What Strat would you buy?

[Spudman]

In case everyone hasn't heard...Music 123 has a pre sale going on for the new Standard series Strats (MIM). $399 for regular colors and $35? more for Sunburst. They come with choice of fretboard.

As of 8-29-2006

 

[r_a_smith3530]

Before you rush out and buy, I would also check out another "Fender," and that one is the G&L Legacy, in either USA trim or, if money is shy, a Tribute version. If money is not the issue, I'd also look at the George Fullerton Signature. Now we're talking Fender!

 

[WideAwake]

I believe the Hwy 1 Strat to be a relatively decent value for a 'Merican made Strat, and I happen to like the thinner finishes.

I know this was an older post, but the HW1's are American made...

 

[r_a_smith3530]

I know this was an older post, but the HW1's are American made...

Hmm, WideAwake? That is exactly what Katastrophe originally stated, and you quote, if you will take a moment to reread his post. He states that the HW1 is "a relatively decent value for a 'Merican (not Mexican) made Strat."

Yes, the Highway One series is American made. I almost laid down money on a HW1 Jazz bass until I checked out my ZON. I got such a great deal on the Sonus, and it is just so much more bass than even an American Fender, that I could not possibly pass it by.

Oh, I just noticed, I need to update my sig file. Later folks!

 

[WideAwake]

I humbly stand corrected, I read it wrong.

Way to go for my first post!!

 

[r_a_smith3530]

I humbly stand corrected, I read it wrong.

Way to go for my first post!!

Nothin' to it! Keep comin' back. Do you have an HW1? I can't speak for the Strat, but the Jazz bass is quite an instrument for the bucks.

 

[WideAwake]

I do have a HW1.



I love it. It's got the best neck I've ever played, personally. When I was shopping for my strat, I tried just about everything in the store, and I kept coming back to this one. I even periodically checked back in during my 30 day return window to make sure I "shouldn't maybe spend a little more" but always left feeling I made the right decision. I was torn between and American Deluxe for a little while, it was a very nice guitar, but I still went back to the HW1. I did play a few other HW1's, and while I liked them all, none of them had as nice a neck as mine, I thought. Maybe I just got lucky and found THE ONE.

I did play some of the higher end strats, Eric Johnson and John Mayer, and I liked the Mayer, but thought it was a little overpriced, and I absolutely hated the neck on the EJ.

Bottom line, don't let the price of the HW1 trick you into thinking it's a cheap guitar. I may change out the tuners with the Fender/Schaller locking ones, but to be honest, I am having zero tuning issues with the Pings, so it would be more of a want than a necessity. I did have my tech add two extra springs and set the bridge flush, I don't use the bar at all.

My only real concern (and it's fading fast - the concern, not the finish!) was the finish. I've already got a shiny spot where my arm rubs, and some slight pick scratches where I seem to always hit the wood before the pickguard, you can't see them unless you really look, but I'd imagine over the years it will wear a little quicker. That said, it's not nearly as sensitive as some of the naysayers have reported either. If you treat it right, it should be fine.

 

[duhvoodooman]

Nice looking Strat there. I like the "zebra" look of the black p'ups and knobs against the white p/g. Did it come that way, or did you change it?

 

[WideAwake]

Came that way, and I agree, that was one of the things that caught my eye also.

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

WideAwake,

Did you try a Jimmie Vaughan in your quest for a strat? It receives rave reviews 'round here & elsewhere.

 

[r_a_smith3530]

WideAwake, I know what you're saying with the matte finish. My Schecter Stiletto Custom 4 has a matte finish, and it too is getting a shiny spot where my arm comes over the edge.

That's a sweet looking Strat. From what I've heard, some folks prefer the HW1's finish, saying that it lets more of the instrument's true woody tone through. Like I mentioned before, I really liked the blonde HW1 Jazz that I checked out.

 

[WideAwake]

No I didn't, but I've heard good things.

 

[Big_Rob]

Sunburst Highway One all the way.

