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Post subject: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2014 10:28 am
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Looking to buy a new number one. I've decided that that new number one will be a real deal Strat, or possibly a G&L. I'm not ready to entertain the idea of a pRS yet. I'm not sure I want to spend that much. I'm looking for a number 1 / investment / gigging monster. I need something solid as $@!& that can take a "beating." I've been a rosewood neck player for a long, long time. For no real reason. I've also been an ibanez guy for a long time, but it's time to get back to basics. I'm back to wanting to hear the guitar instead of hearing the effects. My number 1 Ibanez recently developed an intonation problem, and I'm just ready to make the switch. I was offered a nice Mexican strat in a recording session last year, just to listen to it for a "clean with a little reverb" recording, and it felt solid and smooth, and sounded like it should. Strat resonance, presence, and chime is just so real. You can hear it. We all know it. I want that for my clean sound.


I'm also a firm believer that tone is in your fingers. Give me a decently intonated 60 dollar Squier, and I will play the $@!& out of it, and make it sing. I'm not paying a premium price to try to sound good. I'm paying a premium price for a well put together machine that I don't have to worry about tinkering with, and can give me the clean sound I want, which is a warm, shimmering, woody, bubbly - you guys know what it is...it's that STRAT clean. You just can't get it from anything else. I can dial in the dirty sounds I want when it comes to high gain, but for clean, or deep bluesy with a bit of grit, I want a strat.

So, I'm a member of a a few forums about other topics, and I know the deal - ppl post asking for advice on X subject, and usually the replies start off with "read the previous threads." I'm hoping to present some questions / qualifiers that are a little deeper than "what model should I get, and why," although that will be the underlying question in the end.

What I'm hoping to get is:
Out of all the possibilities, where should I START to whittle down what I should start looking for.

1. Money:
I don't have a real budget, but I am cheap. You know why I don't have a budget? Because I am cheap. Realistically though, I want to try and keep it under 2k. Please do not think that means I WANT to spend 2k. I would be furious to find out that I can easily find a MIM version of a supposedly fantastic American Standard or Custom Shop for 1500 dollars less. I know that I will have to play and try each instrument - it's not my first rodeo. It usually takes me a few weeks to buy a guitar, unless I'm getting a practice cheapo to bang on for 100 bucks. What I'm looking for is a number 1 premium instrument to keep and cherish. I'll probably pick up a few great playing mim's along the way for 300 ish dollars if I find them, but for now, I'm "willing" to pay up to get that number 1 to start things off. I hope this makes sense? I'm thinking I shouldn't have to play too many premium strats to find my number 1. Once I find it, then I can casually start looking for nice playing cheaper models. I don't want to spend months and months looking for a great cheaper model as my number 1.

2. Neck Radius, and shape. This is all very new to me. Can anyone sum up the major difference, and why to choose a specific config over another? I've been playing for 30 years, taken more lessons than I can count, several styles of lessons weekly, and I was basically taught that, "You practice your instrument, and you will get used to the feel." So, I've played plenty of different necks on different guitars over the years, and some just feel "off" when I first play them, and I get that. Is there any kind of "what neck SHOULD feel right to you system," or thoughts? I've been playing Ibanez Wizard II necks for the last 5 years, if that helps at all. But, I'm also wondering, is there a strat neck that should feel better, even tho I'm pretty much used to only playing Wizard II's right now? I don't have freakishly long fingers like Howe or Vai, or the strength of SRV or Hendrix. I'd say I have larger hands than the normal 5'7 average height man, and probably a decent amt of strength from playing so long. I'm 6 ft and I probably have little bit fatter fingers but same length as any 6ft tall guy. I'm guessing that should matter when thinking about choosing what neck shape/radius should be the most comfortable?

3. I hate the single coil hum, but I don't want too much of the sound degraded from getting noiseless pickups. Is that a concern with the pickups these days? Also, I think I need a beefy pickup for high gain and chunk. My first thought is to get a humbucker in the bridge, but, do the single coil looking pickups that are supposed to deliver the tonal qualities of a humbucker REALLY deliver? I'm sure there are more models of that out now, but I remember a product called a trembucker that did this. In passing reading of random guitar mags, I thought that other companies made these as well. Any thoughts in this area?

4. maple vs rosewood.
IMO, maple seems less forgiving, like harder, more sturdy. My ears tell me it also lends a more "glossy" sound, but I haven't spent hours trying to find the BIG differnce. I've generally always played rosewood for no real reason. Opinions, thoughts?

