Tell me about the Strat Plus

DarnWeight

...Specifically, the early ones ('87 to about '93, I guess).  I'm by no means a Strat aficianado, and I know Lace Sensors are very much a Marmite pickup, but would love to hear more general stuff about them.  Weight, roller nuts, trem, necks, tuning stability...all that kind of stuff.

I've been a long-time Bob Mould nut, and for me it's a guitar I'd love to get my hands on one day, even just to try out.

coffeehouse

I've owned a couple over the years. They were popular in the 90s when Lace sensors were the thing. They are quite clinical pickups IMO. They seemed to work really well with the very processed sounds of the 90s, rack mounted set ups... that sort of thing... they lack character if you plug them into a valve amp ... The guitars themselves tended to have a good feel to them... Large frets, flatter boards (than vintage) and fast slim satin necks. I tended to find the original roller nuts a bit problematic, the tuning stability was never as good as they claimed... in fact I do remember removing the roller nut and getting a bone one installed on a Strat ultra I owned in the 90s... As the G string always caught on the nut (was a 1991 with the original style of roller nut) ...

Funkfingers

Lace Sensors sound fine with plenty of overdrive but never have the “glassy” clean sounds associated with traditional Fender pickups.

Body contours and edge radii are always slightly lumpen. On some examples, the body is of spread and veneers construction. 

The TBX lower tone control does the instrument no favours.

guitars4you

Slightly wider nut width 1 11/16 so Gibson esq as against 1 5/8 which is most Fender's

Chunkier frets plus 9.5" radius

Roller nut + 2 post modern fulcrum trem for smooth use + less tuning issues - Changed from Wilkinson roller nut to LSR nut early 90's - I don't have an issue with either - Roller nut less suitable for 11 gauge strings or heavier as you can' make them 'nut slots' wider as required

Lace Sensor p/ups have less glassy crisp highs - That is a good or bad feature based on your taste - I like them

Not sure when they changed but some necks have more depth, that I prefer - Some are a flatter modern C profile

Most are in the 8lb region - You might find some a touch less, but not the weight issues of a 70's Strat

Overall I like them

impmann

Great neck profiles. Slightly squared off bodies. Two post trems (not a fan, personally). Lace Sensors (not my bag). Roller nuts aren't as good as they are made out to be. 

Currently, some are asking too much for them IMHO. There are 1000s of them out there and they aren't that desireable.

I like them (apart from the two post trem but that's easily sorted).

Dan_Halen

I've got one from 89 and it's great. No frame of reference as it's the only Plus I've played but do keep my eye out for another as I'm so happy with it. Sunburst with a maple neck.

It feels and plays like a really well built strat. Neck is sort or a medium c (comfy but not too big), weight is not super light but not heavy either, frets are excellent, trem is great. I love the Lace pick-ups as well. I'm not sure they would satisfy the most discerning vintage purist but I find they really work for me. They look cool as hell as well.

You seem to be able to pick them up for 700-900 used (ignoring the silly hopeful BIN or Reverb prices) in half decent nick. Considering the price of new US Strat that seems like a bargain. Again, I have a sample size of 1 but the general consensus is that they're pretty good guitars. 

Heel

Heavy guitars - quite a large neck profile (mine was a 94 and felt like a D). Wouldn't own another one. And I replaced the lace sensors too (though they were good for writing on...)

Philly_Q

The Wilkinson nuts would sometimes buzz like a sitar or something - only on the plain strings.  I never figured out exactly what caused it, but it was only intermittent.

The early ones had Sperzel tuners, later they switched to locking Schallers.

The bodies had a "swimming pool" rout so in effect you could use any pickup layout.  That was probably true of American Standards at the time, too.

My Strat Plus Deluxe (1989) had a Hipshot Tremsetter and (originally) blue/silver/silver Lace Sensors.  Later changed to red/silver/blue, which I didn't like as much.  I don't think the regular Strat Plus had the Tremsetter and the pickups were gold/gold/gold.

scalino65

I've got a vague memory that they were somehow connected to the jeff beck sig model.maybe a prototype or something but beck wanted the absolutely massive neck that came on the early beck's. Ring a bell for anyone else? . Anyway, I had one once, quite a flat board as I remember. Nicely done but somehow a bit "clinical" for me. 

stratman3142

I purchased my Strat Plus new and still have it. The serial number starts with an E so that makes it 1989 to 1990. It's fitted with gold lace sensors.

The pickups are low noise but, as was said earlier, I find the pickups clinical sounding. I prefer the sound of my newer (2003) HSS American Standard Strat. 

My Strat Plus weighs 8.6 lb which is too heavy for me now, but my newer Start is even heavier at 9lb. I need to get a lighter Strat now I'm older and have back problems.

My Strat Plus came with a Hipshot Trem setter, which I removed because it felt like there was a 'notch' in the middle of travel.

