possible) wherever one is found, and the overall string tension is decreased.
On the Stratocaster guitar:
From back to front, break angle 1 is tremolo block to string saddle, break angle 2 is saddle to nut, break angle 3 is nut to string guide, break angle 4 is guide to tuning post.
Break angle 1 can be lessened slightly by only using 2 tremolo springs instead of 3, and allowing the bridge to float.
Break angle 2 can be lessened slightly by saddle height and neck relief adjustment.
Break angle 3 and 4 can be lessened significantly by raising the string guide with a spacer for strings that use them.
On the Les Paul guitar:
From back to front, break angle 1 is tailpiece to bridge, break angle 2 is bridge to nut, break angle 3 is nut to tuner post.
Break angle 1 can be lessened significantly by raising the tailpiece.
Break angle 2 can be lessened by adjusting bridge height and neck relief.
Break angle 3 can only be adjusted very slightly by using locking tuners since there are no string guides.
It's ordinarily the tailpiece more than anything else that makes a big difference with Les Paul string tension.
This is, by the way, why some players will wrap the plain strings (G, B and high-E) around the tailpiece. By doing this, the height of the string when leaving the tailpiece is closer to that of the string saddle itself. Some Les Paul players swear by this method and say it makes a big difference. Bear in mind that over time that strings will leave marks on the tailpiece. Also know that the break angle will be different from plain to wound strings. String buzzing may happen, and you may need to reintonate and adjust neck relief. You also have the option of top wrapping all the strings, but again, know that those strings will mar the tailpiece. You may want to buy a separate tailpiece (very affordable) to top-wrap with if you want to keep your original in good condition.
Where does less string tension matter most?
Answer: "Full" chords and bending notes.
If you like where your string height is but just wish you could hold chords easier and/or bend strings a little easier, that's where less tension is the answer - especially if you've tried lighter gauge string but that didn't work out.
There are thin core guitar strings by GHS (for both electric and acoustic) which absolutely do help for easier chording, but not for note bending.
Where the note bends are concerned, examine every break angle and adjust the ones you can. If your nut slots are cut correctly and everything else checks out, do your best to decrease break angles where possible, and this may make your guitar much easier to play. It certainly worked for my Fender.
Alnico vs. ceramic magnet electric guitar pickups
This is my take on the whole alnico vs. ceramic pickup argument.
Let's first define a few things up front.
Alnico (which should actually be written as AlNiCo), means a pickup magnet made of aluminum, nickel and cobalt. It is not a company name but rather the three 2-letter abbreviations for what the magnet is made up of.
Ceramic magnets, originally invented in the 1960s, are magnets made of iron oxide and strontium carbonate. It is also a man-made magnet.
An alnico magnet pickup has a number after it that defines its relative strength. The higher the number, the greater the output. The most common for guitar pickup use are 2, 3 and 5. Alnico 2 is usually applied to a "vintage output" humbucker, while 3 and 5 are usually used in single-coil pickups, although 5 is also used in humbuckers. In the Stratocaster, alnico 3 has a lower output but more of a "1950's" tone with higher treble, while alnico 5 has a more "1960s" tone. Generally speaking, most players prefer a pickup with alnico 5 magnets because of its higher output, regardless of whether it's single-coil or dual coil humbucker.
Do ceramic magnets have number grades like alnico? Yes. There is ceramic 1, 5, 8 and 8B. The one most commonly used in guitar pickups is ceramic 8, sometimes known as just C8. What's the difference between the grades? Way too nerdy for me to explain. The layman's way I can describe why C8 is used is because it is "most appropriate for use in a guitar pickup".
This all being said, when people say "alnico vs. ceramic", what that actually means is "alnico 5 vs. ceramic 8".
Which magnet do I prefer?
This literally depends on how the pickup is voiced.
I just bought a brand new Fender Stratocaster that has alnico 5 magnet pickups in it. I also have my 1989 Squier II Stratocaster which does have ceramic magnet pickups in it.