5. Playing style
All genres, but blues oddly mixed with classical is what you'll hear when I'm off in la-la land during a solo. I do play a lot of stoccato, percusive funk, and I need a warm, jazzy, rhythm clean sound. I'm no stranger to higher gain full on, but that is more amp and effects. I'm rolling off of that set up tho. I want the guitar to sing when it's clean now. I can dial up distortion.

6. Color. Doesn't matter at ALL to me. I'll take perfect intonation over black or tobacco burst or antigua green any day of the week. Ears don't see color. But, in a perfect world, I'd want natural with no burst, followed by tobacco burst. I love natural wood, and grain. I think, natural is pricier? I think I might actually be willing to spend a little more for natural.

I hope this is some decent info for you fender pros to help me start off my quest to have an idea of what I should start looking for.

If I've left out any info that could help you steer me in a direction, please ask. I love to talk guitars

Also, G&L premium strat based models - I'm not that familiar, but from the very light research I've done, should they be in mix as possibly more guitar for the money?


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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2014 5:38 pm
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seebeef wrote:
4. maple vs rosewood.
IMO, maple seems less forgiving, like harder, more sturdy. My ears tell me it also lends a more "glossy" sound, but I haven't spent hours trying to find the BIG differnce. I've generally always played rosewood for no real reason. Opinions, thoughts?

Rosewood is harder than maple. Indian rosewood which is what Fender uses these days is around 10-20% harder, and Brazilian rosewood is around 100% harder than maple. Why maple feels harder is because it's lacquered.
It shouldn't affect sound enough to notice - it's mostly a choice of how it feels and looks. Maple needs less maintenance, and you save an ounce or so on the fretboard weight, but how it feels should matter the most.

As for PRS, the Korean made PRS SE models aren't expensive, and there's nothing wrong with the quality, apart, perhaps for the tuners, which can be replaced. If you're used to a slimmer wizard neck, they might be worth considering.
For Fender strats, the American Special is probably one of the best buys for money right now, with sales prices bringing them down to $500.

Good luck finding what you need.


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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Sun Dec 07, 2014 10:05 pm
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Hi seebeef,

Considering your entire post, get an American Standard with Fat 50s pups. You should be able to find a good deal on a new one for somewhere in the neighborhood of $1000 to $1200, w/case, and much cheaper for a good used one.

The radius of the fret board is how curved it is from edge to edge, 7.25" being the most curved (typical vintage radius), and Fenders typically go up to 14", with the 9.5" (typical modern radius) of the Am Std kind of in the middle. Generally speaking, the more curved radius is more comfortable for chording, and the flatter radius lends itself more to lower action and easier string bending.

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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 12:17 am
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My advise to you is to go to several different Guitar Stores and try out as many guitars as you can. Finding the right guitar for you should be fairly easy as the guitar will find you. You will know it when you play it.

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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 1:20 am
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CAFeathers wrote:
My advise to you is to go to several different Guitar Stores and try out as many guitars as you can. Finding the right guitar for you should be fairly easy as the guitar will find you. You will know it when you play it.

That's it man ^^

"get an American Standard with Fat 50s pups" - They do sound good.
Take it easy, just keep walking in and playing em.

You like rosewood but don't dismiss full Maple neck, I have both, my fav players are full maple necks.
'C shape' necks are slightly meatier to fondle than 'Modern C'.
Also personally I prefer 2 pole trems over the 6 screw trem.

Good luck, go let it find you !!

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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 6:04 am
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shimmilou wrote:
The radius of the fret board is how curved it is from edge to edge, 7.25" being the most curved (typical vintage radius), and Fenders typically go up to 14", with the 9.5" (typical modern radius) of the Am Std kind of in the middle. Generally speaking, the more curved radius is more comfortable for chording, and the flatter radius lends itself more to lower action and easier string bending.


Shimmilou, thanks so much for this response.
So, the American Standard ONLY comes in a 9.5"?
If I wanted to go up in radius (flatter) am I gonna be looking at a more premium model?


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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 6:43 am
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CAFeathers wrote:
My advise to you is to go to several different Guitar Stores and try out as many guitars as you can. Finding the right guitar for you should be fairly easy as the guitar will find you. You will know it when you play it.


Thanks, CAFeathers.

