My Texas Blues Strat Buying Advice

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Buying a strat that works well for Texas Blues can be tricky because most strats are not built for this style of playing. In this video I'll talk you through the which options have worked well for me over the years.
Video Index
1:25 - Neck Contour
9:16 - Fingerboard Wood
11:29 - Fingerboard Radius
15:42 - Fret Size
22:32 - Body Wood
24:04 - Pickups
29:29 - Bridge Saddles
Links From This Video
* Fender Neck Profiles: www.fender.com/articles/tech-...
* Warmoth Neck Profiles: www.warmoth.com/guitar/necks/...
* Fender Fret Sizes: www.fender.com/articles/gear/...
* Warmoth Fret Sized: www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Necks/...
* Warmoth Body Woods: www.warmoth.com/Guitar/Bodies...
* Warmoth Body Wood Comparison: • Alder vs Swamp Ash vs ...
* Fender Pickup Comparisons: www.fender.com/articles/gear/...
This lesson was recorded with the following gear: (these are affiliate links)
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[@savethedandelions]

couldn't even make it to the end of the video before curiosity got the best of me, i got my ass up off the couch, got my measuring tape and measured my fret hand. 🤣

[@mgchevelle68]

The part about fret size and ease of bending blew my mind. Makes perfect sense.

[@logansoileau8238]

“How you feel effects how you play” That’s the main thing you said. No one else will know how it feels except for you! Good video. Very educational.

[@philcunningham67]

Thanks Anthony for taking the time to create this lesson , I found it really interesting & useful

[@gilmarriner3011]

Well explained. Wish someone would have done this video in the days when I was looking to put a strat together. Really, really helpful! Stay safe, dude.

[@jackmckee8196]

Thank you so much for all of these points. Honestly, you solved mysteries countless other channels and videos only made more obscure to me and saved me from buying Texas Specials needlessly!🥰🕺🏿

[@stewartrosser5772]

Thanks for all the input and work you have done over the years! Personally, I think this is a great place to start with achieving the srv tone/feel and is a perfect video on that. Just like to highlight as your sort of reference it's a guide and a great one at that for people to learn what works for them and adapt to there own individual characteristics. Thanks Anthony

[@johnw4659]

Thank you for sharing this well thought out and comprehensive video. I've wondered so often about the topics you cover here and have never found a resource that fully explains the differences in neck shapes and pickups etc.. as concisely and clearly as this presentation. I appreciate the time and effort very much. Thanks!

[@nicocoetzee8640]

The most educational clip I've seen explaining the technicalities to the uninformed. Can't thank you enough. I'm an acoustic player who only recently started dabbling around with electric guitars and being a technical type I was really looking for something explaining the tech stuff. Tks sooo much....

[@Theweeze100]

Playing Since the 70s, and I still pick up a lot of tips from what you have to share. Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us all!

[@CristobalBragagnolo]

Mate, your videos are really interesting and its great that you take so much attention and love to this issues. cheers

[@matzer8846]

Great vid with lots of hints and explanations! Thank you very much for sharing.

[@georgeperillo6421]

Anthony, thanks for breaking it down. Excellent explanation of a complicated subject.

[@vinceperhaps]

Thanks really appreciate this video even though I’ve already bought my strats. Love hearing guitarist talk about blues and guitars.

[@danr9202]

This video was a huge help in my search for a CS strat with the perfect specs for my hands. Thanks man!

[@robertclarkguitar]

Man you've explained stuff I didnt know I needed to hear.....Subbed for life!

[@robertburkey5789]

Thank You! I have been playing since 1980, tried to learn TX blues in the 90's with TAB books :(. I struggled and struggled with the bends. After watching your video I bought a good quality (Warmoth with finish defect) neck with Jumbo frets and installed it on a strat style guitar. The difference is AMAZING! Yes, being able to get under the strings makes all the difference! It makes perfect sense, but no one had ever explained it to me as you did. Thank you thank you thank you. I plan to subscribe to your courses as soon as I get on my feet financially.

[@waynemitchell-jv1cf]

Excellent video. Thanks for breaking it all down.

