The Best Stratocaster for a Metal Guitarist

With the many stock and custom varieties of Stratocaster guitars on the market, which one is right for you? This guide explains the stock model and custom mods best suited for a metal guitarist. The stock model is ideal somebody without electrical or woodworking experience, do not attempt custom mods by yourself without proper experience, tools, and instructions.

Stock Model: The appropriate stock model will offer good tone right out of the box. When considering Strat models, the most important thing is the pickup arrangement, because this most drastically influences tone. A standard Strat has an SSS arrangement-this means that there are three single-coil pickups: one near the bridge, one in the middle, and one near the neck. However, with the Strat's enduring popularity, the standard Strat is not the only one available fresh from the box! A metal player will want to go with something slightly altered. A good stock model will have an HH arrangement; this means two humbuckers-it is also called a "double fat Strat." This is the same arrangement I recommend for punk players, and I recommend it for similar reasons. Humbuckers offer increased output, and with the bridge/neck arrangement of an HH Strat this means the metal guitarist will have tones on either extreme available. The bridge pickup emphasizes the deep tones needed for a typical metal verse, whereas the neck emphasizes screeching treble sounds for solos and bridges.

Customizations: If you're experienced with modifying guitars, or if you know a good custom shop, you'll want to trick out your double fat stock model with an extra humbucker in the middle. Adding another humbucker will turn this guitar into what is called a "triple fat Strat." This type of guitar offers increased output for all three tonal ranges indicative of Strat guitars. In order to activate all three pickups at the same time for a very loud, scratchy, truly distorted metal tone, you'll need to replace the standard five-way selector with a series of three mini-switches. The mini-switches are each associated with an individual pickup, allowing for complete control to activate or silence each humbucker. While not entirely necessary for metal, somebody who plays other styles of music and is looking for even more tone possibilities may want to coil-tap the humbuckers, adding another three mini-switches! Coil-tapping allows not only select each pickup, but each coil within the pickup (a humbucker has two coils). The mini-switch mods are a bit expensive, because they involve several extra parts and getting a blank pickguard-this way the spot for the standard selector is not pre-cut. It also involves some extensive rewiring, so do not attempt refitting the guitar this way unless you have electrical experience and use a good guide.

The aforementioned mods will help get a great metal tone. A double or triple fat design offers a powerful punch, and the custom switch options give extra tonal controls. Whether playing lead or rhythm, you'll be able to access the tones you need.