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Post subject: First Cutom shop
Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2017 8:40 am
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Location: Berlin, Germany / Cairo, Egypt / Bethesda, MD
Howdy Folks

I'm considering my first Custom Shop Stratocaster. I've had a few Strats before, and I currently have a modified 2008 Am Dlx with David Allens 54/59's with a Callaham trem system. I play through a DRRI.

I've looked into the different series of custom shop guitars and I can understand that they would sound different individually, but in general it would be due to a few factors: the wood (ash vs alder), fretboard (RW vs maple), trem system (bent vs block saddles type of block) and the pickups of course.

After looking into the different details of actual vintage strats (guitarhq.com) I'm not quite sure that the custom shop reissues would be exact reproductions of those particular years .... especially that the pups are quite limited in the current fender line.

So would a custom shop 56 sound different from a 57 or a 55?

What would you recommend (good/bad experiences) with certain models? any experience with the post modern line?

I play clean most of the time, and with a little grit when playing blues, so in general I think I gravitate towards 50's strats more with maple fretboards. The D. Allens I have a re 50's pups but a little over-wound so they don't sound thin.

I had an ash AM Dlx ten years ago and it was shrilly as hell. So i guess Alder is more for me unless someone thinks differently.


Thanks a million Folks

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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 8:29 am
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hi,

You can basically order a custom shop guitar with the specs you want among certain 'standard' specs. Neck shape, radius, frets, finish, types of pickups, etc.

I've had 3 custom shop stratocasters: a '97 pre time machine 1969 stratocaster, a 2002 relic '69, a 2014 NOS '61 stratocaster and my current one, a 2016 LTD Relic '64. I'll ignore the things like radius and fret wire that you can order "vintage spec". In each case, the instrument was not an exact reproduction, some details were off. (decal font, dots weren't "clay" on the 60s rosewood fingerboards, short pick guard bevel, on the 69 and 61 the knobs were similar to the regular USA models of the time. Finish was too thick in my opinion (I used to have a '71 Mustang bass whose finish would chip very easily... not so much here) The 3 tone sunburst of the 61 didn't look like any real 60s strat I've seen. (Red and black were too narrow.) If the '64 had clay dots, it would be perfect. It doesn't have to repro neck stamp that the 2002 had. Too bad they stopped doing it, it was nice touch. The decal has the Fender logo with rounded edges. The '64 has hand wound fat 60s pickups, which I like a lot, much more than the CS60s I had in the 61 and much more than the CS '69 pickups I had in the '69. BUT both early 60s strat I've had feature the "nail holes" in the body.
The relic finish seems to me much thinner than NOS.

As far as "exact" reproductions, I think if you want that you have to order a masterbuilt guitar so that you can ask the masterbulder for the details that matters to you as far as authenticity is concerned.

I think the 55, 56 and 57 with the same pickups would sound very similar. The main differences are, in my opinion, ash body for the '55 and neck shapes.

I would really recommend going with hand wound pickups. In my opinion they contribute a lot to the 'vibe' of the instrument. But that might just be a psychological thing.

Hope this helps.


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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 12:41 pm
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Thanks Obergfey

I guess ordering a custom strat from Europ would be penance. I can try and order it from a US dealer but getting him to send it abroad is penance sometimes due to CITES treaty.

What pickups do you recommend?
What do you think of the postmodern cs strats ? they seem to be like the custom deluxes of old.

Cheers and thanks for your input
H

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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Tue Sep 12, 2017 3:04 pm
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Hi there my advice is check out the second hand custom shop market.
There can be good deals even in the Uk from what I see and they can be had for significantly lower prices than new.
You have to do your research as there are some partsocasters with original COAs out there and of course easily spottable fakes.
My fav is the 56 ash blonde but each to their own.
I do not like relics much but NOS and Closet Classic are great.
Sometimes used handwound fender pickups are available as well.
If you go the order direct route then be prepared to pay but then you will get what you want and a guarantee it is all original.
You wont get an exact repro either way ($$ outside masterbuilt $$) but the custom shop offer some really nice guitars. :D


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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 1:14 am
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I custom ordered the '61 (with a 65 neck profile) from a dealer in France. It took 6 months.

