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Post subject: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Sun May 08, 2016 6:19 pm
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Popped into my local music store and checked out the new Stratocaster Elite Series. Here are my overall thoughts:
1. Pickups - Sounded good. Like Strat pickups, about as good as N3s to my ears (but truth be told, I didn't have the N3's to compare).
2. Compound back of neck and neck joint contour- No my taste, but I can see how someone might like it. I prefer a Clapton soft "V" or the current "C" shape.
3. Rubber Knobs - Nice touch, but not really needed from what I can tell. I will say I can see how they might prevent slippage. (Does that really happen?)
4. S1 Switch - There are have been a few variations on this switch. Though I do not know the official word on this version, from playing the guitar, it seems like the S1 switch pickups in parrell.

There are other features to this guitar that I didn't mention, but I don't really think they pertained to the actuall playablity of the guitar.

Conclusions:
Overall, a nice modern guitar. It played well and sounded great. It's pretty much an updated Deluxe Series. So on the whole, I'd prefer my 2015 Dlx Strat Plus. The neck felt just as good, if not better to my taste and I can get more tonal colors and versitility by using the personnality cards. I think this will appeal to a modern player. Vintage guys might not dig as much.


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Mon May 09, 2016 7:03 am
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paris wrote:
...
3. Rubber Knobs - Nice touch, but not really needed from what I can tell. I will say I can see how they might prevent slippage. (Does that really happen?)
.


Yeah, when your pushing the envelope every night!

The American Elite Stratocaster is a progressive guitar for 21st-century musicians. Designed for players who push the envelope every night, this guitar is a true performer that leaves others in the dust with eye-catching style, exceptional feel and versatile sound from the very first moment you plug it in and play.

Seriously who got paid to write this?

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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Mon May 09, 2016 7:10 am
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Quote:
Seriously who got paid to write this?


Not a guitarist (I hope)...!!!


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Mon May 09, 2016 8:52 am
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Again, I still feel that the Dlx Plus is a much more versatile guitar. I own a Clapton Strat, and I think I prefer it over the Elite.


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Mon May 09, 2016 10:58 am
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I’m a versatile and progressive 21st century guitarist baby! I leave others in the dust when I push the envelope every night, I play so fast my strings turn blue and my knobs get so hot they need rubber covers. I’m the Dick Dale of 2016 and this is the guitar I use!

It is a cool piece though. Thanks for the review


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Mon May 09, 2016 11:04 am
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There are many complaints about the new spoke wheel truss rod system as I far I can tell....


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Mon May 09, 2016 11:58 am
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chromeface wrote:
There are many complaints about the new spoke wheel truss rod system as I far I can tell....


Really? I didn't notice it. What kind of complaints?


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Tue May 10, 2016 3:09 am
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It is a moment in time (much like the personality cards). If they sell lots I am sure elements of the Elite will appear on other models. If these models then sell more perhaps the features will migrate further.

I am interested to see what happens with the spoked trust rod. It is such a radical change that it introduces a completely separate rage of necks, bodies and pick guards. I can see the practical advantages, if you are a constant trust rod twiddler, but is it a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist? Personally I would think a more stable neck that doesn't need constant adjustment is preferable to a neck which is easy to adjust.

Rubber knobs also seems like the solution to a non problem. It will be interesting to see how many put them on once they become available as a spare part. My gut says not many.

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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Tue May 10, 2016 5:15 am
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John Sims wrote:
It is a moment in time (much like the personality cards). If they sell lots I am sure elements of the Elite will appear on other models. If these models then sell more perhaps the features will migrate further.

I am interested to see what happens with the spoked trust rod. It is such a radical change that it introduces a completely separate rage of necks, bodies and pick guards. I can see the practical advantages, if you are a constant trust rod twiddler, but is it a solution to a problem that doesn't really exist? Personally I would think a more stable neck that doesn't need constant adjustment is preferable to a neck which is easy to adjust.