With ceramic, I prefer the sound to be "ratty". I actually like the sound of really cheap ceramic magnet pickups, which is exactly what my '89 Squier has in it. The midrange is too loud, treble ceiling too low, and bass is kinda there and kinda not. The guitar sounds great. Yes, I really mean that. It's a very specific type of Strat sound where once you figure out how to wield it, wonderful sounds happen.
With alnico, I prefer not-to-vintage spec, which is exactly what my Fender Stratocaster has. The pole pieces follow the fingerboard radius (more or less), and the tonal character has a natural midrange "scoop" going on. Midrange frequencies are a little lower while treble and bass frequencies are a little higher. If you were to look at this on a graphic equalizer, the midrange scoop is slight. Nothing too crazy. And that's good.
Is one magnet better than the other?
It really depends on application.
Players who like in-your-face high output pickups will always go with ceramic magnet humbuckers. For rock and metal, you can't beat having one of those in the rear bridge position of a solid-body guitar. A DP100 Super Distortion is all you need there.
Players who like '50s super-clean twangy Strat tones will always prefer alnico 3 magnet pickups. A compressor effect can always be added in for more pronounced notes without adding any distortion.
Players who like '60s Strat tones will always prefer alnico 5 magnet pickups, as they can promote tube type amp speaker breakup better, and work better with the fuzz effect.
Players who like experimenting with a lot of digital guitar effects will generally gravitate towards ceramic magnet pickups, as they do typically work better there - especially for the more "atmospheric" and "dreamy" type effects.
In the end...
If you're confused between which to use, I'll say this:
Ceramic is ceramic is ceramic. Unless specifically stated otherwise, the magnet will be C8. Strats will still sound like Strats, and pretty much any solid-body guitar with humbuckers in it will be just fine for rocking out with.
With alnico, you have to be a little more careful. It is most likely true you want alnico 5 for everything. Rear pickup, middle pickup if the guitar has one, and front pickup. Personally, I like alnico 5 in Strats and alnico 2 in Les Pauls, but that's just me. You would probably prefer alnico 5 everywhere unless very specifically trying to achieve a vintage-correct sound.
This is the proper orientation for a Stratocaster knob
This may be pedantic, but if you're a stickler for these sorts of things, this is the right way to do it.
When you get a brand new Fender Stratocaster, the knobs have to come off because that's the only way you can get rid of the protective plastic film off the pick guard. The knobs also come off whenever you need to clean them or need to periodically lubricate the potentiometers. But what is the proper orientation when you put the knobs back on?
There are three ways most Strat players orient their control knobs:
Method one: Align to 1.
With the knob off, turn the potentiometer to where it would be at the 1 indicator. Align the knob 1 to the treble side rear pickup height adjustment screw, press on.
Method two: Align to 10.
With the knob off, turn the potentiometer to where it would be at the 10 indicator. Align knob 10 to the treble side rear pickup height adjustment screw, press on.
Method three: Align the word upside down, parallel to the neck with potentiometer "on 10".
This sounds complicated but it's really easy.
Aligning the word VOLUME or TONE printed on the knob parallel to the neck is actually the correct way to do it.
Do this, and there is no way you can get it wrong. All the knobs "line up" properly.
This will work on the Stratocaster or any guitar where numbers are printed on the knob. It always works.
2021 Fender Player Stratocaster Limited Edition Surf Pearl
Long name, good guitar.
I'll first answer the question of what makes this particular version of the Fender Player Stratocaster a limited edition.
Answer: Special colors for the body and plastics. Surf Pearl is one of two Guitar Center exclusive colors (the other is Shell Pink), and as far as I'm aware, this is only one of two versions that has the mint green pick guard. I'll mention the other in a moment. However, exclusive to this guitar is the slightly darker color pickup covers and a tremolo arm (as in the "whammy bar") where the plastic tip matches the knob color.
I'll get to the story of how I bought this but first a few notes on the colors and specs.
What is Surf Pearl?
It's Surf Green with a very fine metallic flake that's almost sand-like in texture. You don't see the shimmer unless the guitar is literally right next to you.
There is a no-flake Surf Green CME Special Edition of this guitar at the time I write this. The shade is distinctively different but yes, definitely a Surf Green. It also sells for $50 less than the Guitar Center guitar even though it's exactly the same, hardware-wise.
