Cory Wong Talks Strat Mods and His Signature Strat

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Sweetwater‘s Don Carr and Grammy-nominated musician and Wong Notes podcast host Cory Wong sat down to talk through the artist's unique signature Strat model and all its modded-out goodness. Featuring a scaled-down alder body for extreme long-term playing comfort, Cory‘s signature Seymour Duncan single-coil pickups to nail his unmistakable tone, and Modern “D“-shaped neck and compound-radius fingerboard, the Fender Cory Wong signature guitar is the versatile “Swiss Army“ Stratocaster today‘s players demand.
After you watch, check out Sweetwater.com today for all your music instrument and pro audio needs! 👉 imp.i114863.net/Gj32bk
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[@sweetwater]

Versatility never sounded so good! What's your favorite tone out of the Cory Wong Stratocaster? 🎸

[@HappyBarbieFamilyShow516]

My favorite guitar is a Taylor Guitar

[@csu111]

Looks like that Sweetwater exclusive American Professional stratocaster….

[@seymourduncan]

🤔🤔

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Don, that is a Dircksons Tremconverter. I was the OEM of this product which was sold in the US by StewMac back in the day.

[@CharlesNegroe]

4th position

[@AMTunLimited]

Cory is such an incredible host.

[@LunatiqueRob]

Damn, Cory, my mind is blown with that Nile Rogers story. It's not just that the two of you have arrived at the same conclusion independently, but also the fact you both play similar style of rhythm guitar.

[@davidannett3322]

I could listen to Cory talk for hours, he's just got such a great persona

[@mitcharney1]

Thank you. What a relief break from all the Silver Sky videos.

[@rdmkeytohwy]

I found this to be a really engaging conversation and I learned quite a bit about all aspects of what makes a strat special. Really good stuff!!!

[@SomeKindOfMadman]

That was an awesome upload. I love hearing two talented musicians give their insights to what they’ve discovered about the instrument

[@bawbwhoa]

That trem stop looks amazing! Easier string bends AND you still have the ability to use the whammy? Yes please! Cool video! You guys are great musicians that know a ton about the tools of your trade. Thanks for sharing.

[@lostreb]

Don Carr's Videos are the Best!!! Great job of pointing out the differences in older strats compared to new versions like Cory Wong's. Started playing Strats in 1962. I just really wish I still had the vintage Strats, and other great guitars (Thanks to Ex-wives and divorce judges, I don't, even though I owned them before the marriages.).

[@alessandrorossini8704]

Being a Strat guy, these were a very happy 22:36 minutes to watch. 👍🏼😁🎸

[@mickedanielsson]

The story about a smaller/thinner body blew my mind! I've got a strat put together of different parts and just love it! Turns out that the body is it a cheap Squire Affinity series which is... Wait for it... Thinner than Fender bodies.

[@Bombilakus]

Dude I love my affinity more than standard. It has texas specials but the body is so light!!!

[@mindfield9832]

Yeah man I had one and liked the feel of the body but the routing wasn’t cut very well. I didn’t like the neck though. I practiced so many wiring mods on that thing.

[@Bombilakus]

@@mindfield9832 i had problem with putting new neck. I had to shave the neck joint and pocket because the neck was bit thicker. Im glad im not the only one hehe

[@jeevakrishnan4500]

Thank you for this Sweetwater

[@4stringz.]

This was a cool interview!

[@samquitkin338]

Cory’s guitar is one of the coolest strats I’ve seen in a long time!

[@dagwood4669]

What a great video. Two guys who love guitar and playing discussing the tools of the trade that what makes them work for each other.

[@nicolas.grisanti]

I'm a Tele player, but i really enjoy this video, the Strat is one of my favorite Leo's designs, is complex but it feels simple to play, also enjoy how it can be so customisable, that's amazing.

