If you are looking at a metal guitar with humbuckers, is it because you play a lot of high gain hard rock kind of stuff? Are you going to gig with it, if so what music is going to get played on it the most?

If playing metal and/or a lot of hard rock with modern high gain tones is the case you might actually like the HW1 a bit better. I think a big part of why alwaysstrat/multi-alias likes them so much, is his love for Eddie Van Halen and his tone. I think the HW1 definitely ventures into that tonal range more than the Am Std. You can also get some of the more traditional Strat sounds from it too.

For me it really does come down to feel, and I think in many ways it means I think more about the neck than the body. Personally I don't really like the jumbo frets. But I would imagine I favor the frets i do because most of my guitars have very similar fret sizes. This actually wasn't by design. It just sort of happened. But playing for over 25 years you kind of get used to them, so any change would feel unnatural for a while, at this point.

My advice is always to play them as much as possible, but since you have limited access, this is an issue, so I hope we can offer you a bit of insight.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

Yeah, the limited access due to being left handed is a bummer. I've gotten to play both at various times, but not within a sufficient time frame to really A-B. Individually, I don't really find anything I absolutely don't like about either. At least in a brief play session.

At this point, I think I have it down to the American Standard Strat or Tele. The G&L ASAT being a dark horse contender.

I do appreciate all the input in a relatively short period of time from everyone. Got me thinking about things more long term. I think the deciding factor for me is feeling the fretboard when I bend. I messed around a little on my Charvel upside down (super-duper-sized Chushin Gakki frets) and bends just don't feel as tactile without feeling the board underneath so I end up fretting sharp. Still faster on jumbos though.

Again, thanks everyone! Extra thanks for not turning this into a war. So now I'll have that SRV sound right? I jest...

If I could trade a my Highway 1 Stratocaster for a MIA Standard and not have to pay any more for it...I don't know if I'd do it. I could have just bought a MIA Standard when I got my guitar, but I opted for the Highway 1 on the way it felt, played, and tone was just what I was looking for.

Some people just like the Highway 1 for what it is.

RK

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

I'm definitely picking up what you're throwing down. That's pretty much the exact situation I'm in. For the longest time the Highway One and the ASAT were my #1 and #2 wish list guitars. At the time I was more into classic to hard rock. I think my drift more towards blues just might fit the Standard a little better at this point. I still like the Highway One enough to ignore the gig bag vs. case point although with an equivalent case the Highway One would work out to be slightly more expensive. Guitar buying is the only time I've ever not liked being left handed.

Plus, interestingly enough, I've found more used lefty Highway Ones on the market than Standards typically so if (read: WHEN) I do end up getting GAS again... One can't have too many Strats, right?

+1 on that. I play Classic Rock, Metal, and Blues with mine, it's pretty versatile. Who knows my next one may be a MIA Standard down the road, but for now I am happy with my Highway 1 and CV 60. The gig bag thing is a pain...but mine just sits in the closet anyways (somewhere). I just shelled out the extra $80 for the hard shell case at the time of the purchace.

RK

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

My local store did some remodelling, and they have a full wall of lefties now.

I am a lefty that plays righty, but I started out on borrowed guitars.And then bought a 2nd hand one. As hard as it is for lefties now, it seems to me there are way more lefty guitars available now than there ever were. I often wonder if my play would be different if I had the opportunity to learn on a left handed axe when I started.

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I'm not an expert, but I play one on the internet.

I live right down the road from Austin, the proclaimed "Live Music Capital of the World", and on a good day I can find a lefty Standard Strat in town when I call around. Other than that, it is all low end models or guitars priced way beyond my wallet. Even high volume Guitar Center generally only has a couple Squiers and an Ibanez GRX20 with an Epi LP-100 thrown in for variety occasionally.

I started playing right handed, but I never could manage to get a steady picking attack at any reasonable speed. Either too slow or just out of control and too deep. That, and a nice case of ulnar nerve damage making my left hand pinky and ring fingers numb and weak made me realize that I just had to suck it up, accept the limited choices and premiums, and play left handed. I still finger pick right handed occasionally, but that might just be more of an excuse to not let good deals on right handed guitars get away at this point. Still in a mild denial stage I guess.

I would go with the tele and based on the style of music you are playing now I think it is the right choice. Besides to me a tele is the most comfortable ax to play and can do so many things.

Well, I managed to move some older stuff out so now I'm looking at the AmStd Tele vs. AmStd Strat vs. AmDlx Strat. The price difference rolls out to a few hundred after the rebate on the standards, slightly less after the standard + locking schallers.

I am blessed to be cursed with these tough decisions. I think.

I have few Teles and My favorite guitar to play is a Fender American Telecaster

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson

I think my problem here is that I've always dreamed of the American Strat in either Olympic White/Maple or Sunburst/Maple. Now I'm just kind of moving up the Strat food chain with the models. The Tele entered the equation late so as much as I want one now it is still fighting many years of lust. Still, had myself pretty much talked into one yesterday. Every time I sleep, eat, or breathe I come to a logical decision on a different guitar. Probably going to have to go with one of the Strat variants just based on that and pick up a MIM Tele once I sell my Charvel. Afraid if I get a Tele now I'll still long for that American Strat and eventually get it. As far as the Tele goes I think I'd be just as happy with a MIM one or a used one. I have an understanding wife for the most part, but my couch really isn't that comfortable.

If my money tree ever blooms... starting to think that guy ripped me off though.

Personally, 'really, really like the American Standard. 'Bought one in '90 and it is still a perfect, excellent instrument.

I own one Highway One Strat and several MIA Strats ranging from American Standard, Duluxe and a recent VG Strat. I've also just purchased a Mexican Made Roadworn, but that is a different catagory.

Of all the American made strats, the one I prefer to play and sound better is my 2007 Highway one strat. I like how it plays, and I like the "JUMBO" frets as I feel it adds tone and sustain due to the bigger mass, more material for the strings to rest and resonate. I can get under the strings and bend much more easily and for a smoother feel. I like the Satin Nitro finish on the Highway One. After just a little over two years of playing the Highway One strat, I still prefer playing it over the other more expensive American Strats I own.

Here is a small youtube of some of my guitars, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc6K3qBr4OM

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http://www.youtube.com/user/gmlasam

Well, I waffled around on the decision and found that it was pretty easy to justify any of the guitars for one reason or another. Made the final decision, slept on it, still felt right. I just kept overthinking the deal so I decided to wing it and go with what my gut told me when I made the call to order.

According to this site, the one I got looks like this:



I'm hoping for a little nicer finish though. Thanks again for all the input.

It did end up coming with a nicer finish...










In keeping with my impeccable photography skills, the pictures are a little darker than it is in reality. But they aren't blurry, so baby steps...

I'll take some outdoor natural light pics tomorrow most likely. Play time trumped picture time.