Can’t determine between a Tele and a Strat? The brand new Squier Paranormal Customized Nashville Stratocaster could ease your fearful thoughts.

With a double-bound/double-cut poplar physique and maple neck, the guitar has the neck and bridge pickups of a typical Tele with a center pickup borrowed from a Strat. All have Alnico polepieces and the trio is managed by a five-way swap acquainted to any Strat participant, complemented with a Tele’s knurled Quantity and Tone knurled barrell knobs. The Tone knob is a push/pull that engages the neck place when the blade is within the first or second place.

Classic-style tuners, three-barrel/string-through-body bridge, three-ply pickguard, and aged binding give the Nashville a totally classic vibe.

Any Strat or Tele participant will really feel proper at residence with this instrument; the C-shaped neck with a 9.5″ radius, slender/tall frets and laurel fretboard present glorious play, whereas the artificial bone nut and metal bridge barrels bolster resonance.

The management plate is flipped, placing the Quantity knob very near the bridge pickup, permitting for handy quantity swells. The neck and bridge pickups do every little thing a Tele does, with a definite ’50s tone. The neck pickup is very warm and spherical, simply usable for jazz. The bridge can go from rooster pickin’ to full-on roar by simply bumping up the Quantity knob. The Strat-style pickup is full-sounding, and with the blade selector in positions two and 4 produces the attribute “cluck” of a Strat. Pulling the Tone knob engages the neck pickup with the selector in positions one and two, offering a fair wider palette.

Cheap, well-built, and great-sounding, the Paranormal Strat might simply fill two slots on any working musician’s guitar stand.

This text initially appeared in VG’s March 2024 challenge. All copyrights are by the writer and Classic Guitar journal. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.