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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 1:55 am
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Wolfgang's bass would be good for bigger guys that don't like playing a small(to them) instrument. I'd imagine Jackson made it for him, which has the FMIC connection. It's a good looking bass. Specs on it would be great..if anybody wants to share. Van Halen is awesome.

A Jeff Berlin would be nice, because I've never seen a stock Fender bass with Bartolini's. He's one of the greatest bass players ever...

"The Tractor" will never happen.


Last edited by Dalembic on Sat May 04, 2013 3:05 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 2:15 am
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Wait, I just thought of one (and only one) signature model I would have and that's an original Kramer Elliot Easton. And it's got to be the red version with the rosewood fingerboard. But those are about as rare as rocking horse droppings.

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 4:27 am
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Drubbing wrote:
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.


I feel the same way about the basses in their signature series. I had a Rodger Waters Precision, that I bought because of the overall bass, not because of the signature on the back of the head. The neck was to large for me, so I went back to an Am. Std.

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 5:36 am
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Dalembic wrote:
I've never seen a stock Fender bass with Bartolini's.


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Pictured basses are not mine. I credit the photos from their owners for reference purposes.


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 6:16 am
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Didn't know about those. The one pictured on the floor is especially nice. So I guess there's no reason for Fender to build a Jeff Berlin...


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 7:46 am
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Blertles wrote:
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.


I agree that sometimes there is nothing special about the guitar and that some artists don't use their sig. guitars. As for Clapton, I know for a fact he uses his EC Strat most of the time. If you have seen him playing a Strat since 1987, it's a EC Strat. Even the gold one, the "Crash" Strats and every other Strat he plays on tour. There are minor alterations to them , such as the neck shape or the TBX tone removed, but over all, it's still a EC Strat.

Buddy Guy also uses his Sig. Strat.

SRV was in talks with Fender designing what is now the SRV Strat.

Jimmy Vaughn had an even more hands on approach to his sig. Strat. He told them ithat it better be priced for the average player to afford. He still tours with those guitars, as well as his white Strat.

Jeff Beck still uses his artist model since it came out in the '80s.

A lot of times an artist will come to Fender asking for something special and over time will tranfers over to the Factory floor. So in the end it's the artist who gets the ball rolling, not Fender Marketing.


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 7:56 am
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paris wrote:
SRV was in talks with Fender designing what is now the SRV Strat.


That's not exactly right, he may have been discussing a guitar design with Fender but the SRV Strat is a very precise copy of hirst "first wife" guitar.


paris wrote:
Jeff Beck still uses his artist model since it came out in the '80s.


Exactly which "Jeff Beck Strat" the man actually plays is a matter of some debate ...


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 8:01 am
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GilgaFrank wrote:
paris wrote:
SRV was in talks with Fender designing what is now the SRV Strat.


That's not exactly right, he may have been discussing a guitar design with Fender but the SRV Strat is a very precise copy of hirst "first wife" guitar.


paris wrote:
Jeff Beck still uses his artist model since it came out in the '80s.


Exactly which "Jeff Beck Strat" the man actually plays is a matter of some debate ...



Thanks for the info. I'm listening to a live performance of Albert King and RSV on PBS as I type this.


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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 8:55 am
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A Sonny Landreth Sig. Stratocaster.

I had the opportunity to see slide guitarist Sonny Landreth 3 times in the past 2 weeks, in 3 very different venues (2 of them small clubs).

Sonny used 3 different Strats at each of his performances:

A Lace/S/S Strat.
A Lace/S/Lace Strat.
An S/S/S Strat.

Each of these had a very distinct sound.

Didn't see any differences in the bridge/saddles from an ordinary stratocaster, so it must all be down to the pups.

cheers!

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 9:34 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, 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.

To my eyes the Artist Series serves two completely different functions.

There's people who want a guitar to emulate their hero. Sometimes these people laboriously build their own replica instrument: alternatively they can give their cash to the Company to get some sort of officially approved product. Guitars such as the Wayne Kramer Strat, the SRV and the KWS probably fall into this group. I've heard this sort of thing described as a mild form of stalking: more generously we could think of it as advanced fandom. Either way, personally it's not really for me.

On the other hand, Artist models provide the opportunity to have a specific set of features that are not available in the regular catalog: the fat neck of the Beck Strat, the hardtail of the Cray, the wiring of the Clapton, etc. Apart from an unobtrusive signature on the headstock these are normal looking guitars and can be played without announcing to the world that you're somehow trying to look or sound like the artist in question.

I find that perfectly reasonable. To my own tastes I'd happily play an EC Sig without feeling like a fanboy. And, though I have little interest in Eric Johnson or his music I'd grab an EJ Strat with both hands: in a variety of small ways it's one of the nicest factory line Strats and a delight to play, in my experience. I'm not in the slightest bothered by his jazzy little logo on the neckplate, but I've a feeling he spec'd it like that exactly so a fella could replace it with an ordinary neckplate if he really felt he had to and own that nice instrument without anyone thinking he'd bought into some sort of artist hype.

