Yea, I know it's a ton of letters, but I bought one today and it is what led me to this board.

It's a really nice looking 3 tone burst Ash Player Strat with 2 Noiseless singles in neck/middle and an "Atomic" Bridge Humbucker (which may be the hottest pup I've ever heard). It has master volume, the TBX control on Tone 1 and a +/-25dB mid boost on Tone 2. So it's the Clapton Active Electronics on a Mexi Fat Strat? Crazy stuff.....

Picked it up at GC for $650 and can not find any info on it here in the US. A couple UK sites selling them say they're limited to 50 units over there. I dunno...I'm here.

What I'm interested in (since there was no owners manual with it) are some tips on how you use the TBX and Boost controls to dial in some nice tones? I've been at it for a few hours and it has some of the nicest, and also some of the muddiest tones I've heard from a Strat. But the tone and boost are pretty drastic compared to passive circuits. Not used to using volume to clean up single coils......this is a mystery find??

Also: anyone know of any mods that can be done to the circuit to maybe "smooth it out" or lower the boost dB's??

Hi got mine a couple weeks ago when they had the 15% off and got it for $553. Really like the guitar. Took me alittle while to understand the TBX System. I am really liking it now for the different tones i get.
I beleive they are a special run for guitar center. I have the same one you got. Not much info on them I even called fender. Did a search on the net and found a couple places in England that advertised them. Not much info only said they were limited to 50 in England.
Good Luck

Using the MDX with the DH-1 could slam your amp and burn your ears. I don't care so much pairing the mid boost with hot humbucking pickups, it sounds too brutal.

You'll get ill crazy-sounding Sambora tones, though.

I noticed you paid $650 if you just got it they had a $100 coupon which should have given you a $100 off the $650. I see now its 12% off. That is still around $75 0ff. I would check with your GC if you got in the last week.
I always check on line to see if they have any sales going on. They usually have something.
Good Luck

The boost could be reduced to 12dB if you put a pair of resistors into the circuit.

Yea I found on the humbucker I have to keep guitar volume about 7 because it is a hot humbucker. Love the sound with middle and bridge. I back the tone by vol down to about 3 1/2 and the tbx up to 9 and just get this awsome tone.
You have to work with it and see what works best with your set up. I have had some nice compliments. I don't think his system is for everyone.
Some say it is nicer having it with the 3 single coils. Was going to get the Deluxe Players strat but it has the 12" radious and is hard for me to play. I have another pick guard like on the guitar. I may experiment and get the bridge noiseless and see which I like better.
but that will be awhile because I am liking it as it is.
At the end of the day let your ears be the judge. If you don't like it check out the Deluxe Players Strat for the same price. You have 30 days in which to take it back.
Good Luck

Thank you for the tip.....But yea I did use the TAXDAY promo and got $100 off. Came to $555 and change plus I got a gig bag to get it home in the rain.

Thank You! I really appreciate everybody's feedback......I had no idea what this guitar was but it sounds really awesome with certain settings. Interesting find imo.
The looks are what really strike me. It is really well built by US standards imo. Incredible player right outta the box.

The only thing is that if it is a limited run I wish they would at least put a numbering system on the headstock or neckplate.

Anyone know the model #? I emailed customer support so I can register it cuz I can't find it in the drop down menus.

That would be really useful. 25dB is a bit much. What value resistors? Are you aware of the cap value on Tone 1? I think I'd like to reduce that as I do in most my other guitars. I have a Orange drop .01 uF just sittin here n would love to use it up. Haven't cracked open the pg yet. waitin for a few weeks til I re-string.

With Fender I don't think you register. Your receipt is all you need if there is a problem under warranty. I may be wrong but pretty sure that is how it works.
Good Luck

Hey bro, there is a registration link on this site. They have damn near every instrument in the FMI universe except this FSR TBX Boost model.

I happily played hookey from work today, as I always do when I buy a new axe or amp. Plugged in for several hours and tried to dial in this gorgeous Strat.

Focused mainly on playing thru my '66 Ampeg Gemini I combo w/ 12" Eminence Maverick speaker. Also spent a lot of time on what may be the best modeling combo amp yet imo (sans the AxeFx/sorry Mustang owners), the Vox Valvetronix VT40+ and I gotta say: This TBX/Boost circuit shows it's value with all-tube amps.

The higher boost setting proved to be too much for the preamp IC's in the VT40+ I gather. Lower settings meshed well and hearing it thru some of the better emulations in the Vox was a learning experience. The Bruno CTP22 model (my favorite) sounded great.

The Gemini handled it amazingly and practically every setting was useful except for maybe having the Atomic bridge pup cranked and maxed TBX treble and maxed boost. At those settings, it was a bit too "treble-ey" but may be useful in some way to some guys I'm sure.

Going with the neck pup, volume at 8, 6 on the TBX and 4 on the boost was a really creamy, fat, smooth (and other great adjectives) tone. By far my favorite today. Very traditional SRV/Hendrix like sound and feel.

I jumper the 2 channels of the Ampeg Gemini I with a 6" patch cable and use the Treb/Bass to give each channel it's own voice. Being as how they share the speaker, it comes out really gorgeous. The Gem is easily the sweetest clean amp I've ever heard and reminiscent of 60's Blackfaces but w/ much less drive at stage volumes. SS rectifier and 7591 OT's attribute to that greatly, I imagine.

Great guitar to have. Glad I bought it. Adds something interesting to cleaner amps like the Gem which can benefit from being pushed up front. Goes from traditional Strat to SRV to Clapton to Sambora to Johnson and even rivals Corgans with it's bridge HB. Has a strong chug with high gain. Add a slight tape echo and WOW! So many tone combos to experiment with and the Noiseless singles do a damn fine job of letting your fingers an pick decide the tone. Highly recommend to anyone on a sub $900 guitar budget.

You might consider upgrading the pickups and mid-boost circuit if you really want something different.

Personally I opt for an American Deluxe HSS LT having the features of a James Tyler Studio Elite.

Any suggestions for pups? I've been thinking SD Antiquities in N/M and maybe a Lollar El Rayo HB in the bridge cuz it's more my style....vintage output, ya know?

With the pre-wired PG's or even just the ability to swap out the pickguard for anything you can dream up is what's really nice about Strats. Acme even has the ToneShaper, soooo much out there.

How would one upgrade the mid-boost per se? You mean just upgrading components or is there a specific idea/kit you know is already out there?

Yep, upgrading components.

Upgrading the Fender MDX with a Demeter Fat Control preamp sounds interesting. Any difference between to two? Is the Fat Control mid-boost weaker than the MDX?

After all, James Demeter designed the MDX in conjunction with John Carruthers and Paul Gagon. He went up with his own mid-boost circuit in 1987.