xhefriguitars.com/page2.html here's the history of the Strat Plus - it's really pretty interesting!

My favourite Strat. I love Lace Sensors.

I walked in a music store to get some strings for my 91 strat and they were giving away a new strat plus. So I through my name in a hat. As I was paying for the strings I heard someone calling my name. It's the best guitar I ever didn't buy. It's still my go to guitar,love it. 😁

Best Strats I own... a 93 and 96, Strat Plus Deluxe. I remember pulling the 93 off the wall, brand new, with my right hand and saying to a bandmate who was with me "I'm buying this guitar". No guitar neck had ever felt that good, in my left hand, as this did in my right... as soon as I played it, it became my #1.

@93greenstrat

Жыл бұрын

I still love my '93 American Standard Strat. These now "vintage" (are they though?) 1st gen. American Standards and their derivatives are seriously underated guitars.

@marcpaola1371

Жыл бұрын

​@@93greenstratI agree, I've got a 89 american standard that got new. I've had other strats and always turned to the american standard so I have sold what I'm not using. I agree they should be classed as vintage now.

@caiusmadison2996

Жыл бұрын

@93greenstrat my favorite are the basic American Standard, as the appointments when set right, rival the "better" Deluxes/Elite/Plus models. The biggest selling point was the Lace Sensors and Wilkinson nut on these, no more nut work. However, Lace was either hated, or loved, and still is today. The Alnico 3 in the 88'-96 models rocked.

@sparkyguitar0058

5 ай бұрын

My story is just like yours. In 96 walked into a G C , over to used guitars and saw it. At the time I bought all those guitar mags and they wrote about deluxe plus Strats. And there it was same color as the magazine article butt ugly yellow (vintage blonde). But played it and instantly fell in love. Everything but the color. In fact there was 2 deluxe plus sitting there. The other in that pretty blue finish w/ rosewood. But didn't have the awesome feel of mine. Now 27 yrs later, only change was adding a Tremsetter and cranking the bridge to whammy up and down. Did that first week and haven't made a adjustment since. Will have to soon cause fret wear. But gigged this guitar yrs ago. Then did worship services but switched guitars every week. Still feels like a old worndown pair of jeans every time I pick it up. Used this guitars ideas to fix up a 97 L Paul studio. Bought used w/ 496/500 pups I rebuilt the crap parts with replacement quality parts like CTS 550 K pots, Garret cloth wiring,Tonespro locking bridge,alum tailpiece, Kluson locking tuners, Tusc XL nut. These 2 are about polor opposites. Yellow Strat maple neck, black L P gold trim dark ebony fretboard. Fun stuff.

So glad you enjoyed playing my Guitar yesterday. Thank you for reviewing it and making it sing like you always do!

@christopherjbutler

Жыл бұрын

It's gorgeous Galli. It sounds great. I am pleasantly surprised by how stratty the Gold lace sensors are, I remember playing Laces at Sam Ash during the 90's and not getting on with them quite, but I really did not have the same ability to play and the more seasoned ear I do now. It's my idea of what my number one strat would look like.. I have a 1990 American Standard with EMGs and except for the quilted maple fingerboard on maple custom neck that was on mine when I bought it, it looks very much like yours, which is beautiful. :)

@picksalot1

Жыл бұрын

Thanks for letting John take your cool guitar out for a spin. 👍

@kane6529

Жыл бұрын

It’s awesome John played your guitar but I’d be sad getting it back thinking “why doesn’t it sound the same as it did with him playing it 😂”

@galijanach

Жыл бұрын

@@kane6529 😂😂😂

Those pickups always sounded great to me.

@leomachine23

Жыл бұрын

What pickups are these?

@galijanach

Жыл бұрын

@@leomachine23 Lace Sensor Gold

@onewiththings

Жыл бұрын

@@leomachine23 Lace Sensor Gold, I think

I have a 1988 Strat plus…best Strat by far I have owned and played. The frets are wearing because I have owned it since 1989 and played it so much but great guitar. The vibrato with the roller nut really helps stability. Love them.