Gimme an EC or an EJ any day of the week. Nice guitars!

Cheers - C

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 9:46 am
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paris wrote:
Blertles wrote:
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.


I agree that sometimes there is nothing special about the guitar and that some artists don't use their sig. guitars. As for Clapton, I know for a fact he uses his EC Strat most of the time. If you have seen him playing a Strat since 1987, it's a EC Strat. Even the gold one, the "Crash" Strats and every other Strat he plays on tour. There are minor alterations to them , such as the neck shape or the TBX tone removed, but over all, it's still a EC Strat.

Buddy Guy also uses his Sig. Strat.

SRV was in talks with Fender designing what is now the SRV Strat.

Jimmy Vaughn had an even more hands on approach to his sig. Strat. He told them ithat it better be priced for the average player to afford. He still tours with those guitars, as well as his white Strat.

Jeff Beck still uses his artist model since it came out in the '80s.

A lot of times an artist will come to Fender asking for something special and over time will tranfers over to the Factory floor. So in the end it's the artist who gets the ball rolling, not Fender Marketing.


Yes, but we are talking Signature 'Artist Series' here... Clapton plays his customshop guitars mostly, the gold, the crash strats.. They are not artist series.

In terms of the marketing, what I was implying was that fender will make a guitar with a few extra mods specified by the artist, slap a signature on it and charge like a wounded bull.. Why? because it has an artists name signature on the headstock and people want to either feel that association with the artist & feel like their guitar hero. Or they think by playing said guitar, they will sound like them. It's clever marketing.

Trust me, you can take an mim roadhouse, or American special Strat and its got the same pickups as the SRV Strat and the difference is at least $1000msrp. :? I'd rather sink that amount of money into a good amp or mod to my own tastes. Or an overseas vacation. :D

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 9:49 am
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I would buy a signature guitar if it had features that I want (neck profile, hardtail, unique pickups, finishes, etc.)...the features that generally aren't (easily) modifiable with aftermarket parts, of unless you want to replace the body or neck with something that isn't actually from "Fender"...

Having said that, I really like the Jimmie Vaughan Strat--the particular V-neck profile (not easy to find in any other production Strat), the pickups (easy to find) and the price point (a guitar well-made in Mexico)...if I were to buy a Strat with a maple fretboard, this one is on the short list.

I also like the Robert Cray Strat, because of the hard tail bridge (not a common feature of a production Strat) and the overall "feel" of the guitar.

I like the big neck profile of the SRV and Jeff Beck Strats. I like the neck (and looks) of the Muddy Waters Telecaster. I like the sound of the Big Dipper pickups (one of the approxiamately 426 different John Mayer signature Strats has those pickups)...all of these features aren't easily found in other production models.

Also, I don't look at a guy playing a signature model and think, "Oh, he thinks he's _________ (Eric Clapton, SRV, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, whomever)..." UNLESS the rest of his rig is very similar or he's trying to dress like his idol or plays only that person's songs.

I just usually think he's bought a guitar that has the features, looks or sounds that he likes...

...remember, Pete Townsend regularly plays an Eric Clapton Strat and Buddy Guy has been seen with both an EC Strat and an SRV Strat on stage--do you think either of those guitarists are trying to emulate the namesake of the instrument they're playing?

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 9:51 am
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Dang it, Ceri beat me to it...I didn't see his post, which more eloquently proved my point.

They say great minds think alike...does that work for diseased minds as well? :lol:

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 9:57 am
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Screamin' Armadillo wrote:
Dang it, Ceri beat me to it...I didn't see his post, which more eloquently proved my point.

They say great minds think alike...does that work for diseased minds as well? :lol:

Ah - but unfortunately I now have to disagree with both you and what I myself previously wrote. Viz - this:
Screamin' Armadillo wrote:
...remember, Pete Townsend regularly plays an Eric Clapton Strat and Buddy Guy has been seen with both an EC Strat and an SRV Strat on stage--do you think either of those guitarists are trying to emulate the namesake of the instrument they're playing?

Awkwardly, there is visual evidence that Pete has always longed to emulate both his buddy Eric Clapton and Chuck Berry...

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Pete, Pete - just be yourself, man! :lol:

Cheers - C

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Post subject: Re: Artist Series Instruments
Posted: Sat May 04, 2013 10:00 am
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Having said that, I have modified both my Stratocaster and my Telecaster to more closely fit the sounds and features I like...I've changed pickups, pickguards, wiring and minor cosmetic things to create instruments that I (jokingly) refer to my own "signature" models...

...and yet, I can emulate my guitar influences (Jimmie Vaughan, Muddy Waters, Billy Gibbons, Rollo Smith, others) by the way I play, rather than the instruments I use.

Nobody else has instruments exactly like mine, and I think that's cooler that having a guitar exactly like someone else's.

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