Which of the two surf colors are better? Neither is better than the other. What I can say is that if you want a surf color with just ever-so slightly more "pop" to it, that's Surf Pearl. However, if you prefer a traditional Fender surf color that's more "smooth" in appearance, that's Surf Green.
Per my last article, you know I traded out a bunch of guitars to get this one.
The story of this guitar buy
This was rather interesting.
I had no intention of buying the Surf Pearl version of this guitar. What I wanted originally was the Buttercream finish, with the "backup" color being Polar White.
Of the two Guitar Centers near me, one store had both guitars in stock, so I drove on down there to check them out, and this is what happened:
The single Buttercream model had a bad nut where the B and high-E had some sitar noises going on when playing those strings open.
Both Polar White guitars (this store had 2 in this color in stock) had the same problem.
I asked the salesperson if there were any other Player model Strats in stock. Yes. There was the Surf Pearl guitar.
I tried it out and liked it. But I also tried out a Squier J Mascis Jazzmaster. This was really nice, but the pickups just weren't bright enough for my liking. I also tried out a Squier Classic Vibe Jazzmaster. Also nice, but the sound of it didn't really work for me.
The Surf Pearl Strat is what I bought - but - this guitar journey wasn't quite over yet. I mentioned to the salesperson that there was another Buttercream Strat at the other Guitar Center store. He said what I could do is buy the Surf Pearl guitar now with all trade-in and discounts applied, and then just price-match it at the other GC store if I wanted to swap it out with the Buttercream model at the other store. I agreed with this just in case the other Buttercream Strat ended up being a dud.
I left that GC with the Surf Pearl Strat and then immediately drove over to the other GC store to see Buttercream Strat #2.
In I went, found the guitar, plugged in, tuned up, played it, and...
...another bad nut. Sitar noises on the B and high-E.
I asked a salesperson there if that Buttercream Strat was the only one in the store, as sometimes they have more than one in the back that hasn't been unboxed yet. He said yes, that was the only one. I said thank you and left with my Surf Pearl Strat.
It took playing five to find a good one
It took me trying five Player Stratocasters to find one that didn't have a nut with slots cut incorrectly. Two Buttercream, two Polar White, and ending with the Surf Pearl which was the only one of the lot with a proper nut.
This is precisely the reason why I went to try the guitars in person, and why I bought the Surf Pearl Strat right there and then before trying Buttercream #2 at the other GC store. If I hadn't, there was the real possibility I might have ended up with nothing.
The buy of this guitar was one of those "I'd better chance it with this one and take it now just in case the guitar at the other store is a dud...", and I was right.
When buying guitars, it's okay to accept playability flaws if the guitar is cheap. But this guitar is not cheap. It's not Fender Custom Shop expensive either, but still, it's best to check guitars of this price in person just to be absolutely certain everything is okay.
Here are the specs of the guitar for those of you that care about such things.
The body wood is alder with the aforementioned gloss polyester finish.
All three pickups are labeled as "Player Series" Stratocaster pickups with alnico 5 magnets. This lends to a very bright, trebly sound. I did not have to set the pickup height that high because the output is certainly there. Output for a Stratocaster, that is.
String saddles are bent steel. I may change these out for full-block saddles later.
The bridge block is full size and not the skinny block Squier uses.
The neck shape is the "Modern C" and does agree with my fret hand quite well.
The neck itself has a satin urethane finish on the back and gloss on the front. The headstock is glossed just like the neck is, which is proper. Nothing looks mismatched.
Frets are not the narrow-tall found on the American Pro II Stratocaster but rather the older medium jumbo - which I prefer.
The nut width is 1.650" (in comparison, the Am Pro II has a 1.685" nut width).
Is the Player Stratocaster the old American Standard but now built in Mexico?
No.
2016 was the last year Fender produced the American Standard Stratocaster before switching to American Professional. The Player Series out of Mexico didn't appear until 2018.
