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Super-Strat: The evolution of the electric guitar
The classic Fender Stratocaster is an icon – but for many hard rock and metal guitarists of the late '70s and early '80s it no longer sufficed. More power, more speed, more expression! The answer? The Super-Strat. But what exactly is a Super-Strat and who builds or plays one? We'll introduce you to Super-Strats in this guide.
How a Strat became a Super-Strat
The late '70s: The birth of hot-rodding
At the end of the '70s guitarists began hot-rodding their Fender Strats: a humbucker in the bridge position instead of the classic single coil, faster necks, tricked-out finishes. Above all, hard rock and metal players wanted more output, more sustain and a more tuning-stable tremolo, preferably a locking tremolo from Floyd Rose.
One of the pioneers was Eddie Van Halen, who created his legendary Frankenstrat in 1977. A regular Fender Stratocaster wasn't enough for Eddie, so he rewired and rebuilt Strats by hand until they were unrecognisable. One such modification produced the so-called Frankenstrat. It had a Strat-like shape with a humbucker, a single volume pot and a wild DIY look. That was the birth of the first real Super-Strat! These models are still built today by Eddie's guitar brand EVH .
Super-Strats from EVH
The early '80s: The workshop of Wayne Charvel & Grover Jackson
While Eddie Van Halen conquered the hard rock world with his home-built guitar, another visionary was perfecting the idea: Wayne Charvel. His guitar workshop Charvel Guitars began offering modified Strats with improved tonewoods, hotter pickups and special finishes.
Then Grover Jackson took over the business – and shortly after the Jackson era began, largely defined by the collaboration with guitarist Randy Rhoads (Quiet Riot, Ozzy Osbourne). The Randy Rhoads V prototype (a pointed development of the Flying V) was the starting shot for Jackson's rise to become the No. 1 metal guitar brand.
Super-Strats from Charvel
Super-Strats from Jackson
The mid-80s: Super-Strats conquer the world
The popularity of bands like Van Halen, Dokken, Ratt and Iron Maiden turned Super-Strats into the ultimate hard rock and metal guitar. Companies like Charvel, Jackson, Kramer and Ibanez perfected the concept and introduced new features, e.g.:
- Neck-through constructions for more sustain
- Floyd Rose tremolos that enabled extreme dive bombs
- Thin necks with 22 or more frets for maximum speed
- Fretboards with a flat radius for effortless tapping
In particular, Kramer Guitars secured Eddie Van Halen as a figurehead and became one of the best-selling guitar brands of that era in the USA. Even Gibson tried its own take on the Super-Strat.
The '90s & 2000s: The return of the classics
With the rise of grunge and alternative, Super-Strats briefly fell out of the spotlight – until players like John Petrucci, Steve Vai (Whitesnake etc.) or Joe Satriani (Chickenfoot etc.) carried the concept into the new millennium. Today brands like Charvel, Jackson and EVH are the leading names in the world of high-performance guitars.
More Super-Strats from other manufacturers
And today?
Super-Strats are by no means reserved only for metal or hard rock anymore. Modern models offer a variety of tone options and tonewoods, Floyd Rose or classic 2-point tremolos and versatile pickup combinations and wiring that even allow blues or fusion.
Know-how
With us you don't just get what you need – we'll also show you how it works! To the guides.
Olli and the Super-Strats
Our guitar guru Olli Lohmann locked himself in the video studio with a selection of legendary models from Charvel, EVH and Jackson to trace the development of these high-performance guitars. He takes you on a journey through time into the world of fast necks, hot pickups and radical designs – from the first hot-rod mods to today's modern shred machines.
Which Super-Strat is right for you? Olli tests them for you – you'll find the result in the video!
Which artists play Super-Strats?
Tom DeLonge
blink-182, Box Car Racer, Angels & Airwaves
Chris Broderick
Megadeth, Nevermore, Jag Panzer
Tim Henson
Polyphia
Joe Satriani
Solo, Chickenfoot, G3
Nita Strauss
The Iron Maidens, Alice Cooper
Steve Vai
Solo, Whitesnake
... and many more. Here at session you'll also find a large selection of signature Super-Strats from famous artists. There's an instrument to suit every budget. Get inspired:
