Hi all,

Just a quick question here. Which one would you choose? I`m playing blues. Buddy guy, Eric Clapton, Albert Cummings..

1- CLASSIC SERIES 50’S STRATOCASTER
2- CLASSIC PLAYERS 50’S STRATOCASTER
3- HIGHWAY ONE UPGRADE


I know that Classic 50`s has 7.25 radius and Vintage Style Single-Coil Strat® Bridge Pickups vs Classic Players`s 9.25 radius American Vintage Strat® Single-Coil Pickup / Reverse Wound/Reverse Polarity American Vintage Strat® Single-Coil Pickup / American Vintage Strat® Single-Coil Neck Pickup.

Apart from that for playibility and sound which one would you prefer?

Best and thanks.

I'd go with the one that hums louder (that's just me though)

_________________
1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Which is?

I think the classic series. Not sure though.

_________________
1984 Squier Contemporary Stratocaster
1986 Peavey Envoy 110
1967 Kingston Acoustic

Anyone has any idea?

Never heard of Albert Cummings....

Well the Classic Player '50's Strat has better pickups but has a couple of modern refinements. It has the same pickups that appear in the American made Vintage Hot Rod '62 Strat.

I had a CP '50's Strat and was not crazy about it. I didn't like the "custom switching" which is a 5 way switch thats has no neck/middle combination. Instead, that position is neck/bridge and it was not a sound that I liked. I looked into having the switch rewired but my luthier was inexpirienced with that particular switch and was of the opinion that I would have to replace it rather than rewire it. I'm relatively sure it could be rewired though. I also had intonation problems with the low E string. I had an AVRI '57 Strat at the same time and the CP '50's really didn't compare very favorably. The tone was thinner and tinny and I knew I was either going to have to put some money into the guitar for some mods or go on and trade it in the like-new condition that it was in, so I decided to trade it.

Now, this is only my personal expirience with ONE Classic Player '50's Strat. It was a special order that I didn't get to play in advance, and along side an AVRI '57 Strat that costed about twice as much, it seemed a lesser guitar. Which is understandable. But I've read alot of really good reviews of the CP '50's Strat and you may find one that you love. On paper it looked like a great guitar for me, but it just didn't have "it". But many people seem to be very happy with theirs so I wouldn't let my review of that particular guitar keep you from buying one if you find one you like.

I would like to add that in general, I think the pickups in the Classic Series (Classic '50's, '60's, and '70's as opposed to the Classic Player series) are a little lackluster. If I bought a Classic '50's Strat, I would probably swap the pickups out.

I'm not sure what the Highway One upgrade that you speak of is but the Highway One probably has hotter pickups than either one of the other two guitars.

Well you should check him out then.. He is becoming one of my favorite guitarists..

At last I went to the store to try 4 guitars:

1- Fender 50`s Classic
2- Fender 50`s Classic Players
3- Fender Highway I
4- Fender 50`s Classic Players Roadworn

None of which I bought. While trying out the guitars the guys brought me a Fender Classic 70`s Olimpic white with maple neck.. Now that was the tone I was looking for.. Every aspect of the guitar from 7.25 radius (Which I was very suspicious about having one) to the neck and the tone is giving me the tone I want. So let me make a little summary of the experience with all the other guitars:

1- Fender 50`s Classic

Very normal, heavy Fender. I didn`t find anything special in this one

2- Fender 50`s Classic Players

Although for about 5 months now I have been with memories of this guitar and loved it a lot, jamming today saw that the sound is very thin. I didn`t like the harmony at all.

3- Fender Highway I

Worse than 50 Classic Player`s to me.. Nothing special, weak sounding.

4- Fender 50`s Classic Players Roadworn (American)

Although the guitar seems very nice, I didn`t like the "dry" feeling the body gave me. If you have ever tried roadworn series you`ll probably know what I am talking about. The sound was really good on this one, yet for me 70`s Classic is sounding much more brighter and livelier than this one.

With Fender Classic 70`s switching the pickup position I was able to get all the sounds I want. Unlike Roadworn I was able to get a very good sound on 1st, 2nd 4th and 5th positions.

Yet again this is how I felt and which sounded to me the best. The best thing to do is to get the guitars in a row and try them in the same time without touching nothing on the amp. You`ll "hear" the difference very easily.

Best!

Ozzy

Well you should check him out then.. He is becoming one of my favorite guitarists..

At last I went to the store to try 4 guitars:

1- Fender 50`s Classic
2- Fender 50`s Classic Players
3- Fender Highway I
4- Fender 50`s Classic Players Roadworn

None of which I bought. While trying out the guitars the guys brought me a Fender Classic 70`s Olimpic white with maple neck.. Now that was the tone I was looking for.. Every aspect of the guitar from 7.25 radius (Which I was very suspicious about having one) to the neck and the tone is giving me the tone I want. So let me make a little summary of the experience with all the other guitars:

1- Fender 50`s Classic

Very normal, heavy Fender. I didn`t find anything special in this one

2- Fender 50`s Classic Players

Although for about 5 months now I have been with memories of this guitar and loved it a lot, jamming today saw that the sound is very thin. I didn`t like the harmony at all.