My '95 Strat Plus (bought new) is still my favourite guitar. I eventually changed the Lace sensors for a set of Suhr FL pickups and replaced the TBX control with a much more standard no-load tone pot. It's the guitar that I would grab if the house was on fire.

@johnnathancordy

Жыл бұрын

Hadn't heard of FL pickups, but is it right they're just the MLs now? I really liked those in the Suhr that I tried

@ianparr1533

Жыл бұрын

@@johnnathancordy Yes, they've been renamed a couple of times, but I believe they are still the same pickups, now called V63+. I'm no pickup expert but since I put them in that guitar I haven't ever felt a need to try anything else.

@antonlufti3819

2 ай бұрын

Ex wife gone My strat plus by mu bedside.. As our other friend said "Incase of fire" Happy playing

Wonderful interpretation- particularly loved the chordal intro- Pressures building for the album!!

I have that exact spec/colour, bought brand new in the 90s - still love it. Great to see it featured on this channel! Thanks, John. 😎

Beautiful arrangement of Amazing Grace, John!

Sensational tones. Can't believe that comes from an HX. Beautiful playing sir. Haunting BT!

Great vid as always!

I can’t wait to watch this. This guitar has been on my wishlist since I played one years ago. Best sounding pickups I’ve ever heard through my 1968 Princeton Reverb.

Amazing guitar sound , great job , from Brazil.

Ive owned 2 i still own the ‘89 its a work of art the lace sensor pickups sweet and glassy

I always loved Lace Sensors. I remember when they came out in the 80s. I tried several strats that had them when they were a novelty. Sounded great, very low noise. I also think Fender's own in-house Noiseless pickups are great. They've improved massively.

Ummm, all those pictures look familiar! Thanks for the plug on the ULR! Great playing BTW!

What a beautiful cover.

I am the original owner of one, like the one in the video, but with a maple neck and white pickguard. I bought it with the salary from my first serious job. It is/was, from my point of view, the perfect work tool for the professional musician. The only defect I found in its day was the lack of punch in the bridge pickup, like almost all Strat SSS, and I put a Seymour Duncan Hotrail in it, which was a very popular combination at the time. Today I returned it to its original condition and removed the hotrails. Mine has a neck made by Oscar Pallares, who was another master builder of the custom shop. Everyone who plays it falls in love with the feel and comfort of the neck. As a "disadvantage" for purists is the issue of the pickups...for me the only thing I can reproach them for is the height adjustment, in this they are very sensitive. Otherwise they are simply great. If you know the history of the plus, you know that it was a time of readaptation of the brand and the plus was a kind of flagship (remember that the custom shop did not exist) and what did that mean? Well, it was a series made and supervised by each and every one of those who later became Fender's master builders. And that makes them infinitely superior to many other Stratocasters that are better seen by the public. They are the precursor to custom shops and they are all signed by workers who were significant for the brand in an era...that cannot be said about many Strats.

Thanks John for another great vid! I have a deluxe plus I bought new in 1989 ash body maple neck mixed Lace Sensors, red in bridge, silver in mid, and blue in neck! Played it on and off since '89 and am always amazed how it still holds up today! I also have an Eric Clapton strat from 2018 with Fender noise less pickups, it is quieter, and sounds good, but is different sounding compared to the Lace Sensors! Thanks again, great to hear these guitars still rocking!

My 87 plus is my absolute number 1. Versatile, reliable, no hum on stage, just everything i could want in a guitar. Really holds it's tuning too. Put a humbucker in the bridge, treble bleed on the volume and just got a long overdue refret to stainless steel. I play in a function band and it's perfect for that, would highly recommend to anyone doing similar work.

You could make a wheelie bin sound incredible but I think in this video your tone was the best I have heard from you - you should definitely get a Strat Plus! I have two of them from 1991 and absolutely love them. Thanks for the video, love your content.

I own a 1993 Jeff Beck Strat in midnight purple. It's by far one of the best strats I've ever used. Vintage or otherwise. It's made to be played in any which way and it all works so well.

I had one of those guitars. Miss it every day.

OMG, I have this exact guitar in the same color. It's been my main guitar for 20 years. I had to change the Lace sensors recently because they became microphonic and one of them stopped working. So I now have a set of Jeff Beck noiseless pickups.