[@georgebentley-ricardo9445]

A fantastic video on buying a strat. Certainly given me reasons to rethink what I am looking for. Yes, I too measured my hand. Thanks for sharing 🤠🎸

[@freelancevt]

Power is knowledge. 'Overthinking' is better than 'under-thinking'... it is just a matter of making adjustments according to your personal tastes (even if it means 'dialing it back' some). This is an excellent video. It provides a basic knowledge to those that have never given much thought to "why?". It provides a better understanding of 'why' you can walk into a music store and try 10 different versions of a particular style guitar and walk away with the feeling only one was the 'perfect fit'. You have helped to explain the 'why' in all of it!

[@danieldevereaux]

This was a thorough and informative video. Thanks for sharing it. I really enjoyed it.

[@TerryMasri]

Incredibly informative! I knew all this stuff from being a Strat fan for years but it's always good to refresh one's knowledge. As an SRV fan and an ex-SRV Strat owner (circa '97), I always looked for the specs that similarly matched that of SRV's n˚1. In 2014 I purchased a 60th Anniversary Classic Player '50s MIM Strat (a mouthful) with a soft-V neck shape, Medium Jumbo 6130 frets, vintage Strat pickups and 9.5" fretboard radius. Not exactly what I have always envisioned as the ultimate Strat specs for the kind of music I like to play, but the selling points for me were that it was on sale for 50% off, which came up to the same MSRP in the U.S. where I live, the color which I loved, but mostly the fact that it's finished with Nitro (neck and body), which ages much better than Poly and is much thinner, hoping it allows the wood to breathe more and resonate better. The vintage pickups sounded really snappy and thin so I replaced with a set of Jazzy Cats, which sounded much better but did not produce that mid range girth I was hoping for (too scooped), great for playing in the style of John Mayer but not exactly SRV or Hendrix-esh. I realized then that the most likely culprit is most likely the maple fretboard! As far as the soft-V shape, with hand size very similar to Anthony, I always felt I was missing something, which took some time to convince myself it's just my own mental bias that's keeping me from fully contending with what I have. In comparison to my "97 SRV Strat, I would say it's fine but not ideal. Btw, I don't think the '97 SRV had an a-symmetric neck. Not sure! I also upgraded the tone and volume caps to orange drops, swapped the galvanized aluminum pickguard to a vintage mint green Nitro one and fashioned my own bone nut to make it my own. Is it ideal? Most likely not, but I would venture to say it's more than good enough for a bedroom player like myself. I'm happy!

[@SkyscraperGuitars]

Great stuff Anthony! I like your notes about the lower output pickups. I think amps react very differently when you start to feed in pickups that are too hot. It can completely change the personality and thin out a guitar that would otherwise sound fat and creamy... Wonderful video.

[@xArsVivendi]

Modern C is 0.83-0.87 Early 60s C is around 0.79-0.93 (probably the normal non-modern C in non custom fenders) Mid 60s C is around 0.82-0.97 (I think thats the 'thick C') The '59 D rosewood necks are around 0.79-0.98 The american original neck should be pretty big, I believe it's comparable to the custom shop '65 neck, which is 0.875-0.98 or something like that. The fender strat neck with 1.00-1.00 dimensions is mostly used on the ancho poblano custom strat if I recall correctly... This should be a good guideline for everyone looking to buy a fender strat, I think. I bought a '62 custom shop strat with an early 60s C neck, the actual dimensions are 0.79-0.90, which is comfortable to me. :) Edit: Measurements are in inches and always 1st-12th fret.

[@bjornchristiansson2827]

Hi if you look on my 1955 and 1956 strat you find what they call the ball neck who is 0.99

[@var_guitar]

Lots of wisdom in this video. Thanks!

[@belo1971]

So so interesting and produced ! Well done 👍....love it ...even if I know my neck shape ! Awesome video. Kind regards from France 🇫🇷

[@sthengr]

Well thought out review, useful information, thanks!

[@kaizen209]

Very important points, especially for us mere mortals who aren't born with natural talent. Your points were taken to heart, sir!

[@lucaszembrzuski]

Wow, nice point about bending on the tall frets, eye-opening, thank You sir.

[@pyrointampa7254]

Awesome video! I just started playing 9 months ago, and I am an aspiring Stevie Ray Vaughan. I bought 2 strats so far, but neither is configured for Texas blues. Based on your video I have one sitting on the Fender Mod Shop website waiting to be built. Thank you so much for the advice! Looking forward to future videos to help me progress.

