#1
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Fender Strat Opinions...
I'm looking for opinions on some of the Fender Amer. Dlx. options.
1.) Alder vs. Ash bodies 2.) Maple vs. RW fretboards 3.) Standard pup config. vs. FAT config. (humbucker at bridge) I've been looking at them for awhile now but would like to hear what your opinions are.
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Rick Current Equipment '04 Taylor 914C Tobacco Burst/Sitka Top "Knoid" '04 Larrivee D-03R "Larry" '03 Genz Benz Shenandoah 100 Acoustic Amp Gone But Not Forgotten '03 Taylor 714CE LTD (Coco/Sitka) '03 Taylor 814CE-L1 (Braz/Sitka) '03 Taylor 110 '04 Fender American Dlx. Strat 3-Tone Burst "Smith" '04 Fender Blues Jr. Amp '04 Tech 21 Trademark 10 Amp |
#2
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I have an American Deluxe hardtail, Alder body, Maple fingerboard.
I love it just like it is. Especially the hardtail. I wouldn't do the humbucker (unless you're getting it for more of a heavier sound) because they don't sound very "stratty" at all. |
#3
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I made the decision about ten years ago to go with G&L guitars, and I do not regret that one bit!!!!
I currently own 15 G&Ls, so you could say I'm a bit fanatical about them, with eight Legacys, two Legacy Specials, two S-500s, two Comanches, and one of the ASAT Deluxe models. My bona fides are that I'm 53, been playing since I was 16; and made a living solely from music performance income for over ten years. I still have a band that does all kinds of music, from classic rock, blues, jazz, bluegrass, and country. I usually take three electrics, a DanElectro 12-string, my Taylor 710CE, and my 5-string banjo to every gig. For amps, I have used Mesa Boogies for the last several years. I can choose from the 35 watt DC-3 112 combo, a Mark III Simul-class 112 EVM combo, a Mark IV 112 EVM Combo, or a 200 watt Mark III Coliseum Half Stack. The Legacy is probably my main guitar, as its alnico pickups give the vintage sound that is so usable for so many types of music. I'll use a twin humbucker guitar (Les Paul 1960 Classic Premium Plus, Ibanez Ghostrider, Ibanez Artstar AS-120) for 10-15 songs per night. If we are doing heavier rock songs, I'll move to a guitar like the Comanche, S-500, or a Legacy Special--all of these have high output pickups, yet have definite sonic differences. I owned a really great 1960 Strat from 1972 until I sold it in 1991. I was going thru a divorce and it was time to let it go. I had decided to replace it with one of the '62 Vintage Series Strats, but made the mistake of comparing it to a G&L Legacy, and found there was no comparison. Not only was the Legacy better than the new Fender, it was better than the old Fender, and that was a real surprise. Tuners were better, frets were better, the PTB (Passive Treble and Bass) tone controls were better, the vibrato and bridge were better, fit and finish were better, the truss rod was better, ...on and on and on. Even the strap button was re-designed to be a marked improvement over Leo's original Fender design! I just picked up the new Fender Frontline and ogled the new 50th Anniversary model--and surprisingly it has many of the same design features that Leo Fender put into his last guitar--the G&L Legacy. Everyone knows how Leo sold out to CBS in the 1960's. After a few years, he started a new company with partner George Fullerton (the G in G&L--L is for Leo). The guitars they produce today are the quality you'd get if you bought a Fender Custom Shop Master Built guitar, but you won't pay those prices. These guitars are a tremendous value--if your ever looked at Suhr, Anderson, Grosh, DeTemple--you know what custom made strat-style guitar can cost. So with G&Ls quality, you can easily see what a great value they are. (I wish Gibson could build me a Les Paul as well made as my Legacys--but then I wouldn't be able to afford it!!!!) And actually each G&L is custom made, as the dealers order the guitars they want. Each model is available with choice of finish, body wood, vibrato or hardtail, fingerboard radius, fingerboard wood, etc. Lots of options. Fenders are good guitars, and they have that wonderful catalog that must cost millions to print and distribute. Lot of great players play Fenders, and they have a lot of endorsers (that they pay!) and that all goes into the price of the instrument. If I didn't have the G&Ls, I'd probably have a Fender or two. But I don't play something just because so-and-so has one. I buy a guitar--it has to work for me. In some respects, it's just a tool. In other ways though, a guitar is a work of art. For me, there's something about the G&Ls that just feel right, the perfect blend of form and function. And like Taylor guitars, their technological innovations and obsessive Old World craftsmanship make for great value. So before you buy your Fender, you owe it to yourself to try a G&L. If you buy one, be careful though--you'll be wanting second one before you know it! Bill |
#4
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Oh...
THOSE kinds of opinions...
IMHO, I have yet to find a Strat/S bodied guitar that I have to HAVE... I realize that it's the most popular electric guitar in the world, blah, blah, blah...but it doesn't impress me in the least. I guess I'm just weird that way...