The '16 Am Std Stratocaster has a neck with 1.685" nut width and "Custom Shop Fat '50s" single-coil pickups, neither of which ever appeared on the Player Series as far as I know.
Also, the Am Std Stratocaster does have a Micro-Tilt adjustment on the neck plate, which the Player Series doesn't have either.
And if you really want to get ultra-specific about it, the Am Std had a "tree" style string retainer on the headstock whereas the Player has a "wing" style.
At a glance, the Player looks like the old American Standard from 2016, but it's not. Pickups and neck are the two main differences. There may also be some other electronics differences I'm not even aware of.
However, this brings up an interesting point...
The Player is a decent modern Stratocaster...
...provided you can find a good example of one such as I did.
It's worth it to hunt for a good one of these.
Maybe you'll get lucky and get a great one on the first try. Or you may have to do what I did and try several before you find one that doesn't have any issues with it.
If it's a Stratocaster you want, and you want it made by Fender, be willing to try a few of these before committing to a purchase.
When you find one of these that's sorted properly, the feel, playability and sound is all there. It's "all Fender," as it should be.
Is Mexico making a better Stratocaster these days?
Yes and no.
No, in the respect I had to try five of these before finding one without a nut slot issue.
Yes, in the respect you get better color choices and "more normal" electronics and pickups.
I'm going to directly compare the SSS (meaning not HSS) Player vs. American Pro II, starting with colors.
Colors
(M next to the color means maple fingerboard only, P means pau ferro fingerboard only, R means rosewood fingerboard only, MP means choice of maple or pau ferro fingerboard, MR means choice of maple or rosewood fingerboard.)
Player: 3-Color Sunburst (MP), Black (MP), Tidepool (M), Polar White (MP), Buttercream (M), Capri Orange (M), Silver (P)
American Pro II: 3-Color Sunburst (MR), Olympic White (MR), Mystic Surf Green (MR), Miami Blue (MR), Mercury (R), Dark Night (MR), Roasted Pine (MR), Black (M), Sienna Sunburst (M)
The Player, while having fewer color choices, does have the better color options.
Pickups and Electronics
The Player has alnico 5 magnet pickups that I best describe as "the most normal." They have a reliable and predictable sound to them, with the only real (and very welcome) change being there is tone control wired to the bridge pickup.
The Am Pro II has V-Mod II pickups. V-Mod means "vintage + modern" and this is the second generation of them. It is Fender's attempt at getting the best blend of vintage and modern tones in a pickup set. V-Mod II pickup magnet configuration is as follows: Front side neck pickup has alnico 2 magnets on the bass side and alnico 3 on the treble side. Middle pickup has alnico 5 on the bass side and alnico 2 on the treble side. Rear side bridge pickup is all alnico 5.
Only one complication exists for the V-Mod II, and that's the push-push tone control that adds in the front neck side pickup on selector positions 1 and 2.
V-Mod II tone is decent, but it's the push-push to add in the front neck side pickup that gives the Am Pro II the advantage over the Player - if the two tone types added in are of any use to you.
For some players, the Am Pro II is the dream Stratocaster they've been waiting for because of that push-push. Now they finally have a Strat where in addition to the regular 5 positions, bridge+neck is now there for Telecaster-like twang, and bridge+middle+neck is also there for a "fuller 2."
However, if all you want is a regular Strat with regular pickups (meaning no fancy dan pickup magnet mixing) along with tone control wired to the rear bridge pickup, then the Player is the better option.
Longevity considerations
In the end, the Player model isn't necessarily any better than the American Pro II, but I do believe it will age much more gracefully. The Player as it gets older will age just like any Stratocaster does. As for the Am Pro II, absolutely nobody knows (because it's still far too new) how those mixed-magnet pickups will age or whether that push-push will stand the test of time or fail quickly.
I'll just say that had I bought the Am Pro II instead of the Player, the first thing I would do is buy a replacement push-push switch - even if that meant I had to call Fender directly just to get one.
A push-push potentiometer looks something like this:
The price of one of these isn't exactly cheap. Why? It's a very nonstandard type of potentiometer for a guitar. This thing is long because of the switching mechanism. Is this the one Fender uses? I have no idea, hence the reason I would ring Fender up to get exactly the correct potentiometer they use in production Am Pro II Stratocaster guitars.