[@simpsimpson5175]

Ill never forget a show I played and the entire audience walked off after second song 1st set.. they all complained that my pickups were not alnico 4

[@skierpage]

The moment I walked on stage in Austin the heckling started. "Fit an extra string tree, you poseur!" (17:20) It just got worse and worse until the audience started throwing beer bottles at the stage and security had to escort me and my nitrocellulose locking tuner hardtail 21-fret C-neck 1982 baby off the stage under a blanket.

[@Fujistrat]

Such a cool convo, thanks for this

[@PinchTune]

I like this Cory guy. So easy to listen to.

[@DennisAlvarezMusic]

One more thing! (I think) Sweet playing by Don Car at the end of the video!

[@seymourduncan]

Cory Wong is the man!

[@derekhenderson1730]

Installed one of those trem stops in my strat in the late 80s. Works in reverse from the claw springs to stabilise tuning, so trem returns to pitch. Hipshot make them, but that one is from another manufacturer, but does the same thing. Took it off when locking tuners came on the scene, then returned to a traditional setup, angled the spring claw to compensate for string pull differentials (wound to plain difference) tweaked the friction points. . .tuning problems gone, for good !. Setting up a Strat with trem to play perfectly, takes a bit of time. I have 6 Strats and each one has its own thing going on tonally, and they are all beauts. I could get right into that, but it would take to much time. . Nice vid.

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Nope, its a Tremconverter and I am the one that invented it and brought it to market. Please see my reaction above.

[@karlb5523]

@@Steinstra-vj7wl I cannot see your reaction - but interested to hear....

[@bedroomrockstudios408]

killer combo of rhythm player and great lead with Don

[@arnyarny77]

i got my highway one in 2006 its so modded even painted, in in hindsight it was a great lineup for fender

[@optimus3305]

And definitely hss setup, I’ve loved learning how to set up my own guitar, I recommend everyone, strat player or not, don’t be afraid to experiment with your axe, it’s the only way you can really make it play for just you.

[@Burnt_Gerbil]

That headstock thing is funny. Those 70s larger headstocks were not about sustain. The only reason they were intentionally made larger was to make the Fender logo larger on TV. That was it! Sustain… hmm. Nope.

[@jmo1366]

Exactly. Ive got a tele that sustains like hell.. They dont have big headstocks at all.. lol

[@jasonwright7513]

Started watching expecting a commercial by the end of the video I felt like I went to a Stratocaster modification class.😉

[@unboxoverkill]

I've beem waiting for this. That 4th position push push panic button is genius. If we can just prevent the volume knob from going down, it will be perfect.

[@hisham_hm]

Did I miss it or they didn't mention the push-push button??

[@waitin4winter]

You can get knobs with more resistance. Did that with mine and I like it.

[@danielshivers7838]

I have a couple of those trem setters. One was made by Hipshot, Fender actually had one that was probably made by Hipshot, and Floyd Rose makes one. By the way, there are springs with a coating on them, so you don’t have to tie anything around them to prevent those overtones. I used to put a patch of the fuzzy side of Velcro under my springs to eliminate that. Check with Sweetwater for those springs! Cory is right about the pickups- I used to use a Fender Lace Sensor Silver in the bridge and two “golds” in the other positions, it makes a big difference!

[@brucifer0]

Did Don ever spend time in Asheville NC in the early 90s? I feel like I remember seeing a cat around town back then that reminds me of him..

[@JoeHeisler]

Lead players also obsess over transients, Steve Vai stuffs his cavity with cotton and both Vai and Satch use a carbon fiber tremolo bar because a heavier bar affects the transient response on the floating trem systems

[@jacobrstout]

Fender Yosemite pickups use AlNiCo 4 and I love them in my strat!

[@johnstasio6205]

As I recall the the Bonnie Raitt model had a smaller body (also blue), for different reason (?)