Older versions of the Fender noiseless pickups had lots of critics. I bought into the criticism based on inexperienced forum opinions, but when I played a Fender Ultra Strat at the store, the Gen 4 noiseless pickups sounded great, and I bought the guitar. Maybe they finally worked out all the kinks. I actually prefer them to my Strat with Fender Custom Shop '69s. That all said, the best thing about the Ultra Strat is by far the Modern D compound radius neck. It's my favorite neck of all time. Wide, not too wide. Not too thin. Fast. Comfortable for hours.

@caiusmadison2996

Жыл бұрын

Around Noiseless3, they became favored more for sounding correct finally.

I combined a black Clapton body with Beck neck, added Seymour Duncan Zephyr pickups. It plays and sounds amazing. This one you’re playing sounds great.

Hi John. In my opinion, the Strat Plus is the best Strat Fender has ever made. The popular "myth" about Jeff Beck favouring big baseball bat necks is just that - a myth. Jeff generally liked slim necks, and his own signature model Fender Strat has a very nice slim neck. Your playing is absolutely wonderful to listen to and the version of Amazing Grace was just that - amazing! John Suhr worked out of Rudy's music shop on 48th Street in Manhattan for years and started the Pensa Suhr guitars during that time with Mark Knopfler probably being one of the first "big name" players to start using the Pensa Suhr guitars.

@jonlbarry

Жыл бұрын

The first edition of Jeffs Sig Strat, with the Double Lace sensors, did have fat baseball necks. I had one and in the end it was just too big for my little mits.

@jakollee

Жыл бұрын

I used to go into Rudy's on 48th street occasionally, back in the day, and admired the Pensa guitars (and was stunned by the prices!); I never realized they were John Suhr's handiwork!

@ernielamprell4532

11 ай бұрын

The swimming pool rout is questionable though.

The sound from the strat plus is one of the best sounds I think you have had. What a great sounding guitar in every position especially that switch between 4 and 5 near the start.

@andywhite3777

Жыл бұрын

Expect these to rocket in price now

@daviddalziel884

Жыл бұрын

@@andywhite3777 there’s one for sale near me at £1,900 which is outrageous 😞

Hi have a 91 strat plus blue burst. Heavy body with the ash love how you can see the wood grain in finish. I took out the lace sensor and put seymour duncan hot rails. I am a metal head but love blues too. Amazing playing and tone dude, sensational!

I got a Strat plus when I turned 20! Never bought another strat after that :) still play it today!! Had it for nearly 30 years!! The quietness of the pickups alone, draws you to it :) it’s a great sounding guitar that brings peace of mind to all that hum/buzz we hate :)

Great , great playing -especially the JB intro . I got a second hand Deluxe HSS a 2000 model a few years ago -noiseless neck and middle and humbucker on the bridge . Locking tuners (Fender ) LSR nut . Love it and just play at home but like you don’t find the pickups completely noiseless. I recently played a Strat (50s reissue I think ) but it had been changed up with gold lace sensors and it was so good ! Gutsier than a lot I’ve played but still sounded like a great Strat . Lastly I saw a white Jeff Beck Strat but for some reason the owner -now selling it -had stuck Bare Knuckle pickups in it !! Don’t get that at all -shop owner said “ Some folks don’t like noiseless pickups !” Don’t buy a JB Strat then !!! Quickest remedy to get a good sounding Strat after seeing this demo -buy a decent second hand Std Strat and get Gold Lace Sensors dropped in 🎸

It almost seems Lace Sensors fit your playing better than vintage single coils

I would like to see the return of the Pleasant Pheasant bird, if you can arrange a reunion. What a beautiful bird that is. Pleasant demeanor, really loved John's Right hand and left leg. LOL. Nice playing on this video.

