Hello. mates. I recently heard about these SX Hawk style guitars being sold at this Rondo Music place in the US, but I can't get hold of one. I saw a vid of someone playing the stock pickups and it sounds really really good for what it is (it's like $79 or something crazy low).

What I'm after is a Stratocaster that is just as cheap (don't mind it being a bit more) but with the same quality of sound as these stock pickups - basically, I need to be able to buy it in the UK. Or if anyone knows what sort of pickups to look out for, that'd be great if you can advise me?

Here's the video I saw, as a reference http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE7Hr2HB ... ture=inbox

THANK YOU =)

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HAVE AN ACE DAY EVERYONE, and have a few more after that

You need to look for Encore guitars in that price range.

If you can spend more do. They are not very good at all.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ENCORE-BLASTER-PINK-STRATOCASTER-ELECTRIC-GUITAR_W0QQitemZ200540205390QQcmdZViewItem?rvr_id=222369026718&rvr_id=222369026718&cguid=6af5b02e12d0a0e2048652d6fec9a0cb

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No no and no

+1 A few extra buck can give you a lot more guitar bang !

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"I like the way he puts Yngwie J. Malmsteen on his album covers. You know,....so you don't confuse him with all the other Yngwie Malmsteens in the business"


2008 Fender MIM Stratocaster
2010 Epiphone Masterbilt
2009 Fender Super Champ XD

My brother-in-law's first and only electric guitar was one of those SX strat copies. It was a total piece-o-$#!+. For less than $200 you can buy a Squier, which will totally have a genuine stratocaster look, great playability, and decent tone overall. With "drift-wood" guitars (imports from the far east), the more you can spend the better! Seriously, do yourself a favor.....buy a REAL strat, even a Squier is still a "strat". Don't throw away money on junk that isn't good quality, and will not have ANY resale value at all. A Squier Affinity series Strat can be had for less than $150 new, and the Standard Series Squiers can be had for around $200 ( and THESE are real guitars of high quality ). Spend $200, buy a Standard Series Squier Strat, and get a real guitar It will be better in the end, I promise!

go to e-bay mate--there are a ton of Squire strats under 100 bucks

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2011 PRS 25th SAS
2008 Eric Clapton Custom Antigua Strat
2012 PRS Artist Package Studio Special Order

I fully endorse the Squier suggestions. You won't go wrong with a Squier, ever.

But guys please remember the fella is in the UK. Dollar prices don't exist here, neither do guitar center or musicians friend.

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No no and no

Hey Stefanovic,
won't happen here in the UK. Squiers are going up and up in price. Your best bet is to pick up either a Westfield STrat (garbage pickups but they are going for about £50 n e-bay) or some of the unbranded guitars on e-bay and check out Iron Gear pickups. CHeap but great value for money. To get a decent tone in a guitar over here will cost upwards of £250 for a stock guitar but a cheap decent guitar off e-bay or Gumtree and a decent set of pickups to put in will be around £100- £150.
THere's another online company in the UK called Gear4music that sells 'b' stock. They have a massive turnover of instruments coming in from the far east and anything that doesn't sound or play right out of the box goes out a discounted prices. I picked up a small Rickenbacker copy for £15 cos it had 'unfixable string buzz', being a bit of a tech I went for it and when it arrived I was ready to have the neck off and maybe refret or something but had a quick look and tune-o-matic bridge was screwed right down to the body (obviously for transit or something) so I set up the bridge and.....no buzz! I know I was pretty lucky but I know of a few guys with similar experience with them.
Their stock pickups aren't great but at less than fifty quid modding is a total no brainer!

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speak slowly I'm a drummer too!!

And I proudly lack a stick or a kazoo up my arse...........

Hi there.

You're asking a tough call, but all is not lost.

To bring in a decent strat like guitar for under £100, you need to be looking 2nd hand. Someone mentioned Ebay, and thats OK - but you run the risk of buying something that's been butchered. It is essential that you try before you buy. If you don't know too much about guitars, then take someone with you that does. Good places to try - watch your local pawn brokers/junk/2nd hand/ antique shops. If you've got a local Cash Convertors, haunt the place until you see something good. They used to sell 2nd hand musical instruments at stupidly low prices, but they're a bit more savvy now. However, there are still bargains to be had. Avoid the new cheapo chinese guitars they sell - brands like Johnson, Nevada etc. With luck you can pick up a Squier Strat for about £75.00.

Also worth looking on-line at Gumtree (your city) at the musical instrument private sale adverts.

Brands to buy - Squier obviously, but if you're lucky you might be able to pick up a V6 Strat clone by a company called Vintage (John Hornby Skewes). The later Vintages are overseen by the legendary Trev Wilkinson, luthier, tech and all round good egg. In my opinion, the V6 is as good as the higher end Squiers - seriously fine cheap guitars, good enough for stage and basic recording work.

If you're prepared to stretch the Strat concept, a good 2nd hand Yamaha Pacifica 112 is a thing of budget beauty with a legendary reputation for quality wood, good hardware and reasonable pickups. Plays and sounds very strat like and has a really reliable trem system that is a clone of the Strat design. Expect to pay £75+ for a good old style Pacifica.

If you come into money, then a 2nd hand Mexican Standard real Fender Strat can be had for about £225.00.

And one more thing, take a look at the dedicated Squier Board, here on this Forum. Good luck..

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Fender Highway & Classic 60s Strats, Fender Toronado, Telecaster, Gretsch Projet, Charvel 3, PRS SE Soapbar II & Custom 24, Burns Batwing and many others!

Go for the used Squier route,a lot of these Strat knock-offs are way overpriced at $100 as they are little more than toy guitars,flimsy and poorly set up and intonated with shoddy electronics and hardware.With Squier you get better quality in setup and materials.

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'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.

Only a Stratocaster is a Stratocaster and except nothing less.
I purchased a copy of a Strat over 5 years ago and it sounded so awful I never did anything with it and never picked it up.
I have 2 MIM Strats and don't let anyone tell you different they are every bit as good as a MIA Strat.

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He who dies with the most Strats wins.

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HAVE AN ACE DAY EVERYONE, and have a few more after that

You need a Squier with a Dimarzio Super Distortion humbucker in the bridge position. If you have a particular agenda with this guitar.

The pickup costs more than you're on about spending though.

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No no and no

If you go down the 112 route, check out Iron Gear humbuckers in the bridge position, straight swap and they only cost about £30-£40 new direct. If it's a single coil setup check out some hotrails, bit pricier but good stuff.

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speak slowly I'm a drummer too!!

And I proudly lack a stick or a kazoo up my arse...........

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HAVE AN ACE DAY EVERYONE, and have a few more after that

You could try this Squier Bullet:

http://www.thomann.de/gb/fender_squier_bullet_strat_hss_rw_bsb.htm