I know that switch will be the first thing that fails on that guitar, so I'd buy one and keep it in storage until needed. And it has to be a "Genuine Fender" part just to ensure the stupid thing will fit in the guitar correctly. The cost would be ridiculous, like $25 or so (which is a lot for one potentiometer), but I'd buy it anyway just to make very certain I'd have a replacement ready for the #1 thing to fail on the guitar first.
And then there were two (guitar minimalism)
Okay, technically three.
I just parted with 4 guitars and replaced them with a new Fender Stratocaster.
The details of the new guitar will be covered in my next article, but for now I'll just say in brief that the guitar is a new Fender Player Stratocaster in a color called Surf Pearl.
As of now I only have two working guitars. My first guitar, a 1989 Squier II Stratocaster, and the new 2021 Fender Player Stratocaster. I also have a non-working 1993 Fender Stratocaster that is in pieces at the moment (it needs a neck, among other things).
The guitars that are gone are the SX Furrian Fat, SX Furrian, Glarry GJazz and Glarry GTL. Those were all traded out.
This also marks the end of my Telecaster phase.
The hoard is thinned yet again
Every few years it seems guitars find their way into my living space and I have to flush them out. Before getting the '21 Strat I had six guitars, and now it's three. At my worst, I had seven. I've never been in double-digit territory with my number of guitars.
The main benefit of owning a bunch of guitars is you get to try a bunch of body styles and pickup configurations. My three Tele-style guitars were all different. One had traditional S/S pickups, the other had S/H and the third an S/S but with semi-hollow body and "ashtray" bridge.
The main drawback of owning a bunch of guitars is you can only play one at at time. This means guitars purposely have to be rotated in regular play just to keep them working right.
In other words, I don't like owning a bunch of guitars because they all have to be played, and all have to be maintained. After a while, rotating the instruments feels like a job you don't even get paid for, and that's no fun.
The dumbest thing I bought...
...was the bass. True, what I had was dirt cheap (under $100 new,) but the exact same thing happened that always does.
I buy a bass thinking that yeah, I'll use this thing all the time for bass backing tracks. The bass is bought, I'm all sorts of happy at first, it gets played for a couple of weeks, and then gets put on a stand and goes unplayed. And sure enough, I look at that bass later and question why the hell I bought the thing in the first place. That's when it gets traded out.
A bass for me is always a "sounded like a good idea at the time" purchase. At least I was smart enough to purposely go super cheap with it this time around.
For now, I'm done with basses unless I go all stupid again and buy another one.
Bass will now be done either by detuning my guitar or just using my synth.
Why the Stratocaster again?
I could have traded out all those guitars for a Fender Telecaster in the same color I bought my Stratocaster in, and for literally hundreds less. But no, I went Strat.
The main reason was ergonomics. The Stratocaster body with its contours feels better playing sitting or standing. With standing play in particular, I can angle the Strat body so the neck stays up whereas I can't with a Tele body without putting the strap through a belt.
The second reason was the sound. I've come to appreciate Stratocaster tone again. However, this is largely due to how Fender is making the Player Stratocaster these days.
I'll cover this more in my next article, but I greatly appreciate the Player requires no mods. It has a nice set of alnico 5 pickups and comes factory installed with tone control wired in on the bridge-only pickup selector position. This breaks with tradition as Strats typically don't have tone control wired there, but I very much welcome it as it makes that pickup selection so much more useful. And oh yes, I do use that tone control there.
The third reason is that I've come around to appreciating the Stratocaster overall again. I was anti-Strat for a long time. Not anymore.
There is The Big Question, will I keep it? Well, I just got the thing, so I have time to return the guitar should it not work out. But to answer the question, I'm mostly certain I will keep it unless it develops some wacky problem.
Next article will detail the story of the guitar purchase and other things. I actually wanted the Buttercream finish version and had no intention of buying a Stratocaster in Surf Pearl, so it will be an interesting read on why I got the one I did.