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Post subject: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:13 pm
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Picked up my new Strat today, an American Standard, black with maple fingerboard. I read some of the back-and-forth over maple vs. rosewood, and it seems to me to be six of one, half dozen of the other. I strongly prefer the look of maple, and that was enough to sway me that way.

Got it for $1,199 at George's Music in Jacksonville, Florida.

I'm very impressed with the case it came with.

Picked up a Fender Mustang I amp for $120. Comes with all sorts of built-in effects, which I suppose is cool, but I need to figure out how to get a "clean" sound out of it.

Next purchase will be a locking strap, preferably one that doesn't require me to change out the buttons on the guitar. Recommendations?

How hard is it going to be to keep this thing in tune, what with the tremolo? I don't see myself using it all that much, and if it keeps the instrument in tune, I might even have a "hard tail" bridge put on.

Any ideas, thoughts, advice, idle chit chat, etc. that anyone has, I'm all ears.


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:46 pm
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Karl Hungus wrote:
Picked up a Fender Mustang I amp for $120. Comes with all sorts of built-in effects, which I suppose is cool, but I need to figure out how to get a "clean" sound out of it.

You can't - it's modelling only. The cleanest sounds are the top two in each of the three banks, but even then it's not clean clean, it's adding effects to make it sound "like" one of the amps it models. There just isn't a way to disable all emulation effects.

In my opinion, that's not the right amp for your nice new guitar. It's like putting ketchup on a filet mignon.


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:55 pm
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1st.... You should repost ( or have the moderators relocate this thread to the Stratocaster section.

For locking straps, you will need to remove the existing strap knobs and screw and replace with either a Straplock system or the Dunlop system.... I believe some Strats have the Dunlop peg already so al;;l you would need would be to retrofit.....

No ..... You cannot attach a hard tail on a Trem Strat... The routed out area is exactly where the hartdtail would sit on a 25.5 scale.... Plus being a thru body, the hard tail's ferrules for the strings have no place to be installed....
That said, the easiest mod is just to adjust your term to be flat, tighten the screws for the spring s bar and there... You can also insert a block between the inside of the term block and the cavity wall...

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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 4:56 pm
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arth1 wrote:
You can't - it's modelling only. The cleanest sounds are the top two in each of the three banks, but even then it's not clean clean, it's adding effects to make it sound "like" one of the amps it models. There just isn't a way to disable all emulation effects.

In my opinion, that's not the right amp for your nice new guitar. It's like putting ketchup on a filet mignon.



What would you recommend then that's in the same price range? I'm more interested in a nice clean sound than I am in a bunch of effects, and if effects are all this amp really has to offer, I might wanna make a switch.


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:03 pm
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^^ There isn't in that price range, unless you can find a used Champ 600.... But it is a bit underpowered and the 6 inch speaker needs to be upgraded to an 8"..

You are really looking for a nice tube amp and they start around the $500 mark..
That is for an amp that will sound like a Fender and a Stratocaster combined.

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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:20 pm
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+1 on the Champion 600. I did the same thing (...sort of). The Mustang 1 went back two weeks after purchase...swapped for a '600. No regrets.


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:23 pm
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53magnatone wrote:
1st.... You should repost ( or have the moderators relocate this thread to the Stratocaster section.

For locking straps, you will need to remove the existing strap knobs and screw and replace with either a Straplock system or the Dunlop system.... I believe some Strats have the Dunlop peg already so al;;l you would need would be to retrofit.....

No ..... You cannot attach a hard tail on a Trem Strat... The routed out area is exactly where the hartdtail would sit on a 25.5 scale.... Plus being a thru body, the hard tail's ferrules for the strings have no place to be installed....
That said, the easiest mod is just to adjust your term to be flat, tighten the screws for the spring s bar and there... You can also insert a block between the inside of the term block and the cavity wall...


Forwarded to the moderators; if they want to move it, that's cool.

I've heard of putting a block of wood in the cavity, but if it's really as simple as tightening the screws (and I'll have to take a look when I get home to see what you're talking about), then wouldn't that be the best solution right there?


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:29 pm
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Great guitar! You may get the tech in the shop you purchased the Strat from free or cheap, just ask. Play with the amp for a while, you might get a tone you like. Save up for a nice amp and keep looking until you find the sound you are after.