[@mattilangofficial]

Wooow, for me one of the best Strat-Videos. I´ve got 3 of them, each diferent. You´re so right. Fender and Warmoth shoud pay you. :)

[@kkrsnn5632]

Whoa, I just want a Strat 😁 A very nice guide through the specs, thanks 😁

[@everynotecountsofficial]

I specifically ordered the 63 C neck on a custom Strat after feeling how well it filled in my hand for playing chords with the Hendrix “thumb over the neck” approach. It took me a while to realize thinner wasn’t necessarily better. Until it arrives, I will keep loving on my MIM Strat! It has become my go-to for my videos.

[@danstiverson]

Jimis fingers were like a foot long.

[@infidel6249]

Great knowledge, thanks man,really helps to understand the whole stratocaster .

[@mikemurdock7234]

Fantastic video, wish there was more stuff like this on KZbin. The Les Paul guys and British Blues style players should do something like this breaking down Les Pauls and semi-hollow bodies for nailing that style. You do a great job with everything, and I can relate to what you're talking about with necks. D profile fit me the best. For years I played those modern C necks and always found them to be feeling somewhat off with my grip. It wasn't until I started playing D shape necks, I realized what it was and what a difference it made with my hand grip.

[@1cleandude]

Another great helpful video Anthony thanks again!!

[@billbez7465]

Excellent discussion. I learned a lot.

[@bernardogui3933]

amazing video Mr.! Super clear. Thank you.

[@oldtimer99]

Excellent video. It is informative with opinions where it counts. Not having a group support I had/have a lot of questions about guitars. After buying few, and i customizing myself few, intuitively I got the idea that what it matters is what you have presented here. A must view for anyone trying to buy a guitar. Thanks! PS you may try the amp choices as well ...

[@bluesyjazzcat31]

One of the best buying guides ever

[@mr.smithgnrsmith7808]

Great video dude...,would’ve been great having this knowledge yrs back when I started

[@robberman4554]

Such a useful and interesting video. Thanks

[@fireball0971]

What a great video. I sanded down my legs Paul back to feel more like the new strats and I love it. Just wish I saw this vid first lol

[@shawnreed9016]

Very informative video and well done. Thank you for sharing. 🤠🎸🤘

[@stradaveriusfiddle]

Very useful info for sure. I have a Les Paul with a 12 in radius fretboard, and then I recently acquired a Strat with the 9.5 fretboard. I appreciate getting a look at the various options there are with fret heights, varied radius sizes, and seeing cutaway views of the different neck shapes. I had heard of most neck options, but hadn’t heard about the ‘asymmetrical’ neck. It seems like it makes sense, and would be worth trying out. I can’t bother to ‘overthink’ all the variables, but it’s just good to know what can contribute to having a ‘better fit,’ next time I’m ready to sort of shop for another guitar, and start to check some out. Aside from all that, I appreciate getting to listen to a guy who plays killer blues guitar as well as Anthony does, as he talks about why, or why not, he might prefer one neck, or fret style over another. Thanks Anthony!

[@krauz111]

great info, thanks a lot for the nice comparisons

[@cvs1539]

The maple vs rosewood comparison and the neck profile info were very interesting to me. I have small hands and fingers - from the tip of my middle finger to the base of my hand 6.5 inches - a full inch shorter than Anthony's. For years I have had problems with guitar necks that just seem too big for me (and I like to play chords with my thumb over the top). Now I know how to evaluate neck size before I buy. Thanks again!

[@TommySG1]

Great video, lots of ideas. I’m with you on the neck sizing. My Strat has a modern C and I’m thinking about swapping it out for something wider via Warmoth myself.

[@buddylobos5277]

Bill Carson designed the Stratocaster for Fender. In a '91 interview he said everybody was hot for that SRV sound. He told Fender they can easily do that Just use worn out magnets..

[@carlob95]

Very interresting and informative video! Thanks!

[@kjguitarman]

I have a 2019 American Fender Pro Strat with rosewood fingerboard and narrow tall frets. It took awhile to get used to the frets but now I like them. Great guitar and sound.

