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Post subject: Something I Noticed...
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:18 pm
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I as flipping through my '06 Fender catalouge, and noticed something that I must address on the Forum...

What in this whole world is the difference between the Custom Shop and Regular versions of the EC Strat? And if there isn't any difference, why not just make one or the other? Or one more affordable? :? :? :? Please help my aching brain!!!!!!!!!

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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:21 pm
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This one is for Doc! It's all yours Doc :lol:


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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:22 pm
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fhopkins wrote:
This one is for Doc! It's all yours Doc :lol:


OK, that was funny..................... :) :D :) :D :) :D :)

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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:24 pm
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No, don't take it wrong zzdoc is an expert on EC's guitars. Don't take it wrong my friend. :oops:


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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 3:57 pm
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I'm a fan of good 'off the rack' guitars. When you find a really good one, it's like winning the lottery. I don't like the idea of paying a LOT more for a 'superior' model-or at least a guitar that someone ELSE tells me is 'superior'.

If 'off the rack' 'average' guitars are mediocre in comparison to ones that cost three or four times as much (or more), then why sell the mediocre ones? I'm excluding the 'budget/beginner' level models here, people have to start playing somewhere! I just don't like the 'cork sniffing' aspect of the 'boutique' level guitar. As someone once told me, 'wood does what wood wants to do, no matter what it is'; and at the end of the day, you've still got a organic chunk of wood in your hands no matter what you've paid for it.

If a guitar company is going to make a 'regular' and a 'custom' model of the same guitar, then I would think that the least they could do is tell us (the consumer) what the difference IS, and justify the price difference. You'd expect that from a car company or anything else that you'd buy, wouldn't you?

The question that blues_boy asks is a very valid one. I've had that same question on other guitars for years. And I think it's sad that this question doesn't have a easy, obvious answer. I sure don't have one. It shouldn't be a question that has to be asked by anyone, if the differences WERE obvious. I'm sure that someone is going to point out the level of handiwork and extra expense in making a 'custom' model as compared to a 'regular' model. But are you going to be able to tell the difference once you have the guitar in your hands and play it through an amp without seeing a 'custom' label?


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Post subject: Re: Something I Noticed...
Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:48 pm
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[quote="blues_boy"]I as flipping through my '06 Fender catalouge, and noticed something that I must address on the Forum...
What in this whole world is the difference between the Custom Shop and Regular versions of the EC Strat?

Your point is well taken, however the bottom line is, fit, finish, materials and workmanship. We have already established that a Custom Shop guitar is equipped with the TBX as well. That took up most of the winter.

Find a dealer who has both guitars in stock and compare them. There will be subtle differences in neck wood, finish, and feel. Where the signature appears is not the issue, nor are the available colors.

If you don't think the juice is worth the squeeze, go with the production line guitar.

As for myself, I've just acquired an '89 Clapton. I used to own a '93. THAT neck profile is no longer on the new guitars. I know. I checked that out on Sunday.

I had an '05 CS built on a Clapton platform. I thought I would get my '93 back in a new suit of clothes. Great build, but the neck falls short of what I had hoped for. This '89 is just where I want to be. Next closest is the '57 Hotrod.

Anymore questions, will be glad to help.

Doc :wink:

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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:55 pm
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Thanks Doc very informative. I believe that blue_boy thought I was making fun of him but I knew you could enlighten him some. Sorry for the interuption on the other thread. Once again thanks. Maybe blue_boy will read this later. :?


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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 4:57 pm
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i have played both and the custom shop one isn that much better, personally i dont think there is so much difference in the two....

