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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:40 am
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ECREAMAYALLAYLA wrote:

Regarding the EC sig, I was tied between that and the deluxe, for the same mainstay reason: its versatility in making a single coil sound fat. But reagarding the price though, that's where it starts to rub off in me. Doesn't seem like an ideal move to spend more than 1000bucks on a working man's fender.

Can you guys perhaps change my mind?


I'd take the EC over every Deluxe!
Not because it says EC but because of the specs!
Mid boost and TBX control are just great and the pickups are great! (at least the older Lace Sensors, I haven't played the noiseless ones in the newer models).

But that's just personal taste and not necessarily yours as well ;)

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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:41 am
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ECREAMAYALLAYLA wrote:
..seem like an ideal move to spend more than 1000bucks on a working man's fender...


I think the American Special is supposedly the "working mans guitar". Though if you are going to get one, I would recommend you not buy blind off an online retailer but try them out in music stores in your area and get the one that feels good -- you will know what that means once you've tried a few Am Specials. The quality of those seems to vary quite a bit and there are some out there that MIM and MIC strats can run circles around them.

Re; that "Fat" sound. "Fat" is subjective. To me, "Strat Fat" sound is something like David Gilmour or Eric Clapton circa late 80s. I still don't find the heavy sound from the Deluxes is quite that. To me it sounds "New Country Fat".. think Shania Twain and Faith Hill records.. Just my own viewpoint.

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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:46 am
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ECREAMAYALLAYLA wrote:
I've also read a lot on how the TexSpecial pups have "snarl".


I've played Texas Specials and Custom Shop Texas Specials (have them in two of my strats, respectively: the CS TS are waiting to be installed in one again since I presently have no guitar project for them at the moment).

I like the Texas Specials! The only drawback is: they start "smoking" at high volume levels only. With house- or living room volume levels (which is already pretty loud in my case), they sound thinner than my American Standards.
Great for gigging, not so great for playing at home.

Again: just my personal taste. I never understood the "hype" about Texas Specials. They're good, not more, not less.

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STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:51 am
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Smokin' Frets wrote:
I like the Texas Specials! The only drawback is: they start "smoking" at high volume levels only. With house- or living room volume levels (which is already pretty loud in my case), they sound thinner than my American Standards.
Great for gigging, not so great for playing at home.

Again: just my personal taste. I never understood the "hype" about Texas Specials. They're good, not more, not less.


Are "Fat 50's" any different?

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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 7:07 am
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darkogav wrote:

Are "Fat 50's" any different?


Dunno! Haven't tried them yet.

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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 8:02 am
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If you like warmer tones maybe check out the red mahogany select strat? I think it's been discontinued but Guitar Center and some other stores still have a few new ones. I've never played it but I like the idea of it. http://www.guitarcenter.com/Fender-Amer ... 1168160.gc

As far as choosing between Am Standard and Deluxe I think one issue would be how much you need noiseless pickups. For a professional musician sometimes it's more important to have a reliable good-sounding low-noise pickup (N3) than to have that last bit of single coil authenticity (Fat 50s). I have the latter in my guitar and I love them to pieces but they are noisy sometimes, especially if I take them out of the basement where I do 99% of my playing. My old guitar teacher got so sick of the hum as he was giving lessons all day he went noiseless on his guitar.


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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 8:46 am
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ECREAMAYALLAYLA wrote:
:D :D So i would like to purchase my first Fender strat. My budget is fairly high considering an American Deluxe is what I'm aiming for earlier, but lately I've wondered wether getting such an expensive guitar kills the "Fender spirit" (whatever that is, you get the idea :D )

I play a lot of power pop, rock, hard rock, contemporary gospel, ballad, with a bit of blues and country thrown in. Basically my main Multi-FX settings incorporate reverb-drenched cleans, a warm overdrive, a biting lead distortion, and a funky rhythm tone. Think Nigel Hendroff(Hillsong), The Edge, and Eric Clapton(on the blues and heavy tones). This is where the AmDlx's S1 switch really caught my attention, since i loved the way it could churn out some really warm humbuckers. This is also where i question my unlikely liking towards jangly strat-tones, something i really rarely use.

