The Valley Arts Super Strat guitar is a high-end electric guitar model that was originally produced by Valley Arts Guitar in the 1980s and 1990s. The company was founded by luthier Mike McGuire in the San Fernando Valley region of Los Angeles, California.
The Valley Arts Super Strat has been used by many professional musicians over the years, including Steve Lukather, Larry Carlton, and Lee Ritenour, among others. Its versatility and high-quality components have made it a popular choice for players who require a high-performance instrument for a variety of musical styles.
The Valley Arts Super Strat is modeled after the Fender Stratocaster, which is one of the most iconic electric guitars of all time. However, the Valley Arts version features several upgrades that make it unique. For example, it typically has a thinner, more contoured body, which makes it more comfortable to play for extended periods. It also typically has a flatter fretboard radius, which makes it easier to play faster and more complex guitar parts.
One of the most notable features of the Valley Arts Super Strat is its pickups. Many models come equipped with Seymour Duncan pickups, which are highly regarded in the guitar community for their clarity, versatility, and ability to handle high gain situations. Some models also feature active electronics, which allow for greater tonal flexibility and control.
Other features commonly found on the Valley Arts Super Strat include a Floyd Rose locking tremolo system, which allows for extreme whammy bar usage without losing tuning stability, and a locking nut and locking tuners to further ensure tuning stability.
Several companies produced their own versions of Super Strats. Fender and Gibson both responded to the Super Strat fashion in the mid-1980s, producing a number of models modified from the standard Stratocaster configuration.
In the 1990s, as heavy metal and shredding declined in popularity in favor of grunge and alternative, so did the popularity of Super Strat style guitars. Companies who had built their business model around them either went out of business or were absorbed by other makers.