I have an AVRI '57 and a new 2010 American Standard with CS Texas Specials. Both guitars are absolutely awesome and I love them both. However I don't plan to stop here with my small collection. I plan to own a Custom Shop Les Paul and a Custom Shop Strat also someday in the near future. I would just like to hear from some experienced Stratocaster guys about the CS Strat. Are they really that much better as far as sound and playability goes. What is better about the Custom Shops. I'm not asking this just for kicks. I'm asking because I really don't know. I've never had the opportunity to play one.

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"Damn Right I Got the Blues"

Are you ready ?

Fender Custom Shop Musician’s Friend Special Run Vintage Pro 1960 Stratocaster NOS $2,199.99

http://www.music123.com/Guitars/Electric-Guitars/Solid-Body-Electric-Guitars/Musicians-Friend-Special-Run-Vintage-Pro--1960-Stratocaster-NOS.site7prod423452.product

Just to GAS you up, a damn nice Custom Shop for the price is a steal!

The Vintage Pro 1960 Stratocaster electric guitar is a member of the Fender Custom shop "New Old Stock" (NOS) collection. These Fender guitars are built using the original tooling and production techniques of their original era. It is as if it had been discovered in a warehouse after many years during which it was never played, and bearing little or no signs of age or wear.

The Fender Vintage Pro 1960 Stratocaster NOS features a select alder body (premium ash on white blonde finish), maple neck with a large C shape, and a 21-fret slab rosewood fretboard with white dot position markers. The electric guitar has a flatter 9.5" radius and taller 6105 frets for easier bending. Other outstanding appointments of this Fender Strat include a 3-ply white pickguard, Fender/Gotoh vintage-style tuning machines, and an American vintage-style synchronized tremolo. The '60 Fender Vintage Pro Stratocaster comes with a hardshell guitar case, strap, cable, and certificate of authenticity.

The Vintage Pro 1960 Stratocaster is loaded with 3 Fender Custom '69 single-coil Strat pickups that offer you a range of tones suitable for all styles of music. Controls include one master volume, two tones, and a 5-way blade switch. The middle pickup has RWRP (reverse wind/reverse polarity) wiring, which allows you to switch positions 2 and 4 to be hum-canceling. The Fender Vintage Pro '60 Strat comes with a hardshell guitar case, strap, cable, and certificate of authenticity.

An outstanding Fender Custom Shop reproduction with modern touches.
Features

* Colors: 3-color sunburst, white blonde, lake placid blue, candy apple red, charcoal frost metallic, surf green, aged vintage white
* Finish: thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish
* Body: select alder
* (premium ash on white blonde finish)
* Neck: maple with large C-shape
* Fretboard: slab rosewood
* Nut: bone
* Frets: 6105 narrow jumbo
* Bridge: American vintage-style synchronized tremolo
* Machine heads: Fender/Gotoh vintage style tuning machines
* Hardware: nickel/chrome
* Pickguard: 3-Ply White
* Pickups: 3 Fender custom '69 single-coil Strat pickups (Middle pickup has RWRP wiring)
* Controls: master volume, tone 1. (neck pickup), tone 2. (middle pickup), 5-way switch
* Strings: D'Addario XL110 regular light, nickel-plated Steel, (gauges: .010, .013, .017, .026, .036, .046)
* Accessories: strap, cable
* Case: deluxe hardshell case
*
* Unique features:
* 3 custom '69 single-coil Strat pickups (Middle pickup has RWRP wiring)
* maple neck with large C-shape
* thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish
* A Custom Shop "New Old Stock" (NOS) edition

Play one of those at the store if you have the chance, you´ll know what people hypes about.

I have learned repeatedly in life that more expensive does not equal better. With every guitar I have owned, but one, I actually bought something less expensive than I thought I would because it is about personal feel. In fact my #1 strat is everything I never thought I would want in a guitar. Rosewood fingerboard, blocked trem, black color, and EMG SA active pu's...never wanted any of that stuff but it just worked out for me.

You are sure to get some responces both for and against the Custom Shop guitars but the bottom line is it will only matter to you.

Probably not the exact answer you were looking for.

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CREDO ELVEM IPSUM ETAIM VIVERE

What about a Custom Shop for less then 2k ? Thera ya go!

Fender Custom Shop Fusion Classic Strat Candy Cola MP 905 $1,995.00

http://proguitarshop.com/store/guitars-fender-custom-shop-fender-fusion-classic-c-1_476_600/fender-custom-shop-fusion-classic-strat-candy-cola-mp-905-p-1797



Fender Custom Shop Fusion Classic Stratocaster

You get one take.
Capturing that elusive moment is essential.
Don’t miss it…

This is the mission we chose to accept.
Mission Accomplished: Fusion Classic.

