The Stratocaster is already such an iconic guitar. Everyone knows what one looks like. But it is also a fairly common guitar. Every second guitarist plays one.
So, how do you make your Strat stand out? By blinging it out with some gold, of course. By adding some gold Strat hardware, you’ll be able to make your Strat distinguishable from afar!
Here are the different parts that you can replace, along with some great options to make your Strat distinct from all the others.
Table of Contents
Main Hardware
First up, let us take a look at the main hardware of the Strat that we can replace with gold versions. The main hardware will be that which is most visible. That means the bridge, pickups, jack, and tuning machines.
Fender sells a few parts with a gold finish. The bridge, jack, and tuning machines can all be found in gold finishes easily.
Bridge
Let’s start with the bridge. The Fender American Vintage tremolo assembly is actually intended for the American Vintage series but should fit most Strats fine. The American Series bridge will fit most older American Strats. While the FLEOR and FLEOR 2 are designed for most Fender and Squier Strats.
Tuning Machines
For tuning machines, the Fender American Vintage is a great fit for most Strats and Teles. The Grover 505FVG are also great and are locking tuners as well.
Pickups
Finding gold pickups is a bit tricky. There aren’t really any single-coil pickups with gold finishes. Gold finish pickups are also more common for Teles.
There is a simple workaround, though, and that is to get gold pickup covers. They are easy to install and don’t affect the tone of your pickups. These are completely closed for a full gold look. If you want the magnet poles to still be visible, these have openings.
Output Jack
Just like the pickups, the easiest way to give your output jack the gold treatment is with a gold cover. The Fender Stratocaster Jack Ferrule is a simple drop-in replacement for your old, bland output jack.
Other Hardware
Now that we have the main hardware all blinged out, we can add some extra flash to the remaining pieces of the guitar. These are the things that most people might not notice, like the control knobs, the strap buttons, and even the nut.
Control Knobs
Replacing the control knobs is fairly easy. While not completely gold, these Fender Knobs are a simple replacement. They are classic white but feature a nice gold on the numbers and labels.
If you are looking to get completely gold knobs, these AllParts knobs are a nice replacement. They should also fit most Strats.
To keep your strap secured to your guitar while adding some extra bling, these Schaller S-Locks are perfect. They are also a bit heavier-duty than the standard Fender strap locks while costing around the same.
Nut
Something that you might not even have considered, and that most people aren’t even going to notice, is the nut. Even the nut can be gold if you are looking to go all out with it.
This Guyker nut is a great fit for Strats and Teles. It is pre-slotted and made from brass for extra durability.
Screws
As a finishing touch, this screw kit from MAKA lets you replace all the screws on your guitar.
Strats with Gold Hardware
Of course, replacing every part of your guitar with gold hardware is going to be very time-consuming. Fender and Squier both sell quite a few Stratocaster models that have gold hardware as standard.
If you’re looking for a Strat with gold hardware, here are a few options:
- Fender Stevie Ray Vaughan Signature
- Squier 40th Anniversary Gold Edition
- Fender Tash Sultana Signature
Final Thoughts
If you are looking to make your Strat stand out on stage, putting some gold on it is a surefire way to grab people’s attention.
While there aren’t any convenient all-in-one gold Strat hardware kits, the individual parts are fairly easy to come by and not too expensive.
As long as you are willing to invest the time necessary, you will have a blinged-out guitar in no time.
