Do you have, or are you wondering what a Fat Strat is? If so, you are probably not alone and here I will try to give you a short guide on what exactly a Fat Strat is. I hope you find this helpful.

Yes, there is a Fat Strat, which is also called HSS, which means, it is an anagram of Humbucker, Single Coil, Single Coil stratocaster, just like on the Fender Stratocaster guitar (as if you didn’t know it already). The usual and more typical Strat has three single coil pickups. The Fat Strat has just two single coil pickups, one located at the neck and one at the middle position, and a humbucker pickup at the bridge position. Confused?

The humbuckers give what is called a fatter sound than a single coil. They have more windings which, as a direct result of this, are ‘hotter’, that is, they achieve higher or higher output. Generally speaking, the hotter the pickup, the more prominent the midrange frequencies will be, which is why they are said to have a thicker or warmer sound with less highs. Humbuckers are what you will find in guitars like the Gibson Les Paul among others.

The Fat Strat can give you more tonal options if that’s the type of sound you’re looking for or appealing to you. If, on the other hand, you are looking for the true classic sound of the Stratocaster, you may want to stick with the standard variety of three standard single coils. At the aftermarket, you can buy single coils that roll up hotter and will achieve a warmer sound for you as well. Many people will add a hotter single coil at the bridge position, which I suppose could give a somewhat similar sound, if you can call it that, an effect like humbucker.

There are also HH Strats that contain 2 humbucker pickups and no single coils. You may have heard that they are known as Double Fat Strats.