ALso with the cheap tube pres like the ART V3 the tubes (I used to have one) "Warm up the sound" by adding distortion, which is not always good !


As for the tone of cheap strats, I suggest backing off on the distortion a bit, you will here a vast difference.

I have owned (5 bucks at a porn shop) and do own both the cheap and not cheap strats, In-fact I have 3 Fenders at the moment ! The difference in the way they sound is huge.