The order form you can download from the FCS website is full of details. As far as pickups are concerned, I like overwound pickups because I like a full, thick sound. My experience has been that low wound, enamel pickups sound too shrill to my taste (for example '69) while FORMVAR pickups sound fuller to my ears (everything from 54 to 64ish) Fat 60s are wound to 6.4k with FORMVAR and alnico II magnets. Fat 50s pickups are great also. I think they're 6kish and alnico V magnets with more attack. I like them as well. custom shop 69 are around 5.8k with enamel wire. Lots of sparkle but they sound too "hollow" with my gear. I think they sound great with mid heavy amps like marshalls. But I'm a blackface guy so I need more "meat" in the mids.
But one's person's shrill is another person's "bright" and "articulate" so it's really up to you to try as many different guitars as you can to decide.

I really feel that the Fat 60s sound really, really close to John Mayer's Black 1. That's just my two cents but I like how "strong" they sound when played clean. I also like the texas specials BTW.

I would recommend the #2 wiring on a strat with "tone saver:" first tone control is shared between neck and middle pickups, second control is bridge only. Very nice when you want a really bright and snappy #4 position but want a fatter bridge sound.

I once swapped necks on a strat and found that a full maple neck sounded brighter and snappier than a rosewood fingerboard neck. I like the rosewood better. But really, you have to try out a whole bunch for yourself before you can actually narrow down the features you like best.

Find yourself a FCS authorized dealer and try everything. You might find one that you like off the shelf. You may discover you're actually a Jaguar guy!

The LTD editions are a great option BTW. They often cost less than if you custom ordered them with the same specs and you might get options you may otherwise only have with a MB. (on my LTD '64, the AAA flamed maple neck for example.)


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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 3:03 am
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If you are concerned about ordering from the US, you could always contact the Fender Custom Shop in Dusseldorf and see what they have to offer.

http://www2.fender.com/experience/fende ... lsseldorf/


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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 6:38 am
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Thanks a million all the comments are very helpful

I looked into the used market here and it's relatively limited compared to the US. It's also quite pricey. I don't like the relicing thing too, that's why I prefer nos then a closet classic can come as a second.

I haven't tried the custom shop in Düsseldorf but I guess I'll give them a call. Thanks.

I also gravitate towards 50's pups if I need something thicker I'd go the Les Paul route (I already have one).

If I go with an order, probably I'll treat myself to daphne blue with maple neck. Not sure about ash though.I'd also have to research the new custom shop hanwound pups these days, the last time I modded my strat was 10 years ago and I got a D Allen pickup. Kleins are also great.

I'm a blackface guy as well but remedy the miss with Duncan sfx-01and parametric eq

Any good guitar dealers that you would recommend in the U.K. ?

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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2017 2:06 pm
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Yes, Coda Music in Stevenage. They are very good with Fender Custom Shop.
https://www.coda-music.com/


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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2017 3:55 am
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Thanks .. I know Coda Music .... custom shop lounge in Holland seems also good
http://www.customshoplounge.com/

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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Mon Oct 23, 2017 7:00 am
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Hi, I bought a second hand 1956 NOS CS and was blown away by it's huge sound......so I opened it up and found out it was the Active model from Fender CS....it wasn't revealed before buying but I am glad it worked out.....and loving the sound.


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Post subject: Re: First Cutom shop
Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2017 1:23 pm
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Hi folks ...i'm back

I've just been offered a 2016 Postmodern strat NOS, ash body, quartersawn neck, rosewood fretbaord (not slab board), fats 60's pups...dunno if they're hand wound or no. I might have to go and try it .... any experiences with that model. It has the contoured heel just like my 08 Deluxe.



I never thought I'd contemplate a modern spec'd model, usually, when you say custom shop the first thing that comes to mind is a historic reproduction. Any comments welcome

Cheers

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