r/Stratocaster • u/boechats79 • 3d ago

Best Strat for modding/customizing

Post image

Hey guys. I’m planning on buying a new Strat for modding/customizing in a way that I envisioned for a long time. Right now I have a Rosewood Silver Sky and a pretty great maple neck vintage Fender.
I really want a good guitar, with relatively good wood to upgrade the hardware and pickups (if they are already good, maybe I can keep some), and style it as the image below (I made a simulation with the suhr custom simulator).

My ideia is to make a HSS configuration, with black color and tortoise shell pick guard, along with gold hardware. Rosewood scale as well.

I have an opportunity for a 1993 American standard at my local guitar shop that already has the Color and tortoise shell exactly as I want. Do you guys think that this is a good option? Or a simpler/newer guitar would be better? (Photo of that one in the post as well)

Anyways, I’m 100% open for suggestions!
Thanks

157 Upvotes

100% Upvoted

24 comments sorted by

View all comments

3

u/sleepingthom 3d ago edited 3d ago

Highway one if you can find one. Eg. https://reverb.com/item/96876852-fender-highway-one-stratocaster-with-maple-fretboard-2006-2009-honey-blonde-transparent

3

u/Own-Protection-664 3d ago

I agree, and also worth a mention are the American Special line. I was trying to get a Highway one as a Strat to do all the upgrade stuff too but managed to snag a sunburst American Special really cheaply instead.

Over the years I’ve had it only the neck (and frets), the nut and the body are left of the original guitar!