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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 5:16 pm
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I don't know if this is the case with this particular model, but I remember hearing a joke that the difference in prices for the different Fender lines is because some Fenders are made in Mexico by Mexicans, some Fenders are made in the United States by Mexicans, then the most expensive Fenders are made in the United States by Americans...sounds crazy, but its sort of true too :twisted:

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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 6:24 pm
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bowlfreshener wrote:
I don't know if this is the case with this particular model, but I remember hearing a joke that the difference in prices for the different Fender lines is because some Fenders are made in Mexico by Mexicans, some Fenders are made in the United States by Mexicans, then the most expensive Fenders are made in the United States by Americans...sounds crazy, but its sort of true too :twisted:


Sounds like a stereotype to me, and a negative one at that, and should not be tolerated. I don't think that Custom Shop pickups wound by Abigail Ybarra (a VERY long time Fender employee) would be any less prized because of her heritage. Same goes for any original '50's Fender neck initialed or signed by Tadeo Gomez. I think that regardless WHO is building Fenders, or WHERE, CNC machines tend to have more input on how they're built nowadays than anything or anybody, unless (maybe) it's Custom Shop models.

Rickenbacker (which has always built their guitars in the US) had a guitar brochure out several years ago, and one of the pictures they had in the brochure featured a man with Asian features working on one of their guitars. The same brochure came out later WITHOUT this photo (it was substituted for one of just a guitar, I believe), and no other apparent changes to it. Draw your own conclusions about why that happened. Or better yet, ask Rickenbacker!


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Posted: Mon Aug 11, 2008 8:57 pm
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bluestube wrote:
i have played both and the custom shop one isn that much better, personally i dont think there is so much difference in the two....


As I've said before......"different strokes".......

I've been in the same situation once while auditioning the '57 Hotrod and making a comparsion between that and the Clapton neck and the salesperson commented that the Custom Shop guitar had a slightly more delicate taper to it. We had both guitars side by side in hand at this time.

The Artist series guitar(production) neck also had a decidely yellower tint than the Signature series guitar (custom)

Listen...the Clapton is basically a '57RI platform with updated pickups and active electronics. You can't get more basic than that so the fine points have to be in colors, select wood, and care in the build.

Next time I see those two guitars side by side I'm going to look at body contours. My CS definitely has softer contours than my '89.

As an aside, the only member of the forum, to my knowledge, who owns an "as built for" Clapton is AlainLaFrance,.That's a dimed contemporary Clapton, a once in a lifetime order of three guitars placed in '03, one of which he was fortunate to be able to procure. According to him, THAT guitar has an even more delicate taper to it's neck. So. even then, are we really getting the artist's guitar or a nod to it. In Eric's own words, one of the changes he made in the guitars the Custom Shop was making for him was to have his name removed from it.

I inquired after such an 'as built for' order recently and was told that 'due to contractual agreements such an order could not be filled."

Doc

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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 6:27 am
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well if icould only have one Clapton strat it has to be this one!:
Image

Image

Image

Image

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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:03 am
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[quote="bluestube"]well if icould only have one Clapton strat it has to be this one!:
Image

One observation regarding the finish on that repro....the wood is too white. I have really good color photos of the original,in the auction catalog, and a bit more yellow/brown is in order on that bare wood. I was also under impression that he had 'stopped' the trem block on that guitar and that was the reason for doing it to the Signature Series successor.

Appears not.

Doc :?

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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 10:17 am
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the only reason for the wood looking soo white is becouse there is spotlights right over it shining down on the floor there so thats why it looks so white in the picture it looked better in reality

and the original Blackie did not actually have a blocked trem you can see it in this vid!:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7d0Du6RqdTs

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Posted: Tue Aug 12, 2008 3:29 pm
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fhopkins wrote:
Thanks Doc very informative. I believe that blue_boy thought I was making fun of him but I knew you could enlighten him some. Sorry for the interuption on the other thread. Once again thanks. Maybe blue_boy will read this later. :?


I didn't think you were making fun of me, I promise. I actually thougt that it was a response to my "please help my aching brain" comment. And I appreciate the help, guys, really. It was just something that hit me and I thought needed to be adressed after I thought about it. And, I'm not so much looking into buying an EC, but I would love to have one.

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