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Post subject: Re: I'd like some feedback on Strat Plus with Personality ca
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 7:58 am
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It's a good idea. I like the notion of standardising and modularising the guitar wiring and making all the pickup, switch and pot terminals available on a single edge connector. That's possibly a stroke of genius.

However, I don't like the cheap plastic box and I really don't like the huge chunk of wood routed out of the guitar. What happens 10 years down the line when you need a spare part and Fender have stopped producing them? In the Andertons video they talk about how the Strat is popular as a customisable guitar but really this innovation removes peoples' ability to customise the wiring and locks it into the availability of a specific manufaturer's card. Really it's more of a restriction to the guitar customiser. I'm also concerned that the cards and the plastic box are simply not roadworthy pieces of equipment. Like a lot of modern gear they appear to be mechnical devices designed by electronics engineers with little thought for durability.

The other issue I have is the range of sounds available on the SSS Strat. Yes, the bass and treble rolloff controls are useful but there's no reason why you wouldn't permanently rewire a Strat that way if you like them. I don't think it improved the SSS model at all beyond adding the bridge + neck combination which could easily be achieved with a blender pot or an extra switch.

So overall, I'm not convinced at all. I would rather have a standard Strat and do any wiring changed myself with a soldering iron.

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Post subject: Re: I'd like some feedback on Strat Plus with Personality ca
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 12:21 pm
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I wonder if/when they start going bad and out of warranty if owners will be posting here asking how to gut it all and redo it conventionally. And as a side bonus they will gain a stash box :mrgreen:

But all in all again I don't think it is a bad thing that Fender is trying something different. Sure it is not for everyone which is why they have so many choices. Now if all the Fenders were only available with the personality cards then I would have an issue....granted it would be no great loss for me as I never bought a new Guitar and the "newest" Strat I own is a 2002 American standard which to me is "too new"... but I pieced it together myself using a body and neck that needed some repairs and the total cost was around $400 if that.

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Post subject: Re: I'd like some feedback on Strat Plus with Personality ca
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 1:02 pm
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I have not played one of these and curious are the cards working similar to the master knob on a Gibson Robot, alternate tunings and such?

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Post subject: Re: I'd like some feedback on Strat Plus with Personality ca
Posted: Mon Jul 07, 2014 1:10 pm
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cvilleira wrote:
I have not played one of these and curious are the cards working similar to the master knob on a Gibson Robot, alternate tunings and such?


No, nothing like that at all. No digital, no effects, no batteries. It is simply cards that change physical wiring configurations for the pups, pots and switches.

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