Rubber knobs also seems like the solution to a non problem. It will be interesting to see how many put them on once they become available as a spare part. My gut says not many.


I tend to agree. The truss rod thing seems very uncharacteristic of Fender. A lot a people who want a Strat or Tele, generally want one that is kind of the standard, not a lot of changes which veer from the main design. Changes which usually go over well are ones which largely go unnoticed (i.e. the rolled neck edges on the neck and staggered tuning keys).

Things such as this a new truss rod adjustment and rubber knobs may bother people for aesthetic reasons. Just like the roller nut; the removal of a tone pot and perpendicular placement of the output jack; and push buttons instead of a five way switch, tend to push buyers away (no matter how much it might actually improve the guitar). All the items I just mentioned, Fender has done at one time or another on various models and all these models are long gone. Conversely, the basic Strat is still with us. Major changes can be come across as gimmicks, sales oriented or not true to Fender.

Concerning the Dlx Strat Plus, I don't see this model lasting very long, maybe a 2 or 3 more years, if that. It is a radical design and many not appeal to a lot of players. It's an unconventional model for an unconventional player. I’m very much reminded of the VG Strat. Having said this, it’s a pretty amazing guitar. With the cards I purchased, I can do the following:
1. The regular 5 pickup combinations, plus 2 more (neck and bridge, and all three pickups).
2. Tonally shape the bass and treble in ways that are not possible with a standard Strat.
3. Put my pickups out of phase (Brian May tones)
4. Put the pickups in parallel for a beefed up tone (very hum buckerish).
Even though it has a compartment in the back and the player needs to change out the cards to get different sounds, it’s basically a programmable Dlx Strat, which is a very popular model with modern players.


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Tue May 10, 2016 5:48 am
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paris wrote:

Concerning the Dlx Strat Plus, I don't see this model lasting very long, maybe a 2 or 3 more years, if that. It is a radical design and many not appeal to a lot of players. It's an unconventional model for an unconventional player. I’m very much reminded of the VG Strat.
. . .
Even though it has a compartment in the back and the player needs to change out the cards to get different sounds, it’s basically a programmable Dlx Strat, which is a very popular model with modern players.


It appears the Dlx Strat Plus is kind of in limbo. On one hand they have produced both some new personality cards and issued some other pickups with the plug-in connectors, but they they also don't appear to have produced any of them since 2014. The ones in online stores still have "US13" and "US14" serial numbers (there is one still hanging around at my local Guitar Center that is a US13 serial number) and I haven't seen them produce any more in that mystic ice blue color - it appears to be sold out most places, and has been for quite a while. However, Fender also hasn't allowed it to go to blowout pricing, either.

With the truss rod wheel - if the Elites turn out to be bigger sellers over their life than the last generation of American Deluxes, then it could move to other Fender models (probably the American Standard on it's next major revision). If they don't sell well, then I could see Fender reverting the next generation Elites back to the American Deluxe style necks and construction (and probably restore the "American Deluxe" name if that is the case). We'll also know if the American Elites make it to 2022 - that would be the next "scheduled" model change for this series - Fender has changed the American Deluxe series every 6 years.


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Tue May 10, 2016 7:14 am
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It appears the Dlx Strat Plus is kind of in limbo. On one hand they have produced both some new personality cards and issued some other pickups with the plug-in connectors, but they they also don't appear to have produced any of them since 2014. The ones in online stores still have "US13" and "US14" serial numbers (there is one still hanging around at my local Guitar Center that is a US13 serial number) and I haven't seen them produce any more in that mystic ice blue color - it appears to be sold out most places, and has been for quite a while. However, Fender also hasn't allowed it to go to blowout pricing, either.

