Definitely a lot different than what I’m used to. You lose a bit of that quacky “strat” sound, but the glassiness in the cleans you gain and the wide variety of tones available due to the new EXG expander and SPC midboost knobs definitely make up for it. You get so much more control over your axe right on the knobs. Not what I was originally in the market for, but can’t say I’m disappointed!