Why is the Stratocaster the best guitar ever?| #TGU19 |

#TGU19 feat. Ron Thorn & Phil McKnight. Guillaume gets together with Phil McKnight and principal Fender Custom shop masterbuilder Ron Thorn to discuss their love of the strat. Construction, feel, sound... What makes the Fender Stratocaster the most iconic and most copied guitar ever!?

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[balintperjesi]

I especially liked how they demonstrated the sounds of these guitars

[Zeal]

I’m fender for life. Got my first Squier at age 9 played in high school jazz band and started my own band. Got a Mexican fender Stratocaster, telecaster. Kept playing and my grandmother gifted me a 1972 Fender Stratocaster. Got a refret and it plays beautiful. Fast forward to now, I picked up three classic vibe squier guitars. I just love fender all the way down the line, the history the players the colors, the style it’s a dream come true.

[voodoochildaz]

The Stratocaster is one of those legendary designs that not only got so much right, it jumped so far ahead of it's time, that it is STILL modern and relevant.

You pick up a good Strat and notice it's comfortable... kinda molds into you. You play it realize it plays really easy (if set up well), balanced, easy upper fret access, the whammy bar is so intuitive you can find yourself using it without realizing... Your playing might alter a little.... Then the SOUND. There is a reason Strats are on so many legendary recordings. Not just a sound, but several, all of them great. Great clean, great distorted. Great straight into an amp, great playing with effects.

It's not good at one thing, or a few things, the Strat is a stunning design for the ages because it is good at EVERYTHING. It's the 6 string swiss army knife. Not sure what to bring? Bring a Strat. 'When in doubt, Strat' is actually not bad advice. I love Teles, SGs, Les Pauls... I had a Korina V I'd kill to get back (just an Epi, but loved it, stolen years ago).

But stranded on a desert island or selected for a mission to Mars... Only one electric allowed...

Gotta be a Strat. Fat Strat (HSS) in my case. No other serious option. It's the one guitar that can do it all well for me. Not even a difficult choice. For me, my tastes, my preferences, my style of playing... Nothing does it as well for me as a good Fat Strat. Followed closely by a traditional SSS Strat.

Thus, for my money, the Stratocaster is the single most important musical instrument design in the sum of human history. Again, for ME. For my tastes and my money, absolutely nothing beats a good Strat.

[MrPoilleke]

When you write everything down but forget your notes 😂😋😎

[sak]

I am amazed at the quality of the Squier's. It really makes me happy to see that a kid can get a inexpensive guitar that plays well. Not like when I was a kid. Because of guys like Phil, Dan from Stew mac and others, I have kind of become obsessed with guitar repair. I started to buy guitars that need repair or just some setup, fix them up and give them to local schools. Squier's are my go to for that.
Dan and Mick probably cost me the most $$ for my own rig. :)

[thebuddybud]

Ron Thorn, the man the myth the legend

[sch]

i was playing some custom shop teles in the same room 3 weeks ago. i remember the carpet XD they have so many amazing guitars there. and i agree with guillaume regarding relic guitars. it is ridiculous until you play one. and then you don't want anything else anymore

[fuzzypirelli]

"This is probably the best conversation I've had in a very long time." ~ anybody in a room with Phil and Ron, ever, probably.

[GeneOh]

There is a lefthanded guitar on the wall, what a rare beast :)

[kirkscobey]

Man I want that guitar... SMOOTH. Love Rob Thorn interviews. So open and down to earth. No pretense, how refreshing!! Great video!

[stevehogan]

Great job guys... Totally enjoyed the conversation. Thank you Guillaume of Thomann and thanks Phil McKnight and Ron Thorn. Wish I could have grabbed a beer and sat down with you... oh yeah, I did.

[allisonholmesmusic]

I’m a year late but talking about relic guitars made me think of the song “Perfectly Good Guitar” by John Hiatt…

Well, he threw one down from the top of the stairs
Beautiful women were standing everywhere
They all got wet when he smashed that thing
But off in the dark you could hear somebody sing:
Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
It started back in 1963
His momma wouldn't buy him that new red Harmony
He settled for a sun-burnt with a crack
But he's still trying to break his mama's back
Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
He loved that guitar just like a girlfriend
But every good thing comes to an end
Now he just sits in his room all day
Whistling every note he used to play
There ought to be a law with no bail
Smash a guitar, and you go to jail
With no chance for early parole
You don't get out till you get some soul
Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
Late at night, the end of the road
He wished he still had the old guitar to hold
He'd rock it like a baby in his arms
Never let it come to any harm
Oh, it breaks my heart to see those stars
Smashing a perfectly good guitar
I don't know who they think they are
Smashing a perfectly good guitar

[jazznotes]

I think one of the best things about a Strat is you can replace or upgrade things (it’s almost modular) easily. Want a new neck made from exotic wood, with stainless steel frets… So easy to do!

[RGGifford]

@PhilMcKnight - I've played Strats for 20 years and never owned a HSS one until today, was inspired after watching this vid.

[srinip]

Gorgeous guitars and such a great discussion. If I ever manage to justify a custom shop Strat, I'd get Ron to build it, because I wanted a Thorn so bad at one point, and he doesn't build those any more!

[jeffreyeagen]

I really wanted to hear that strat with p-90s!

[RWulff]

Quality content. Very good exchanges of ideas.

❤Strat

[littlerhodyguitar]

I totally want that one with the P90S it's friggin gorgeous!

[ryangunwitch-black]

YouTube has such a brilliantly genius algorithm that it saved this video for today after I’ve spent the last two years obsessively searching for & watching Stratocaster videos on the platform. 😂.

[stevieraveon]

This is so good, I enjoyed the episode a lot as well!