With the truss rod wheel - if the Elites turn out to be bigger sellers over their life than the last generation of American Deluxes, then it could move to other Fender models (probably the American Standard on it's next major revision). If they don't sell well, then I could see Fender reverting the next generation Elites back to the American Deluxe style necks and construction (and probably restore the "American Deluxe" name if that is the case). We'll also know if the American Elites make it to 2022 - that would be the next "scheduled" model change for this series - Fender has changed the American Deluxe series every 6 years.[/quote]

The MI Blue is an amazing color. When I opened the case of mine for the first time, the guitar almost seem to shimmer in the light. It's gorgeous.

I checked out the M sunburst and found it a bit tacky. There used to be a M Black, but was dropped. I lind of wished that Fender had produced more color choices for this guitar.

Also, though I like maple neck fret boards, I would liked to have been able to get the SSS with a rosewood fretboard.


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 12:41 am
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StratDragon wrote:
paris wrote:
...
3. Rubber Knobs - Nice touch, but not really needed from what I can tell. I will say I can see how they might prevent slippage. (Does that really happen?)
.


Yeah, when your pushing the envelope every night!

The American Elite Stratocaster is a progressive guitar for 21st-century musicians. Designed for players who push the envelope every night, this guitar is a true performer that leaves others in the dust with eye-catching style, exceptional feel and versatile sound from the very first moment you plug it in and play.

Seriously who got paid to write this?


Im guessing a corporate envelope pusher did :lol: :mrgreen:

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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 1:08 am
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John Sims wrote:
(...)If they sell lots I am sure elements of the Elite will appear on other models. If these models then sell more perhaps the features will migrate further.

John C wrote:
(...)With the truss rod wheel - if the Elites turn out to be bigger sellers over their life than the last generation of American Deluxes, then it could move to other Fender models (probably the American Standard on it's next major revision).(...)

I'm a bit doubtful on that Elite features would trickle down to other series - after all, the significant Deluxe series features in the past haven't.

John Sims wrote:
I am interested to see what happens with the spoked trust rod. It is such a radical change that it introduces a completely separate rage of necks, bodies and pick guards.

And that's probably the reason. The clientele is used to the ingenious mix&match system on Fenders; any body to any neck etc.
Not to mention they (we?) are vintage (style?) fanatics resisting all change. :wink:


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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 3:49 am
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jmattis wrote:
.....Not to mention they (we?) are vintage (style?) fanatics resisting all change. :wink:


Indeed so. There are many guitars with modern features produced by a great many companies, some even within the Fender Empire (Charvel). Tele's and Strat's have an enviable catalogue of features mainly based on a very sound original design and 60 years of history. Once you move from those core values a Strat is a guitar like any other and has to compete on the same grounds. If you want spoked truss rod adjustment etc. you probably aren't in the market for a Strat any way.

I think they would have done better to put a Charvel badge on it in the first place. It would have put a lower price guitar into that range which could extend it's appeal and encourage sales of the more exotic offerings. It just creates confusion calling it a Strat.

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Post subject: Re: Test drove the new Stratocaster Elite
Posted: Wed May 11, 2016 3:03 pm
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paris wrote:
There used to be a M Black, but was dropped. I lind of wished that Fender had produced more color choices for this guitar.

Also, though I like maple neck fret boards, I would liked to have been able to get the SSS with a rosewood fretboard.

Funnily enough, I just found myself in the same situation - but reversed. I was interested in getting an HSS, but really wanted the maple fretboard. It put me off ordering one for about a week. Currently, Andertons in the UK are selling off the last of these models at roughly a third off - they have all four versions including the black. This morning I noticed the stock of the blue SSS was down to 10, so I decided to jump! I should be receiving a mystic ice blue Deluxe Plus tomorrow. :D Can't wait!

I agree there was a lack of choice with this model, and I don't think the metallic sunbursts worked very well. I'm not sure why this idea didn't go down that well, perhaps it's a combination of things. Certainly, guitarists have become a very conservative bunch, very different from the open & adventurous attitudes of the 60s & 70s.


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