Here is one I am curious about. I started out on electrics with a 1980 Gibson LP custom. Then, as I became a more experienced player I really got into tone, versatility and overall sound. I turned to Strats and found everything I loved and wanted in the above sound. Finally the Tele was what defined my sound/tone. I realize now that Fender is the only brand I will play. I do appreciate other guitars, but Fender is my guitar sound!

The way I figure it, unless one is trying to be a Stevie Ray Vaughnabee or something, those who pick up guitar are trying to express themselves on their own personal level; they are trying to make their own 'statement', so to speak. So, just as we have personality traits, our guitar playing as an extension of our personality has 'tools' to further this end. One's choice of guitar, amp and so on, right down to one's choice of pick are all part and parcel of this. Compare this to say, sports. Who played football a lot when they were young, having all the personally chosen equipment but then ultimately abandoning it for baseball and stuck with that. Who liked say, war movies but now prefers comedies. It is all part of finding one's self and once that segment is fulfilled, there is that personal comfort level where some is directed inward and some is confidently extended outward. YMMV.

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You dig?

Although I love the sound of all my Fenders I like to broaden the tones available in the sound spectrum,much as an artist uses different colours and brushes on his pallate.As good and versatile Fenders are they can't reproduce the sound of an SG or Les Paul,Eppy Casino,Vox etc. so I'll continue creatingnew and interesting tones with my widely varied stable of guitars.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

I won't ever limit myself to one brand guitar. To many fine ones out there.
Plus there sounds I get from my LP's and Telecasters that I could never get out of my Strats.
And face it if you hooked on only Strats the you better have a G&L or two in the house.There Strats too.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Airbournestrat,

I am a lot like you. I have played a bunch of different guitars over the years and the Stratocaster is now my favorite guitar. I have always had a Stratocaster (either Fender or another brand) in my collection. I have played ESP, Ibanez, BC Rich, Gibson, Mako, Jackson, and Charvelle. Right now I am soley a Stratocaster (Fender/Squier) person. Now I am looking at either a Fender 72 Deluxe Telecaster, the new American Special Stratocaster, or a Lone Star Stratocaster as my next guitar.

Of course this will have to wait until I have procured my next amp which is a toss up between the Super Champ XD or the Blues Junior. Just a couple more months and I should have the money saved for one of these great amps

RK

To me the Fender name is iconic in the world of guitars. All of my family members that play all play Fender Strats or Teles. I have always been more of an acoustic style player with hopes of going electric with my first tele in the near future. I've played alot of brands but there is only a few that i think could stand the test of time with Fender. I just wish Fender would put more out there to fit every taste for fit and musical taste. For me it would be a combination of the Teles fit but with the tones of a LP. I'll just have to save and get it custom shopped i guess.

RK,
I tried both and the SCXD won out. I have one and so love it. So many tones that you can get and the best part is I no longer have to drag out pedals because of the onboard effects. Definately try both but...IMO I think you will find greater versatility with the SCXD..Good luck!
ABS

martian,
good point of view. I can assure you that I am not a bluesman.. so I won't even insult SRV's music or your ears for that matter.. I write more along the lines of the Eagles...kind of country/rock/easy listening all combined into one. I do like how you summed up your point of view!
ABS

When I hear I play only Fender Strats I just think which Fender? Fender Electric Instrument Manufacturing Company or Fender CBS or Fender Musical Instruments Corporation. Then you have Dyna Gakki, Tokai, FujiGen. all made strats under the Fender name and the own. They are all different companies some out sourcing to fender. Point is there are so many different Strats.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

Airbournestrat, I read ya. I just had a mij Tele remodeled and, man, I'm ignoring my other stuff. One of my others being an expensive Strat. The thing is, the Tele still has characteristics I dont like, but wow, so simple, so pure, so demanding...
I saw a cheap but attractive Epi at the GC yesterday, but those 2 humbuckers on it, I bet they're gonna sound dirty no matter what.
I might just pass on that guitar.

I too, appreciate a variety of guitars, so Fenders bring their own flavours.

I own a Mustang, and I was attracted to it for the out of phase sound it has.
Beyond that I like the shorter scale for learning new stuff I find it easier.

I like the subtle stuff you can do with the vibrato bar.

All my other electrics are humbuckers--so having a single coil is cool too.

And one day I plan to have a Strat for more variety, and maybe something else from Fender too.

I wouldn't min=d one of the smaller tube amps either. I can't deal with large amps anymore--I want something small and light weight--and Fender has a few that fit that criteria. I have G-Dec Jr--and it's a lot of fun.

So that's my Fender stuff and thoughts.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.

All the guys I looked up to as a kid seemed to play Fenders, and for some reason it is to me the blue collar musicians guitar. Personally the Tele would be my choice if I could only have one guitar though it has not been my #1 for almost a decade I feel a lot of people overlook what you can do with one. The first Zepplin album really shows what you can do with one. Besides the fact Beck ,Clapton and Page all played one early on.

I like a lot of guitars but as far as I am concerned the Tele and Strat are by far the the greatest 1-2 punch ever.

Agreed! I view a guitar as a tool. You wouldnt use a hammer to drive a phillips head screw, would you? Every guitar in my possesion has a purpose or genre of music for which it is used. Some cross over styles better than others, some are dedicated to a certain style of play. I, on occasion, have even modified a guitar to make it even more suited for a certain type of music knowing that I have limited its versatility in the pursuit of a certain sound (for which I designed it).

To limit yourself to one type, style or manufacturer of guitar is like saying, "I'm only gonna eat ice cream for the rest of time." Sure, there are a couple of different flavors of ice cream, but at the end of the day its still ice cream.

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"I started out with nothing, and still have most of it"

I used to own a lot of guitars. Fender, Gibson, G&L, Hagstrom, Framus arch-top, Danelectro, Yamaha, Ibanez, Ernie Ball, PRS, etc. Never tried a Gretsch and only played one Ricky way back in the day. Last few years I have culled the stable considerably and have arrived at what I believe to be the bare essentials for my own taste and style. Two Strats (1-HSS & 1-SSS), one Tele and one Les Paul and a couple of acoustics and a Jazz bass. For me I don't need anything else and to be perfectly honest I prolly don't really need the LP. So while I agree that one should generally keep their options open and try new things from time to time I also understand that sometimes you can just find yourself eventually drawn to a particular type and slowly begin losing interest in the others. I appreciate other makes but for the most part I'm a Fender man.

(Although I think I might be interested in trying out Eddie's new Wolfgang)

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

Its all due to mojo- the fender guitars have it.. ive owned many guitars over the years and my strats have been the most awe -inspiring type of axes ive ever had the pleasure of playing.....ZO13