[Stixx]

Well , like you said opions on strats are as varied as the folks who play them.

I can only add to the confusioin to say that I have owned many strats over the past nine years including some custom shop strats costing thousands but I have to agree totally with an earlier thread who wrote:

Scott, you'll get as many different answers as there are people. My personal favorite strat is the plain American, ash bodied, maple neck strat. If you truly want top quality and lower price, my opinionis the best strats say "Legacy" on the headstock and are made by G&L.

to qualify that answer the latter part is only true if you buy the GL used they have gotten just as expenisive as Fener new.

I bought two new Fender American one pice swampash with maple neck and fretboard models in sunburst a combo you can not get at the moment and the ash as incredible . Light and clear and perfect . The single coils and new pots and dimensions are all top notch. They are all routed hum single hum so you can modify without routing and I have one kept stock for the Chris Isaak tone and the other with a "Rio Grance" humbucker in the bridge that has a great tone and versatility for wide range of timbres.

The thing is I have sold all my custom shop strats since buying these two wonderful axes and would not trade either one for anything else on the market. I have a PRS solid and hollow body that take care of humbucking tones and a 52 tele im still trying to decide why I own and then a few acoustics and bass made my different manufactures. The American built strat has it for me. I have spent four times that one guitars than no longer live with me as they could not compare with the american .


As for Mexican strats if you can sort through them and replace most of the electronics there is nothing at all wroing with them .

Jimmy Vaghn plays one and has for long time . Remeber Coronal california and Mexico are not that far apart so its material and parts the only reall difference in those. Myself I like to get the good stuff so I go with the american .

GL guitars are not the same as Fenders no matter if you like them or not they are fine guitars . I just don't care for the necks and fretwork but that is entirely personal. If you want to blow five hundred bucks go by one though and try to sell it a week later.

That of course should not be the determining factor as to a guitar ultimate quality it is just the market but it is a real consideration if you are prone to changing your mind and needs. But a GL used and you will need to know what to look for as there are things in all strats that can make them undesireable . But thats another story and I have overstayed my time here already.

later