LEARN about the Use, Qualities and Features of Superstrat Guitars. Best Brands: Ibanez, Jackson, Schecter, Kramer and Charvel.
Once we understand the origins of the Superstrat from Part 1, we can understand the musical orientation and manufacturing of this type of guitar.
The name Superstratocaster or Superstrat is due to the similarity in the body shape of these guitars with the Stratocaster models, but in reality their characteristics are unlimited. This type of guitars mix qualities of all models, apart from adding new features, to try to take everything to another level.
The Superstrat philosophy is more and more, to satisfy the demands of Heavy Rock musicians, needing more of everything.
More Frets: the classic version is 22 frets, but this type of guitar normally has 24, and up, like the Ibanez Rg2011SC with 30 frets.
Speed: With narrow necks and low-curvature fingerboards, 15.75 inches radius, facilitating low string height.
More Distortion: with high gain pickups. And all this is accompanied by a “Supervibrato”.
The star wood in this type of model is Basswood. An all-terrain wood that behaves well with all types of pickups, both single and double coil.
But we can find all kinds of wood in this type of guitars: Mahogany, Alder, Basswood with Maple top, or Mahogany with Maple top.
Superstrat Guitars: Bridge Types
These guitars can also be found without any problems with a Fixed Bridge, something very interesting for those who do not use the vibrato lever, but I understand that pure-blooded Superstrats are those that have a floating bridge, so I will show some with Floyd Rose.
Superstrat Guitars: Best Brands
Ibanez
If there is one instrument brand that is an institution in the manufacture of superstrat style guitars, it would be the Japanese brand Ibanez. One of its renowned series is the RG range, such as the Ibanez RGIR20E.
This guitar has a basswood body, a 15.75-inch radius rosewood fingerboard, EMG active pickups, 24 frets, Edge-Zero II Tremolo, and its price is around €700.
Superstrat Guitars: Schecter
The manufacturer Schecter is a well-known brand within this style of guitars, such as the Schecter Omen Extreme-6 FR with Floyd Rose Special for around €700. This model has a basswood body with a quilted maple top. Maple neck with a 14-inch radius rosewood fingerboard, and 24 frets.
Also with a fixed bridge (Schecter Omen Extreme 6), and with a mahogany body with a quilted maple top, for around €600.
Jackson
The Jackson Soloist SLX DX features 24 frets, a poplar body, and a graphite-reinforced neck-through-body (620 euros).
It also features a 12” and 16” mixed radius fingerboard, with Seymour Duncan Designed pickups and a Floyd Rose Special.
Charvel Superstrat
These guitars can also be easily found with a fixed bridge, which is very interesting for those who do not use the tremolo arm. In the 80s of the last century, many brands of superstrat style guitars prospered, such as the Charvel brand.
Kramer
The Kramer brand is another manufacturer known for its superstrat models, but this brand also has more affordable guitars. One of its most popular creations is the Kramer Baretta. A guitar with only one volume control and a single electromagnetic double-coil pickup.
A model similar to the guitars used by Eddie Van Halen, who helped popularize the single-pickup super Stratocaster guitar design of the 1980s.