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Post subject: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Tue May 23, 2017 11:29 am
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Hi Guys,

I am a relatively new player, but I already have a few different electric guitars. I have a 2013 American Select Lite Ash Telecaster and a 2017 Gibson Les Paul Standard HP. I really like them both and they are obviously both very different. I have a Mustang II and a Deluxe Reverb 65 RI amp. Just yesterday I received my new American Vintage Strat 65 in Olympic White.

I had a few observations or questions:

First, I can't make this guitar sound like.... well, what I want or think of as a Strat. I very quickly arrived at my expected sound from the Tele and the LP, but the Strat is eluding me a bit. I have mostly played it through my DRRI, which I know is very clean, but it seems to be all bass and treble with very little mid range. What should I try?

Second, no question, I REALLY like that C shaped 7.25" neck.

Third, I am a little worried about the finish. Mind you I have had it one day and I barely bumped the guitar on my amp and it very easily chipped off the finish on the top of the body in about a 3mmx4mm chunk. I am not really upset but wonder... how long before all the finish is gone at present rate? I haven't got a single scratch on either of my other 2 electrics after months. Is everyone just letting them chip/wear/age and not worrying about it?


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 12:31 pm
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Hi & welcome to the forum. As a first post, your message had some lag time, so answers come late.
But let's get this rolling:

To the sound issues, (and I'm assuming the Strat has had a full setup), have you experimented with pickup height? The guitar should not sound 'midless', although it should sound bright. Add to that: the Strat may require very different amp settings from the Magnificent 7 Tele & the LP.

A 'flash coat lacquer' finish is more prone to chipping than thicker finishes. Think positive; natural relicing and so on.

On your gear selection in general, congratulations. Wise choices which guarantee a combination for just about every need.


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 1:54 pm
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baronvonk wrote:
I have mostly played it through my DRRI, which I know is very clean, but it seems to be all bass and treble with very little mid range. What should I try?


A new speaker may be in order. There is no reason whatsoever why a 20-watt amp needs a 100-watt driver. Try replacing that Jensen C12K with something more appropriate -- thicker through the midrange and richer in harmonic content. Weber's 12A50 with light doping would be an excellent alternative that would favor both your Strat as well as your Tele and Les Paul. Another good choice would be Warehouse Speaker's G12C -- this driver's top end is a little crisper than the Weber but it still maintains a nice fat midrange.

And give jmattis's recommendation a try too. Changes in pickup height can often result in dramatic sonic differences.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Fri Jun 02, 2017 4:53 pm
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Welcome to the forum. It is obvious you won't get on with the Strat so best just send it to me without delay. :-)

Alternatively, Strats are funny beasts and often a little confusing. Therer are a vast range of tone combinations through using different switch positions and twiddling of the two tone controls working with each other.

As with all guitars there are a few really sweet spots and a great many other combinations that don't sound so great.

I agree that PUP height is tricky but I find is more a refinement of a sound and a way of balancing in the PUPS one to another as well as lifting or reducing certain tonal elements.

Strats are wonderful because they can have so many facets but it requires time and familiarity to establish these tonal delights and to dial them in as desired.

There are some really great Strat players who seem to spend as much time twiddling the knobs as picking the strings - Snowy White is one who comes straight to mind.

So, in summary (and assuming you aren't going to send me the guitar) just persevere with it and the sweetness will reveal itself.

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John

After all this time I should be better.


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 8:23 am
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Hey Guys, thanks for the help.

I am a beginning guitarist and I learn a lot EVERY day.

Over the last 2 months my AM Vintage Strat has become my favorite of my 3 electric guitars. I spent a lot of time playing around with it and now I am starting to get more of what I expected out of the Strat tones. I decided to try it with some effects so I added a TS808 pedal and an Xotic compressor pedal and really like it.

As of now, I really only have 3 concerns or questions about the guitar:

First, mine is relic'ing pretty damn fast. I now have 2 pretty good bare spots on the top right "corner" of the body where your arm passes. Initially the finish just chips away and it leaves rough edges, which bug the hell out of me, so I polished them down with super fine sand paper and made them look like wear spots rather than "checks" or whatever you call it. As I look at the finish, it seems as though whatever is right on top of the wood is some sort of non peentrating clear coat and then the color over that. Normally I think of a clear coat base layer as penetrating the wood somewhat and adding some strength to it, but it is clear that this does not. It also does not retain the paint over it very well. It's super fragile. To contrast again.... I never even put my tele in its case and it has one little pin hole sized check near the cutaway, that's it.

Secondly, no, I have not had a setup done on this guitar. I know that is next step. BUT, my question is...? Can a proper setup reduce the fretting out I am experiencing with bends down past the 12th fret? I didn't even know what that was when I got the guitar, but now I am noticing it as I learn more about bends. I notice that the strings seem a little restricted in their vibration on my strat, given its 7.25" fret radius, but not at all on the compound radiused neck of my tele. The sustain seems reduced by a fair amount in comparison to the tele.

