Sheet... I love my Mayer, I didn't even know it was a Mayer when I started playing it, my buddy at the store said check out this one.. so I did and voila it's my favorite. I used to be pretty turned off by them also, now I want a Cray.

I think my Mayer really is just a great playing axe..

B

Well, I bought a CS Clapton because I felt strongly it was the best example of a stratocaster. If you're only going to own one-- own the best. Simple.

As for sigs on the headstocks-- that doesn't bother me one bit. I don't think Slash worried people expected him to sound like Les Paul when he was recording Guns 'n Roses albums. It's just the model name. Plain and simple.

I have a Jimmie Vaughan Tex Mex and I love it. I was in the market for new Strat and had no intentions of looking at an Artist model until I test drove the JV. The soft V neck, upgraded electronics, solid maple neck/fretboard, straplock buttons, all upgrades I wanted and still very affordable. Is Jimmie Vaughan my favorite guitarist - no. Do I appreciate his work - absolutely. Is that why I got this guitar - never part of the equation. Its all about the features for me. Plus, JV's signature is on the back of the headstock so no one has to see it but me and the drummer.

_________________
“All music is folk music, I ain't never heard no horse sing a song.” Louis Armstrong

[/quote]
One more small detail. Go up to the post on the original '57 and take a good look at the back of that guitar. Notice how the waist offset relief flows into the upper horn and how deep into the back it drops. Strats haven't been done like that for years. If the Clapton were truly to have been a 'vintage' '57 guitar, imitating its predecessor, it would have been carved in said fashion. They are not.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

I think I know what you mean about signature models, but . . .
. . . my Lust List includes a pre-2001 Clapton Strat with Lace sensors in pewter. The new ones don't hold the same magic for me.

i say as long as you seriously dont expect your hero to play his sig model on stage, go for it. buy it if its right for you.

i do know that jimmy vaughn does play his model on stage.
just read that in a guitar mag this month.

i do like the sticker sig idea above. i might do that with my next build up when im finished with it just for kicks lol.

honestly, when its all said and done, its your call.
is that guitar right for you? will you feel comfortable in the end spending that amount of money on that guitar?
me, i want a SRV edition just because it looks so damn cool.
would i play it? probably not, i have enough to choose from now as it is.
i would hang it right beside his drawing i have on the wall in the music room.

I was playing my Jimmie Vaughn Strat in the store for 5 minutes before I realized it was a signature model.I really like J.V's. playing but I'm not a fanatic,I bought the guitar because it played and sounded like it was custom made for me.

_________________
'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.

Sorry it can't find its way South until I relocate. The 'when' is still a big question mark.

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

I was actually not really looking at getting an artist model when I was looking at buying my first strat. 2 years ago around Thanksgiving I was in Austin visiting my family and had been playing with the idea of getting an American Standard strat for Christmas. This was right around the price jump, so the Standard was 1000 new. My uncle took me to Ray Hennig's Heart of Texas music shop, which I was really excited for since this is where Stevie bought his number 1 guitar (and from Ray). I got to meet Ray and talk about Stevie for a bit and then try out some American Strats. Then I saw the SRV model on the wall and just asked how much it was; more out of curiousity and not planning on actually buying it. Ray said the price, and it was right around the Standard. This blew me away because it is twice as much today...around 2000 at GC I think.

Long story short, I bought the strat for the cool story of getting a replica of SRV's main guitar from the guy and shop that gave SRV his actual No. 1 guitar. Now, I am just happy I have the SRV because of how great of a srat it is. The best production model in my opinion. Anyway, the artist models are great guitars especially if you can get a great price (naturally I think they are overpriced based on the name associated with it). I probably would not have gotten the SRV at the 2000 price, but at 1200...I could not pass it up.

What matters here is that the guitar suits you and your style of playing. With respect to it being a true'replica', the only such Stratocasters are the SRV Tribute guitars which were done several years back. To quote Mike Eldred once again, these Artist Series guitars are a 'snapshot' of the original.More of a representation. Available instruments such as the Gilmour Relic, and the Andy Summers Tele are replicas and were designed from the ground up to be so. Masterbuilt Clapton Stratocasters by Todd Krause are for all intents and purposes exactly what would be built for EC. So there is, within a broad range, an availability of artist related product. Another example, due in September, is a LTD run of a blond Stratocaster which Buddy Guy had built for him some time back and has been seen using almost routinely these days. The guitar was taken apart in Chicago during the Crossroads event and spec'd out by Todd Krause. How precisely 'dimed' this will be to the original guitar can't be foretold at this time. What will eventually be done with the Jon Mayer Artist Series guitar once TBO 'Tribute' and the NOS's are launched also remains to be seen. Ts'what makes life interesting around here, and, by the way, what sells product, and keeps the company happy.
Doc

_________________
"Another day in paradise!"

Now that's an awesome story!!!!

_________________
"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


facebook.com/313DBC

Thank you--it was always a good-looking guitar, but the pickguard immediately made it look more "Custom Shop"-like...your appreciation is appreciated!

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

It depends on what type of bridge/tremolo your 2009 MIM has;
If it has a vintage-style bridge (like the Vintage reissues, the 50s- or 60s-style models) it will definitely fit. If it has another style, I don't think it will fit. The "ashtray" bridge covers are easy to find and they're not that expensive, so it might be a cool addition to your axe.

_________________
Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

If he did, he failed miserably ...

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

Actually, I bought a KWS Strat for none of those reasons. As someone mentioned earlier, the only reason some of us buy signature guitars is that they have features not easily, or cheaply enough, found elsewhere. I wanted 6100 frets. I don't like the large headstock on the current Highway One Strat, but otherwise would have considered it, just for the big frets. I don't know of any other production Strat with 6100s. Sweetwater, it's true, had a nice sunburst relic Strat with them--but it was going for something like $4,000.

The KWS also has a neck contour not available on any other Strat, that I'm aware of, and I've come to prefer it, along with the 12" radius.

So for some of us, at least, it's the combination of features that makes a sig guitar worth buying, not the name on the headstock--though I do wish I could sound like SRV just by picking up his sig guitar.