So, what strat purchase would you folks recommend? As a side note i would try to possibly stay away from used guitars or guitars that require a mod/good setup, since I live in a place that doesn't really motivate such motives. Any advice would be appreciated :)


The first response is ultimately the best one, but you likely posted here to get some feed back. The Deluxe has some great attributes, but I don't believe the PUs to be one of them. I had a 2009 Deluxe with the last incarnation of noiseless PUs, the SNCs. The current Deluxe no longer uses cobalt magnets, but rather more traditional alNico and as such are labelled N3 PUs. In either case, I would say that was the biggest draw back to that guitar was/are the PUs. It never felt authentic to me and when I went out recently to look for another one, to replace my 2009 Deluxe, I decided I'd check out the 2013 Deluxe V neck with N3 PUs to see if there was a significant difference from the SNC PUs. Fortunately, the store also happened to have a 2011 Custom Shop Deluxe with master built single coil PUs (not noiseless). In many respects the guitars were similar: they both have locking tuners, both were in three colour sunburst, both have the modern two point tremelo, both have abalone fret markers. The biggest difference (aside from the necks) is the PUs. The variants of thhe standard single coil, whether they be master built, or Custom Shop 69s, Fat Fifties, Texas Specials, what ever, have a tone that is lost in the silent PU. When the single coil is switched out of position two or four it's as if they breathe, there is a tonal character to them that gives the Strat it's sound. So, my recommendation is to look for a Strat that may have some of the attributes of the Deluxe (if that is your incling) but avoid the noiseless PUs. There are a lot of great Fenders out there. I've heard great things about the Eric Johnson Strat, which I believe is around $1900.


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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 5:46 pm
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Jared Purdy wrote:
There are a lot of great Fenders out there. I've heard great things about the Eric Johnson Strat, which I believe is around $1900.


^
I like that one but cant figure out, is it $1900 just cause its got his name on it?

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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Thu Feb 14, 2013 6:36 pm
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With regards to the EC...it is the specs not the name...but you need to like the comfort of the soft "V" neck over the "C" neck of the deluxe, etc. Also, you can find good used EC's for less than $1K if you are willing to work the hunt! I didn't see anything (might have missed it) about trem use in your style, I am NOT a fan of the American Deluxe (etc) of the two point trem...so if that is an issue for you, it may help with your decision as to one direction or another.

As to the TS pickups, I have a MIM 60's Classic Series Strat with them and love them...they do have some extra bite to em, but you really need to hear them and decide if you like them first, that is a case of having to do the homework in person.

HTH

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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 5:45 am
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There's been so much love regarding the ec strat!!! It's been my main GAS bug fr quite awhile now. But does anybody have any experience rgarding the vintage noisless ones? Must be hard to get a lace ec now.
Speaking about getting an ec sig, is it still worth it new? Like for 1600bucks? Again in where I came from getting a decent standard used is hard enough, let alone a signature guitar.

In another point, is it ok if I cross out the amdlx off the list now? No love for it at all on this thread .

The main winner for me so far turns out to be the ol' am standard. For that price, I would be more than glad to get a brand new one. The question is, does the standard stay in tune well? Say, with lots of bends and mild whammy usage?
Also, do you guys have any info on the 2013 amstandard? If I am gonna get it, I wanna make sure I'm getting the latest itineration, since fender american has been doing a good job updating their guitars as far as I'm concerned.


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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 6:56 am
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darkogav wrote:
Jared Purdy wrote:
There are a lot of great Fenders out there. I've heard great things about the Eric Johnson Strat, which I believe is around $1900.


^
I like that one but cant figure out, is it $1900 just cause its got his name on it?


I don't know how much bearing that would have on the price. I think what might make it more of a $1900 guitar are the appoinments on it, including the custom wound PUs, which apparetnly took some time to nail down. The neck is also quite astounding, and very similar in shape to that on the CS Deluxe, big C profile. I think for the artist renditions, it is one of the better ones. Great PUs for blues and classic rock, no gimmics, straight ahead Strat.


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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 9:09 am
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ECREAMAYALLAYLA wrote:

This is where the AmDlx's S1 switch really caught my attention, since i loved the way it could churn out some really warm humbuckers. This is also where i question my unlikely liking towards jangly strat-tones, something i really rarely use.


I have a 2012 Amn Dlx SSS which I love. First I had the 2011 Tungsten Rosewood ...exchanged for the 2012 3TSB Maple both with the N3 pups. Hadn't heard the SCNs but I'm sure that the differences will be plus and minus not unlike all the other pups. For me, I didn't want to get locked in to one sound or the other and until I buy the next guitar (acoustic or electric) I wanted a Strat with versatility and low noise for recording and playback. S1 switching and N3s whether in a tube amp or modeling amp gave me what I needed. I'm also a fan of the locking tuners. The sustain on this guitar rocks.

The 2011 Amn Dlx I mentioned came from a church guitarist who moved on to a Custom. The 2012 that I now own, while it doesn't have the exact 60s sound, I managed to get very close. I do not play a lot of heavy metal, but country, blues, and classic rock do me fine with this guitar and with today's equipment you'll find decent distortion and clean vibes without a problem. I believe that using 3 completely different pups Alnico 2, 3, and 5 in different combinations adds to the tones available.

As for signature guitars . . . they are nice too be sure, but they are not all equal if you're reaching for that celeb's sound. There may be a lesser expensive version or one that is endorsed but not used primarily by an individual or outboard equipment is lacking. Lots of goodness to be sure, but, lots of variables.