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franchelB: TGF member #57! |
#5
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I have an American Standard, natural ash body. I put a Seymour Duncan little 59 in the bridge position, but kept the other two original single coils. The bride position humbucker lets you get a sustained, distorted sound that you can't get with a single coil, and the bridge position in a strat is so sharp and trebly that you can use a humbucker there and still get the classic strat bite and "quack." As for ash v. alder, if you want a natural or translucent finish, it has to be ash, because alder does not have attractive grain. Ash is also harder, which I believe gives you better sustain, and resists damage better. It does cost a little more though.
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#6
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Take your time a pick out a good one. The strat is an excellent, versatile guitar that can be used for a variety of playing styles. As for alder or ash bodies, I have 2 alder bodied strats and maple fret boards. The workmanship has never been better on Fender Strats. They are a good solid guitar. The tone on these guitars just keeps getting better with age.
The maple fret boards tend to give you a more brighter tone, where as the rosewood is supposed to give you a warmer tone. Personally I would buy whatever sounded the best to my ear. As for Ash or Alder, I have Alder bodies, but a friend of mine has an ash strat that has a monster tone to it. His guitar has very good sustain. Pickups are a highly subjective thing. I still have the stock pickups on mine which sound just fine. I will never mod my american strat; I might upgrade my standard with a set of noiseless Kinmans. I tend to like the very "straty" sound of the 2nd and 4th position of the pickup selector with the standard 3 pickup strat. A good example of this is the song "Lenny" by Stevie Ray Vaughan where he used the 4th position. You will get the 4th position tone but not the 2nd with a "Fat Strat". Also there is not a guitar anywhere that can match the sound of the neck pickup of a strat IMO. Bottom line play a bunch of them, each one will have it's own charachter. Pick one that suits you.
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Taylor 414C 2004 Seagull S6 Fender American Series Strat 2001 ____________________________ (All Southpaws) Last edited by lefthandman; 02-27-2004 at 10:36 AM. |
#7
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I've got five Strats, and love 'em all. But, I have to agree with BoogieBill on this one. Check out G&L. I sold a G&L ASAT CLassic a few years ago, and I've regretted it ever since...
Steve |
#8
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Hey guys...what makes a Deluxe a Deluxe and a Standard a Standard, beyond the price?
Rick
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#9
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Quote:
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#10
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I bought a robert cray strat last october, I really like it. I went with the RC becasue I definitely wanted the hardtail, but the next step up was the american standard series, which was more than my wife wanted me to spend at the time...
The only thing is that the neck is a bit thick (not wide). I'm getting used to it though. Also, it has the older stlye neck, which makes truss rod adjustments a royal pain. On the normal necks, I think you can access the truss rod from the headstock, but on mine, it's in the neck pocket... Why fender went back to this design is beyond me... |
#11
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Note also that the "standard" is Mexican made whereas the Deluxe is American, for what that's worth. I have a 62 Vintage Reissue that I got last week new. I also have a Mark Knopfler signature model. The 62 is alder and the MK is ash. I find the ash more resonant. Say what you want about Fender QC, but the quality of both of these examples is superb.
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In this house we obey the laws of thermodynamics! -- Homer Simpson |
#12
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You really should check out Ernie Ball Music Man guitars. Here is a thread, where one guy is offering to trade 2 of his G&Ls for one MM Albert Lee Model.
http://www.ernieball.com/forums/show...&threadid=1781 Most of the folks on this forum have played Fenders in the past and found the Music Man guitars to be superior. I have an Axis Super Sport myself. The Silhouette body is closer to a Strat. |
#13
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Quote:
I assumed he was talking about the American Standard vs. the American Deluxe, but you make a good point. I guess not everybody knows that you can get a "standard," made in Mexico, or an "American Standard," made in USA. The American version costs almost twice as much, but it's worth it. |
#14
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Re: Fender Strat Opinions...
Quote:
I currently have an alder-body American Standard strat, but I had an ash-bodied strat for a while (had the translucent white finish). The ash model was noticeably heavier. Can't compare tone quality vs. alder, though; they just sounded "different" mainly due to different pickups (Texas Specials in the ash, 57/62's in the alder) I tried maple necks on several occasions, never could warm up to the way they feel. Always played rosewood or ebony fretboards on acoustic. I like to feel the wood, not the shellac-over-maple. Just a personal preference. You need to go try both at the store. Can't comment on #3, never had one with humbuckers in it. I like my strat really well - it was a special edition sold by Musicians Friend with a flamed maple top veneer with cherry burst finish - but lately I have been ignoring it in favor of my Taylor acoustic
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1963 Gibson SJ 1975 Martin D-35 2000 Taylor 410 2002 Fender American Strat 2002 Takamine G-230 "Beater" 2004 Martin D-28 |
#15
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G & L GUITARS
Since we are on the subject of G & L guitars, did Leo Fender and fender guitars have any relationships. Did he start Fender and then sell out..what is the history. The G & L website does not address this little bit of history.
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