3- Fender Highway I

Worse than 50 Classic Player`s to me.. Nothing special, weak sounding.

4- Fender 50`s Classic Players Roadworn (American)

[/quote]

Ok I'm not sure which guitar you played but there is no Classic Player '50's Road Worn Strat. Not unless they've unveiled something new that I haven't heard about yet. And besides that, all the Road Worn series are made in Mexico. There's the Road Worn Players Series of which the guitars have modern specs and aren't based on any one period of production and there's the Road Worn Vintage Series where the guitars have (mostly) vintage specs and are based on late 50's and early 60's Fenders. But none of them are made in the U.S. so I'm curious as to what you actually played? Some kind of FSR?

Ok I'm not sure which guitar you played but there is no Classic Player '50's Road Worn Strat. Not unless they've unveiled something new that I haven't heard about yet. And besides that, all the Road Worn series are made in Mexico. There's the Road Worn Players Series of which the guitars have modern specs and aren't based on any one period of production and there's the Road Worn Vintage Series where the guitars have (mostly) vintage specs and are based on late 50's and early 60's Fenders. But none of them are made in the U.S. so I'm curious as to what you actually played? Some kind of FSR?[/quote]

Thanks for correcting. My mistake it was a Fender Classic 50`s roadworn. And yes they have vintage sound..

I just built myself a black '57 style Strat from my HWY1 body and bridge, my EC Strat Neck and Pickguard, and my 50th Anniversary Am. Series Strat pickups (CS '54s) and Electronics. To me this guitar sounds a lot like Clapton's Blackie or Brownie.

You also might want to check out the '50s Road Worn Strat and the Clapton Strat. Or you could buy the parts and build your own. For me I've never more satisfied with a Strat. It was great picking just the parts I wanted. I shined up the black Hwy1 body to look and feel like an old Fender body. The EC Strat parts were already 10 yrs old and had been well worn. The pickups souind wonderful. There is just something so personal about THIS Strat.

I hope this helps. Good luck and have fun.

Classic Player's all the way. But at that price, you can find an American strat used for the same price...

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


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The Classic Player's 50s Strat is my go-to Stratocaster. I really love the neck, its got a great soft-V. I've kept the stock pups because I think they have a great sound. People in this thread have called it "thin," whereas I think its more "snappy." Also, I disagree with the notion that it sounds thin, because the neck pickup is mellowy goodness.

Despite the fact its Mexican, the build quality is equal if not better than the American Strats I've played. I also like the subtle differences of the custom switching, having the neck/bridge selection is a really awesome thing, though I'd be lying if I said I never wanted for a neck/middle in it. More often than not, though, the neck/bridge is just what I need for a full-sounding lead.

Also, I have the Sunburst, and you can't beat the classic style of it. It looks just like the first Strats off the line in '54. I've also seen posters in the Fender community showing how they've taken CP 50s and modded them to be Buddy Holly "signatures," essentially.

I have read all the dissenting opinions above, and can see their arguments. It seems to me though that everyone just found a guitar they liked more, rather than finding some major flaw with the CP 50s. Its built just as solidly as many much more expensive Strats. If you look at reviews online, they are mostly glowing, and talking about how much guitar you will get for your money. Just thought I'd hop on this thread and pontificate for my weapon of choice.

Hi,

Thanks for sharing with us.. With Fender as well as any guitar is to try. Any review will make you aware of some aspects of the guitar but until you got to play the guitar nobody in the world apart from you can make the choice..

So I say go ahead and try and get the one that "feels" , "sounds" to you the best no matter what the reviews say..

Best!

Yup, I completely agree. The guitar will let you know if its the right one. I'm lucky because my CP 50s has convinced me that on several occasions.

That was certainly the case with me. My AVRI '57 Strat made the CP 50's seem not so great. Also, both guitars had the same pickups (only difference being that the CP '50's middle was reverse wound) but the '57 RI sounded much better for whatever reason. Played through the same amps with the same settings, the CP '50's always sounded thinner. Never made much sense to me because the pickups are supposed to be the same but that's the difference that I noticed. I also had intonation issues with the low E and I HATED the custom switching but that's just me personally. I'm sure many people like it. Even so, it wasn't a bad guitar. I just had another Strat that was much better so when I needed to trade something in on my next amp purchase, I said goodbye to the CP '50's. I almost hate to post this experience in a public forum because I don't want to turn people away from buying this guitar. Most people seem really pleased with theirs. Mine just didn't turn out to be the one for me.