My strat plus deluxe 1993 in rare mystic black, with one of the first Lsr nut, rosewood fretboard, Kinman woodstock set pickup (2008), sperzel locking tuners in aluminum... A great modern "super strat style"

Your cover of Jeff should be on an album cause it is so good, even the backtrack is as modern as Jeff would have loved to play on

My dad have bought his Fender Strat Plus guitar as a first 'pro' one in 1991, in post-communist Poland. The Guitar was shipped stright from California on his order to musicshop here in Poland. He still owns this piece of awesome guitar and plays about hundred gigs (weddings etc.) a year with this one. The best strat I've ever played to this day and comparing to the guitar in the video - weights about 11.5 lbs EDIT: My dad in the music shop tried out all available strats and only Strat Plus sounded the way he had dreamed about all the years.

@handle433

23 күн бұрын

Holy cow!! That’s why it sounds so good, weighs as much as an LP!!

@AVeelcheck

6 күн бұрын

@handle433 yeah, I tend to prefer heavier guitars and basses as well personally

I bought a really cheap banger a "Squire affinityTele" for giging down at the beach at one of the "Sand Bars" here in Florida. I put some Fender "Noiseless" pickups and Fender locking tuners bought used on ebay...man what a great sound. No buzzing at all at the gig as well as in my home studio. I don't necessarily stand in front of my computer but the noise level is null on all of my JNC Pod Go Presets ;-) BTW, I have a '62 reissue Fender Strat I bought in 1984, original pickups are not noisless it has a flat oval neck, which I haven't seen on any Strats in the local shops here in FL. When I picked it up, It was one of those guitars that not only spoke to me but Screamed... Man what a Truely Excellent rendition of "Cause we Ended as Lovers"... You ,are blessed with a God given gift. Thanks for sharing with all of us on the other side of your video camera.

Nice Beck jam on the best Strat series ever made. It’s silly that some pay extra for “vintage“ models that don’t have locking tuners or for that matter locking nuts like the great LSR (which I upgraded my ‘88 to b/c I liked it more than the 2 prior Wilkinsons Fender used in ‘87 and ‘88. [EDITED to add info on years and roller nuts.)

Loved Lace Sensors Gold had it on an old made in USA peavey over 10 years ago. But they were low output not for high gain back then with the new options I think I can make it work, a couple of years back I put together a partscaster with Fender parts from stratosphere and used a set of Fender noiseless Gen4 hot pickups... they are fantastic, a breeze to install, had a very different character but single coil-ish enough, you need to try them

Ooh I heard amazing grace....sounds solo nice ♥️

I've used Kinman Noiseless Pickups for many years, as every place I've lived caused unacceptable amounts of hum and noise in every regular single coil pickup brand/model I've used. They were Straty enough for David Gilmour to use, so I figure they're ok. 😎

That's my strat ❤ the ball-bearing nut is actually a hard to find part on any other guitar. Sounds great 👍

I have used both the lace and fender noiseless and I like the lace sensors better. They are a little warmer (especially the blue lace sensor) than the fender noiseless IMO but both are great pickups. The gold Lace sensors are the closest to “classic” strat sounds (really close).

Man, that was beautiful. Best interpretation of Becks Cause we've ended as lovers. i Missed the Bridge/chorus tho

First, Srat plus are excellent, one of my favorite guitars is a 1996 blue burst maple neck. mine has a Fender Licensed Floyd rose without the micro adjustment tuners, à la Guthrie Govan’s Charvel signature model, But we’re made to look similar to a regular Strat 2 point vibrato. The thing stays in tune! Second, Lace sensors are great, my favorite are LS Blue (50’s Humbucker), LS Gold (50’s Single Coil), and LS Silver (70’s Singles Coil). There’s also the LS Dually Red (hot Humbucker) - think Jonny Greenwood’s Tele Plus from Radiohead on the song Creep. The Chugga right before the chorus 👍🏻.

What. A. Tone. What. A. Phrasing. What. A. Musicality. Beautiful. 🙏

I am a huge admirer of your playing and your tone. My 96 strat plus is just better than my others. So stable, so responsive. I took the lace pickguard out for a while and put in a lindy fralin... now that was an amazing traditional sound. After a while I missed the Lace tone and put it back! No, it doesnt sound like a regular strat... thats why I put it back.

Always thought the active mid boost on the EC Strat was such a great, undercover effect! I bought a loaded EC Strat pickguard decades ago on EBay. Has the Gold Lace Sensors. I really should buy a Strat body with a 9v battery route and install that pickguard.

