Hey all check out the Behind The Scenes video based on this one - kzread.info/dash/bejne/Z31-to-Qca-cY7A.html This video exists mainly for the purpose of making a 'how do i make my videos' video... that should be out a few hours after this one! I will link it here when it is out. For that reason, this video is not as detailed as many of my others - but really I needed to make a pretty simple video so I could show you how I record and make my videos... anyway, I think you will enjoy the behind the scenes video that comes out later! cheers!

thanks for the demo. I'm putting together an Olympic white 7/8 hardtail Strat. I was starting to second guess the hard tail but this helps.

Great vid! I think the feel of the guitar, string tension, ability to bend with or without a trem changes, basically how the player feels first and foremost. Thus producing different tones. Darrel Braun has a good video of cutting away pieces of a guitar and it essentially keeps the same tone. Pickups, how the string feels(bridge assembly, types of metal, tuning peg/head types, etc.) and the player’s mindset and technique changes the tone for sure. Can’t wait for the breakdown vid, cheers!

I’m with you on this one. I don’t believe the listener is affected by the tones quite as much. I’ll admit I used iPhone speakers to listen to the video. I think ultimately the player will feel more of a difference than we will hear.

Always wondered what the sonic difference is , great video great tones! The thing that made a whole lot of difference on my tremolo strat was putting in 5 Raw Vintage Springs and changing the trem block

Hardtail sounds GREAT!

My refinished 2005 American Series hardtail strat armed with 1998 Van Zandt Blues pups is just pure magic!

I love the hard tail strats, and the sustain you can get from them. Such beautiful guitars you’ve got there!

@JamesOnGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

cheers! Yeah, not sure I concluded with a lot of incite today - it was a long day today - but the hardtail definitely has quite a few wonderful attributes!

I've often wondered how much difference there'd between trem and hard tail Strats, so this comparison was very interesting. It's definitely there, but like you say, not exactly night and day, especially given the two guitars have different pickups. I liked both, but initially gravitated more towards the trem model, possibly because it's what I'm used to. I watched the video twice and started leaning towards the hardtail second time around. Might be my ears adjusting to sound I guess. There's definitely something a bit 'more' about the hardtail.

New to your channel and trying to guess which is the P Waller strat I recently picked up one of his team built Troposphere hard tails Kinda expensive but can only imagine what the Thorn 58 cost It sounded good but looked like you were struggling a bit No offense meant Love the channel

I hard tailed my strat with a block of wood behind the trem block. Mainly because I never use the trem system but if I ever want to I can pop out that wood and wammy it up

hardtail sounds like it has a slight more bass responce, slight! they both sound great though

Best option I think is a tremelo guitar thats decked. Use all 5 springs and tighten the screws on the back till the bridge is resting on the body. I think the tremelo setup is part of the Strat sound. While the difference is less hear than I thought it would be , there is a extra sweetness and a bit of twang with the tremelo the hardtail didint have. Its kinda like a ashtray bridge with barrel saddles on a Tele vs a modern flat plate bridge with block saddles. If you dont use the tremelo, id still get the tremelo guitar then block it or deck it for extra sustain and tuning stablity. I decided decking was better because I think the springs and everything add to the sound. Blocking it is loosening everything up there and resting it against a piece of wood that you add in the back capacity. So a decked tremolo bridge is best sounding in my opinion.

I live in a single coil world. The HT Strat has the woodier tone that my Telecasters & LP have. The Trem Strat has the metal block. Granted my Trem Strat is a Squier Affinity, it started with a thin zinc alloy block. I opted for a solid steel replacement block that is better for at least feel. I'd like to try a solid brass block to see if that gets it closer to a HT's warmer tone. I guess my HT being a Squier Bullet is more of a Robert Cray style of tone/sound. For me it's good to have the 2 and more lucked into HT & Tremolo Strats than by design/intent. The HT was going with a Strat, yet staying safe with the HT like the LP & eventually Telecasters as a beginning player. I chased the Affinity for the Tremolo more out of fear of missing out with the whammy bar. And even luckier, when you find a HT listed for $ 60, offer $ 25, then 2 weeks later the $ 70 list Affinity is $ 55. $ 80 for 2 Strats is not a difficult decision to spend the money on.

Where is the link in the description about a longer film about this?

My main take-away is that I really like the looks of a white on white Strat.

@JamesOnGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

A classic

I built myself a Hardtail from finest available parts. It’s got more attack, sound’s grittier but quite unforgiving, especially on a Eric Johnson maple neck. It’s a sturdy beast.

The trem Strat seems to have a bit more sponginess on the notes which sounds slightly more traditional Strat. The hard tail sounds like it could be a more versatile guitar for different genre’s, especially being an hss. Probably why it’s a fun noodling guitar, you can go from SRV to AC/DC.

@JamesOnGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, def true - very versatile!

What’s the exact model of Hardtail guitar please? Is it a customshop? Great video? Thx

the amount of wood doesnt affect the tone of the guitar at all so thats out, with hard tails its less noise that you need to tame like raddling from springs and also tunning stability

What I find with guitars with trems is that the metal block and springs encourage a sort of cross string vibration on other (open) strings that can be dissonant and opposing to the original sound. I think this has previously been described as “stratitus”....not good.

I like that hard tail starts are more often lighter. I never use the tremolo and always set the bridge flat with an extra spring or two. I’m still looking for the right hard tail for me.

your setup sounds super clean, what speaker is that? and what mic?

@uhMaxx

2 жыл бұрын

if i would guess i‘d say the evm 12 but why would you change the tworock speaker eh, unless?

