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Post subject: MasterBuilt Vs. Regular Custom Shop
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 1:08 pm
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Hi!

I am currently in the hunt for my 1st Fender, a Custom Shop Strat.
I am on the fence between the same/similar model Masterbuilt and Non-Masterbuilt CS Strats.

I totally get the Masterbuild concept. I think it's cool as hell.
When comparing the same or similar model guitars is the difference that great to justify the price?

I can see/hear/feel the difference between USA models and CS models.
IMO CS models are generally much better instruments than USA models.
is this a similar way to view Masterbuilt Vs. similar Regular CS models?

I am looking at the Wildwood "10" '59 Stratocasters
Dealer Select MasterBuilts are 5K plus,
The Non-Masterbuilt version around 4k.
A Regular CS 60' model is just over 2K!


Unfortunately I'll be ordering on-line and can't play the guitars. So I need all the advice I can get from actual owners.

Thanks in Advance!!!


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:04 pm
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Great Question.

From what I understand on how it works is this. the Custom Shop Strats are Hand made to the specs that are released.

What you are paying for is you havinga one on one relationship with one of the Masterbuilt Guitar Luthiers on what EXACTLY you Want, and seeking advice from a Masterbuilt as your guitar gets created. That is what you are paying for. from what I understand.

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Post subject: Re: MasterBuilt Vs. Regular Custom Shop
Posted: Wed Jan 06, 2010 8:19 pm
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:evil::twisted::evil::twisted::evil::twisted:


Last edited by Mike Toe on Wed Jan 27, 2010 9:00 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 12:51 am
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Thank you for the time on these Excellent and detailed responses.
This exactly the advice I was looking for.

I'm more familiar with Gibson's as I have a few USA and CS models...
I'm trying get a feel for how the Fender guitars compare among the various lines and these posts really nailed it for me.

For me I also see the Masterbuilt as a more attractive option for custom one-of-a-kind Vs. a "catalog"/"price list" model. The explanation above
makes total sense when comparing a Masterbuilt 1960 Strat and a regular 1960 Strat.

It's still a toss up what I end up with but I'll have some sort
of CS model Strat in a few weeks.

I'll be sure to post pics once I have it.
Thanks again!


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:13 am
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I think with the Masterbuilts you get a little more attention to detail and a little better fretwork...


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 10:43 am
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For those with Masterbuilt and "Regular" CS models what are your thoughts?

How do your Masterbuilt models compare to your "Regular" CS models?


Thanks!


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jan 07, 2010 6:26 pm
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eldiablo, interesting post. Before Christmas I was looking at a black Krause-built Clapton guitar at Wildwood. I thought that having a guitar made by the same guy who's building Clapton's current guitars would be very cool! If it wasn't for the fact that I just could not swing that much cash before Christmas I probably would have gotten it. Fortunately for me I didn't buy it; mistake though was that I started to look around the Wildwood website and then discovered their 10s! Oh man, I can hardly sleep at night! Those WW 10 59 Strats are just driving me absolutely crazy!


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 6:10 am
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Masterbuilt all the way for me. Better frets,better relic work, tighter neck pockets,usually lighter wood.....better tone.


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Post subject:
Posted: Wed Jan 13, 2010 8:18 am
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Yeah I want a masterbuilt. Time to kill some bills and start to save.

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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Jan 14, 2010 4:12 am
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I´ve had many Teambuilt Strats that were at least equal to Masterbuilts I´ve seen/owned.
They are excellent guitars but if you want to pinpoint things that are better in Masterbuilt guitars I´d say fretwork and relic job. I´ve not seen a Masterbuilt fretjob that was not to like but I came across a few regular customshop models that lacked the attention to detail on the frets........

.....in comparision to a Masterbuilt. They were not really bad generally speaking - only potentially better. Like you had the feeling you could get more outta the guitar.