[@najib1]

Cool ! This video couldn't come at a better time. Just deciding on which Strat to buy. Thanks

[@Texasbluesalley]

My SRV has the best growl and most comfortable neck, the the Don Grosh is by far the best sounding and playing. I wish I could combine them. If put slightly hotter pickups in the Grosh it would probably be my number one.

[@juansebastianrestrepourrea7292]

Thank you!! Years and years of scouring KZbin for aa video like this and you nailed it. I have large hands(8 and a half Inches) and have a Modern C Neck Tele....It was a gift so I didn't have much say in the matter. Thanks to your video I have a pretty good idea to go for a Fatback or Boatneck profile neck. Suscribed.

[@rusty6314]

Excellent video very informative.

[@asdf9890]

I've been contemplating replacing my neck pickup with either the Tex Mex or Texas Specials. This helped me decide, thanks!

[@ImTheBlade65]

I remember when you first began and I actually copied your SRV Strat. I got the Graph Tech saddles & the auto trim tuning gears. The triple ply pick guard, Even went with your Zexcoils! Lol. Since then I’ve had a number of strats including a few custom shops, but I still love that SRV. The neck is just so nice! John McKenna 😎

[@macauley70]

very interesting... i learn more with this post

[@b.rodclark7349]

I've learn quite a lot on my very first Stratocaster, a black '95 Special (MIM) i bought brand new in '96; it was the HSS config w/vintage specs and a 9.5-inch radiused maple neck w/21 medium jumbo frets bolted onto a multipieced poplar body. For over 22yrs i dealt with its imperfections like getting a dark quack from a middle SC paired w/a 3.9K split humbucking outer coil (7.8K full) on 2 so i'd reconfigure both 8K SC's moving it to the neck position giving me an unStratty tone i discovered I'd keep while retaining the deep NMQ (neck/middle quack) on 4. Weeks after the 1yr warranty expired in '97, i swapped the seized low E tuner for a cheap offset tuner that held its own among the Klusonesque tuners without ever going out of tune; however I kept breaking the D B & high E strings so I put on a set of those Graphtech String Saver saddles intended for an narrow spaced import guitar and for over 18yrs i hadn't broken anymore strings but i accidentally screwed the tremolo bar in the block too far and broke the threads in it so I blocked the already decked bridge. I replaced those mismatched tuners w/a set of Tonepros improved version of Kluson Deluxe tuners and i can feel the strings vibrate more! I did a pickguard swap from black to white and the neck positioned RWRP SC was damaged when the pickup cover came off and then decided the traditional SSS loaded pickguard was the only way to go so i ordered a B&G Golden Age Alnico 5 from Stewmac; @ DC resistances (identically similar to Fender Tex-Mex pickups [6.3K bridge, 6.4 mid & 6.5 neck]) made a big difference in the mildly spicy tone i couldn't get from stock setup but then i rewired it w/CTS 250K pots, Sprague orange capacitors (0.022 middle & 0.047 neck/bridge), a CRL 5-way switch as well as new pushcloth wiring but this time i swapped the bridge & middle SC's retaining the BMQ (bridge/middle quack) with the bridge positioned RWRP & neck pickups on 4 (only to discover that unStratty tone was similar to a Fender Classic 50s Telecaster with both pickups in parallel!), but I was still missing something. I watched a few videos of the Highwood saddles and after 18 yrs of being without the original saddles I decided to put them back on after the deburring the edges that caused the strings to break, then I put on a fresh set of strings and THAT was it along w/a Graphtech Tusq XL nut, a triple string tree and a mint green pickguard; playing the blues on 5 is SOOO awesome! By the way, seven months strong and i still haven't broke a string yet! Nearly 20yrs ago i bought a pair of Dimarzio Virtual Vintage Blues pickups i wanted to put in my Strat but I wouldn't do it without a third stacked pickup so I ordered an Area 58 last summer and loaded all three stack Dimarzios in the mintguard, starting out the Area 58 in the middle position, then I moved it to the bridge and now it's currently in the neck after watching KZbin videos demonstrating the pickup in that position which sounds very sweet and to anyone with stacked or twin railed humbuckers in their Strats, i highly recommend opening em up w/a 1-Meg volume pot. They're guaranteed to make em sound like actual single coils without the 60-cycle hum and a treble bleed cap may be needed if you don't care for a dark roll-off but apart from that I love my Strat over 25yrs later and i still haven't broken any strings yet between changing sets of em and it's been two years ago since i put my steel saddles back on!

