In 1989 I bought a new Fender MIJ 54 Reissue Hardtail Stratocaster.
Fender MIJ 1954 Reissue Hardtail Stratocaster
Hardtail? Well, years before I had a standard Strat and really disliked how when I bent a note all the other strings would go slightly flat. I had it looked by a few different luthiers, but none could get to stay perfectly in tune. The last one suggested I just block it like a lot of people do. I did exactly that and had it that way until I sold it.
My hardtail played and sounded pretty good right out of the case. But as continued to play it and get better I really was looking for my sound. I decided to modified it to meet my needs, hotter pickups with a little more bell sound to them. I tried some Vintage Noiseless™ Strat® Pickups. They were quiet but didn’t give me enough bite.
So, I decided try some Fender ’Original ’57/’62 Strat® Pickups. I loved the bell tone and they seemed hotter. At the same time, I decided upgrade my electronics and replaced everything plus added a Stratocaster® Mid Boost Kit. The combination fit exactly what I was wanting to hear.
As I started to go to jams sessions, I decided to also add Dunlop Dual-Design Straplok retainers. With all the modifications I made I had few local pros play my modified guitar. All gave it the thumbs up and said it played and sounded great. Personally, I love the Mid-boost because I can just plug into an amp straight and get over-drive sound using the Mid-boost for leads.