Rich's recommended guitar strings for Squier Stratocasters
To the best of my knowledge, both Squier and Fender Stratocasters come equipped from the factory with .009 to .042 gauge strings, which is considered to be "extra light" or "super light" as far as string weight is concerned.
In my experience I find that the best string for a Strat is one that has nickel content in it. That type of metal brings out a brightness in the Stratocaster that other strings don't.
These are the brands I recommend, all in .009 to .042, and why I like them.
- D'Addario EXL120 - You basically can't go wrong with a set of these. They suit the Strat very well, keep their brightness for a good long while and they're always available. Even if you prefer another brand over this one, this should be your "backup brand" just in case the kind you normally buy are out of stock.
- Dean Markley NickelSteel Electric - Whenever I see these, I buy them because they usually go out of stock quickly. One of the best-kept secrets for Strats as far as I'm concerned.
- DR Strings Tite-Fit LT-9 - Don't let the plain packaging fool you, because these are great for Strats. They require a longer break-in time, but it's worth it.
- Fender Super Bullets 3250L - Fantastic string, with the only drawback being they lose brightness fairly quickly, so if you don't change strings often, you probably wouldn't like these. But if you do change your strings out frequently, you'll like the bullets.
Why didn't I mention Ernie Ball Super Slinky's?
Everyone's familiar with the 2223, as in "the pink one", and I've tried them off and on over the years, but the result is always the same for my playing style - SNAP! Busted string. Usually the 2 (B) string.
If you like EB 2223's, that's fine, but I can't recommend them based on my experience.
Some more thoughts on different string types, and general advice on string changing
Frozen or coated strings
I purposely use strings that aren't "special" in any way, like cryogenic-treated (frozen during manufacturing process) or coated strings or any of that other stuff because it doesn't really add anything to my sound.
The only thing I see with those special strings is a higher price tag and not too much else.
"I want a guitar string that lasts for years"
The only people who say this are usually guitar collectors that don't play their guitars very often. Otherwise, no matter what brand of string you go with, you're going to change them out at least once every few weeks.
Guitars are machines, and machines need maintenance, so you will have to go through the chore of changing strings out every once in a while. That's just the way it is.
Too much nickel is usually a bad thing for Strats
You'll notice that there are some strings for sale that are "pure nickel". You might think these will make for a super-bright tone, but that's not what you'll get. All-nickel strings have a significantly mellower tone to them, which is why I recommended the strings above that are a combination of nickel and steel.
If you like a mellower sound to your strings (maybe for jazz?), then by all means go for it. This is the only instance where I do recommend EB strings. In particular, the heavier 10-gauge set Ernie Ball 2251.
Remember: If you switch gauges, you have to adjust your saddles
Saddle heights for 9-gauge are not the same for 10-gauge and vice versa. This even counts if you decide to go with a "heavy bottom, light top" set such as .009 to .046.
The adjustments you need to make are minor if you switch gauges, but just remember you will have to do it.
goodfellas
I could probably list a thousand reasons why Goodfellas is one of the best movies ever made. The perfect character development. The flawless pacing. The masterful editing. I could probably prattle on for hours about this flick.
What makes Goodfellas near-perfect however is the one thing that makes for a good movie over everything else - you get completely immersed in the movie and feel a connection from beginning to end. When watching this film, you really feel like you're living Henry Hill's life.
Director Martin Scorcese is the magic behind this movie. The man simply has the director's eye and knows how to use it. I find myself saying, "Wow, what a cool shot that was" many, many times during this film without losing track of anything that's going on. All of that is of course is what the director wanted you to see. It's like the guy simply knows exactly what you as the viewer would want to train your eye on at any given point of the story. There is no shot that's too long, too short, has the wrong color, or anything like that. The whole thing just plain works.
As for the pacing, it's just flawless as I said above. You are told exactly what you need to be told to move things along and nothing you don't. The speed of which things transition feels completely natural. When things slow down, it feels right. When things speed up, it also feels right. During scenes with voiceovers, you totally feel like you're in the mind of the person you're hearing. I mean, we're talking The Shawshank Redemption style of pacing here. It's that good.