[@philheath9854]

Great advice, thank you

[@stevejohnson2284]

Thanks, very good explanation and tips. Refreshing to get an open ended opinion. With advice to go to off site links and no sales pitch in the end.

[@davidthomas3725]

Great video Anthony! Representing Berks county PA here!

[@chopsonyou2007]

Some really good information on here 😃

[@davenorman6717]

Thank you...a lot of very useful info

[@tomgia1964]

Yes ,This is great stuff because I built a couple and bought a couple and kind of fuzzy on a few things that help clear up the Mucky water 😀But you covered everything this is great.

[@sirbaronvoncount4147]

I been playing since the 80s and I agree with everything here. I have several sets of underwound pups and love them because I play through a Marshall and it works. I did though buy a guitar with Duncan hot P90s and it is amazing and very different from my usual. P90 are the king of pickups

[@scottwaszak698]

Really great video! I don't play Texas blues but still really interesting and informative :-)

[@hectorfuenmayor1]

Very useful. Thanks!

[@clockwork914]

Really great information ❕

[@streetbob101]

Thank you for this.. Very informative

[@roadkingrocks5067]

Well done!

[@rogermoore2798]

Good info...... particularly the pickup power info. I suppose pickup height also plays a part in output but overall some good info there.... cheers

[@2000SkyView]

excellent video!

[@davidcatalano3781]

My friend Ron Thompson who passed away earlier this year. Was given a guitar that was made by fender for Eric Clapton but he didn't like it so he gave it to my friend. I just wanted to share that with you. Another fine video. And maybe one day I'll be blessed with a Jimmie Vaughan signature Model Guitar. I'd really love to have the SRV model 2. Thanks again many blessings

[@marksguitars5617]

interesting when talking about the neck/profile size, my hands are the same dimensions as yours but the hand itself is smaller and fingers slightly longer. I like the boat neck and the old Jeff Beck which is about the size of the warmoth "fatback" I do a lot of thumb over ala Hendrix or SRV. I also have the Warmoth "59 Roundback" that's pushing it a little bit for me, radius 9.5" down to 7" feels good for blues and bending, compound or flatter radius not too good for me, 6115 are great frets, I was just having a discussion with someone about 6100 are too high for chording. I find lighter bodied stratocasters sound better regardless of finish or type of wood. This video made me reconsider the SRV neck. Medium to medium high output pickup are good, Zexcoils are great, Lindy Fralin and Texas Specials, SD SSL5 all work good too, Highwood saddles are great, check them out ;) . Thanks for spending the time and detailing. Appreciate all that you do, stay safe!

[@jeshely]

Great tutorial!

[@williampierini8207]

Here from Brazil, a big hug to everyone!

[@mjs2016]

You too

[@wingdwolf56]

I’ve got about 10 different strats on my list. Now, thanks to this video, I can narrow that list!

[@donharrold1375]

Vintera 50s modified is about the best bang for the buck right now.

[@Mocha69A]

Thanks man just a newb but I listened all the way through something might stick in my brian with a few scratch notes.

[@wmw8453]

GOODNESS(!) this is simply THE BALLS!!!! I'm a believer!

[@glaucomedia]

My perception about some subjects covered. Large frets can compensate for a thinner neck and slightly increase the treble. Higher action changes the bass response on the guitar. It sounds a little fatter. You can adjust the height of the pickup according to the amount of force you use to play. I use a lot of force on the guitar, and to make up for it I adjust the texas specials as low as I can without losing too much volume. This also affects the tone and sustain of the guitar. Grate Video.

[@johnhenfrey5936]

Wow you covered all the bases there great stuff.

[@davidschlageter5962]

So true on the neck, I have a 56 'reissue gold top LP, you start out loving it, but after an hour it feels like holding on to the edge of a cliff.

