Hello guys and girls!

Since I never owned a Fender Strat, I wanted to ask all of you who are experienced with this brand to recomend a model of Strat for a nice Clapton-ish, Hendrix-ish tone. My options are
-Classic 50s
-Classic 70s
-Classic Player 50's, in this order.
These choices are due to my preferences, because I want
-a SSS strat
-a vintage tremolo, not a floating one (that's why CP50s is the las one)
-a maple neck.

My choices are also limited because I only have one official dealer http://guitarshop.ro/produse.php?scid=3 and the prices are quite high (all three are about 800$).

What do you suggest? Or even better, please review all three of them.

Thank you very much,
Adrian[/u]

Whats a floating tuner?

If you mean a floating bridge, all strats except hardtails come with the bridge set to float. Its a setup adjustment, not a spec adjustment.

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No no and no

The classic 50's Strat is a really killer guitar. I have played it over and over and over but haven't gotten one yet because I can't find Shoreline Gold anywhere.

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I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

I didn't think the Classic '50s came in Shoreline Gold. The Classic Player's '50s is available in Shoreline Gold, though...

http://guitars.musiciansfriend.com/prod ... sku=510136

check the pics and it is the last one pictured, it is just a very very difficult color to find.

here is a used one too if you (topic starter) wants to go used.

http://elderly.com/vintage/items/30U-15665.htm

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I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

The Classic 50's is gorgeous, and plays beautifully. You might not get as aggressive a sound as you want out of it in order to bang out some clapton or hendrix. Definitely a great guitar for the money, and you can mod mod mod.

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-Kc
"Payin' dues."

Oh, wow. Fender doesn't list it on the Product page here online so I wonder if its a discontinued color for the Classic '50s. But I guess you might still be able to locate one somewhere. Happy hunting!

I'm sorry, I meant a floating bridge, like one that can also be pushed and pulled, with 2 screws at the margins. I only wanted a bridge that can be used to lower the notes. Hopefully I made it more clear

Thank you all for your replies.

If Elderly still has the used on in 3 weeks I am going to get it, if not I plan to just build my own, but that's a great color the Shoreline gold.

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I got a black cat bone, I got a mojo too.

Both the vintage and 2-point bridges are normally set up where it floats (bridge is above the guitar body). As such you can push or pull the trem. However, you can setup the guitar, instead, to be "no float" (bridge flush against the body) by tightening the claw screws or adding springs. In this configuration, you only can push the trem (no pulling up). This is true for both types of tremelo ...

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Laughing out loud with fear and hope, I have a desperate plan ...

If you really want to nail the Hendrix/Clapton tones, particularly Hendrix, you'd probably be better of going for the Classic Player '60s. It got the custom 69 pickups and the two point tremolo The hotter 69 pickups will get you nearer that tone, IMHO.

I'll go today to test some models that a local store has and hopefully it will make my decision easier.

But by the way, I thought yesterday at a new option: should buying the Standard MIM Strat and replacing the pickups in time do the job better than buying directly a CP or a C? I mean i could buy the guitar cheaper with about 150$ (this is the difference here, in Romania) and then use this money to install better pickups after some while, when I got used to Strats better, because I never owned one and I'm sure that there are quite a lot of things to get used to, especially if you trade an Epiphone G400 for a Strat (like me )

Then I could install at least one Noiseless, or Lace Sensor to it or even a DiMarzio in bridge position, because I'm quite drooling sometimes for Malmsteen's tones.

So, is the MIM Standard Strat physically and wood&hardware-wise ok to deal with all needs at least the same as a CP or a C?

Thanks again,
Adrian

Yes buying a MIM Strat and then customising is another option. The debate and choices are endless and you can end up feeling more and more indecisive as you create more posibilities for yourself. At the end of the day the MIM Strat is a good guitar, despite the "only Strat is ann American Strat" school of philosophy. Certainly for those of us who don't live in the US, they are expensive. Most Strats will make most sounds, thats why many consider them to be the best electric guitar there is, as Clapton said "you can make a strat sound like a Les Paul but you can't make a Les Paul sound like a strat."
When you customise you are putting something of yourself into the guitar. The main thing is making the choice - go and play a few, find the Strat you really like, the one that turns you on and you'll have a guitar for life.

Thank you very much for your detailed replies. I just got back from the local store and tried a CP50 and a Standard HSS, and to tell you the truth, I'm quite convinced that I'll choose an HSS, because of bigger versatility which I definitely need, due to the fact that I don't have a band or something, I just play in my room when I have time, through a Peavey Valveking Royal 8 and probably I'll buy some distorsion/overdrive pedal.

But the only thing that makes me hesitate is that the guys from the shop told me (and I could hear for myself) that the Standard Strat has a bit more "modern" pickups, which makes it deal better with distorsion/od, but not having that vintage tone quite well definite.

I shall see, because ffor the moment I put an announcement on a website for a 1 on 1 trade with my Epiphone, therefore I am quite limited to the offers that I am getting, but I might very well sell the guitar and buy a new Strat..time will tell.

Thanks again,
Adrian