Goodfellas easily makes my top 10 favorite movies of all time. Probably in the top 5 if I really think about it. You've probably already seen it at least twice. See it again.
Rich's recommended guitar effects pedals for under 50 bucks
I have another post where I recommend 6 guitar pedals, and I admitted that you should not go cheap when it comes to pedals, so the ones listed there are on the higher end of the cost curve.
This post however specifically concentrates on guitar effects pedals that are less expensive. Every single pedal you see below sells new for 50 dollars or less right now, meaning they could go up in price in the future. But at the time I write this, they are all at 50 dollars or less.
To get more pricing information and more details, just click on any pedal below.
Rogue Analog Delay - This analog delay has what's best described as an echoey sound, which of course is great for vintage-style tone. Also works for more modern guitar tones as well.
Rogue Analog Chorus - This is a very basic chorus pedal. All you have to work with here are the knobs Rate and Depth, and that's it. When you want a no-frills chorus pedal that's built right and can take the punishment of being used on stage, Rogue's offering works well here.
Rogue Vintage Compressor - "Vintage" here means "potentially noisy", but that depends if you're feeding in other signals like distortion, overdrive, chorus, etc. In any case, this is a true compressor and gets the job done.
DigiTech Death Metal Distortion - When you want a lower-priced pedal that has the metal tone, this is it. Tons of distortion with a 3-band EQ for low, mid and high - and priced right.
DigiTech Bad Monkey - The Bad Monkey, while an inexpensive pedal is used by many professional players because it has "that overdrive sound" that a lot of players like. The thing you have to remember here is that this is an OVERDRIVE pedal, meaning NOT DISTORTION, meaning this is good for vintage tones and rock BUT NOT METAL. As long as you're aware of that, the Bad Monkey is an awesome pedal to have.
DigiTech Grunge - This pedal is good for those who jump back and forth between blues, rock and metal because this one can do all three. It's not as "hot" as the Death Metal pedal, but then again the Death Metal pedal can't exactly operate "dirty clean" like the Grunge pedal can.
DigiTech Hot Head - It's tough to describe what this pedal sounds like in words, but I can best describe it as an in-between pedal between the Bad Monkey and the Grunge. For some of you, this may be the "just right" pedal you were looking for.
Want to see more pedals? Be sure to check out my original top recommended 6.
Tiny amplifiers for guitars
Tiny amps are best described as "cute". Definitely not that loud, but still cool to have. They make for good decoration more than anything else, so if you want something on your desk or shelf that says, "I'm a guitar player", the tiny amp is a must-have. Your friends may say, "I would never buy one of those", but that's not true. They totally would.
Here are a few tiny amps, most of which have a belt clip so you can actually wear the thing while playing through it. And yes, these are all real combo amplifiers, all mini-sized.
Fender Mini Deluxe - The classic Fender silver-face amp look in a miniature size.
Fender '57 Mini - This is basically as close as you can get to a tweed look in a tiny-sized amp. The chrome and handlebar are a nice touch.
Fender Mini Tone-Master - This one has the classic 1960s Fender amp look and actually separates the "head" from the "cab".
Marshall MS-2 - This is arguably the most popular mini-amp, and yes I actually did own one years ago when it was brand new at the time. The MS-2 basically hasn't changed at all, but that's okay because it still looks cool.
Marshall MS-4 Microstack - This one, I admit, is a bit ridiculous because it's basically two MS-2's stacked on top of each other. It is however a true full-stack. How much louder it is than the MS-2 I have no idea.
Danelectro Hodad DH-1 - Danelectro has retro down to a science, and the DH-1 definitely delivers. There's just something about Danelectro style that's just plain cool.
Danelectro Hodad II DH-2 - I'll be honest here - I'm not exactly sure what the difference is between the DH-1 and DH-2, so I don't know whether it has more or less features/power/etc. But it does have that awesome aqua box look to it.
Danelectro Honeytone N-10 - This is my opinion is the coolest-looking mini-amp in the list. It comes in 4 different colors (including cream), but the black one is so spot-on with its retro look, and nothing else in this list can touch it. And it's cheap!
