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Post subject: My First Strat (IT WAS ABOUT TIME!)
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:17 pm
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All I can say is that this thing wows me. :D

I have been playing Gibsons for 35+ years, and ESP for 20 years, but nothing got the tones this thing gets. I guess listening to more blues and introducing some into my classic rock band made me break down and start looking. One problem...it had to be that retro '60s pastel blue color. So what were my choices? Fender did not make this easy! I loved the features of the American Deluxe, like the S-1, locking tuners, LSR nut, two point trem, and high gloss finish, but the colors were weak to my eye. My local GC had an absolute bute Deluxe Mahogany in crimson red that I bought for three days. I own a pile of mahogany guitars, and I did not need another, but it was one of the best built guitars I ever saw. I loved playing it, but those tex-mex and diamondback pups did not have enough guts for my likes. Besides, I really wanted that DAPHNE BLUE Strat. I looked at the Classic '50s Strat...wrong neck, wrong pups, wrong tuners, and then I found out it is no longer Alder, but now POPLAR. That nixed that! So what about that CS designed '60s Classic Player in Sonic Blue? Nice features and great trem...the blue looks white to me! OK...OK...the Highway One...cheap looking finish, '70s headstock, weak blue color...cheap? Well I finally found one in a store and gave it a listen. :shock: HOLY CRAP! This guitar sounded great! I tried about 25 Strats of every model and pickup type. This thing sounded gutsy and had the bell like sweet high end when turned down. Great player too! The color looked washed out and sort of gray. I could even see the wood through it. I was convinced I wanted some other Daphne Blue model on evil-Bay and a set of Highway One Alnico 3 pups. Then I saw this one on Sweetwater's web site and the color was perfect. I called to make certain the color was really the same. It was...I got it!

I designed some switching options and put two pull pots in the tone controls. Now I have 9 very usefull pickup combo options. 8) I love it. The only thing I do not like is the reverse wound / reverse polarized mid pickup. I think it shaves off to much high end. Please tell me if I'm wrong. I plan on getting another neck pup for the mid position.

Anyway, I did my first band practice and it blew away my bandmates. "That is the best sounding Strat I ever heard" was the comment my Strat loving drummer made several times. My Jimmy, SRV, and even DS sounded SO GOOD. I love this thing! It is such a full and sweet tone.

Then I happened to catch the Highway One video on Fender's Highay One web page. Now I know why I love the sound. Thank you JUSTIN NORVELL and FENDER for the Highway One. Great job guys! I only hope it does not RELIC on me. I love to keep my guitars looking new. This one I want to keep just the way it is now. :wink:

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PHIL 8)

PS - FENDER...Make those Daphne Blue HW1 Strats nice and dark like my baby! A modern two-point trem, LSR, and locking tuners would really complete the package, but I'm happy for now. :wink:


Last edited by PHILBERT on Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:26 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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Fender Play Winter Sale 2020
Post subject:
Posted: Mon Jul 30, 2007 5:26 pm
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Location: gonzales,la 70737
i bought the daphne blue with upgrades.a great playing guitar.i havetwo other american strats,but i,m in love with my highway one.it plays awesome.good tone,i added the srh hot rail in bridge,but i think i will go
back to original bridge pickup...good luck


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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 9:00 am
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Congrats on that Beautiful new guitar. It looks great. [/i]


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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 12:58 pm
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The finish is like that because it's got a "think skin" nitro finish instead of the standard poly finish. I think it's more resonant that way.

Personally I sat down and played a Highway One today at GC, and I was pretty impressed. I'm thinking of picking up a loaded Highway One body off the internet and using as a base for a project.


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Posted: Tue Jul 31, 2007 4:42 pm
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Location: gonzales,la 70737
i think these guitars are very good and high qualitiy for the price.they
list for 999.00 i got mines fr 760.00.i have an american stdrd.and am.series.i think i,ll get the tele highway one also.i never owned a tele. :D


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Posted: Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:09 pm
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Thanks all for the nice words and warm welcome. Sorry I could not get back here. It was closed when I got home from work. This is a bit of a problem as I work late. Anyway, it is a great axe.