I don't have tuning problems with either of my Strats with the whammy bar, so I'm not convinced the roller nut adds any advantage.

Although the pickups are low noise, my Strat Plus gives low frequency (almost acoustic like) uncontrolled feedback at very high gain settings when I'm right next to my amp at gigs. Whereas my other Strat is fine.

My Strat plus has sentimental value and I gigged with it for many years. It feels nice to play and I'd never sell it, but one day I might get the pickups replaced and strip out the TBX tone control, so it's more like my newer Strat.

So in summary: the hipshot trem setter, lace sensor pickups and TBX tone control are not for me. And the roller nut seems to add no advantage. Knowing what I know now, I wouldn't buy another one. But it feels like a well made guitar that plays well and could be turned into something I like (i.e. my newer Strat).

welshboyo

scalino65 said:

I've got a vague memory that they were somehow connected to the jeff beck sig model.maybe a prototype or something but beck wanted the absolutely massive neck that came on the early beck's. Ring a bell for anyone else? . Anyway, I had one once, quite a flat board as I remember. Nicely done but somehow a bit "clinical" for me. 

That was the Strat Ultra I think..

artiebear

I still have a 91 Plus ( bought as NOS ) in 93. Having had a couple of others, this one is still in lovely condition and all original. It's one of those guitars that I will go back to for certain jobs and will never part with it.
Echoing what @guitars4you said, the lace sensors, are smoother and fatter sounding against more traditional  strat pick ups. Much of getting the most out of them is the realization that due to the very low magnetic pull, they can sit right under the strings. I can't think of many pick ups that change so radically in output and tone dependent on height.
I don't agree with the regular internet waffle about "sterile" sounding ( not even sure what this means in the context of music ) I use mine through various older Fender amps and there is plenty of articulation and depth to be had, especially by rolling the tbx tone control past the centre notch towards 10. When putting it through my Boogie MKIV, I find that going back to the centre notch tone position provided a lovely fat overdriven Strat at live volumes where my CS 56 and 60 strats, though lovely, get more interestiog to keep in check, to various degrees. ( BTW the CS60 is less glassy than the CS56, so everything is relative  ).
The neck is as described, flatter and in the case of the 91 I have a fatter C profile. It is one of those guitars that can be set up with a very low action. I keep mine slightly higher as its just feels plain weird to be playing a strat without a bittof fight.
The roller nut is an Wilkinson, never had an issue with it, in fact I prefer it to the later LSR version. In conjunction with the 2 point trem  tuning issues are zero concern. It's all about setting it up as intended.
I do love a more vintage Strat, but the Plus has its place among the better attempts to tweak the original design, hence the fact that they do seem to be rising in value as time goes by.

stratman3142

scalino65 said:

I've got a vague memory that they were somehow connected to the jeff beck sig model...

Yes you've remined me of why I got mine, which was because I saw Jeff Beck using one. I'm not sure if it was live or in a video (or both).

Philly_Q

welshboyo said:

scalino65 said:

I've got a vague memory that they were somehow connected to the jeff beck sig model.maybe a prototype or something but beck wanted the absolutely massive neck that came on the early beck's. Ring a bell for anyone else? . Anyway, I had one once, quite a flat board as I remember. Nicely done but somehow a bit "clinical" for me. 

That was the Strat Ultra I think..

The original Jeff Beck had four gold Lace Sensors (two in the bridge as a "dually" humbucker) and the older version of the Wilkinson nut, with single rollers on the wound strings and double rollers on the plain strings.

The Strat Ultra was very similar, but had a double red "dually" bridge pickup (silver and blue in middle and neck).  It had the newer Wilkinson nut with double rollers for all strings, an ebony board, a flame maple veneer top and a slightly different bridge with polished saddles and a push-in arm.

welshboyo

Philly_Q said:

welshboyo said:

scalino65 said:

I've got a vague memory that they were somehow connected to the jeff beck sig model.maybe a prototype or something but beck wanted the absolutely massive neck that came on the early beck's. Ring a bell for anyone else? . Anyway, I had one once, quite a flat board as I remember. Nicely done but somehow a bit "clinical" for me. 

That was the Strat Ultra I think..

The original Jeff Beck had four gold Lace Sensors (two in the bridge as a "dually" humbucker) and the older version of the Wilkinson nut, with single rollers on the wound strings and double rollers on the plain strings.

The Strat Ultra was very similar, but had a double red "dually" bridge pickup (silver and blue in middle and neck).  It had the newer Wilkinson nut with double rollers for all strings, an ebony board, a flame maple veneer top and a slightly different bridge with polished saddles and a push-in arm.

See, now there's a man who knows his Strat Onions!!