 

[TS808]

I was out looking at guitars over the past weekend (didn't buy any though) and here's what I liked for strats:

Jimmie Vaughan-awesome bang for the buck, great build, great tone.
American Series strat....a little bit more money, but the necks on them are sweet.

American Deluxe Strat-the finishes on these are great, but why did Fender put those crazy colored pickguards on them??

 

[jpfeifer]

Hi Robert,

Here is my opinion for what it's worth:
Don't mess with the cheap guitars. Get yourself the best guitar you can afford, you won't be sorry. You're a great player and you should have a guitar that makes you play your best. (end of sermon)

I've heard that Shur makes great guitars, but I've never tried one.

From the ones that I've tried I would reccomend the Eric Johnson Model or the Eric Clapton model. Both are great guitars and have slight modifications that make them play very nicely. I own the Eric Clapton model and really like it. If I had to buy a new one I think that I would go for the Eric Johnson one.

my 2 cents. -- Jim

 

[Robert]

Thanks Jim, I appreciate the advice. I think you are right. I got a Fender Deluxe Players a while ago. Nice guitar, and I'm still excited to play it. One day I'll probably get a Suhr! It could take a while before then though, they ain't cheap.

 

[Big_Rob]

I would buy the Highway One sunburst Strat.

 

[Iago]

If I had high dollar I would get a:

-Custom LTD 1955 strat

I can't believe I said that hahahahaha

 

[pes_laul]

That MIM 60th anniversary Strat looks mighty sexy. When I buy myself a strat, this time I'll go with a Fender (or else a higher end brand). I want to treat myself to a guitar with overall great quality. Squiers, SX and so on, they are fantastic for the price, but you do get cheap mechanics, etc. I don't mind having several low end nice guitars, but one or two that is a bit higher quality is something I think I need. (don't tell my wife I said that).

I really want a tremolo I can use that also stays in tune. I'm suspicious about the cheap guitars here - although I could always swap the bridge out, but then the overall price goes up... oh well, we'll see.

Right now, I'm eyeing the MIM 60th anniversary Strat the hardest.

i have a squire affinity strat which the trem stays in tune

 

[guitaro]

Fender Stratocaster® Custom Shop Limited Edition - 60s Stratocaster Relic LTD Guitar

"What do you guys thinl about this one?
However it is over my budget ... Last time I checked it was $4600. I like it's look, but I wonder how it sounds and feels like. Anyone got a chance to try one?

Fender Stratocaster® Custom Shop Limited Edition - 60s Stratocaster Relic LTD Guitar

Description:
The Fender 60s Stratocaster Relic LTD Electric Guitar looks like a real vintage classic thanks to aged knobs, pickup covers, pickguard, tremolo, and switch tip. U-shaped maple neck with rosewood fretboard. Vintage tuners and tremolo. Fender includes three vintage single-coil pickups with your '60s Stratocaster for sound as old as it looks.

Unique Features of Fender Custom Shop Limited Edition 60s Stratocaster Relic LTD Electric Guitar:
-‘60s Oval “C” Shape Maple Neck
-Middle Pickup is Reverse Wound/Reverse Polarity
-Tinted Neck
-Custom Shop Limited Edition Decal
-Limited Edition Certificate
-Bone Nut
-All Original Detailing
-Built From Original Tooling
Shows natural wear and tear of years of heavy use, nicks, scratches, worn finish rusty hardware and aged plastic parts.

Colors ((482) Black over 3-Color Sunburst
(Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Body Premium Lightweight Alder Body
Neck Maple, ‘60s Oval “C” Shape,
(Tinted Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish)
Fingerboard Dark Rosewood, 9.5” Radius (241mm)
No. of Frets 21 Medium Jumbo Frets
Pickups 3 Texas Special™ Single-Coil Strat® Pickups,
Custom middle pickup is reverse wound/reverse polarity for hum canceling in switch positions 2 and 4

Fender 60s Stratocaster Relic LTD Guitar Review"

 

[Adrian30]

A Classic Players '60s just like the one in the pic. Than I woud "age" them white plastic parts. I haven't bought a thing this year, all of 2007. G.A.S. is pressing pretty hard and the budget is not cooperating.