@uhMaxx

2 жыл бұрын

sounds very hifi, thought it was stereo mic‘d and see a pic of a lewitt & sm57, are u running 50/50? have you tried running the sm57 a bit hotter, would probably sound meatier

To me they are different and uniquely sweet, each to its own

Trem has that smooth hollow sound. Hardtail sounds great too but if you want the Strat tone, the trem is essential

All my guitars are hardtail. I don't use the trem if I have it, so there's really no reason to have one on a guitar if all it's going to contribute is tuning stability problems or more moving parts that introduce the possibility of more repairs and problems in the future.

The only way to properly assess this subject/ question is to take the same guitar which would be a Hardtail strat, play the demo then route out the same guitar for a trem block and springs and demo the same songs

I wonder if you would prefer a humbucker spaced p90 for the bridge of master built strat

@JamesOnGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

That is a great idea although not sure i’ll change on this masterbuilt but would love to try that

Hardtail defo has better feel for a player. More impotantly, once I noticed the other strings going out of tune when I bent a note I could not stop noticing it, and I love open strings so always muting the un bent notes is just a no no. Hard tail only for me.

@JamesOnGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah a few months ago i started to notice that with the trem strats - the other strings going out. Once you notice it, it never goes away! Still love the trem sound but hardtails are excellent!

@snicker576

Жыл бұрын

@@JamesOnGuitar I LOVE using the vibrato, so I just tightened the springs enough so that the other strings don't go out of tune when I bend, best of both worlds in my opinion

@paulcowart3174

Жыл бұрын

Hard tails love being tuned a half step down too Almost a Tele feel

@paulcowart3174

Жыл бұрын

A little trick on the trem that works good is on the six screw's you tighten the outside two down and leave the inside four up a touch Do it on all my tremolo model's

@prism223

Жыл бұрын

There's also quite a lot more string travel required to actually bend a note to the same pitch on a trem vs. fixed bridge, which can become annoying for large bends. Honestly this issue makes it necessary IMO for a recording guitarist to own at least one of each type to be able to cover all genres of music.

both are good

What would be real cool is a hardtail strat with firebird pickups

I am a metal player and I prefer hard tail to stay in tune

See if you can get your hands on a Troposphere Strat if you like hard tails You will love the 5K range of the pups Just a phenomenal limited edition Paul Waller designed guitar I've got the super faded shell Pink It looks more like aged white or faded desert sand than pink IMO unless you straight up put it next to some porcelain or something lol I almost balked at first because it felt so new but now that I've broken it in for a couple of years it is my favorite And I've got a 72 and 65 player grade pieces that I've had for year's Never thought I would appreciate a new guitar SO much Now if I can find a new Gibson that isn't 5K+ that I can bond with Oh well I'm sure you can relate somewhat James Cheer's

After listening back the hardtail has a noticeable difference. Its got low end thump that the trem doesnt have and its ballsier in general. Its like a strat w a touch of that tele punch. Seem like its also a fatter sound and its got a snap thats missing from the trem model. I think it sounds better to my ear but the trem is so iconic its hard to decide. Just need both i guess.

@joeblo8421

6 ай бұрын

get trem and block it when you want "hardtail" ...I haven't tried it, but its on my todo list

@Coolbeans1492

6 ай бұрын

@@joeblo8421 its not the same

the first guitar has a clear neck and that does interfere with the sound

Definitely a noticeable tone difference. The HSS configuration on the hard tail just seems super useful. You're right about pickups making a big difference. Mine has the custom fat 50s and it is just pure magic. Another thing worth playing with is pickup height. Makes a MASSIVE difference.

@zacherycampbell7296

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed! Didn’t have much use for my middle pickup until I raised it. However, I like the neck pretty low

Trem sounds like a strat. Squishy attack with bloom. Slightly nasaly. Hardtail sounds like any other hardtail, just with strat pickups

When i start playing again after 1 month, i'll definitely choose the hardtail cuz i know the other trems guitar would be out of tune and sounds just like my neighbors mom which is quite annoying

What is it with English guys and blues ? It's like blues should be their national anthem. About the standard, spring aparatus for a strat, its just unnessary, and superfluous hardware, for a lot of us. A hard tail strat makes perfect sense, for those of us who do not use a VIBRATO bar. Yes, there is a little sonic difference between the hard tail and the standard VIBRATO bar version (Yes, vibrato is a variation in pitch, and Tremolo is a variation in volume.) Fender liked to do this kind of obscuring the definition of a word. The do is with necks that are SCREWED on. (that's right, there are no bolts holding on Fender necks. The ones that are used on fender solid body guitars are wood SCREWS.)

Just try and raise the action a little on the hardtail and do the test again…thank me later 😉 Ps. And lower the pickups of the white one

@paulcowart3174

2 жыл бұрын

I actually like the tone better with the action up More tension equals more sustain and just better tone IMO

Good job and nice information. But please, take your camera off of AF :) The camera hunting for focus in videos makes you blurry and it's really distracting :)

owning both they are completely different animals...no springs no springy strat sound

Is not a fair comparison , different pickups, different fretboard , maybe different strings and body wood

I’ll make a comment here as a test for when I make a real comment. But just wanted to show how I make a comment😀

@JamesOnGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

🤣

@mikec6733

Жыл бұрын

This is my test reply to your comment. I'll make a real reply in the future .😀

your going to get more sustain out of the trremolo guitar obviously

hardtail guitars are the best guitars

Yak, yak, yak yak, yak yak……all hat, no cattle.

If you ever think of selling that hard tail, hit me up.

@BParker55

2 жыл бұрын

Get in line 😂

@JamesOnGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

Ok, £12k 😃

@DerrickZuber

2 жыл бұрын

@@JamesOnGuitar You’re already thinking of selling it? You could still return it if it’s under 30 days.

@JamesOnGuitar

2 жыл бұрын

@@DerrickZuber haha no not really