[@joethompson61]

I bought the SRV from warmoth Bit of a leap of faith but I love it best feeling stratocaster I have ever owned

[@jacobfowler4426]

Exactly the video i needed you saved me a lot of time and searching. I have had a blacktop Jazzmaster that has been a pain in the neck to get right with shims and setup and thought maybe fatter frets on a strat would be more comfortable. I will just stick to a SRV or MIJ strat after what you said about the 6100s. There is so much subjective information about fret sizes it is kind of ridiculous, I also read somewhere Stevie ray had originally had 6100 size and over the years they got wore down to 'medium jumbo' dont know if that is true or not. Thanks!

[@RockWeller]

Thanks for the tips!

[@Terry3Gs]

Awesome video !!

[@juliotiusanen4259]

Hey buddy! great video... it would have been helpful a few months ago. I made a partscaster recently and had to spend an obscene amount of hours researching into all these topics to the verge of obsession. Plus a lot of trial and error. I have ordered 3 necks so far and still not 100% happy (almost there though!). Good luck with the videos!

[@moardave]

Great man that make sense now ...thanks

[@jeffhershberger]

The Fender Modern C is actually asymmetric and is as close to the SRV neck that you can get from Fender's current lineup without going custom shop. My hands are the same size as yours, I measured while matching the video, and I find it to be one of the most comfortable necks I have played. Second would be the Deep C which comes in really close to a 64 Strat neck and is also very similar to my PRS Silver Sky.

[@MustangStevie7]

Is that the new USA professional Strats you are talking about

[@chrisb2038]

just got my stratocaster brutally worked on to fit the lefty tremolo 👍definitely worth it

[@builderphill1361]

Trying to get a partscastsr! Thanks for giving such good advice!

[@bunnyhnt]

Great video, great guitars. Much of this depends on playing style, point in fact... I am in awe of the high bonamassa style action on the srv. Also the jumbo frets aren't meant for full chord playing, hence the difficulty in traditional playing on them, think tap and slide. Cheers on the great job handling 3 expensive guitars at once with no straps.

[@ToneMasterGeneral]

Very informative

[@CJgalaxy132]

great video

[@SIXX2772]

yes I heard the snappyness before you mentioned it...thank you sir

[@michelezucali5772]

Great video. Thanks

[@bjornchristiansson2827]

Hi there ! I'm play Fender for 40+ years. My favourite is a 55 whit the fat neck why I have big hands and what you did not put up is how tone increases whit big hands firm grip and big strings. Light stings on high frets is bad choice because as you did say go out of tone easy ! I never use less then 0.11-0.49 that in E tuning. For E-flat I'm use mostly 0.12-0.58 and doing so you can have high frets whit out go out of tune that's why SRV did use Dunlop 6100 and later 6150 on my 59 I'm use Dunlop 6000 super high and make big tone. The benefits is I can play a full year whit out re frets the giutar for me that a win win. Low output pickups is the key to clear tone and to get midrange up is play you amp at 10 that whill make up for it. Better use a smaller rig and go full for the tone. Thanks for the video it was a good one 👌👍Bjorn form Scandinavia Sweden 🇸🇪

[@Cherry_Sunburst]

EXCELLENT...THANKS A LOT!!!

[@shawnbell6392]

The Warmoth Clapton neck is a pretty pronounced V, I have one. The fat back slows me down a bit and makes me work more on melody in playing. It is indeed a real chunk of timber. Boat Neck is like a trimmed down fat back, very comfortable to me. I like your recommendation for the SRV shape. Warmoth and others make these various profiles and some other makers allow more custom settings for thickness. For pickups Klein Epic '59's are really tough to beat. Textured, rich, and not timid. Thanks man for this video and its great to see you online.

[@thetoneknob4493]

i made my hard tail strat body out of maple and mahogany. maple for the top hog for the back. and im not talking a veneer the top is a lil over 1 inch thick same with the back. this allowed me to carve the correct contours without exposing the mahogany back. it all worked out fantastic! it sounds like a strat but bigger! the pickups are all within the 6.5k -8k range and the neck is a thick boi.with a slab Brazilian rosewood board with what wer pretty narrow low frets to start out with. after playing it for 20 yrs im starting to get into re fret territory.its a great rig to play blues on that's for sure. i could have never afforded to buy a guitar this nice. so i just made it with my bare hands and hand tools!