I owned a 62 Tele back in the 60's and it was no better then a classic 50's 0r 60's MIM being made today. I recall shopping for a good Strat around the same time and finding a fret board so uneven it was unplayable and others with strings going off the edge of the fret board because bridge did not appear to be in line with the neck. Still others with body contours that did not match the edge of pickguard. I'll take modern production methods over the old ones. You can not compare Custom Shop guitars being made by one luthier to one being made by several people on a production line turning out guitars as quickly as they can to be the same. I think the American Standard being made today is much better in terms of consistancy and quality and in time will also attain that mysic Mojo in the mind.

mhowel, tvr1979 , why those '50 , '60 are well know for their sound ?

Last year I meet a friend wich have a chance to have a '60 strat . One of his friend borrow him the guitar. I do a test drive . I bring my 1995 Stradard American Strat with their John S Moore Pickups, a very good Pickups. I one word , my best Strat.

This old strat is a wayyyyyyyyyyyy better than mine . I can write what I hear , sound was pure , clean ...... name it ... I never heard a so beautiful Strat sound. And I hear a lot of modern strat.

Now I know !

Pardon me if I remain sceptical.

But we've all heard the old strats and the new. Many of us have played some of these old guitars. I owned a late '60's strat and I've played an original Broadcaster and several '50's and '60's strats and teles. There is no way I could say the old guitars sound wayyyyyyyyyyyy better. It was still a joy to play those old Fenders but there was nothing objectively measurable (other than the vintage value) that would make them better guitars.

Plus there was not as much consistency in the manufacturing back then. You might have a Gem come off the line and the next one might be a dud that wouldn't stay in tune.

Then there's the drift factor. As parts wear and age the overall characteristic of the guitar can change. That 1957 Strat is not going to sound today like it did in 1957.

Then there's the question of originality. How do we know what's been changed on that old Tele since it came off the line in Fullerton? What are the chances that the wayyyyyyyyyyyy better guitar you played was all original?

I appreciate your opinion but that hasn't been my experience.

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In my opinion Leo Fender had essentially perfected the guitar amplifier by 1964.

Then there's the question of originality. How do we know what's been changed on that old Tele since it came off the line in Fullerton? What are the chances that the wayyyyyyyyyyyy better guitar you played was all original?
/quote]


I know that guitar was original , nothing replace except strings. That is why I want to test drive.
Probably an had made guitar , pickups can sound as good , but not our low cost American Standard guitar

I'm not talking of the £200-£4000 price range. Look at the cost of real instruments played by proper musicians.

£16000 for a starter bassoon?
£23000 for a budget double bass?

Electric guitars are nothing more than toys in that world.
Concert violins starting at around $10k Student models begin at $400.

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No no and no

"real" instruments? "proper" musicians? Are you insinuating that bands with electric basses and guitars aren't real musical groups?

But I get your point. I don't have any interest in classical music, but I've been well aware of prices of such instruments for a while now. Honestly those prices just seem ridiculous no matter how finely crafted the instruments are. At the end of the day, they're just wood and brass and other metals which aren't at all rare. I'd venture to say it's more in line with what's expected from that realm of music than something that's realistic today. I guess they just wanna keep with the tradition of having ridiculously overpriced instruments, lol.

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Well yeah most guitarists (including the ones you initially mentioned) are musically inept. Every form of popular music is pretty easy to play. Theres nothing complex about it. 1st, 4th, 5th or 1st, 5th, 6th, 4th.

I don't think real instrument prices are over priced. I don't think that at all for hand crafted instruments. I think it's more a case of we've been sold mass produced instruments and reeled into a world of sales hype. Offering us cheap, easily affordable, disposable product. Whilst being led to believe the instrument quality is premier. In very much of an undiscovered fashion that is ever moving forward, for so long, we simply have nothing to compare it to.
(Remember the 80's killing guitar music from the charts? And consider how it coincided with Fenders lull)
Please don't judge me as any kind of music snob. I probably play fewer differing chord sequences than anyone else.
I simply see the marketing hype we're subject to and sometimes allow myself to fall foul of it.

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No no and no

So you try many old Strat ?

I thought this was gonna be about how cheap Strats are selling for on Craigslist.
There are a couple of Am. Standards on there right now in the $500-$600 range.

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2000 American Deluxe Stratocaster
2011 Gibson Les Paul Trad Pro 50's
2007 Epi Les Paul Custom
90's ESP Eclipse
JH-1B Jimi Hendrix Crybaby
Analogman KOT
Korg Pitchblack
Boss NS-2 PH-2
Blues Deluxe Reissue
1999 & 2007 Marshall TSL 100 w/1960BV cab

My friend has a 1956 and a 1957 strat. They are in no way any better than our modern Custom Shops. It's just the vintage factor and that we owe these guitars a lot.

Bargain? Yes, if you compare it to a Guadagnini or something like this. Those are some "real world" instruments, played by professional (classic) musicians.

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."

I still have to admit that handmade guitars in the 50 and 60 did not produce any amazing guitars. But when one stood out it was a gem. And it's not me who invented it.
My friend recognized collector knows a great guitar . That's probably why I've been seduced by this Strat. I have already had occasion to try the same year Tele with the same qualities.

I've tried these guitars in a studio environment, where no noise I could hear everything, faults and qualities.

Several of the better if, you are not interested in has these old guitars, it will remain affordable for me.

I've played some wonderful vintage strats & some woefull vintage strats. I've played some wonderful new strats and some woefull new strats. Would I pay big money for an old strat? hell no. Would I pay big money for a great strat? hell yes.

Let your ears be the judge, not your calendar.

Totally agree. Good is good and garbage is garbage, and everyone has thier own idea of what they think which is which.

I own a '01 Clapton Strat (built just prior to the current version) and I love it. I've played several of the new ones and I don't get that same feeling of awesomeness. I think the version with the Lace Sensors is better, Eric Clapton would probibly disagree with me.

It's all in our ears, brains and imaginations.

Nice one.

Cheers

David

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"Humans think they are smarter than dolphins because we build cars and buildings and start wars etc...and all that dolphins do is swim in the water, eat fish and play around. Dolphins believe that they are smarter for exactly the same reasons."