How much variance between guitars?

[CoryB]

Not so much with Strats, but the Teles I’ve tried recently all seemed to have sticky necks. Like the lacquer wasn’t completely dry, except that Fender uses catalyzed enamel so it dries very quickly.

As to Fender vs Squier and MIM vs American, try them all. I had an AVRI Strat ($$$) but found the neck on my MIM Strat more comfortable.

Be aware of scale length too. A little difference in length goes a long way.

Basically, if the ergonomics fit you, the sound can be tailored however you want with pickups, effects and amps.

Good luck with your hunt.

[acoustigoat]

Originally Posted by Dru Edwards

I think you first need to know what kind of tone you're looking for.

I'm looking for mostly clean tones, but in a variety of styles. This all started with listening to Julian Lage's "World's Fair" album (solo acoustic) and then putting "Modern Lore" (tele style electric) on repeat for weeks and thinking, Wow, maybe electric would be fun. I also like what Marisa Anderson does (on a strat, I think) and have to admit I dig what Daniel Donato (tele) is doing but not nearly so fast. So pretty much all over the place but definitely not into the whole crunchy thing.

Originally Posted by CoryB

Not so much with Strats, but the Teles I’ve tried recently all seemed to have sticky necks. Like the lacquer wasn’t completely dry, except that Fender uses catalyzed enamel so it dries very quickly.

Good to know. I hate sticky necks!

Originally Posted by CoryB

As to Fender vs Squier and MIM vs American, try them all. I had an AVRI Strat ($$$) but found the neck on my MIM Strat more comfortable.

Be aware of scale length too. A little difference in length goes a long way.

Basically, if the ergonomics fit you, the sound can be tailored however you want with pickups, effects and amps.

Good luck with your hunt.

Thanks! I played a Duo-Sonic that I liked a lot (MIM, short scale). I spent some time already playing around but didn't yet have a sense of what I was really getting myself into!

[Dru Edwards]

Originally Posted by Steel and wood

"A Strat" with humbuckers" ….. wash your mouth out

LOL. Dave Murray of Iron Maiden played his 1957 Strat (the Paul Kossoff Strat) with Super Distortions in it for the entire '80s - all the albums and tours. He's moved on to modern Strats with Hotrails.

[redir]

Danny Gatton played a Tele with humbuckers

[Gordon Currie]

Originally Posted by redir

Danny Gatton played a Tele with humbuckers

And he played it like a champ! Saw him here in Seattle in 1994 a few weeks before he passed. Lucky me.

[perttime]

There's a pretty wide variety of different necks on Fenders. Even current plain vanilla production has different fretboard radius, different profile, different frets, different finish, and of course different fretboard material. Old ones and artist signature models have even more variety: V profiles, some pretty thick necks, and various C profiles.

There's no such thing as a Fender profile, Gibson profile, PRS profile, Ibanez profile, etc.

[beninma]

Another thing to keep in mind with modern fenders is the nuts are slightly different widths:

In terms of nut width:

Squier < MIM < MIA (1.650/42mm)

Only exception is the new Player Telecasters with the 22 fret neck seem to have gone to the same nut width as MIA guitars.

But if you look at older MIM ones they may have the 21 fret neck with an ever so slightly narrower nut.

In terms of sticky necks I have not played any Fenders with sticky necks but the Brad Paisley Tele that came out in the last couple years had a lot of reports of sticky finish on the neck.

The only G&L I've ever played had a pretty sticky neck, they are out there.

[Steel and wood]

Originally Posted by perttime

There's a pretty wide variety of different necks on Fenders. Even current plain vanilla production has different fretboard radius, different profile, different frets, different finish, and of course different fretboard material. Old ones and artist signature models have even more variety: V profiles, some pretty thick necks, and various C profiles.

There's no such thing as a Fender profile, Gibson profile, PRS profile, Ibanez profile, etc.

Then of course there's the choice of rosewood or maple fingerboards. (My Fenders are both maple but I have no problem playing with either).

