You never know when GAS will strike. I bought my son a Squier Mini for Christmas, and when I picked it up the other night I had to check it out. Played it thru the 1974x and wow - I am definitely missing out on something not having a Strat in the house. I realize the Squier mini probably has the cheapest single coils known to humankind, but they sounded great (until you roll off the volume, that is) I love my SG, but I think I need a Strat. But which Strat? The last Strat I owned was an American Deluxe with the SCN pickups. I thought the setup / feel of that guitar was awesome, but the pickups did not do anything for me. I definitely want the traditional single coils. I like 2-tone sunburst I like the maple fretboard. I prefer the vintage style machines Is the EJ Strat worth the $$ or maybe on of those American Vintage Thin Skin models you see at a few e-tailers?
You described an EJ, and the fret radius may feel familiar to you - like your SG. Try one in the store first before you plunge. I have 2 SGs, but didn't like the EJ neck. The 57 AVRI may be the ticket - it matches your criteria, but the radius is 7.25", a little rounder than your SG. For me, the perfect fit is the CS56 with a 10/56 neck profile and 9.5" radius. If you insist on the 2 tone color, you're limiting your options to a degree. However you could assemble parts, if you're inclined, to build the perfect Strat to meet your specs. Again, test the waters before you dive in. You'll enjoy the journey, and wind up with exactly what you want.
Everybody needs at least one strat. Try the EJs or the Vintage Hotrod 57 series. The 9.5" radius will give you better familiarity from your SG than an AVRI. The pickups can be changed. I swapped my SCN/Tonezones for Fat 50s, and it's perfect now. Mine is also in 2 tone sunburst, and it's great!
thanks for the replies. I've owned 3 Strats in the past. One was a '73 sunburst hardtail (w/ maple neck) that I sold to a pawn shop when I was in college and needed the money The next Strat I had was a '95 sunburst Strat plus w/ Lace sensors. I liked that guitar, but sold it to help fund my wife's time off for maternity leave for my old son (who is getting that guitar Friday!) - miraculously, my brother unknowingly bought this guitar back from the guy I sold it to six years later. Most recently I had that American Deluxe Strat (2-tone burst) with the SCN. Of all my Strats, it had the most comfortable neck. As I said, I just didn't like the pickups, although I guess I could have changed them.
OK - made a trip to GC today with the express purpose of trying out a few of the various Strat models to see which neck I like best. Looks like the EJ model is going to be the way to go for me. The neck did in fact feel familiar, great in fact. No surprise since I am used to 12" radii on my Gibson. Since that models checks just about every other box that must be checked (2-tone burst, vintage style tuners, gloss finish neck) I'm going for it. I liked the electronics on it. Sounded like a Strat to me. I have heard that many consider this to be a bright Strat. If that is the case even better since bright is what I am after. The SG I have now basically sits in the midrange, as does the Les paul the other guy plays, so I was looking for something brighter. If I want a nice fat lead tone I just step on the Lunar Module.