Zero sixty cycle hum, remarkable tuning stability and a diverse tonal palette. All of these are critical elements when choosing a guitar for your latest recording project. Combine these incomparable features with the finest builders on the planet and the Fender Custom Shop Fusion Classic is born.
Fender Custom Shop Fusion Classic Stratocaster

Once you’ve reached a certain level of artistry, the only thing that matters is getting that emotion across in your playing. You don’t want to worry about tuning, humming pickups, or not having the right tones available for the song. You need to focus strictly on your playing – hitting the groove, hitting the note, and owning the tune. Step on to the stage or into the studio knowing that your Strat is tuned and ready to deliver incredibly soulful tones. No more worrying about whether your instrument will be ready. It will be ready for that one take.
Fender Custom Shop Fusion Classic Stratocaster Features:

* Body: Select Alder - 8lbs 12oz
* Finish: Candy Cola Nitro
* Neck: Soft “V”, Lightly Flamed "A" Maple
* Fretboard: Maple
* Nut: LSR Roller Nut
* Radius: 9.5”
* Frets: 22 medium jumbo frets
* Bridge: 2 Point Synchronized Tremolo with Stainless Steel Saddles
* Pickups: Dimarzio Area 58 Neck and Middle; Dimarzio Area 61 Bridge
* Pickup Switching: 5 Position Blade and 2 Position Push/Pull S-1
* Controls: Master Vol (with S-1 Switch), Tone 1 (Neck Pickup), Tone 2 – No Load Tone Control (Middle and Bridge Pickups)
* Tuners: Fender/Schaller Deluxe Staggered Cast/Sealed Locking Tuners
* Accessories: Fender Custom Shop Tolex Case, strap, cord, Certificate of Authenticity

I own a couple CS Strats, but also a couple MIA non-CS Strats. The main difference in my opinion is that the CS Strats feel a bit more 'solid', built like a tank. For me it's more a playability thing then sound.

A related question: is a CS Strat a guitar that someone who mods their Strats would be interested in? I have taken considerable advantage of the amount of modification and part replacement that can be done to a Strat, and as a result my guitars are customised to precisely how I want them.

For this reason I have never considered buying a CS Strat. Am I missing out?

Buy a CS Masterbuilt. You can specify exactly how you want the guitar built right down to the amount of rust on the pickguard screws.

_________________
Bill

_________________
"Oh, it's a windy and sunny day
And I can hear the faint sound of distant waves
The past weeks have been going by so fast
It's all the same, the bright sky and shining sun
I have a feeling it's gonna be a fun day"

Changed the pickups and wiring on mine, because I had a guitar that did what my CS did. It's now wired just like a 50's/60's strat. Even the middle pickup is same polarity same wind direction. Yes it makes a huge difference to those inbetween sounds, via a 3way switch.

Once you go Customshop, you'll have a hard time going back. You won't notice the difference overnight.

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No no and no

I would love to own a cs strat, but I'm no pro, so I won't
spend my money, yet.
Now the issue with Les Paul cs, well I think the lp standard
is friggin awesome.
Bst

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

You don't need to be a pro, just someone searching for that little bit extra from their Strat. This was my CS - a 2008 '56 Closet Classic. I actually got it new last summer; my left hand tendonitis has majorly flared up so I wanted to give the soft V neck a try. I also bought a Collings 290 at just about the same time; sadly the Strat made the condition worse but the Collings (which has essentially a Gibson scale) worked so the Strat moved on and funded a new amp.

However, it was without a doubt the best Strat I've ever owned (out of 2 Am Dlxs, 2 AV '62s, a CS '69, and 4 "boutique strat-styles" from 3 different builders):

super sweet strat john.


i would sell or trade my lp for somthing like that.
plus my am deluxe has a sweet vneck and nice body.
i believe they are as close to the custom shop ill get.
maybe later. actually the more reasonable one is the one nik has

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"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

oogway, kungfu panda 2008

Nice strat John!



I think you've just found me my next strat. :O Now I just gotta find it around here and the money...

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2010 American Special HSS 3TSB
Marshall MG15FX

There's Custom Shop and there's Custom Shop. I suspect the ones you are finding at those prices are from the upper regions of the catalog. Those pictured earlier on this thread are the entry level models.


There is an excellent saying regarding musical instruments. "You pay 100 percent more to get a ten percent improvement in quality."

It just depends how much that ten percent matters to you.

By this rule, a Masterbuilt Custom Shop Strat is the best quality. A Squier Strat is (by far) the best value for money. You pays your money, you takes your choice.

Cheers - C

Thanks guys; it was my "last hurrah" with a Strat. It's not mine any more but I do have a Mesa Lonestar Special amp (and some pedals) instead.