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Post subject: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 6:00 am
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This topic may have been discussed before, but I'd like to hear about what artist signature models you would like to see produce for the general public. Tell me the following:
Who the arist is:
What instrument:
Why you feel that this instrument should be made:

Let me be very clear. I'm not looking for arists whose guitars that are stock. I don't care that you like so and so who plays a stock Strat or Tele. There must be something unique about the guitar, the paint color, pups, electronics (wiring) and something that overall sets it appart from any other guitar. Some good examples of this are:

SRV: #1 and Lenny
EC: Signature Strat sounds very unique
Andy Summers: You can put that Tele anywhere and you know who owns it.
Buddy Guy: Who else owns a poka dot Strat.

Some examples of signature models that I can't imagine being unique:
Ike Turner Strat
Buddy Holly Strat
Otis Rush (love his sound, but I can get that from my 50th Anniversary Am. Series Strat).
Ritchie Valens Strat
The Edge's black Strat

See a trend? These are all stock instruments that you can get anywhere.

There you have it. Please let me know what artist signature instrument you want to see produce. I will then create a pole to see how they might fair in the forum of popular oppinion.


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 6:49 am
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For bass I'd like to see........

Berry Oakley's "The Tractor" Fender bass
Wolfgang Van Halen's "Wolfgang" bass(the one he uses on tour)
Jeff Berlin Fender Precision Bass w/Bartolini's and BA Bridge


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 6:59 am
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Dalembic wrote:
For bass I'd like to see........

Berry Oakley's "The Tractor" Fender bass
Wolfgang Van Halen's "Wolfgang" bass(the one he uses on tour)
Jeff Berlin Fender Precision Bass w/Bartolini's and BA Bridge


What were these bases and what about them made them unique?


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 12:59 pm
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I couldn't care less because I already own one in mint condition, but as proven by numerous comments here every week, for Fender's own good, they should bring back an American-made strat that resembles the (now discontinued) Billy Corgan Artist Signature Strat. This strat is an American-made Strat with 3 single spaced DiMarzio HUMBUCKING pickups, HHH, 2 of them specially designed for this guitar, and features JUMBO frets and a HARDTAIL bridge. The neck and maple fretboard is smoother than butter and the guitar can do the Billy Corgan raging sound, of course, but also sounds amazing for clean tones. The neck pickup, I swear, can do jazz, if a jazz player were to be playing it. (The guitar is way too good for my playing; I'm not even worthy of it yet.) The guitar is completely noise free on all 5 settings--not a scintilla of hum. It does the quack and all the single coil traditional strat tones if one wants that too. The color scheme is different too--white and black but it's a matte finish with old nitro instead of shiny lacquer.

In short, the jumbo frets alone are something that most pros have to do to ALL of their guitars as a mod. Real pros who play like J Mascis--puts jumbo frets on his jazzmasters. The (now discontinued) Corgan Strat comes with that work done for you. And the American workmanship is, of course, flawless. No sharp edges on any frets. Very rounded "hand round" "worn" edges on the neck.

As all honest folks here will acknowledge, regardless of one's feelings about Billy Corgan's personality or his singing voice, nary a day passes here at this forum when somebody does not clamor for a strat with a hardtail bridge or humbuckers or both. VERY FEW are offered, at all, and I'm not sure if any American-made ones are, currently. If you want a humbucker at the NECK, you have to go to a muddy cheap blacktop asian one that's in HH and those HHs get horrible reviews. Except perhaps one other sig model that has an outlandishly embarrashing paint scheme if I recall.

The good news is that Corgan strats (new old stock) are still available at various online sellers and anyone who wants an amazing strat with humbuckers and a hardtail bridge and jumbo frets would do well to pick one up while they can.

If those guitars wouldn’t sell because so many people don’t like Billy Corgan, then Fender, for its own good, should bring back the guitar and simply don’t put Corgan’s name on it or something. Make an American Standard with HHH Dimarzio pickups and jumbo frets and a hard tail.

You can put a sticker over Corgan's signature on the back if you don't like Corgan.

:wink:


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 1:54 pm
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How about the Jimmy Bryant Stratocaster prototype that Leo gave him to use while recording "Little Rock Getaway".

John Bryant, Jim's son, claims it was very unique. Anyone know any more about it?

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 4:54 pm
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Keith Richards "Micawber" Telecaster
George Harrison "Rocky" Stratocaster

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 5:45 pm
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Bruce Springsteen 2 pickup esquire.. Customshop relic

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 7:21 pm
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Her Wanna wrote:
I couldn't care less because I already own one in mint condition, but as proven by numerous comments here every week, for Fender's own good, they should bring back an American-made strat that resembles the (now discontinued) Billy Corgan Artist Signature Strat. This strat is an American-made Strat with 3 single spaced DiMarzio HUMBUCKING pickups, HHH, 2 of them specially designed for this guitar, and features JUMBO frets and a HARDTAIL bridge. The neck and maple fretboard is smoother than butter and the guitar can do the Billy Corgan raging sound, of course, but also sounds amazing for clean tones. The neck pickup, I swear, can do jazz, if a jazz player were to be playing it. (The guitar is way too good for my playing; I'm not even worthy of it yet.) The guitar is completely noise free on all 5 settings--not a scintilla of hum. It does the quack and all the single coil traditional strat tones if one wants that too. The color scheme is different too--white and black but it's a matte finish with old nitro instead of shiny lacquer.

