I am thinking of getting a standard and getting some mods--new pickups, and new neck, and maybe some new tuners, in that order too probably, the neck would come much later. Also looking at the classic 50's, but I've never played a V-neck. Anything you can tell me about adv/disadv. of a v-neck, and difference from a C? Will I have more tuning problems with the vintage style guitar when using the vibrato bar? Also I might be able to trade with a guy and get an AM standard, 08 I think. Thanks for any help. Happy Halloween

it all really depends on what your hands like the most. best thing you can do is play as many as you can so that you get a feel for what is most comfortable. v necks make my hands cramp faster but for you it could feel like heaven you just have to try one out. also i have never had tuning issues with vintage tuners. i actually prefer them. if the nut is cut properly there is nothing a little graphite cant fix.

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Is the V thicker than the C, or is it just a different shape? Honestly I did not want to try the 50's classic, cuz I was going to buy that one on craig's list, and I would feel like a jerk trying out a guitar at my local store, then buying on craig's list. How much does the body style--50's vs standard contribute to the sound? Is most of it in the pickups? I really only wanted the 50's classic cause of the daphne blue, but if it is a better sound I might lean more towards that. I want pristine cleans mainly, but be able to make it scream also.

Go to a well-stocked GC and play all the various Stratocaster models -- your hands will find the most comfortable neck for you.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

there are numerous variations of v necks and c necks from fender. serveral have the same description and are quite different. like "thick C" that is used to describe the mayer signature neck and also the 62 hot rod neck. but the 62 hot rod is allot larger and the mayer is a bit more of a U shape. there is such a variety that the only way to know is to go to a shop and touch them. and don't feel bad about testing at the shop and buying off of craigslist. you can always buy your strings at the shop to relieve your guilt

and with body style almost all strats will feel the same. the trem is where the vintage spec differ from modern. the vintage style tremolo is less sensitive and to me and easier to use that the modern 2 point. but the modern 2 point bridge is going to feel more fluid with less resistance. but i am heavy handed so I avoid them but if you have a lite touch you might prefer the modern style.

its all boils down to your tastes. luckily with a strat if you get the color you like you can change the parts to adapt the guitar to you tastes pretty cheaply.

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yeah, I'm pretty set on that Daphne blue with maple fretboard(50's classic).

That's a nice color. The Classic '50's series are pretty good guitars. Certainly very good platforms for modding. The pickups aren't going to be high output so if you want something that will get you alot of distortion easily, you'll have to swap the pickups out for something hotter.

no I don't really want distortion. I really just want super duper cleans. But was hoping they could still scream once the volume is cranked or the OD is engaged.

Yeah you can certainly get clean tones out of them. I'm sure you can get some gain out of them too but it depends on the amp you use and how hard you drive it.

I personally like '50's style Strats and if I were in the market for a Strat in that particular price range, I'd probably go for the Classic '50's Strat and mod it to my liking.

do the pickups really need modding though? I thought they were Alnicos, but it didn't tell which kind of magnet they were. What's the difference between the magnets, mainly it's just alnico 2 and 5 right?

The stock pickups are fine and sound quite "Stratty". For even more authenticity you might consider installing the Custom Shop 57/62 set (these pickups are used in the US-made version of this guitar, the AVRI '57). Beyond that, the only thing the Classic '50s Strat really needs is a genuine steel trem block -- this will add some chime and sparkle to the highs and provide some added sustain.

JMOOC

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

thanks. I know I would need a pickup upgrade with the standard strat, but what about the trem block?

Same deal -- the MIM Standard Strat also uses a zinc alloy trem block.

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY

thanks.

Get the guitar in hand first and go from there. Before swapping electronics, take a good look at the caps and pots and how the pup's are wired up. In some cases the bridge pup is wide open and it others, its tied to the 2nd tone control. But get a good feel for the guitar first before you start swapping hardware, necks, etc. I rather like the vintage tuners over the modern "ping" style because they are easier to string up. What matters in tuners is the gear ratio, not so much the style. The lower the ratio, the harder time you'll have getting and keeping it in tune. When using a tremolo, I always suggest added a fourth spring to it. Helps put the tremolo back in place when not using it. Trem setter might work to, but I haven't used one of those.

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"Epitaph on a blues musician’s tombstone: “I didn’t wake up this morning”" Davy Knowles


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