[@martinheath5947]

Best Strat mod is a push/pull pot on the tone control which switches the bridge pickup to permanently on. Selector position 4 becomes all 3 pickups and 5 becomes tele style neck plus bridge. Easy to do

[@Lagwagon801]

Don Carr is the man

[@danielcastrodelamata8873]

damn I love Cory Wong, I want his signature strat someday, it has wonderful specs

[@peevee605]

I’m down with Cory on the 22 fret thing. And he’s a badass.

[@TMoody]

I sure do love that Don Carr!

[@felixdichtl2764]

The color is so beautiful...

[@CarbonBasedLifeform7810]

Agreed

[@davidleinweber]

It's based on the 2002-2006 Highway One, right? Great guitars.

[@DanielCstudio]

Cory's guitar finish looks really nice! Thought it was nitro finish until I saw it's matt poly on Sweetwater spec. But oh wait Cory says it's nitro finish in this video..?

[@jbaranowski1990]

Damn! I wish I could make my bass guitar from start to finish how I like and feel.

[@Casey3-P-O]

Man...I love Strats. I've got a player plus with a maple neck and I put a hot rail in the bridge position. I really want to get one with a rosewood neck someday too. I love maple though; that's why I got mine. But the other reason was because you can't even get a Mexican strat with a dark rosewood neck anymore. Most of them have that new replacement wood, which is really bright. Maybe I'll look into getting a used one some day when I can afford it. I also really want a Mustang, a Duo, and a Jag.

[@DennisAlvarezMusic]

Color me crazy, but I like the sympathetic vibrations that come from the springs. :-)

[@simonsmith2642]

I had a hipshot trem stop on my Yamaha super strat back in the late 80’s early 90’s

[@azcoyote007]

I have an 89 American Standard with the TBX/DBX? tone controls. Changed my neck and bridge to lace sensors years ago. Tried new Player model yesterday and a Iron Maiden one too. Neither come close to the feel of my 89. Very strange to me.

[@optimus3305]

25 year strat player, never use the tremelo, run the claw all the way down and 5 springs but I don’t block it, takes away from the “strat” tone, blues baised hard rock, I raise the low E a hair because I blast it and it tends to buzz if it’s to low, thats just me.

[@ParaBellum2024]

I did exactly that on my first Strat, a 1979 model that I played for years. Sold it, eventually missed it and bought a Squier CV 50s, but with this one, I use the trem quite a lot.

[@mattbluesmain1359]

dunlop trem setter is one that fender used for a while i have one in a warmoth strat

[@5urg3x]

You can add another fret on a vintage strat neck, if you want to. Yngwe did it. You're permanently modifying the fingerboard, though.

[@LedWolf7]

Cory Wong’s pickup switch should have a small side lock to keep it in 4th position

[@skierpage]

The crazy thing is Cory almost never plays in fourth position, with one foot in front of the other and both toes turned fully outward. (My friend is a ballet dancer and bought his T-shirt for the lols.)

[@Sagerydian]

It is a great guitar, but concerning modding: is just the body of Corey's guitar smaller or also the pickguard? Or is the pickguard a standard one? Does anybody know that?

[@RJ_HTx]

I doubt it cuz that would mean custom pickups, pickguard and bridge. Which will increase the price of the instrument.

[@RitusG]

Comparing zoomed in pictures of both it definitely looks like a non-standard pickgaurd. Comparing around the lower horn area this pickgaurd is actually further away from the edge of the guitar than a normal sized strat meaning it's been slightly reduced in size on the outer edges. The top upper screw that is right by the neck is almost direct center between the 19th and 20th fret on a regular strat where it's lined up right with the 20th fret on this model. This would not necessarily change the pickup hole size and bridge cutout size. Also, I don't think modifying a little bit of plastic is an issue with a $2000 guitar.

[@HaShemMetal]

If you look at the contours of the guard, you can see they are different than a standard strat pickguard. So I’d say it’s at least a modified shape if not a bit smaller. The bridge/pickups/routes could still be the same as a regular strat, it’s the outer bit that would change. The main area I’m referencing is the bit of guard behind the bottom tone control and extending towards the output Jack.