Right at 1:17, I smiled and thought "That ain't fooling anyone who's listened to Blow By Blow thousands of times". Hope you don't get demonetized, cos it's quite an original take. Also, I do have the Jeff Beck seasick green version of this Strat. The Lace sensors had long given up the ghost though, so I had them replaced. The neck is probably a lot fatter than the one you picked up.

I got a 2015 Fender Deluxe Strat HSS that came with noiseless Shawbucker pickups. I swapped them out for a loaded pickguard from Radioshop with ID:Evolution pickups with a blend knob mod for the bridge and neck pickups. The Radioshop pickups sound so much better than the Fender noisless ones, that sounded lifeless in comparison.

My dad has had both absolutely immaculate 89/90 plus’ and they’re the best strat i’ve ever played.

Those pickups are very glassy. But seem to roll back nicely. Almost like a P90 does. It still has that high end when rolled back but really cuts in the mix.

You are the best feeling guitar player that I like with Andy Timmons.

That looks a lot like the 1997 Strat Plus I recently sold after 15 years together. I miss her!

I want one of these with the original Wilkinson roller so bad.

Personally, I love the sound of lace sensors. They have a classic scooped strat sound. I, too, used to turn my nose up at them until I realized how many of the strat sounds of the 80s and early 90s I loved were lace pickups. Tears for Fears is one that is forever etched in my brain.

My favorite

I still dont get why LS pickups aren't still more popular. I would go as far to say they always sound great in all positions. Great playing.

@johnnathancordy

Жыл бұрын

I had thought that they might sound a certain way just based on my own prejudices, but I agree, they sound to me very decent

Thank you for this. Great demo! Sometimes when people do product reviews of pickups or guitars they use so much distortion, overdrive or gain that it's really more of an amp demo, you really have no idea what the pickups or guitar they are demonstrating sounds like. Not so here. Thanks again

To be fair, i think any pickup that you put close to a screen is gonna get some noise, like if you put your phone up close the pickup will grab some weird sounds. May be a shielding issue too, so I guess there are more variables than just the pickups themselves. Lace Sensors sounded good and your tone was awesome, great work on the intro, it was really inspiring to hear.

@caiusmadison2996

Жыл бұрын

The main reason was using a delay. Use of this causes mucho sucko interference.

That looks a lot like my 1990 American Standard from the front, Mine has EMG S pickups in it from 1995 so the look is strikingly similar.. Same Mother of Toilet seat pickguard, same tobacco sunburst finish.. My neck is a custom Buscarino maple neck tho.. That sounds great in your hands.. I think the very top end on the lace sensors may be slightly leaning past glassy into almost brittle compared to your K-Line's Lollars

I wanted that guitar madly in high school. Unobtainable for a kid mowing yards for gas money...

My guitar teacher from the 90’s had one of these guitars, we a L thought it was witch craft. Loved that guitar

Hello all. As a guitar fan ( I don’t play) I simply marvel at the talent of many musicians. Y’all are amazing people. However, I have a question or questions? Why do guitars ( fender strays) vary so much from year to year? I thought they were all made the same except for USA made vs Mexican made? Thanks in advance.

Strat elite '83 and Strat plus should go their vintage list. I guess.

That’s really useful, thank you! I recently picked up a Deluxe American Standard. From the code I understand it’s a 1989 build, in black with maple neck and white scratch plate. It looks like it’s spent a lot of time in its case as there’s hardly any fretwear. It’s a little different to the Plus as it has a synthetic bone nut and fender tuners but still has the SSS Fender Golds. The guitar set up was all over the place so I was interested to see the pickup settings on your demo. They looked pretty high from what I could see. Is that right (as a starting point)? Hope to get it all set right as it feels a delight to play now I’ve sorted the action and trem. Ps…..wonderful playing as usual John. You’re my go to for Helix as well.

Nether Beck nor Clapton like two point tremolos(Clapton usually locked his tremolo)or lace pick-ups opposed to fenders custom electronics just to name a few points that your information is wrong, everybody's a expert on the enterweb!

Awesome ❤ it

Also, Elites. They played Elites as well.

