Hello all,

I am seriously considering buying either a '56 Time Machine Custom or a '57 American Vintage strat (sunburst), and I was hoping for some input from some owners of either or some folks who have played either (or both). I know all the specs of both, so the neck size, fret size, etc. is not an issue for me--I really love the 7.25 V-necks, anyway.

My questions are (1) why does the '57 AV have a nitro AND poly coat (I'm assuming it's for the "look" of a nitro without the chipping of nitro), and (2) is the differences between the two guitars worth an extra $1000 or so?

I am leaning toward the '56, but it runs about $2900, a lot of money. I know the nitro finish will not be as durable as the poly on the Vintage series, but that isn't a problem with me--actually, I like it when the neck begins to get old-looking. I have been playing for twenty-five years, so this "retro" thing is irrelevant to me, but I admit I do love the way the vintage strats--such as Clapton's '56 Brownie--look.

Again, I am only hoping for some first-hand experience and info on both guitars, not crank off a nitro versus poly debate

I haven't played the '56 Time Machine, but I do have a '66. Even though it's quite a lot of extra money, if the Time Machine concept appeals I'd say do it! The Custom Shop does a beautiful job, well worth the outlay. I can't think of anything I'd want to change or tweak about mine, which is not something I can say about the more mass-produced instruments I have owned. The likelihood of finding a dud CS guitar is... well... that's not gonna happen.

The nitro finish on the neck is nice... it wears in surprisingly quickly. Four months in on mine, and the back of the neck has quite a matte finish in the areas I spend the most time playing. It feels more lived-in than my other strat which I've played consistently since '93. Nitrocellulose does ding easily, I guess, but then so does any other finish if you drop your guitar or slam it into a cymbal!

If you have the option of trying out plenty of guitars and can pick out the "right" AV '57 for you (I didn't have such a choice), maybe you should look into it. Otherwise I'd say go for the '56. You're not going to wonder whether you made the correct choice; they don't come better.

P.S. To attempt an answer to one of your questions: sorry, I can't check up on the nitro+poly business right now, but are you sure the '57 sunburst has both? Generally, other types of finish combined with nitro means that the body has a metallic paint job with nitro over that... I can't see that there'd be much point in coating something with poly and then nitro, as the whole idea of the return to nitrocellulose is to get that characteristic wear. I'm no expert, though. Nitro does age with that yellowish tone, and perhaps it's there for that reason and maybe some checking of the finish over time.

With my '66 it was described as "nitrocellulose over a urethane finish"; turned out that the metallic teal green colour is the urethane component. Plain colours like black, white and red were nitro-based back in the day (what used to be called "duco")

Given the choice all over again all my guitars would be customshop. Theres a quality of feel to them thats very hard to describe. Yep 6 months ago i'd of said humbug if someone told me that. I too think you wont be dissapointed with a 56 although you may want to try the 58 aswell.

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I really love my 57 AVRI Strat, mine is a sunburst finish and it is just gorgeous. I like the neck tint and neck radius, the 7.25 works for me. I have left the vintage 3 way switching as well. If I close my eyes sometimes I can feel like I'm playing along with Buddy Holly.
You really can't go wrong with either, but try to play them both if you can.

Good Luck.

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www.GuitarLingerie.com

[ Think about it, no one back in 1956/57 had custom shop guitars; just the standard ones that came off the "assembly line" and obviously, they worked out just fine.

I hear that argument here all the time, I dont buy it. People always say "it was good enough for Hendrix", that's only because he didnt have a choice. If he did, he'd play the better one, maybe not on stage due to destroying them. I mean, Sir Edmund Hillary didnt have gore-tex to wear when he scaled Everest, but dont you think if he had the choice, he would have used that instead of wool and cotton to keep him warm.
Things that look the same, but cost more usually do for a reason, they're better. There's a reason a Apple Pro Book costs a thousand more than the entry level Mac book, it has more ability to it. If you want a better built guitar, and have the money and dont mind spending it, get the better one. If you do have the funds, and you end up getting the one that is cheaper, you'll second guess yourself for the rest of the time you own it, especially if you end up playing the custom shop one later down the road.

Add the fact that guitars of the 50's and early 60's were pretty much hand built. Far more akin to customshop than production line in construction method. Truth be told if you want an authentic strat or tele built the same way as they were 52 years ago. Then customshop gets you nearer in production method and end result to those than anything else, except maybe early hamer's, pensa or tom anderson.

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and so in 56/57 every Strat owner had a custom shop...

No they were built using similar methods and had more in common with modern customshop procedure than production line.

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Damn Henry Ford and his Model T

Truth be told a strats a strat the same as a rose is a rose is a rose. The fact that there wasnt the vast production line back in the day knocking out 5000 instruments a week and that bodies were made by a guy with a router, jig and a template and now theres a machine to do it all. It means little really. A strats a strat at the end of the day.

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Thanks to everyone for the responses.

Having looked further, and taken some time to consider, I am most likely going to get the AVRI. The reasons are few for the choice--I held one the other day, and the finish and workmanship are quite nice, good enough for me. A CS would undoubtedly be wonderful, but it would also be over an extra $1000 US. Also, I noticed that the '56 CS has a "boat" V neck; and, although I have never handled such a neck, from what I have been told (correct me if I am wrong) such a neck would be a tad clunky for my average-sized hands. So, if I did get a CS '56, I'd want to add a '57 soft V neck, and that would jack the price up even higher. For me, it doesn't make a lot of sense--finanical or otherwise--to throw $3000 US at a guitar and then throw an additional sum at the same guitar to get a neck that comes standard on the '57 AVRI. I completely understand the argument between hand-crafted CS and assembly-line AVRI, but I seriously doubt the AV is an inferior instrument simply because it is assembly-line built.

I agree with a previous poster about Clapton, Hendrix, et al and stock guitars. Brownie was bought in a pawn shop, used, for $100 in 1967--Clapton was indifferent to its history, or whether it was "top of the line." He simply wanted some Strats. (I also read in an interview archived online somewhere yesterday where Clapton said that although he was and will always be fond of Brownie, he considered it more of an "industrial" guitar because of the chunky neck; the neck he much prefered was the soft V of the '57 Strat, a la Blackie, which is the neck, more or less, of the AVRI.) So, I suppose the AVRI it will be for me.

I won't be buiyng it for a few months, so I still have time to mull the decision over. Of course, as we all know, a good Strat is a good Strat. Sure, a CS is amazing, but I don't feel comfortable shucking out probably $3500 for an amazing guitar with a teenager eye-balling college in three years, ha-ha. The AVRI is still a beauty, with a great neck, the specs I want, and a beautiful finish.

Thanks again to everyone, and I still welcome any comments and thoughts regarding the topic, espeically from those who own one of the two Strats.

If you want a soft V get the 57hotrod. I've heard tell that the V of the AVRI is a bit sharp.

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The AVRI I played felt fine to me. Besides, I don't believe the Hot Rod is offered in Sunburst, is it (that's the color I want)?

Yep the 57hotrod comes in sunburst.
http://www.fender.com/products//search.php?partno=0100132809

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Oops! Sorry. I knew there was something I didn't like about it, though, and it is that bridge pickup.