+1

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

Of course I will come back and post a full report - it will take a couple of weeks - I will pick it up in England next week and then need to get it set up - nice and low, 10s, and very hard wang - I am a wang virgin and love open strings and bending so I think Jeff-Back-hard is the way to go - and then I will be back with a review.

It's not quite the Metafilter-saved-from-white-slavery-by-crowdsourcing-tear-jerkerhttp://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/05/internet-commenters-save-two-russian-girls-from-possible-sex-slavery/ but yes, I have been touched by the hand of the Fender forum in the best possible way!

Now if anyone has a Supersonic combo off the back of a lorry I can get with the extra... you know where to come!

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No no and no

Way back in the bad old days I was approached by a lost, scared young girl on Kings Cross railway station (of more recent Harry Potter fame). The way she was asking guys for help there was only one way that story was headed - I don't need to explain further what the area around that station was famous for in those days, and perhaps still is for all I know.

I succeeded in persuading her that whatever she was running from this wasn't the answer. Turned her round and saw her off on the next train back to the North. I wonder how that tale turned out?

Whatever: it didn't turn into the worst for her that day at least. Feel quite good about my younger self for that one...

Cheers - C

I picked up a Deluxe Strat in Olympic Pearl with Maple fretboard with a serial number starting with 10 on the weekend... and the inspection tag is dated as June 15. Bought it in Toronto at Long & McQuade, they still have the same guitar in a rosewood fretboard if anyone cares.

Point is they are out there and starting to trickle into shops, I'm guessing mostly in old school colours like white, amber, burst etc.

I was hoping to get a Black Deluxe with a V neck, however I don't see that happening any time soon, as I have also been waiting since they were announced months ago... so I decided to grab the Olympic Pearl and tossed a black pick guard on it. Beautiful Strat, rehearsed with it last night, well worth the wait!



Cheers!

A quick search of some major US dealers shows this type of notice :

"It's Arriving Soon!
This item is out of stock and/or backordered. A backordered item may still be purchased, but there may be a delay shipping to you. You may request an estimated time of arrival for any backordered product. Sometimes, the product is already on the way to our store and will become available much sooner."

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Being able to play and enjoy music is a gift that's often taken for granted.

Don't leave home without it!

But what you're not telling, that I suspect, is that you bought her a cup of tea whilst you had a chat then paid for the ticket.

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No no and no

I'm saying nuttin' about any of that.

I was only 18 myself at the time: I knew that a teenage runaway fresh off the train at Kings Cross, penniless and approaching guys for help was headed for serious, nasty trouble. But at that age I didn't have much idea what to do to help her myself.

I suggested she approach the station police, which probably would have been a good start. But she absolutely was not interested in talking to cops: we can only guess at what the story behind her running away might have involved. She wasn't saying, but she was scared - and that station in particular was famous in those days for brutal guys just waiting to turn girls like that into - well, you can imagine.

I saw her depart on a train heading back north. We can but hope it was to something better than she'd have faced if she'd stayed. Who knows? Risky to interfere in someone else's life, but in a case like that...

And by the way. From various private conversations I have absolutely no doubt that you'd have done a lot better in my place, Mr Ninja. You're the street smart fella with the big heart round here, I happen to know...

How on earth did we get onto this?

Cheers - C

A few random thoughts:

"The best things in life are worth waiting for."

When this situation is resolved, if Fender already has a goodly amount of finished necks waiting for bodies, the serial numbers are going to indicate a lot of factory fresh NOS being shipped.

I wonder what repercussions all this is going to have on pricing.

If this ebb continues much longer, I may have to personally offer FMIC my professional services in an effort to straighten it all out.

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You dig?

Fender told me today that they are "hiring" and are having a difficult time finding "skilled craftsmen." So maybe you should give them a call!

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

Martian maybe this would suit???

http://tbe.taleo.net/NA6/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=FENDER&cws=1&rid=267

List of manufacturing jobs here.

http://tbe.taleo.net/NA6/ats/careers/searchResults.jsp?org=FENDER&cws=1

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No no and no

This is interesting- usually something comes out of mexico to compensate- I guess Fender shot themselves in the foot with the job cuts, perhaps If I was at the helm I would have told those that lost thier jobs, that they would indeed have a 'return to your job guarantee' when things picked up again. At least it would have been a sincere gesture

I guess this may have something to do with the fabled line of HH models with the amplifier skirted knobs on them

Back to the Deluxe, I guess it was a case of 'too little, too soon' with the new changes- I really think that in order to get a surge in sales, a massive change should happen, when all we have had for a long time have been 'improvements'. The Lacquer supply issue hits the nail on the head as to why the colours these days on Deluxe are soo bland and unexciting.

If sales are dwindling on higher end guitars, bring them out with CS Fat 50's or something, and when the lacquer supply is sorted, run them with some candy colours

Bring out a new line of pickups for CS only to ensure that wont affect CS sales. We have had Texas Specials on many instruments, but even they have never made it to a deluxe model. I want to be able to buy a set of '65 or an updated Texas Special with less midrange on them- or call them a "Hot '69" model... or something.

If I was the FMIC President'e- EVERYONE will be wearing black, would learn to play Rugby and spread Vegemite on their toast

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Don't even get me going on Vegemite or the Brit equivalent "Marmite". (OK, I know the Kiwis think they have a superior product in Vegemite made by the Sanitarium Foods!). Yuck! I was in Albania one time and a guy I was staying with was from the UK. He says to me, "Hey you want some Marmite on crackers." I asked, "What is Marmite?" He said, "It is like your American peanut butter for us," and then proceeded to spread some about 4 mm thick on some crackers and hands one to me...... Man, oh man..... a shot of tequila was much better than that! I ran to his makeshift Albanian toilet (WC for you guys) and gave it away!
YUM YUM......

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Xhefri's Guitars
www.xhefriguitars.com

Thats the spirit mate- Get it in Ya!!!

Whats wrong- it's good for ya mate. It'll put hair on yer back!!!

Nice to see the "Made in NZ" Emblem there and the Cerebos Iodised Table Salt lol "See how it runs!"

two things right there are almost a neccesity in ever NZ pantry- My allegances are on both sides of the Tasman so you will find both varieties of Marmite and Vegemite in my pantry, next to my Weetbix of course!. No-one dares touch my Vegemeite because hardly anyone likes it Oh- do you like honey? Then that bottle of Honey right there is the best manuka honey & probably the best honey you will ever taste:

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