Thinking about it, you rarely see Beck Sig models these days....used or new - I've had 2 over the years, bloody great guitars

artiebear

welshboyo said:

Philly_Q said:

welshboyo said:

scalino65 said:

I've got a vague memory that they were somehow connected to the jeff beck sig model.maybe a prototype or something but beck wanted the absolutely massive neck that came on the early beck's. Ring a bell for anyone else? . Anyway, I had one once, quite a flat board as I remember. Nicely done but somehow a bit "clinical" for me. 

That was the Strat Ultra I think..

The original Jeff Beck had four gold Lace Sensors (two in the bridge as a "dually" humbucker) and the older version of the Wilkinson nut, with single rollers on the wound strings and double rollers on the plain strings.

The Strat Ultra was very similar, but had a double red "dually" bridge pickup (silver and blue in middle and neck).  It had the newer Wilkinson nut with double rollers for all strings, an ebony board, a flame maple veneer top and a slightly different bridge with polished saddles and a push-in arm.

See, now there's a man who knows his Strat Onions!!

Thinking about it, you rarely see Beck Sig models these days....used or new - I've had 2 over the years, bloody great guitars

Wasn't the JB prototype ( in Graffiti Yellow, something to do with JB's favorite dragster color ) actually what was released as the 3 single coil Strat Plus. The original deal with JB fell through, the guitar was branded the Plus and released. Later a deal was done with him and the dually sensor big neck sig models came out in Sea Foam Green and a shade of violet /purple (?).
The original JB sigs are indeed great guitars.

impmann

For those who want the Strat Plus but don't like the roller nut, tremsetter, lace sensors etc... the American Standard of the same age is pretty much the same guitar but without the 'contraversial' bits...

I've had a few early 90s US Standards - I really like them (apart from that two post trem) but the prices are usually 'optimistic'... although I do recall saying that they were going up in price/value a couple of years ago, and got laughed at. They were £500 or less at the time...

Philly_Q

artiebear said:

welshboyo said:

Philly_Q said:

welshboyo said:

scalino65 said:

I've got a vague memory that they were somehow connected to the jeff beck sig model.maybe a prototype or something but beck wanted the absolutely massive neck that came on the early beck's. Ring a bell for anyone else? . Anyway, I had one once, quite a flat board as I remember. Nicely done but somehow a bit "clinical" for me. 

That was the Strat Ultra I think..

The original Jeff Beck had four gold Lace Sensors (two in the bridge as a "dually" humbucker) and the older version of the Wilkinson nut, with single rollers on the wound strings and double rollers on the plain strings.

The Strat Ultra was very similar, but had a double red "dually" bridge pickup (silver and blue in middle and neck).  It had the newer Wilkinson nut with double rollers for all strings, an ebony board, a flame maple veneer top and a slightly different bridge with polished saddles and a push-in arm.

See, now there's a man who knows his Strat Onions!!

Thinking about it, you rarely see Beck Sig models these days....used or new - I've had 2 over the years, bloody great guitars

Wasn't the JB prototype ( in Graffiti Yellow, something to do with JB's favorite dragster color ) actually what was released as the 3 single coil Strat Plus. The original deal with JB fell through, the guitar was branded the Plus and released. Later a deal was done with him and the dually sensor big neck sig models came out in Sea Foam Green and a shade of violet /purple (?).
The original JB sigs are indeed great guitars.

I think you're right!  I've always wanted to try one of the old Beck sig models, to see if the necks really are as huge as legend would have it.  I've got an Ancho Poblano Strat and I doubt the Beck neck's as big as that.

guitars4you

Philly_Q said:

The Wilkinson nuts would sometimes buzz like a sitar or something - only on the plain strings.  I never figured out exactly what caused it, but it was only intermittent.

Some of the models with a Wilkinson roller nut had 2 rollers - So you had to go over the 1st (near the fingerboard) and under the 2nd - So it acted like a string tree to put some downward tension - Some miss this

But yes I've noticed often a 'zing' on such models

I'm not a fan of the trem setter and IMO they are better removed - It is not so much that they don't work, I just hate to set them up

bgmartinsbridge

Check out this site for full reference - strat plus, plus deluxe and ultra.

http://xhefriguitars.com/page2.html

I've had a fair few of each over the last twenty years. 

Personal preference is the later ones - got to be the lsr nut, mixed pups on the plus deluxe. 
You also get a small neck on the later ones - 93ish I think. And they tend to be alot lighter too. 

I had a very early strat plus which was amazing but then got another years later and it weighed a ton.

jeromegreenday

I have an '88 strat plus. I put a SSL-5 in the bridge a CS 69 in the middle position and a fat 50's in the neck.
I have various strats, some for clean bell like chime tones etc, but this is my absolute go to for smokey SRV blues. I love it, Fender really needed to up their game in '87 or they were going to close down and the strat plus delivered and saved them.
I for one like the 2 point trem system and in the 90's with page and plant a strat plus was Jimmy's go to guitar, Listen to him utterly violate the trem in a Human Centipede / hellraiser fashion...
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYGOsb6LeXs