Hardtail hard sale?

[CDaughtry]

What's everyone's opinion on hardtails? I personally love them!:dude:

 

[Three13]

My first vintage guitar was an ash-bodied hardtail - I consider that combination the ultimate Strat for tone and playablilty. Given the number of folks who block their trems, you'd think hardtails be worth a small premium, but the market seems to feel otherwise.

If you ever get bored with that one, Charlie, I'd be glad to give her a new home.

 

[Ad_02Std]

I like them, but they don't feel like or really sound like a proper Strat to me. Neither do Strats with blocked trems. I'm a big fan of Leo's original floating vibrato design. When set up correctly it's really magic.

I recently read on this very forum that a hardtail Strat was one of Billy Gibbons' studio favourites on those classic '70s recordings. So there's that.

Always liked the sound and look of this one too.

 

[mingus]

To me, part of what makes it a Strat is the trem, which I use often when playing the ones I own. I've found that if the trem is set up properly and you're not dive-bombing like crazy, they work and sound great.

 

[Xpensive Wino]

Ronnie does alright with one...

 

[Cogswell]

I like them but being cheap as I am I want to get every penny's worth of Strat goodness out of my guitars. If I had more Strats I'd have to have one, though.

 

[Xpensive Wino]

I like them but being cheap as I am I want to get every penny's worth of Strat goodness out of my guitars. If I had more Strats I'd have to have one, though.

Cogs nails it. I have around a dozen, and yes, one's a HT...:jim

Most of the others have blocked trems...:couch

 

[J.D.]

I like them. Not better or worse than the trem. Just different :jim

 

[Rich R]

Hardtails sound phenomenal!

 

[Gold Tone]

I like them. Not better or worse than the trem. Just different :jim

Yes likewise

Tremmed Strat has that natural reverb effect that gives it that nice hollow tone

Hardtail is more punch and direct, very telecaster minus the stronger pickups

Love 'em both and play my hardtail a lot. I knew it wasn't as desirable on the market vs the tremmed but I desired it!

 

[Tom Wittrock]

With the floating bridge set up for tremolo action, if you break a string the whole guitar goes out of tune. :ganz

I prefer hardtails, otherwise, I tighten down the trem.

 

[J.D.]

The trem certainly gives a Strat (or any guitar for that matter) a different sound and feel than the same guitar with a fixed bridge.

String breakage wouldn't sway my purchase or setup decisions whatsoever.

 

[Wilko]

My first "real" strat was a 77 hardtail. I routed it for a trem in the late 80s.

I do have another 78 hardtail that was too cheap to pass up. I may put it together soon.

I tighten down, but don't block my regular trem strats.

 

[J.D.]

Once I played a PRS trem guitar I never had another desire to own a Strat.

 

[Wilko]

My first "real" strat was a 77 hardtail. I routed it for a trem in the late 80s.

I do have another 78 hardtail that was too cheap to pass up. I may put it together soon.

I tighten down, but don't block my regular trem strats.

 

[Guitar Whiskey]

What's everyone's opinion on hardtails? I personally love them!:dude:

+1. Best one I've had to date out of about a dozen was a hardtail. In fact it is the only one that was a hardtail.

 

[Don]

My Strat's my only guitar with a vibrato so I float it just a little (the thickness of a heavy guitar pick off of the body).

 

[tonar8353]

I have had the pleasure of playing a 56 hardtail that was amazing! But I still prefer a Strat with the bridge floating, it seems to add a reverb quality to the guitar.

 

[Tom Wittrock]

Here's a nice 55 I passed on to a close friend [after 25 years]:

 

[yeti]

I like Hardtails a lot. One of the best Strats I've ever payed was a '76 HT, ugly as can be but it sounded spectacular. I don't own a Strat but my buddy Mike send me a pic of his recently acquired '55 Hardtail, refinished by Clive Brown.