[@Sagerydian]

@@HaShemMetal And that's what I'm afraid of. I thought about a black Pickguard on it. But if it's not standard size then it's a problem

[@HaShemMetal]

@@Sagerydian same!

[@simont4435]

Does it come left handed??

[@5urg3x]

I wonder why Cory just didn't go with a hard tail? Seems like he doesn't use the trem all that much either. You can chamber the body and get basically the same kind of sound with a hard tail that you would with a trem, albeit without the pitch changing when bending, etc.

[@fusion5866]

Is that a Hipshot Trem Setter on Don’s guitar?

[@davidmultimedia2024]

Yes it is (or other brand, but same thing... NOT to be confused with a Tremol-no). Also, the guitar will stay in tune better when you don't use the tremolo bar (similar to a fixed bridge). Should be part of every tremolo system IMO. I don't see any benefits of having the bridge reacting to string tension. What we need is spring tension only.

[@jonstout7635]

I had the Hipshot put on a guitar I had made in '93. It worked well. I have no memory of who promoted it at the time, but I had to have one. I believe I ordered it through Stewmac.

[@chrisbenson673]

I have one of those trem stabilizers from a 1996 deluxe plus Strat. It came with the 96 deluxe plus Strat. It’s still in the package I’ve never open the package.

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Nope, its a Tremconverter and I am the one that invented it and brought it to market. Please see my reaction above.

[@waitin4winter]

My strat is a (non-vintage) 21-fret strat. I really miss that 22nd fret that my tele has.

[@truckercowboyed2638]

There's something about that extra fret basically, an extra last note vs a 21 fret.....

[@lzcpg]

My tremstop came with the strat (90s strat plus, the ones with the wide metal nuts and lace sensor pickups), not sure if that was a fender part, or some other manufacturer made it

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Its a Tremconverter and I am the one that invented it and brought it to market. Please see my reaction above.

[@jeremycraft8452]

Why does it have a switch and a neck pickup? 🧐

[@mattwright466]

I think the device at ~12:00 is the Hipshot Tremsetter.

[@arielista]

Trem setter it's my 1993 Ultra, it also came on late 80s 2 point trem models

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Its a Tremconverter in Don's Start and I am the one that invented it and brought it to market. Please see my reaction above.

[@SethPlaysBass]

He would've used on his guitar but this is SWEETWATER, baybee!!

[@ziggylayneable]

I would have got binding on the neck and block inlays on the fingerboard

[@cameronwhitman2560]

It looks like a Hipshot Tremsetter.

[@kaneo67]

your pickup thing seems to be what prs did with the silver sky. I own one btw

[@guitrr]

The only "Strat" I've ever owned that I haven't done a single mod to is my PRS Silver Sky. Not what Fender wants to hear, but there it is.

[@manuedwards6959]

Well the only “mods” I make were to float the trem and a freeway switch. Other than that nothing else.

[@TheTapMusic]

To be fair, the Silver Sky is a signature model rather than a stock model, so in a way it has been modded. That said, having played both, I’d take a Silver Sky over a Fender; then again I am a 335 guy, so… Add a pinch of salt to that.

[@Musicsports]

The Wong Strat is a dream to play. Silver Sky is a great guitar, but my 57 Custom Shop heavy relic is much better.

[@EvilSean62]

as a bass player i NEED 24 ... my jazz elite is cool and sounds stupid great ...then i slide up to the high G and ... it`s not there !!!!! this has translated to my guitars AND made me look at longer scale guitars to fit my spatula bass fingers onto a jaguar which is normally shorter scale but it stops sounding like a jaguar when i did it so ..enter the world of changing stuff but!!! should we have to ?...cant it be an option ...like air con or shark pit

[@DennisAlvarezMusic]

This guy is a rythm guitar MONSTER.!

[@cliffdickson]

I don't even play and I want one. Very nice.

