How can I make my electric guitar sound better?

Question:I have an '06 Fender Highway One HSS Stratocaster. It sounds pretty good, but I want an even better sound and I am considering fixing it up, or just buying an american vintage 62 strat eventually.

I play Jimi Hendrix and lots of Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as classic rock and roll/metal. I want my guitar to sound it's best for all these genres. Right now, the guitar has hardly any sustain as well as vintage feel and sound. What Should I do?

New pickups? What kind?

Other suggestions?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: I have an '06 Fender Highway One HSS Stratocaster. It sounds pretty good, but I want an even better sound and I am considering fixing it up, or just buying an american vintage 62 strat eventually.

I play Jimi Hendrix and lots of Red Hot Chili Peppers as well as classic rock and roll/metal. I want my guitar to sound it's best for all these genres. Right now, the guitar has hardly any sustain as well as vintage feel and sound. What Should I do?

New pickups? What kind?

Other suggestions?

When was the last time you changed your strings? In my experience, guitar strings sound best about 5-7 days after putting them on. If you play a lot, they will go "dead" after about a month (if you play less frequently, they will last longer). Once this happens, they lose a lot of sustain and the intonation goes bad.

If your strings are relatively new, I'd ask you what type of amplifier you are using. Even with a nice guitar, a poor amplifier won't sound great. A nice tube amp is the way to go for a vintage sound with lots of sustain. Fender makes some nice tube amps at affordable prices.

Finally, you can purchase some effects pedals to boost your sound. If it's sustain you want, get a compressor pedal. Also consider investing in a tube distortion pedal, such as the Budda Phatman (if you can find it), especially if you're already playing out of a tube amp. I'd also suggest a Wah-Wah pedal if you play Hendrix and RHCP.

Hope that helps a little bit -- it's hard to be more specific without more information. Good luck!

EDIT:

Don't use Elixirs! The anti-rust coating is only on the wound strings... the plain steel strings (high E, B, sometimes G) are just like ordinary plain steel strings.

Furthermore, rust isn't the only factor that contributes to strings dying -- just from pushing up against the frets, little dents are created in the strings. Elixir's anti-rust coating does not prevent this from happening, so if you play a lot, they won't last you more than a month or two realistically. They are deceptive and a waste of money, in my opinion.

Sounds like you have a nice guitar and a nice tube amp. Try changing your strings (what gauge do you use? I find 10's to be sufficient for a nice full tone) and consider that compressor pedal!

i would suggest getting a couple of high quality humbuckers.

Learn to play it better!
I don't mean that to sound flippant.
Any guitar has it's limited sound.Before you get into "hot roddin' your present guitar, check around and see if there is a guitar that comes closer to the sound you're looking for.
I love the Fender Strat. As far as I'm concerned the Strat is the epitome of what an electric guitar should look like.
A white Strat with brass hardware is like The Star ship Enterprise and I am Capt. Kirk (or Capt Picard)
But, because of my playing style I'm always hitting the knobs and changing the sound.
So, I could either rearrange the control configuration or find a guitar that better suits my playing style.
There have been so many advancements in guitar electronics you are more likely than not to find a guitar that already has the potential to create the sound you're trying to achieve.
I've feel as if hot rodding a guitar is sort of like buying the Mona Lisa and painting on it a lower top and more cleavage.
Heck, just go get a 'Playboy'.
`

You could try a set of 3 Fender hot rod "HOTLESS" single coils pickups. They are like $130 I think.

www.guitarcenter.com
www.music123.com
www.samedaymusic.com
www.fender.com

Good luck

Perhaps it's not the guitar. I think your guitar is already great as it is but enhancing the sound might require something else, like pre-amp special effects box and a good amp that you need to attach to your guitar. For starters, these gadgets has cost to it, so if you want to check how these enhancements can improve your sound, you might want to visit your local music instrument amplification dealer, and try out their 'toys'. That can save you a lot. In my case, I tested a cost effective one, those Behringer amp and pre-amp effects. The tone isnt bad, so I use it for my gigs. I use it to amp my Ibanez hallow-body, Yamaha e-classical and custom-Strat, and play lots of jazz and some clapton with it.

There are more expensive brands. Of course, there are differences in tone but check it out if you can notice much of a difference in tone and quality.

For a sample of what instrument amplification I use, you may check the site below:

http://www.behringer.com/02_products/mus...
http://www.behringer.com/VT999/index.cfm...