I've got the EJ (maple neck) and am very satisfied with it. I am however gassing for another Strat and wondered about the 62 Hot Rod - what are the major diffs (beside RW neck) between this and the EJ? How do they compare tone-wise? Hardware, pickups, etc... Thanks!!

I bought a Sherwood Green "62 Hot Rod about two weeks ago,it was in a collector's possession who puts guitars away and it still had the plastic pickguard protective wrap and stickers....in other words new condition.
After 40 years of Strat playing mixed with Les Pauls,I've had some great axes,this one is magic,I don't know why but it's the total mojo real deal....and it's new!
The pickups even sound great and I'm notorius for changing stock pups to Fralins or van Zandts.
The only experience I've had with the Eric Johnson model was at a store playing one without plugging in...I didn't like the neck,it has a flat radius ,maybe a 12" and the bound fingerboard made it seem more like a Les Paul...it had all 5 trem springs attached and a low action,but just didn't turn me on that much.
The '62 has a fuller C neck profile than an American Standard,the frets are bigger and have a rounder profile that make bends pretty easy and the rosewood slab board even has a vintage look and feel...I still remember what my old '65 was like.
Maybe you'll get more differing views,but to me and for my style the '62 HR wins hands down.

Both are very good guitars. I own a 62, and was torn between it and an EJ too.

As rebel said, the 62HR has a chunky C neck with a smaller radius vs. the SoftV and 12" radius on the EJ.

The pickups on the 62 sound more vintage to me as well. All in all, both guitars are great, but the 62 just sounds like the strat sound I hear in my head.

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AmDlx HSS
62 Hot Rod
Luke w/Piezo
Carvin Belair

^ Thanks. Any idea how the 62 Hot Rod sounds compared to a Custom Shop Custom Deluxe Strat? Are they totally different animals?

I've got both, they feel very different, you should try to play them side by side since they are on the more expensive side of the Strat spectrum. To me the EJ is more like my friends 65' Strat, small frets and kind of thin neck. The Hot Rod is what the SRV should have been with it's thick neck and big frets.

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People say I'm a nice guy, I can't figure why

^Which do you like better and why?