[@Guitar6ty]

Just squirt silicone into the springs kills any spring resonance.

[@davidyoung8875]

This guy is The greatest White funk dude I've ever seen.

[@leviridge3307]

please i know aliexpress is having their summer sale on fender strats awesome

[@fequalsma8428]

Make more videos like this

[@daveeverhart5834]

Hmmm... I've an '04 vintage player series that I've done nothing to....

[@alexanderadley4053]

12:30 is it a TremSetter?

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Its a Tremconverter in Don's Start and I am the one that invented it and brought it to market. Please see my reaction above.

[@TheGeniuschrist]

Okay, but why isn't Cory in white pants?

[@jonstout7635]

My mod? I stripped the finish off of my 1963 Strat when I bought it in 1974. Who didn't?

[@Ottophil]

I didnt

[@jonstout7635]

@@Ottophil 😄 Yours might have been prettier than mine. Most of the burst was flaking away or chipped away. My best friend Jim had stripped and stained his '59, and I always wanted to be like Jim.

[@davidplumm5394]

I;ll take that Deluxe Reverb head next to you Don.

[@jsc2153]

I have a Tremsetter! it's made by Hipshot

[@DiegoHenaoV]

Awesome

[@anthonynonya]

If Fender came to me and said I could do anything I want, I'd ask for a Fender version of a Custom 24..... 😉

[@bazitube390]

Cringe

[@michaelmacneil1252]

Prs and emg are just right.seamore d. Are good and bright. Bridge p u. Too thin. Prs.mine is 1986. Like new.24 frets.my midnight blue.strat+has22.+emgs. My pink strat has a tele neck. Brass nut and custom frets spertzel tuners.

[@davidplumm5394]

That head is obviously custom built.

[@keith.loves.lasagna]

SGs are only 1.5" thickness and yah, they have more attack / bite. Thicker bodies are fatter including a plusher attack. Thought that was common knowledge lol

[@SharigramaOfficial]

i need mine 🤟👽🤟

[@genandraaji5707]

it looks like a regular stratocaster tho...

[@PaulSmith-qz2re]

Hello I think its a hip shot trem stop

[@kaneo67]

this is cool-as

[@anmolatwal]

Its a hip shot tremsetter!!

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Nope, its a Tremconverter and I am the one that invented it and brought it to market. Please see my reaction above.

[@anmolatwal]

@@Steinstra-vj7wl ok .

[@dincorcelles]

I have a hipshot tremsetter too👍

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Its a Tremconverter in Don's Start and I am the one that invented it and brought it to market. Please see my reaction above.

[@geraldpasion3378]

i know it's not much.. and it's normal. but those dirty knobs at 1:40 kind of cringed me.. hehehe :p

[@davidharding200]

How in the hell does Cory Wong have a signature Stratocastor and Chris Buck doesn’t?

[@DougMen1]

Fender's Yosemite pickups on the Performer Strat are alnico 4, and they did it before you did Cory. So, you and SD just copied what Tim Shaw at Fender did first.

[@digitalslw]

Tremol-No.

[@Steinstra-vj7wl]

Its a Tremconverter in Don's Start and I am the one that invented it and brought it to market. Please see my reaction above.

[@Livelaughlimpbizkit]

Ah man Nike hoodie with adidas shoes, love Cory tho

[@leviridge3307]

aliexpress makes fenders better than fender

[@dezionlion]

Sounds like yall need a tele

[@bukwok]

cory wong is nike guy or 3 straight adidas guy....?

[@ChadWork1]

Interestingly, the signature model costs more than the guitar he used before.

[@Ottophil]

My dad used to buy a loaf a bread fer a nickel

[@ChadWork1]

@@Ottophil your dad must be frickin old.

[@danielhendriksen9232]

Who is Cory Wong and why does he have a signature stratocaster?

[@Krullmatic]

Who in the heck is Corey Wong? Never heard of him.