Third and finally, I think I want to "block" this tremolo. I can actually see it move as I am trying to bend and I don't really know how to use it to any effect yet anyway. I have looked around and I am confused a bit. Is there a resource that gives you standard dimensions for a wood block to insert? Also, I note that the bridge lifts as I bend, it appears to actually rise, so if I do block it, will that increase my fretting out?

All in all, I can't help but wonder if I should not have gotten a more conventional modern version of a Strat, (maybe I need both) but I do really like it. It's just got a classiness to it that my other 2 electrics lack.

Thanks in advance.


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 12:52 pm
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Chipping or not, getting another Strat is never a bad idea... :lol:

On the choking out, trem giving in when bending - those are just the kind of things a good setup will take care of.

The easiest choking-when-bending-fix is to raise the saddles on the B&highE (those usually choke first); this effectively flattens the radius of the saddles. Or you may need a bit higher action allover, compared to your flatter radius guitars. And, while frets are checked and taken care of otherwise, the tech can flatten the radius a bit towards the upper frets with a gentle fret shave.

The trem might benefit from different springs - maybe add one more. Of course, the trem giving in some on big bends is the nature of the beast. Blocking may be your way - and nothing wrong with it, Clapton has it done all the time...


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Mon Aug 07, 2017 2:46 pm
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Hey Baron. Glad you like your strat. I have the Jimi Hendrix in Oly white and I love the '65 pickups too. That clear-sounding midrange is just beautiful. Sweet treble and a nice bass thump too. About the relicing, don't worry. The grass is always greener. Playing my polyester-finished guitar, I sometimes wish I had sprung the extra money for nitro.

But yes. You do need another strat. :twisted:


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 6:07 am
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Okay, well, I tried to block my trem using coins taped together. I used 3 stacks of 7 copper, pre 1984 pennies, taped together in a pattern that looked like a fidget spinner. Got it all figured out, had it solid, but then realized that the bridge heights all needed adjusted if I was going to keep it blocked. So, I took out the coins and put it back to original state.

I adjusted the b,e strings about 1/4-1/3 turn each and the fretting out decreased, but I also was surprised how noticeably the string heights had increased. I dialed them back a little and found it to be acceptable.

Against sound judgement, I decided to try out another strat and went with the American Elite in 3 color burst with a maple neck. Should have it next week. This is too damn many guitars for a player of my skill level, but my goal is to dial in what I like and then focus on playing a couple of them.


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Tue Aug 08, 2017 10:48 am
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Awesome! yes Fender is pretty cool that way they'll sell you guitars even if you have no clue what to do with them.

Please let us know how those 4th generation noiseless pickups work out. I'm curious about those.


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 7:31 am
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Well, I don't blame Fender. Their marketing department does what ANY other manufacturer's marketing department does... Tout supposed differences, improvements, superiorities, and innovations all in an effort to keep the consumer a little confused and buying more of the product.

Anyhow, got my new elite in 3 color burst and maple neck.

I really like the locking tuners, those are a nice feature. I also really like the satin-smooth neck vs the gloss maple neck on my tele. It has a nice pattern to it, not birdseye like my tele, but I think it is quartersawn. The playability is definitely superior on the elite neck for me at least. I also like the strap locks, very cool feature. I love the contours and the overall balance of the guitar too. The tremolo seems like an improvement to me.

The things I am luke warm on are the bodies actual wood. I guess it is alder on the 3 color burst. There is a strip below the bridge on the front that is obviously filler that took on the stain more heavily than the rest of the body. It looks like a filled crack. There is a nice birdseye knot on the body but it is sorta hidden below the bridge. I think the poly finish is okay and it feels less sticky to me than my nitro guitars. I don't really get much from the S1 switching. Doesn't do a lot for me. I think I would also prefer parchment over mint green on the plastics.

Things I don't like are the pickups. I definitely prefer the vintage ones. These sound very synthetic and sterile to me, although they are quiet. This guitar also just does not seem to have the resonance of my vintage. It doesn't light up when played acoustically like my vintage.

I know I can change the pickups, and probably will. I feel like the guitar maybe should have featured a little bit nicer wood selection for the price, but oh well. I feel like this is a good durable guitar meant to be played, so it is what it is. I will probably keep it.


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Post subject: Re: New American Vintage 65 Strat
Posted: Fri Aug 11, 2017 8:18 am
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Nice review. That's a shame about the 4th gen noiseless pickups. I was really hoping they would be an improvement over the N3's.

A lot of what you wrote describes how I feel about my 2012 American Deluxe. Outstanding neck, great balance. Feels like a solid, functional instrument and handles very well. Mine is at least three pieces of wood that I can see (solid finish). The wood resonance does get better over time. I think it might not be fully cured before they apply the polyurethane finish, and because the urethane is such a good barrier to moisture it just takes forever. Five years later my guitar feels like it is finally beginning to wake up.

I hated the straplocks and changed them out for normal strap buttons. I do like the locking tuners but feel like they are unnecessarily heavy, but maybe that's why the guitar feels so balanced.


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