I'm having a small problem right now. My trem will not stay in tune. I have been adjusting the "claw" now for two days. My G string keeps going sharp when I use the trem lightly. It is driving me nuts! I lubed the ball ends of my Elixirs. I graphited the nut slots. It just will not stay in tune.

I really wanted the modern two point trem. I may have to retrofit one in if I can't this one to work. It is really bugging me! Does anyone have the trick to balancing this contraption? :?

PHIL 8)


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Post subject:
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:42 am
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Nice score, I like Daphne Blue. 8)

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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:30 pm
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Thanks, Mike. I love it. I am contemplating making up another pickguard with Alnico 3s in SSS config and a S-1 / superswitch / relay to get standard Strat in S-1 up, and B+N, B+M, B+M+N, M+N, and B/N combos. Now that would be a SUPERSTRAT!

Anyone have a fix for balancing out my trem? This is driving me nuts!

PHIL 8)


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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 2:36 pm
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Nice ax!!!!!


5 Springs and set it so the back of the bridge so that it has about 1/8 inch clearance.

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I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.


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Post subject: ~Sweet!~
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 3:17 pm
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Dude! Sweet guitar! I'm new to this chat, just started. I'm pretty young, 15, but I play, only played for about a year, but all my life, I've loved the guitar and starved to play one. Now, I do.

Congratz man!

Stratocasters ROCK :)


~ Fender<>Royalty


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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 4:03 pm
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5 springs huh...I was wondering if that would help. Three is a bit stretched. Thanks, CAF.

Royalty dude...Yeah, it's so fun. I love my guitars. When I was 15 I felt the exact same way. The main thing is to just have fun, play clean, and don't try to be anyone but yourself. Covers are OK, but originality is what gets you places. KEEP JAMMING! :P

PHIL 8)

My other guitars can be seen here:

http://philbert.lh.net

PEACE!


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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 5:16 pm
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PHIL, I am a girl. I love guitars, I always have. VERY into rock, anything rock. I guess, that's why I love guitars, lol :lol: .

I also come here because I'm familiar with the RuneScape forums, a game I play, so this is easy to interact to people with :P

~ Royalty


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Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 6:44 pm
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Sorry, "Dudette". :lol:

I also love rock and guitars. I'm collecting at the moment. I need a Tele, Explorer Goth with EMGs and a Floyd Rose, An ES345, and a custom made ESP AX neck through body wit a Floyd Rose. Maybe an EDS1275 as well. Then there is that Martin D35 I love so much. I have a ways to go, but I hope I can complete the collection some day.

Show me a pic of your guitar!

PHIL 8)


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Post subject: Wow
Posted: Thu Aug 02, 2007 9:00 pm
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Thats a smokin' hot guitar! 8)


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Posted: Fri Aug 03, 2007 8:53 am
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Thanks, FireMan!

I am so in love with these tones I'm getting. I wonder if I would like a single coil in the bridge better though. Don't get me wrong...I think the hummie in the bridge is doing great, but in single coil mode it is a bit nasal. I understand it is an Alnico 2 HB. I read about 8.2 K per coil, which makes it a hot hummie or a lower gain single coil. I think the Alnico 3 single in the bridge with the Greasbucket set right would sound darn close to a good hummie, no? May have to change some caps, but that is easy enough. I just got another Alnico 3 neck pup to put in the mid position. I'm not digging the tone of the RW/RP mid pup on pos 2 & 4. That should restore the highs in those positions. :wink:

:idea: I may get another pick guard and load it with SSS (black) alnico 3's and my own custom S-1 switching giving me 5 additional tone options. (B+N, B+M, B/N/M, M+N, B/N) I need an S-1 switch, 4P5T Superswitch, and a small battery driven DPDT relay to get those 10 options in the positions I would like them in. That would be a Superstrat! :D

PHIL 8)


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