[gwlee7]

If you don’t like “sticky” necks, look for Fenders with a satin finish on the neck. A lot more smooth. My experience with electrics is there is a lot less variance between exact models. What I mean by that is that side by American made strat deluxes will be a lot more similar than two side by side Martin HD 28s. With acoustics, you might love one but not care for the other at all.

[RoyBoy]

The new player series is the current line of guitars MIM. They feature the neck you find so comfortable with a satin finish. The pickups have also been upgraded to alnico5 and are getting good reviews. For the $700 ballpark, it may be worth it to step up one grade above a used instrument. You are smart to be thinking about starting with a decent amp though. Even a nice guitar through a low price, low grade amp is gong to sound…well, low price and low grade. Maybe start with a nice guitar and a Katana amp until you figure out just how badly the bug has bitten you. I went through 2 cheaper amps until I discovered the bliss of a $1000 Fender amp. Good luck on your journey.

[arlum]

I'm a brand new member of the Acoustic Guitar Forum. While I've owned nine acoustic guitars between 1961 and the present day I've owned more than 30 electrics ranging in price from $99.00 to over $4000.00. I've played them through and have owned amplifiers that ran from $199.00 to list prices over $5,000.00. I've owned tube, solid-state and modeling amps. I joined the forum because my current focus is on Acoustic guitar but I saw this thread and thought I could contribute. A few thoughts ........

1). While the standard acoustic and electric guitar both have six strings that pretty much sums up what they've got in common. Chord shapes, arpeggios and modes are exactly alike.

2). The guitar tone of an acoustic is far more dependent on build quality, (bracing, glue, accurate dimensions), woods selected for top, back and sides, etc.
You can purchase a high end electric for far less than a high end acoustic.

3). Acoustic tone is never the same between two models of the same brand, type or whatever. While electrics also vary between identical models and brands the difference is minuscule when compared to acoustics.

4). Electrics are easier to master than acoustics, (although the additional equipment needed to create your personal favorite electric guitar tone can drive the price much higher than the single purchase of a quality acoustic). This is true. My current favorite acoustic guitar that I own and play almost daily is a Martin HD12-28. The sweetest 12 string I've ever owned. I paid under $2600.00 brand new @ the street price. I also own an electric Rickenbacker 1993 model 12 string that ran me $2400. The Martin is perfect just as it is. The Ricky requires an amp and a compression pedal to bring its best to the fore. An amp up to this demand will run you at least $1800.00 and the compression pedal will add about $300.00 more.

5). At some point I lost all self control in the electric guitar world and decided price was no object in owning the best of the best and producing the finest electric guitar tone possible. My finished rig, (which I still own and play through), is the highest quality most expensive mistake of my life. A signal chain that starts with a Gibson Custom Shop CS-336, Rickenbacker 1993 12 string or boutique build Melancon Custom T. It goes through a pedal board that ran almost $3000.00 including effects, power supply and board. Because I'm an old hippie I run a stereo rig that sends the board signal to a pair of Tony Bruno Underground 30 amplifiers. We're looking at over $15000.00. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Check out the acoustic offerings of Martin, Santa Cruz, Collings, Lowden, etc. and see what that amount of money could have put in my hands.

6). Acoustic guitars require much more practice and skill level to bring out their best. Once you've mastered the techniques of an electric guitar you then turn to effect pedal and amplifier choices to zero in on perfection. Acoustic guitars hold dreams inside of them that only practice and the skill level you achieve is capable of bringing those dreams to the real world.c
7). If you're a very good player on an acoustic guitar you will adapt quite easily to an electric guitar The same doesn't work in reverse. I've heard great electric guitar players pick up an acoustic, give it their best and sound like crap.

I love my perfect electric guitar tone. It falls somewhere in-between Eric Johnson and Frank Marino. I can produce it in my studio. That said ..... I'm prouder when I can pull off something 2/3rds as good on an acoustic. Acoustic guitars take perseverance and work and then more work. Acoustic guitars give us the opportunity to combine two naturals into something supernatural. No electricity, no computers, no modeling, no caps, diodes or whatever. Just the ingredients provided by nature X the skill level a man or woman can achieve.