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 5:32 pm
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53magnatone wrote:
For locking straps, you will need to remove the existing strap knobs and screw and replace with either a Straplock system or the Dunlop system.... I believe some Strats have the Dunlop peg already so al;;l you would need would be to retrofit.....


What about this lil guy right here:

http://www.amazon.com/Planet-Waves-Leat ... itar+strap

Says it fits "virtually any guitar, eliminating the need to change hardware." Or are these notoriously unreliable? If the only safe way is to swap out the knobs as you indicate, then that would be a no-brainer.


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 6:34 pm
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Karl Hungus wrote:
I've heard of putting a block of wood in the cavity, but if it's really as simple as tightening the screws (and I'll have to take a look when I get home to see what you're talking about), then wouldn't that be the best solution right there?

Another VERY easy solution is to add two springs to the trem cavity. This is especially good for those unsure of taking a screwdriver to their Strat, and who may also consider undoing it later on. Adding the springs will very much remove all the float in the bridge, yielding the exact same "tuning stability" effect (bridge will be locked flush to the body). Then to reverse it, if ever desired, all you need to do is remove the two springs you added. And springs are cheap and readily available. This is another one of those "6 of one, half dozen of the other" things -- both solutions provided are just two ways to skin the same cat.

P.S. Did I miss the part of this thread where the pics of this beast have been posted??

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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 7:22 pm
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Karl Hungus wrote:
arth1 wrote:
You can't - it's modelling only. The cleanest sounds are the top two in each of the three banks, but even then it's not clean clean, it's adding effects to make it sound "like" one of the amps it models. There just isn't a way to disable all emulation effects.

In my opinion, that's not the right amp for your nice new guitar. It's like putting ketchup on a filet mignon.



What would you recommend then that's in the same price range? I'm more interested in a nice clean sound than I am in a bunch of effects, and if effects are all this amp really has to offer, I might wanna make a switch.


There are a few choices. The Orange Crush Pix CR20L is in the same price range, and is very much no-nonsense. I use its big brother, the CR35 as my practice amp (a Rocker 30 is my main amp) - the Crush replaced a Mustang III precisely because it had a much more honest sound.
There's also the Fender Champion, but I wouldn't get the $99 20W version - the Champion is open-back, so you need a bit more wattage to get the same punch. The Champion 40W version costs $180, but with the substantially larger speaker, you get a much cleaner and open bass tone.
Personally, I love the Orange sound because it's so British in-your-face naked, even for their solid state amps. The Champion is far warmer and mellower, but either would be better for clean than the Mustang, which really is meant for effects and modeling.

Of course, as others will tell you, eventually you want to go to a tube amp to match your nice axe. But to start with, a solid state with a true clean channel will be a good thing.


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Thu Feb 06, 2014 11:16 pm
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This here's a great little tube amp for not too much $$$.

Pretty no nonsense but it also has an attenuator so it can play at 5 watts, 1 watt, or .5 watts, meaning it's not too loud. Has a gain and master volume so you can get some good overdrive. Reverb on it's OK too...

http://www.guitarcenter.com/Bugera-V5-5 ... tads-plaid^70039104282-sku^502586L.001@ADL4GC-adType^PLA-device^c-adid^28594515522


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 12:07 am
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[quote="Karl Hungus"]

Next purchase will be a locking strap, preferably one that doesn't require me to change out the buttons on the guitar. Recommendations?

Well, there's a cheaper way to go....
http://www.fender.com/guitar-bass-parts ... ks-2-pair/

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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 3:21 am
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Cheapest and very effective "strap locks" are Grolsch beer top rubber washers.

The Vox Pathfinder 15R is a cheap good amp if you can find one.


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Post subject: Re: New Strat!
Posted: Fri Feb 07, 2014 4:43 am
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The best strap locking system IMO/IME is the Schaller one that Fender use on the American Deluxe models.
Yes you do need to take a screwdriver to the guitar to fit it, but you're going to need to check and tighten screws periodically anyway.

You can improve tremolo tuning stability by switching out the tuning machines for the current Fender locking variety.
They're easy to fit, and are a direct replacement for the existing ones.

You still need to keep the nut slots well lubricated - pencil graphite shavings can help.
There are a number of commercially available products out there, "Nut Sauce" being one of them.


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