[Jaden]

Originally Posted by Br1ck

I've been rolling my own for decades now. I'll never own another factory made strat or tele again.

USA Custom and Warmouth, heck even Allparts make fine necks and bodies. I've painted several dozen necks and a dozen or so bodies with ReRanch nitro. You can buy the finest parts from the likes of Glendale, and pickups from Don Mare, Lollar, Frailin and Duncan.

You end up with custom shop quality for about $800.

Tweed Fender designs are problematic in that they operate in a sweet spot that is fairly close to 7 or 8. That is loud even for the little champ. So your volume control is to have a Champ, a Princeton, a Deluxe, a Bandmaster, and a Twin.
I know a blues player that does that. Takes whatever matches the room.

Heresy I know, but I bought a Tech 21 used for $300. Has real spring reverb a great Fender clean tone that can get tweedy dirty, and a high gain Brit channel, plus an XLR out that has a cab sim built in. I'm pretty tube die hard, but tech 21 stuff is good.

I think you’re right about factory made due to large price point and quality spread over the product line.