Beautiful interpretation of Because We've Ended As Lovers! Guitar sounds great, very "Strat-ey," but for some reason I can't stand that type of sparkly pick guard.

I play one since 1999 😍😍. I'm professional

I have a '98 identical to that one with gold lace pick ups. I bought it new at Daddy's Junky Music on sale for believe it or not $599. Will never sell it.

I may have to refret my 94 strat plus. Would you keep the original roller nut or replace with bone? The luthier wants to replace it.

I've tried the Noiseless, and I liked them. However, I'm more interested in the Rollernut. I have a Rollernut on my Stratocaster, and it has issues. There is a shaft that goes through the bearings, and the strings are supposed to set on the bearings. The bottom three strings on mine sit in between the bearings and on the shaft. This results in tuning issues. Can this be fixed, or do I need to replace the Rollernut?

The Hot Noiseless in the most recent Beck Signature opened all the way up will take your f'ing head off, lol!! Around 7.5 with the bridge tone rolled off some you can start to work them in a conventional sense... These Lace sensors are syrupy and can be sweet as you've played them. "Sweet" isn't a word that immediately comes to mind with the Hots in hand. They're great but completely different animals.

If you are looking for a Stratocaster that is unique, you should look for the Stratocaster plus series from the 90s. At that time the series below the Custom Shop models had absolutely killer quality. There's no reissue coming near by...

What overdrive are you using? Great sound.

Beautiful playing. Are those all gold lace sensors or silver?

I'm still using the white EMGs on a 57 "reissue" strat, and they always sound perfect.. they are neutral enough to reflect the natural resonances in the wood, and are quiet,.... and yet, I miss the more natural dynamics of a passive pickup. Everything I play with the EMGs sounds as if each note I pick has the same attack envelope, and doesn't always represent what I'm playing ,which although quite well voiced , is somehow artificial sounding to me. Only a guitar player whose playing is not as good as his critical ear would obsess about the differences and split such hairs anyway, but I hear it, and it sort of compresses down all the edges of the notes and puts me off(first world problems?)But most of all just having a QUIET strat is all it's about!

Uau! que video!!

👏👏👏👏👏

Nice. Did this model have the TBX tone control? I have one form the same era that has the Clapton TBX tone control (notched control pot with a +/- mid boost).

@cobowe

Жыл бұрын

My 87 strat plus has the TBX tone pot. So does my 91 Jeff Beck with Baseball bat neck

What pickups are those exactly? Amazing sound!

@galijanach

Жыл бұрын

Lace Sensor Gold

Hi, what’s the link please for the history of this strat?

@onesandzeros

Жыл бұрын

The site is called Xhefri's Guitars.

@johnnathancordy

Жыл бұрын

xhefriguitars.com/page2.html

I know what I like, but I'm not the world's pickiest strat player. If a guitar works, it works. I change as little as possible, and hopefully nothing but the strings.

I like that Amazing Grace arrangement. Where did you get that from?

@johnnathancordy

Жыл бұрын

Just improvised it Jeff!

@lukestoughton9394

3 ай бұрын

Would be amazing (pun intended) if you could do a video breaking down your arrangement of it. It sounded incredible. 😊

Lace Sensors were designed at a time in which no players were sitting within two feet of a computer monitory back in the mid 80s. But being as we live in the age of the desktop guitar player, the less noise the better, because computer monitors, i.e., the modern recording and mixing station, emit interference. Personally, I hate noise gates. They just suck tone and ruin response. I still think actives like EMG's DG 20 (Gilmour) set are a great option.

You remind me of Eric Johnson

2 and 4 positions sound pretty weak. Great playing as usual.

I ha e one from when it first came out in 1987. Have changed everyting out over the years.The Lace were good for live and clean playing.Up to a point.. but I don't miss them on a main guitar.The nuts do warp and I changed to LSR one.Warped nuts are not healthy !😮😅

The only thing not to like about this guitar is the mother of toilet seat pick guard😅

@johnnathancordy

Жыл бұрын

Why did that become a thing?!

Noiseless are missing more than noise.

These guitars weren't the best

@jonbon7219

8 ай бұрын

the strat ultra from that period are the best.