 

[Adrian30]

After reading Elavds review of the guitar sayng (among the rest) :

"The color contrast of the sonic blue, the mint green pickguard and the aged plastic parts is wonderful!!! The guitar looks as an old guitar forgoten for a long long time unplayed…"

Strike the above mentioned "aging" of white plastic parts.:thwap:
It's just that in the pic that I posted above, the pickguard, pick up covers and knobs look so pale...I'm not into relicing, but I have a dislike the 100% white plastic, that's all...

 

[pie_man_25]

If I had the cash, I'd probably get a highway one strat, if they come in swamp ash, otherwise, I'd probably get an SX, I might get one of their jazz bass models as a backup for my fender, and also as a platform for modding.

 

[Duff]

Choice of strat

I just got two Highway One's, an sss and a hss. $388 each, new through a big chain I have no affilliation with, initials, GC. This deal is NOT advertized; you need to call the store and talk to the manager. Tell him what you heard about the 388 deal. I just got my two. Had to call around.

The pickups are not regular strat pickups but incorporate some special system. They play great. The necks are thin, not like base ball bats. The quality of build is excellent. The parts are really good, like a steel tremolo block (tested with a magnet). The h'bucker is hot and the singles are hot, alnico pickups. The tonal variety on the hss is outstanding as is the sss, using the five way switch. So a lot of people wouldn't want to replace the pickups. They are supposed to have a certain deeper tone engineered in by Fender. I was thinking about putting my set of locking Fender tuners on one and a set of stainless saddles, but was advised by some pro's not to alter it. I might do it anyway because I know it will change the sound, especially the stainless saddles.

I would say think about a Highway One. Supposedly they have been getting some undeserved put downs.

Think about it: made in Mexico - made in USA.

The Hwy 1's have this cool finish that glows. They are definitely worth looking at and playing and seeing if you can get the deal if you are thinking about money. Compare on to a MIM, MIM's are everywhere. Try finding a Hwy 1 at the sale price. There is a reason they are hard to find.

I probably would have bought a MIM strat if I didn't find out about this deal; although those Agile higher end ones are supposed to be nice like the 802 or 1000. Even the cheap SX SST's are cool and, obviously, can be modified. I put a Lil' Killer twin rail in the bridge on one. It was 17K the stock one was like 5K. That little killer had real bite too, not a muffled tone at all.

Below are two Highway One's (the center maroon guitar body is not discolored, that is pixelization mess ups from the low quality attachment settings I used. It is a perfect maroon stain you can see the grain through to some degree, more so on the blonde one):

 

[Radioboy950]

Say Duff...
Those are pretty nice lookin "value" Strats, and I'm very curious about the HSS in particular. Is there an audio clip or two floating around that I could listen to?

 

[Duff]

Strats

Those Hwy one's are 2007's by the way, at 388 US each.

Duffy

 

[pes_laul]

Lately I've been GASing for one of those floyd rose equipped strats :drool:

 

[tot_Ou_tard]

A Classic Players '60s just like the one in the pic. Than I woud "age" them white plastic parts. I haven't bought a thing this year, all of 2007. G.A.S. is pressing pretty hard and the budget is not cooperating.

Can you elaborate on why you'd choose this one Adrian?

Also I'd be interested in why you'd opt for a rosewood fretboard over maple.

 

[hubberjub]

This is the one. The culmination of 53 years of Stratocaster progress.

CLICK ME!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Adrian30]

Can you elaborate on why you'd choose this one Adrian?

Also I'd be interested in why you'd opt for a rosewood fretboard over maple.

Sorry for a late response, Tot.
I played one of these strats at GC, along with few other guitars, really more testing a used Crate amp than guitars, and loved it. It just sounded good and felt great! As for the rosewood, I have three guitars with maple fretboard, and I’m more than ready to have one with rosewood fetboard. Besides, in pure visual grounds, I like the contrast between the light colors of the body and dark fretboard. I think it looks really retro-edgy.