In case you haven't seen it, there's a thread in the Fender Lounge about an unannounced new line of Fender "Blacktop" guitars, including an HH Strat. Here's a link to a press release about them:

http://newmusicgear.wordpress.com/2010/ ... s-guitars/

There's also a discussion about them at Harmony-Central...

http://acapella.harmony-central.com/sho ... ?t=2654154

Nice colour but thats about it for me. I'm not too keen on the crome humbuckers or those knobs

I reckon these would have been better...



I wish Fender would take another look at the Strat Plus and Ultra series. IMO they were some of the best spec'd guitars Fender ever made.

Andy

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Pending Greatness

The Black Top Series models will feature Seymour Duncan humbucking pickups and black skirted amp knobs. These four humbucking demons would be probably joined by three classic bass guitars, Precision, Jazz and Jaguar Bass, outfitted with Seymour Duncan Basslines pickups, with the latter two featuring a comfortable 21-fret maple neck with either rosewood or maple fingerboard and great-looking binding & block inlays.

Thanks for that Thats exactly what I have been looking for, for the past god knows how many months. I toyed with a J5 triple h tele, a jaguar, a prs..... That is exactly what I want! A strat with 2 humbuckers, a trem and a c shaped neck. Good times!

Yeah, I noticed these on the Fender Australia site a few days ago, and they look pretty good. I'd have to play one first, but they certainly seem like they'd be wortthwhile.

Definitely worth trying one out, I think.

That Strat is frickin terrible, what the hell have they done. I love a HH Strat, I have a custom built American deluxe but that one is the ugliest things i have ever seen.

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Guitars:

Fender Strat Custom Shop 65' Relic- White
Fender Strat AVRI 57'- Aztec Gold
Warmoth Korina HH Strat Custom- Tobacco Burst
Warmoth Tele 52 RI- Brown
Horner 1975 Tele Deluxe
Gibson Les Paul Traditional
Taylor 414ce
Yamaha FG-411 s ce

I'm not much on the asthetics either, however the electronics are very interesting! I love how they go from humbucking to split with the 5 way selector! Reminds me of the PRS rotery switch.

The Strat 5-way switch setup is the same as the Musicman Axis Supersport, and some of the Ibanez HH guitars. They are very useable and give a widerange of tones, all of which should be humbucking. The inner coils give a somewhat Stratty sound, and the outer coils give a Tele-ish sound. You don't get a true Stat quack, but I've gigged with an Axis for years and love it. Should be a nice option for Strat lovers.

This really isn't new. It seems like a cost-engineered version of the US Big Apple/American Double Fat or the MIM Deluxe Double Fat Strat. If I were to get one, the first thing I would do is change thos knobs.

I actually quite like the nobs, but maybe I'm just weird.

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Rated "M" for meaty.

I actually quite like the look of the Sonic Blue and Maple:



If it plays well then it could be a killer guitar, esp. with the 5-way switch working the way it does. Might get me back into Strat heaven. I'm still holding out for a LP Jr, Tele Deluxe or Black Dove tho...at least till I try this beauty...

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Gear list:
2004 Epiphone Casino
----Peerless, USA electronics
2001 "Firewood" ES-335
----USA electronics, Gibson and DiMarzio PAFs
2001 Cort NTL20 Jumbo Acoustic
2007 Hofner Copy
Vox AC4TV/V112TV
Voice
Fingers
Cowbell

I personally like the Blacktop HH strats. My buddy has one at his shop and it takes a lot for me not to walk out the door as it's new owner. I think the look is cool, love the daphne blue (his has a RW fretboard) and the dual humbuckers. I know that Fender is notorious for having mediocre humbuckers, but I would be interested in seeing how these perform. They can always be switched out.

Apparently they are Seymour Duncan JBs, according to my friend who deals Fenders.

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Gear list:
2004 Epiphone Casino
----Peerless, USA electronics
2001 "Firewood" ES-335
----USA electronics, Gibson and DiMarzio PAFs
2001 Cort NTL20 Jumbo Acoustic
2007 Hofner Copy
Vox AC4TV/V112TV
Voice
Fingers
Cowbell

JB's huh? That would be an interesting combo. I'm going to have to swing by his shop and plug that guitar in. The only problem will be if it sounds killer and feels solid...i'll probably walk out with it. LOL!

The specs I read somewhere were that they were Fender high output humbuckers or something of that nature.

I talked with my friend who runs the local shop. The Blacktop strat has 2 Fender Hot Alnico Humbuckers. I believe the Jazz Master and the Blacktop Bass series instruments might have Duncan Designed pickups. I still want to fiddle around with one and make it part of my collection