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r/Stratocaster

▲ 1 r/Stratocaster+3 crossposts

Fender Cease Desist: The Strat copy era might officially be over.

Fender just won a massive legal loophole in Germany, ruling that the classic Stratocaster shape is a protected "work of art." Now, they are aggressively issuing Fender Cease Desist letters to clear out the competition. They aren’t just demanding a stop to production—they want inventory "recalled and destroyed" across the EU market!

While many letters are being sent behind closed doors, independent builders are starting to sound the alarm, and everyone is holding its breath to see how the biggest brands in the industry survive this.

Here are the popular brands currently targeted, confirmed to have received letters, or directly at risk of being wiped from the S-style market next:

LsL Instruments
Harley Benton / Thomann
PRS
Suhr Guitars
Tom Anderson Guitar Works
Schecter
ESP Guitars
Ibanez (Particularly the AZ series)

Are we looking at the literal extinction of Strat clones? Is Fender completely out of line here, or do they have every right to protect their body shape?

reddit.com
u/neakakdastane — 22 hours ago
▲ 79 r/Stratocaster+1 crossposts

I might be obsessed with EMGs now…

Can’t get enough of the look and sound of the EMG thing. I also still love my Lace Sensors. Smooth pickup life 😂.

These are my 3 most recent projects.

u/Top-Hovercraft-7841 — 22 hours ago
▲ 144 r/Stratocaster+1 crossposts

NGD: first Strat!! 1997 plus

First Stratocaster!! 1997 plus, thoughts??

u/barbosaWK — 1 day ago
▲ 2 r/Stratocaster

Balancing pickup volume on HSS Strat

I have an HSS Stratocaster and I'm trying to find a good balance between the neck single coil & bridge humbucker pups. I like both sounds but the single coil neck pickup just sounds weak in comparison.

Any advice for finding a good middle ground? Thanks.

reddit.com
u/scorpion-and-frog — 18 hours ago
▲ 5 r/Stratocaster

2009 RW vs AVRII 61 Strat

Been wanting to buy a more vintage-style strat but specifically a nitro finish strat. Just one that ages a little bit with me playing it. I also want it to be Olympic white so that narrows it down to without paying CS money.

Been debating between the 2009 Roadworn Strat or just the new American Vintage 61 Strats. The thing is I really don’t know much about the 2009 Roadworn series or Tex-mex pickups.

Any thoughts/advice?

reddit.com
u/dorksuckmepls — 1 day ago
▲ 0 r/Stratocaster

Identification

No visible serial number, trapazoid tuners, plywood body.

Where might this be from? Any information on it would be much appreciated (I hope this is the right place to ask)

u/KermitlyNotFound — 22 hours ago
▲ 226 r/Stratocaster+3 crossposts

Golden

It’s another double trouble post, Stratocaster edition this time.

American Professional Classic in Faded Firemist Gold and Vintera III Late 50s in Aztec Gold. Who wore it better?

First picture has a filter, the rest do not.

u/GuitaristExplorer — 1 day ago
▲ 11 r/Stratocaster

For sale near me

I’m really interested in this listing near me but don’t know much about these Tim Shaw era strats. Is this a good deal?

u/phenethlyminedream — 1 day ago
▲ 8 r/Stratocaster+1 crossposts

Is this Fender Genuine?

Is there anyone that can confirm if by these pictures (that are in a bad quality), if these fender is genuine?

u/SufficientNose577 — 2 days ago
▲ 11 r/Stratocaster+1 crossposts

Sorry me again! Please help!

Hey guys! Me again, sorry about this post but I’m at my end with this constant issue - some of you may have seen I had a trem that wouldn’t deck totally you could bend all the way down but when it came back you could press it in the last tiny bit taking everything sharp - 6 techs looked at it amongst myself and people screwing and unscrewing and there was a clear binding noise -
I flipped over the guitar today whilst trying to figure out if the ping was the bridge or the springs - took the bridge off and figured out it was the 6 screws

I noticed ( not sure if it was me or not) the 6 screws had been tightened so much they’d made tiny little
Cracks in the finish on the back - my first question is this going to need a fix or structurally is it okay? I’ve read it’s somewhat common on thinner bodies

My second question is will the screw hole thread for the 6 screws wear out?

It’s been on and off about 7 times plus the messing around in the middle

The good news is I took it off and reinstalled giving more backwards turns as the bridge lifted and it’s absolutely bang on - not to mention wayyyy easier to press down

This is a 63’ 2026 CS strat
I’d not had much experience in decking a trem and I did it for tuning stability
It’s real smooth and noiseless now thank God!

So sorry to bother you all again!
Thank you!

u/EssayEfficient6641 — 2 days ago
▲ 133 r/Stratocaster

How many of you mainly use your bridge pickup?

I find myself almost exclusively using my bridge pickup these days. Clean, overdriven leads, you name it. I’m going for an Eric Johnson’s Tones era sound.

I’ve heard some guys live on the neck and maybe the 4th position, or even put a humbucker in the bridge.

u/AI_Cosmonaut — 3 days ago
▲ 149 r/Stratocaster+7 crossposts

Guitar Industry Shockwave: Fender Reports Launch Of Massive Lawsuit Campaign Against European "S-Type" Builders

Fender launches a massive legal campaign in Europe, targeting alternative “S-Type” guitar builders with fines of up to €250,000 and demands to destroy their inventory.

guitarbomb.com
u/GuitarBombDotCom — 3 days ago