I am considering selling my '97 American Big Apple Strat. I have owned the guitar since 2001 and I just want something new. I am strongly considering the Jaguar HH Special Player. I have always wanted a Jaguar and I love that this model has humbuckers. I just feel bad selling an American made for a Japanese made guitar. I typically play music similar to The Smiths, Pixies, Nirvana, At the Drive In, and some heavier stuff like the Deftones etc... The Big Apple just doesn't align with my playing style that well.

I see the Big Apple Strats going between $700-$900 which would buy a new Jaguar.

Should I do this or hold on to the Big Apple?

Thanks for you input.

I sold my lone star US and bought a 50's MIJ reissue 13 years ago, never regretted it.

It's hard to beat the quality of an early MIJ Fender and from what I've heard on these forums the same goes for the newer CIJ's too!!

Thanks for the responses.

I have also considered exchanging the pickups on the big apple to give it a tone that I would like better. Maybe the bridge (Seymour Duncan '59) for a Seymour Duncan Invader or Super Distortion. I don't know if that would make that much of a difference though.

Why not keep it ? in this buyer's market you'll be disappointed as for the return.
Unless one has to go for the other to come in, if it is a nice guitar I would keep it.
Just because it isn't your "cup o tea" today does not mean you may not wish to have it back tomorrow.

I fail to see why so many people change guitars like they change socks ( hopefully the socks get changed more often )
I have a couple of guitars that were dormant for a while but have been resurrected and I'm glad I kept them.
I say sleep on it for a while, there is always time to unload them at a future day

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

The Pups are only a part of the sound equation, what amp are you using? pedals?
There is a lot one can do to alter the tone, pots, active or passive, I would really research anyone else's experiments before deciding on an internal overhaul.
I have too many times sought the Holy Grail only to be deceived when realizing a minor inexpensive tweak was the answer.

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "

I sold my Lonestar and I'm crying in my beer (and I don't even drink!).

I would like to keep it I've had it almost 10 years. We've been through a lot together lol. Being an American made I could see it's value going up as well. It has gone up slightly since I bought it.

As far as equipment goes I have a Fender Ultimate Chorus Amp (2x12) and a Fender Mustang 20watt amp. I don't use the Ultimate Chorus too often due to it's size and weight. I love the Mustang amp with all of the effects it has and I play on it 95% of the time. With the Mustang I have tons of effects to play around with.

I've been thinking about selling it but I am afraid I will regret it. Maybe I'll look in to a new set of pick ups to change up the sound a bit. That may be a fairly risk free and in-expensive cure to my itch.

Any reccomendations on Humbuckers?? I'm open to anything. I like that Seymour Duncan Invader a lot. I may just replace the bridge and leave the Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates in the neck.

The only thing of poor taste would be a misrepresentation of the guitar to a potential buyer. As said herein, trading up leads to disappointment. Vendors will offer you as little as possible for the guitar. If you own particular needs are not being answered by this one, and you have limitations as to the amount of gear you can hold, then think long a hard about the move. You may regret it later on but have to be prepared for that eventuality...or...you may be satisfied with the ultimate outcome. It's a crap shoot in any event.

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"Another day in paradise!"

There's no such thing as poor taste in something that makes someone happy. If you feel you'd better enjoy playing that Jag, I say go for it. It is a sweet guitar, after all

I thought the Big Apply had the Pearly Gates in the bridge and the '59 in the neck???

I'm a little confused how swapping an Alder bodied Fender guitar with twin humbuckers for another Alder bodied Fender guitar with twin humbuckers is going to have that big an effect on your sound?

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How did it sound to you?

Don't sell it, you'll regret it. Maybe not tomorrow, maybe not next year. But one day, you'll regret it.
It's always that way with guitars. Even the POS garbage we started with. The only guitar I never regretted giving away (yes gave) was a ESP Hanneman. A stark reminder of why Japanese guitars improved in the 70's.

Save up for the Jag, keep the Strat. Adrian makes a very valid point, there could well be not that much difference between the two. Aside from the bridge and scale length.

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No no and no

"I thought the Big Apply had the Pearly Gates in the bridge and the '59 in the neck???"

Sorry I think I had the two mixed up.

I think i'm going to keep it. I just got my first job out of college, so I may just buy a jag and keep the strat as well.

I'm going to start another thread regarding pickups for the Big Apple.

It will be a minute difference, guitar to guitar but, played thru distortion devices I see it as an exercise in wasting money

I'm reading something else here, but my experience tells me that more often than not, we wish to change equipment in the pursuit of that all encompassing magical tone/sound.
When in reality we would be far better off keeping perfectly good equipment and really adapting ourselves to the task at hand.

Excuse those who I may offend but " I myself as a musician Do Not Want to sound like anyone else ".
It amazes me how much equipment Rock n Roll players acquire and discard always searching for that sound.
It is like being in a forest going from tree to tree looking for that one and only special tree.
Soon one has lost all sense of reference to the primary goal.

If you compare Violinist, Classical Guitarists, rarely do they switch instruments. Instead they grow and adapt themselves to that instruments parameters.

I have had my Magnatone Amp for over 30 years, amazingly I am still finding tones and/or settings that I didn't realize were possible.
Or perhaps I have just forgotten that simply experimenting with what is at hand is in the long run much more productive to my musicianship

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"C'est parti mon Kiki "