In short, the jumbo frets alone are something that most pros have to do to ALL of their guitars as a mod. Real pros who play like J Mascis--puts jumbo frets on his jazzmasters. The (now discontinued) Corgan Strat comes with that work done for you. And the American workmanship is, of course, flawless. No sharp edges on any frets. Very rounded "hand round" "worn" edges on the neck.

As all honest folks here will acknowledge, regardless of one's feelings about Billy Corgan's personality or his singing voice, nary a day passes here at this forum when somebody does not clamor for a strat with a hardtail bridge or humbuckers or both. VERY FEW are offered, at all, and I'm not sure if any American-made ones are, currently. If you want a humbucker at the NECK, you have to go to a muddy cheap blacktop asian one that's in HH and those HHs get horrible reviews. Except perhaps one other sig model that has an outlandishly embarrashing paint scheme if I recall.

The good news is that Corgan strats (new old stock) are still available at various online sellers and anyone who wants an amazing strat with humbuckers and a hardtail bridge and jumbo frets would do well to pick one up while they can.

If those guitars wouldn’t sell because so many people don’t like Billy Corgan, then Fender, for its own good, should bring back the guitar and simply don’t put Corgan’s name on it or something. Make an American Standard with HHH Dimarzio pickups and jumbo frets and a hard tail.

You can put a sticker over Corgan's signature on the back if you don't like Corgan.

:wink:


I don't know what ended the Fender/Corgan relationship... but it was one of the sig Strats that was very different from the norm. Having said that, the Billy Corgan pups are still available and even the loaded pickguard. Plug those into an American Special (large headstock, maple fretboard w/ jumbo frets) and block the trem (instead of string-thru stoptail) and you pretty much have a Corgan Strat. Pair the Corgan loaded pickguard with a Robert Cray MIM body and an Am Spl neck and you really have a Corgan Strat!

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Wed May 01, 2013 9:34 pm
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Her Wanna wrote:
I couldn't care less because I already own one in mint condition, but as proven by numerous comments here every week, for Fender's own good, they should bring back an American-made strat that resembles the (now discontinued) Billy Corgan Artist Signature Strat.


Personally I would opt for a Dave Murray signature model based on the modified vintage white Floyd Rose Classic he uses since the Brave New World tour of 2003.

Image

The guitar in question has a similar configuration (HHH) with three Seymour Duncan HotRails and 5-way switching. It also sports an aged white pearloid pickguard and an original Floyd Rose tremolo.

The actual Dave Murray Stratocaster is modeled after Paul Kossoff's '57/'63 hybrid, except Dave's own guitar has many of the features found on the MIJ HST-57DM Tribute series.

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 5:07 pm
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Miami Mike wrote:
How about the Jimmy Bryant Stratocaster prototype that Leo gave him to use while recording "Little Rock Getaway".

John Bryant, Jim's son, claims it was very unique. Anyone know any more about it?


I've seen this guitar. That would be kind of cool, and easy to make happend.


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 5:10 pm
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M1KE wrote:
Keith Richards "Micawber" Telecaster
George Harrison "Rocky" Stratocaster


Rocky would be an easy one to do. What is special about teh Micawber Tele?


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Fri May 03, 2013 5:16 pm
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I'm seeing some interest picks, which good.

But I don't think I made myself clear. These would Fender factory production models, not Custom Shop guitars. Which means, not a lot of relicing going on. Also, please tell me why these guitars should be added. It doesn't help just tell me the guitar.

The boss' Esquire is cool, but which era? He changes out the pups all the time.

I like the "Rocky" idea. If would be a graphic that has a clear coat over it.

I just thought another Strat that would be great: Nils Lofgren Strat.
Here is why: Natural wood finish with natural wood pick guard and special wiring (neck and bridge bypass).

I have a guitar that is very similar to this and it sounds amazing.


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 12:44 am
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I think Artist Series are a lot of hype.. SRV Strat for example, nothing like what he actually played. Eric Clapton Strat- he doesn't even play it most of the time.
John 5 doesn't play his triple tele either- just his customshop prototype. Even some Gibson artists don't use them.. Angus Young is another one. There are artists that do use their signature gear without being a 'custom shop only' however.

You can get a Mark Knophler or an SRV sound with a Am. Special Strat.

Meh!! Had to rant.. But very clever marketing however eh.. :wink: I don't think I will ever own one personally unless someone gave me one.

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 1:21 am
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Blertles wrote:
I think Artist Series are a lot of hype ..


I'm glad someone said it. I totally agree, I've never considered buying a guitar with anyone's name on the headstock, I always figured they were for obsessive copyists. American Standards are what I play 90% of the time and the only "signature sound" I want is my own signature sound. I'd rather sound like myself than pay silly money to pretend I'm Jeff Beck or Eric Johnson.

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 1:39 am
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GilgaFrank wrote:
Blertles wrote:
I think Artist Series are a lot of hype ..


I'm glad someone said it. I totally agree, I've never considered buying a guitar with anyone's name on the headstock

Same here, a (partially) successful marketing exercise.

Last thing I need is Beck's, Glimour's or Clapton's name plastered on my guitar to remind me what the thing is capable of, and how far I'll always be from getting it to sound anywhere near as good.


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