VOX AC1 - If I'm not mistaken, this is the most expensive mini-amp in the list. Why? Because it's more than just an amp. It has 66 rhythm patterns in it and two 3-inch speakers for plenty of sound out of a small package.
Which is the best?
There's no real "best" amp here, because you can't really expect much from amps this small. However the ones that are the best bang for the buck both for style and functionality are the Fender '57 Mini, Marshall MS-2 and the Danelectro Honeytone N-10.
Do you really need better pickups in a Strat?
I will list some recommended pickup upgrade kits below for those of you who want to swap out your existing Fender or Squier Strat pickups for something else, but before I do, here's a few words about how pickups in a Stratocaster works.
Standard edition (meaning no special model) Stratocasters by both Squier and Fender have "weak" pickups by nature. The reason for this is because that's part of what gives a Strat its tonal character. In addition, "hot" pickups in a Strat is not always a good idea. What may happen is that instead of getting a "hotter" sound, this can backfire on you and amplify existing noise.
My standard advice to those who think their Strat pickups are "weak" is, have you tried a compressor pedal yet? If your answer is no, this is yet again another instance where a compressor pedal can be your best friend, because using one is a whole lot cheaper and easier than switching out pickups.
As I've said before, I recommend getting the MXR Dyna Comp and trying that out first before even considering swapping out your Strat pickups, because if it's OUTPUT or GAIN that you wanted but are otherwise satisfied with how your pickups sound, that's exactly what the compressor pedal is there for.
Legitimate reasons to get better Strat pickups
Let's say for the moment you've tried the compressor pedal but still aren't happy with the way your pickups sound and want to try something different. That's fine as long as you upgrade for the right reasons.
A list of good reasons to upgrade pickups in a Strat:
- The 60-cycle hum on the 1, 3 and 5 position setting annoys you and you want to get rid of it.
- The existing pickup set you have is either "too muddy" or "too bright" and you want something that promotes a more "even" sound.
- Even with the use of a compressor pedal, the output of the pickups still isn't good enough for your playing style and you want something "hotter".
Rich's recommended pickup sets for Strat guitars
I always recommend getting the set over buying pickups individually because you save a lot of money going that route. If you were to buy pickups individually, you'll literally spend double to triple the price, so again, you're better off just buying a whole set.
Fender Custom Shop Texas Special Strat PickupsYou would think from having "custom shop" in the name that these would be really expensive, but they're surprisingly affordable. When you want that super-bright Stevie-Ray style tone, these are what you want because they're over-wound to produce that super-bite sound. These are not noiseless/hum-canceling pickups, so you'll still have the 60-cycle hum. As long as you're okay with that, the Texas Special set is a good choice.
Fender Hot Noiseless Stratocaster PickupsFor most of you out there, this is probably the set you want. They're affordable just like the Texas Specials, but are noiseless and a lot more "civilized" than the Specials are. You get your "hot" bridge, "warm" mid and neck without any 60-cycle hum. If you have NO IDEA which set of pickups would genuinely be a good improvement over what you have, this is the 'safest' set to go with.
Fender Tex-Mex Stratocaster PickupsThe Tex-Mex pickups are similar to the Texas Specials as far as tone is concerned, but the best part is that these are really affordable. If the price of the Specials is too much but you want something really similar for literally less than half the price, the Tex-Mex is the way to go. These are not hum-canceling pickups, so you'll still get the 60-cycle hum.
Seymour Duncan Everything Axe SetThis is the most expensive set of pickups on the list. They are hum-canceling and the set delivers an amazingly smooth tone, but bear in mind these are not "traditional" Strat-sounding pickups. I don't know how to describe the sound of these other than "sounding modern", meaning not vintage. If you play rock and metal, you'd probably like these.
DiMarzio Area Stratocaster Pickup SetThese aren't exactly cheap either, however you are in fact getting three very distinctly different pickups with this set. "Area '58" is the neck, "Area '67" is the middle and "Area '61" is the bridge - each of which is specifically designed to maximize tonal capability for their respective positions. The Area set promotes a vintage tone and not necessarily a rock/metal sound, and yes, they're hum-canceling.
Any set from above is better than what you have now.