I think when it comes to Mastebuilts vs. regular Customshop it´s all a matter of chance.
If someone offered you a free guitar without ever seeing or playing it and you had to choose you´d choose the MB because the chance of something going wrong is just very unlikely. But this scenario doesn´t happen IRL does it? So nobody forces you to buy a customshop non MB guitar you do not like. If there´s something you don´t like about a particular guitar just take another one from the same line and it will most likely be perfect.


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Post subject: Team verses Master
Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 11:46 am
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I am going through this right now. I currently have on order 2 Masterbuild Jeff Beck Strats w/ The Music Gallery in Chicago. Todd Krause is doing them. My situation is deciding whether or not to give up my Team built
Jeff Beck. I am just starting to love it and break it in..keeping it around to
compare and A/B the Masterbuilds is tempting but fiscal responsibility will probably kick in and the Team might be sold off. I also have a lovely team Clapton Olympic white that I bought in March 09 that rivals a Masterbuild in quality and tone.This is for sale if anyone reading is interested.


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Post subject: Re: Team verses Master
Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 4:25 pm
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acidtest wrote:
I am going through this right now. I currently have on order 2 Masterbuild Jeff Beck Strats w/ The Music Gallery in Chicago. Todd Krause is doing them. My situation is deciding whether or not to give up my Team built
Jeff Beck. I am just starting to love it and break it in..keeping it around to
compare and A/B the Masterbuilds is tempting but fiscal responsibility will probably kick in and the Team might be sold off. I also have a lovely team Clapton Olympic white that I bought in March 09 that rivals a Masterbuild in quality and tone.This is for sale if anyone reading is interested.

I'll take that guitar off your hands for ya :wink: In fact I'll go right to your door to pick it up :lol:


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 5:52 pm
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Hi Bob...well the guitar is here in my studio in Nova Scotia..anytime
you want to come and get it! LOL....


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Post subject:
Posted: Fri Jan 29, 2010 8:50 pm
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acidtest wrote:
Hi Bob...well the guitar is here in my studio in Nova Scotia..anytime
you want to come and get it! LOL....

Well Google maps says it will take 16 days and 16 hours...

So see you then!


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Post subject:
Posted: Sun Jan 31, 2010 6:36 pm
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eldiablo wrote:
For those with Masterbuilt and "Regular" CS models what are your thoughts?How do your Masterbuilt models compare to your "Regular" CS models?Thanks!


Prior to the creation of this astute assembly, and minus the voluminous increase in knowledge base I have acquired since becoming one of their company, I decided to have the Custom Shop do a build for me in that I could not get precisely what I wanted in the then newly introduced American Deluxe Series (ca:2004, I believe). I ordered it Teambuilt(which was the old Custom Shop designation thenfor more than one luthier) as opposed to Masterbuilt. It went in with a precise set of specs, and was delivered 18 months hence with the wrong neck profile. It went back and returned 6 months later (and that was with priority) almost, but not exactly right because the neck was gloss not satin, and it was generic V, not Clapton though it was made clear to me in writing from Fender that the guitar would be Clapton sans signature because the finish was sunburst, pickups were SCN's, not Noiseless, the hardware was gold, and the plastic parts were all black.

Today, if I ordered that same guitar, Todd Krause would be building it (damn the additional expense), I trust it would arrive precisely as the doctor ordered, and it is likely that I would still own it today. (but not my Gilmour :wink:). My Gilmour is done as well as the aforementioned guitar, and not just because it was a special project. I have no issues with the quality of the build, and you won't find some of the glitches that you see in production line instruments hanging on the wall. Fret ends are my major gripes. What you get in a Masterbuilt is the one on one, idea swapping, and those nuances which make the guitar truly singular.

Having Todd build either a Clapton Strat or a '57 Hotrod, from a single block of choice ash finished in Sienna Sunburst, with a white maple neck, would be neat project and an interesting piece to own.

If I happen to find something like that hanging on a GC Platinum Room wall, or being offered by a Showcase Dealer somewhere, I'll know why. :wink:

Doc

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