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Post subject: Need some help choosing my next guitar!
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:08 pm
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Hey folks!

First time posting here on the Fender forums. Been drooling over Strats for a long time, and now I can finally get one! Right now I'm playing an Epiphone Les Paul Standard with Seymour Duncan Phat Cat pickups, and although it's a great guitar, and I love it, it's time for a new guitar for the collection. My budget is about $1000 USD. The Vintage 57 Reissue is a nice guitar, but since I’m replacing the pickups/hardware anyway, its a bit hard to justify the price. I settled on MIM after reading great reviews, and I boiled it down to the Classic Series 50s, and the Classic Player’s 50s, and I cant for the life of me decide which one. My local guitar shop doesnt have any MIM Classics, but they said they can order me one straight from Fender. In short, no way of trying out different models, etc. What I get is what I get essentially. So I need your help. Both I can get for $600, and I’m gonna replace the hardware with this [http://www.stratcat.biz/4035.shtml], no matter what guitar I get. So which one should I go for?

And since I'm a bit new to Strats, here are the differences between the two for your convinience:
CS: Vintage Style Frets, Vintage Synchronized Tremolo, Vintage Style Tuners, 7.25″ (184.1 mm) Fingerboard Radius
CP: Medium Jumbo Frets, Vintage Style 2 Point Tremolo, Vintage Style Locking Tuners, 9.5″ (241 mm) Fingerboard Radius

What are the differences between to the trem systems, the tuners, the frets, and the fingerboard radius? And of course most of all, which is the better guitar?

I'm a Gilmour fanatic so that is the type of style/tone I'll be chasing. I play mostly bluesy, rock, and funk type stuff.

Thanks for the help, and have a nice day! :D


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Post subject: Re: Need some help choosing my next guitar!
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:31 pm
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I don't seem to recollect Gilmour playing a Strat with a 2-point trem......

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: Need some help choosing my next guitar!
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 10:35 pm
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Which is 'best' is something only you can decide. Fender are making these very similar models according to different feel and look preferences. If you can't try either first, a swag of opinions based on others tastes is unlikely to be much help.


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Post subject: Re: Need some help choosing my next guitar!
Posted: Wed Feb 20, 2013 11:01 pm
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I would at least try a couple of strats w/those neck radii to see which is more suitable for your playing style.


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Post subject: Re: Need some help choosing my next guitar!
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 12:24 am
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Drubbing wrote:
Which is 'best' is something only you can decide. Fender are making these very similar models according to different feel and look preferences. If you can't try either first, a swag of opinions based on others tastes is unlikely to be much help.


+1

I'd like to add, that the biggest difference will be how it plays due to different radii.

I'd go with the advice above: try different strats with different radii and choose what you like best (models don't matter, it's the radius you should concentrate on). I personally play lots of bendings, which is easier on a larger radius fretboard.

Play strats with different trem systems. I don't use trems on strats very much but I'd say, the 2 point trem feels a little smoother in operation and seems to stay in tune better.

The tuners will make no difference at all, except for restringing the guitar. I personally prefer vintage tuners over everything else because I like the end of the string being "stored away" inside the tuner shaft but it doesn't make any difference in tuning stability or playing. Of course, locking tuners will improve tuning stability!

Given all my personal preferences and your two choices of guitars, I'd go for the CP. If you think and play similar, take that one.

As for the sound: you can get Gilmour sounds out of almost every strat, as long as you stick to the basic features, Gilmour's gear has (pickups, amps, pedals). Of course, his way of playing helps as well but since hardly anybody does or can, the rest will get you at least close to what you're looking for.

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Post subject: Re: Need some help choosing my next guitar!
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 3:30 am
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You need to think very carefully about the neck radius.

You are coming from a Les Paul with a 12" radius, which is very flat, meaning that you can get a low action with it the sound dying on bends as the string hits the fret. I tend to set the action on the high E at around 1mm at the 14th fret on a Les Paul with no problems

On a 9.5" radius neck you can still get the action reasonably low at around 1.5mm at the 14 fret without and issues with fretting out.

On a 7.25" radius neck you need to set the action at around 2mm to avoid the note choking as you bend.

If you are looking to play Pink Floyd stuff with all of those big bends you are not going to be able to do that on a 7.25" radius neck and have a low action.

The trems are a matter of preference, in my opinion I prefer playing a two point trem, but prefer the look of the vintage as the two point feels smoother and is more stable.


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Post subject: Re: Need some help choosing my next guitar!
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:14 am
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I've owned a few different models in the past two years...

Fender MIM Deluxe Roadhouse
Fender MIM Deluxe Lonestar
Fender MIM Deluxe Tex-Mex (made in '95, precursor to the Jimmy Vaughan Sig)
Fender MIM Classic Player 60's
Fender MIM Classic Series 50's
Fender MIA American Standard

I rather like the Deluxe Series because the factory did a great job on the necks and the finish. The guitars are every bit of good as their American Standard.

Even though I only have the American Standard now, my favorite of the bunch is the MIM Classic Series 50's strat. I'm usually not a maple fretboard guy, but this guitar was awesome. The soft V profile and the 7.25" radius was actually more comfortable to play to me. I'm a SRV/Hendrix style blues player, so I do a lot of heavy bends and hard pick attacking, but that guitar held up well. Its the only Stratocaster I left stock because it really did sound good. Just so you know, the Classic Series is Exactly like the Road Worn (not road worn players) except it has been given the relic look. I honestly believe you cannot find a better guitar for the money short of Artist models or custom shop. All the other guitars had great features, looked great, felt great, sounded great, but the Classic Series 50's took the cake for me...

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Post subject: Re: Need some help choosing my next guitar!
Posted: Thu Feb 21, 2013 4:36 am
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A CP 50's was my first Strat last year and I'm after another now. I'm not a Strat expert by any means (also coming from Les Pauls) but it looks, sounds and plays beautifully. For the price, it's an amazing guitar and definitely worth considering.

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