Sometimes a simple standard axe will do with some variety available. This is especially true if more guitars are in the wings, or if more purchases are in the future, or road wear will give it a beating, or if it is to be hot rodded or shared with other tone guitars, or maybe it's a colour fetish.

That's the beauty of a Strat. They all have versatility and a mojo.

As others advise, your guitar is your choice. Trust your senses and you will know when it's right.

Best of luck.


Last edited by Fender Strat Brat on Sat Feb 16, 2013 10:41 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 11:07 am
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Quote on my previous post:"The main winner for me so far turns out to be the ol' am standard. For that price, I would be more than glad to get a brand new one. The question is, does the standard stay in tune well? Say, with lots of bends and mild whammy usage?
Also, do you guys have any info on the 2013 amstandard? If I am gonna get it, I wanna make sure I'm getting the latest itineration, since fender american has been doing a good job updating their guitars as far as I'm concerned." - anyone?

In regards to Fender Strat Brat, are you saying that if I do end up getting the standard, it won't be versatile enough unless I brought in more guitars and gear in the future?
That's something I really would go against about.
Heck I'm even really against lugging amps and more than 1 guitar to most of my gigs. That's why I bought a TonelabST amp modelling + fx processor to match up with my HSH ibanez prestige.
Out of context, the ibanez is very versatile and a really gnarly rock machine. But it still felt wrong. The single coil pup kinda sucked and therefore my clean tones were mediocre. The neck was too thin. I grew into maple fretboards. I hated the floyd rose. Etceteraetcetera. But there are always times when picking up my school's squier that somehow, got it's "wow this is the thing" thing I look in guitars. Tried out more strats and I became really hooked about everything about it; except the tone, which as far as I'm concerned couldn't really "get it" when I turn the dirt up.


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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 12:58 pm
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ECREAMAYALLAYLA wrote:
Quote on my previous post:"The main winner for me so far turns out to be the ol' am standard. For that price, I would be more than glad to get a brand new one. The question is, does the standard stay in tune well? Say, with lots of bends and mild whammy usage?

Bending notes: yes
Wild wammy action: no
Unless it's a Floyd Rose type of system. Strat trems are just not made for Eddie Van Halen wammy bar wars. Locking tuners can help a bit but if I wanna go wild on the trem, I use Floyd Rose.


In regards to Fender Strat Brat, are you saying that if I do end up getting the standard, it won't be versatile enough unless I brought in more guitars and gear in the future?

No. Just buy the one you need. There's nothing more versatile than a strat. Strats can do it all!
If you can't do without dive bombs and squeals, get one with Floyd Rose type trem.


I hated the floyd rose.

Ooops! There goes my Floyd Rose advice. :shock:

Tried out more strats and I became really hooked about everything about it; except the tone, which as far as I'm concerned couldn't really "get it" when I turn the dirt up.

Get one with either good and splitable single coil sized humbuckers or get a HSS configuration. That'll do the job clean and with distortion


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STRATS ROCK!!! but Teles and Firebirds, too!


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Post subject: Re: Stuck in a rut between first Strat purchase choices. Hal
Posted: Fri Feb 15, 2013 1:07 pm
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ECREAMAYALLAYLA wrote:
Quote on my previous post:"The main winner for me so far turns out to be the ol' am standard. For that price, I would be more than glad to get a brand new one. The question is, does the standard stay in tune well? Say, with lots of bends and mild whammy usage?
Also, do you guys have any info on the 2013 amstandard? If I am gonna get it, I wanna make sure I'm getting the latest itineration, since fender american has been doing a good job updating their guitars as far as I'm concerned." - anyone?

In regards to Fender Strat Brat, are you saying that if I do end up getting the standard, it won't be versatile enough unless I brought in more guitars and gear in the future?
That's something I really would go against about.
Heck I'm even really against lugging amps and more than 1 guitar to most of my gigs. That's why I bought a TonelabST amp modelling + fx processor to match up with my HSH ibanez prestige.
Out of context, the ibanez is very versatile and a really gnarly rock machine. But it still felt wrong. The single coil pup kinda sucked and therefore my clean tones were mediocre. The neck was too thin. I grew into maple fretboards. I hated the floyd rose. Etceteraetcetera. But there are always times when picking up my school's squier that somehow, got it's "wow this is the thing" thing I look in guitars. Tried out more strats and I became really hooked about everything about it; except the tone, which as far as I'm concerned couldn't really "get it" when I turn the dirt up.


There is some good info on the fender web site. For example, it mentions that the American Standard comes with CS Fat Fifities, not a bad PU set at all. The wood is not premium, and in some of the higher end quitars where you'll get a two piece body, with the Standard, you might get a three piece body. As for whether of not it will stay in tube, etc., that is not going to be a problem.


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