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The title seems to loong, I can't make it simple. Anyone may fix it.

Alright, I can't explain my question in the title, but here's what happen:

I wanna get myself a Stratocaster guitar, I am a right-handed player. I wanna make something like what Jimi Hendrix did: I wanna get a left-handed strat and modify it so I can play it normally as I play other right-handed guitar.

My questions are:

  1. What else do I need to change on the guitar (after adjusting the bridge action and moving the endpin strap)?
  2. Should I worry about the pickups' pole-pieces? (I'm not into turn the pickups, because it'll make me sounds like I'm playing a right-handed strat sound within a left-handed body)
  3. Should I worry about the tuners position? Should I move this (image below)? the pointed mark

I don't really care of the whammy bar position nor the tone/volume knobs. I just care for approaching the new sound that I wanted to. I was also inspired by Joe Perry of Aerosmith who did this, but he modified the pickups with Hot Rails Duncans, but I wanna use like the stock pickups.

Also what I'm trying to get isn't really a Fender, I wanna try it like the G&L Tribute Legacy or maybe the Squier Clasic Vibe 60's

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  • As far as I know, all the pole pieces on all the pickups I've seen are exactly the same as each other. Isn't not like pickups have different pole pieces under the different strings. Just six identical magnets. You might want to adjust the heights on height adjustable pole pieces but on fixed ones it's not worth it.
    – Todd Wilcox
    Dec 19, 2015 at 22:20

2 Answers 2

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If your aim is to get the sound of Jimi Hendrix, turning the guitar over will do almost nothing for you. While there is a slight difference in height between pole pieces on a standard Start, it is not enough to make a major difference (if it was you could just spin the pickup around)

So of your 3 points:

1 - yes, change the strap points, and reverse the nut (possibly the bridge as well) 2 - no. It's irrelevant 3 - no. Leave it where it is

I think we already have a question on here about how to get Jimi's tone.

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  • I'm not about getting Hendrix' tone. Can you explain more about the third point?
    – seseorang
    Dec 19, 2015 at 15:36
  • You specifically mentioned you want to do this for the sound. It will not give you much of a sound difference. Fit point 3 - they hold the strings down, as otherwise that long stretch could let the strings pop out of the nut.
    – Doktor Mayhem ♦
    Dec 19, 2015 at 15:41
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    @DrMayhem I always wondered why Fender's had that little thing holding the strings down at the headstock. Makes perfect sense what you said (and only needed when all tuning keys on same side). I learn something new almost every day on this site. And sometimes I learn more from the comments than the answers.
    – Rockin Cowboy
    Dec 19, 2015 at 20:54
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Well, to be truly "Jimi" all you do is either

a) Turn the guitar over & use it as it is, or
b) Flip the nut over & string it the opposite way.

He could play well either way.

According to reliable sources, he didn't do much else, though he used a custom string gauge to help balance out the sound.

.010, .013, .015, .026, .032 and .038

References:

a) just turn it over…

enter image description here

b) turn the nut round

The Secrets of Jimi Hendrix's Guitar Setup: Interview with Roger Mayer

Jimi Hendrix Week: "I played Jimi's Woodstock Strat"

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  • I'm not only talking about Hendrix only, I'm talking about others who had tried it. Take a look at Joe Perry's Frankenstrat, he used .09 according to his tech. But, how about the pickups' pole pieces?
    – seseorang
    Dec 19, 2015 at 15:09
  • Perry uses hot rails… which don't have pole pieces. They have a blade-type structure
    – Tetsujin
    Dec 19, 2015 at 15:12

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