I get this, I totally get this. I've done this several times over with previous purchases. But, what I'm trying to do here is gather some info from Strat enthusiasts that could help guide me into what I should be looking for and trying out to help cut down the time it takes for the test drives. In a perfect world, I'd go to the shops every day for an hour to test drive two at a time, record my findings, and whittle it down that way. I wish I could do that, I really do. Full time job and family will make that a daunting task, but I wish I could. I'm hoping that in paying up for a premium Stratocaster, I won't have to shop TOO much. I'd never in a zillion years order /buy a guitar without playing it first unless it was 20 dollars, or like 5000 dollars with a money back guarantee. So, I'll be testing out PLENTY before I buy, but I'm wondering if I can kind of limit the selection first. I'll still TRY some with different neck shapes and radius, but I'm thinking if X radius doesn't feel right, but Y radius seems better, then I should just think about shying away from X size altogether, or maybe if Y size seems great, then perhaps I should try a custom shop or artist series because it has that radius plus z feature.


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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 6:52 am
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Yes. The next model up, the American Deluxe, has a compound radius. The radius of the neck starts at 9.5" toward the headstock end, and gradually flattens to a 14" at the body end. The Am Dlx will cost a bit more, around $1200 to $1400 or more for a new one, depending on your negotiating skills, and the options. There are even more expensive models with the compound radius. I have both Am Std (SSS) and Am Dlx (HSS), and I use the Am Std much more, except for hard rock, in which case the hum-bucker equipped Am Dlx comes in very handy. For most styles, and much better stock single coils, I generally prefer the Am Std. Customizing any Strat with your own choice of pups is always an option.

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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 11:34 am
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Well from someone with about 20 guitars, and three of them USA made Fenders, with the newest one of the lot being a 2014 American Standard with Fat 50s, there is nothing not to like about this guitar.

I opted for the maple neck, my other strat has a rosewood fretboard.


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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Mon Dec 08, 2014 12:41 pm
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Sounds to me like you pretty much have your mind made up on a Fender Strat. Check out the Limited Edition American Standard Channel Bound Strats.


seebeef wrote:
CAFeathers wrote:
My advise to you is to go to several different Guitar Stores and try out as many guitars as you can. Finding the right guitar for you should be fairly easy as the guitar will find you. You will know it when you play it.


Thanks, CAFeathers.

I get this, I totally get this. I've done this several times over with previous purchases. But, what I'm trying to do here is gather some info from Strat enthusiasts that could help guide me into what I should be looking for and trying out to help cut down the time it takes for the test drives. In a perfect world, I'd go to the shops every day for an hour to test drive two at a time, record my findings, and whittle it down that way. I wish I could do that, I really do. Full time job and family will make that a daunting task, but I wish I could. I'm hoping that in paying up for a premium Stratocaster, I won't have to shop TOO much. I'd never in a zillion years order /buy a guitar without playing it first unless it was 20 dollars, or like 5000 dollars with a money back guarantee. So, I'll be testing out PLENTY before I buy, but I'm wondering if I can kind of limit the selection first. I'll still TRY some with different neck shapes and radius, but I'm thinking if X radius doesn't feel right, but Y radius seems better, then I should just think about shying away from X size altogether, or maybe if Y size seems great, then perhaps I should try a custom shop or artist series because it has that radius plus z feature.

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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 3:15 am
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In reading your post of your quest for a strat has a lot of similarity to some of the decisions I wrestled with when I was looking for my "perfect" strat. Like you I tend to play a variety of styles and what I really wanted from the strat was versatility. That, and a clear tonal difference from my other gigging guitar which is a Les Paul Standard.

The great thing I found about the strat when it comes to versatility is the options are almost endless, and unlike my LP, those options can make a considerable difference in what you can get out of the guitar. Oddly enough I ended up starting with an American Standard strat with an HSH configuration. The reason for the two humbuckers is it gives me two settings which are full humbuckers, one on the bridge and one on the neck while still providing three single coil configurations in switch positions 2, 3, and 4.

After doing quite a bit of research on pickups I decided to replace the stock pups with some Lace Hot Golds with a bit hotter Hot Gold in the bridge position. The one other mod I made was to install a GraphTech saddle which helps a bit with intonation and harmonics.

I'm not saying my configuration is for everyone, but in terms of versatility in approaching different styles it really fits what I was looking for. I only mention this because your situation may be similar and you might want to consider your purchase as a starting point for building the guitar that really suits you. I still gig with both the strat and the LP as some styles just require that beefy dual humbucker sound. But in a pinch I can still get some level of that using my humbuckers on the strat, so it pretty much becomes my "go to" guitar in a wide variety of cases.

Good luck on your search.

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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Tue Dec 09, 2014 5:55 pm
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Dunedin - Thanks so much for the response. Do you find that your humbucker in the neck position gives you a true "Strat" sound when you are splitting it and using the 2 position with your selector? I'm leary of giving up a neck humbucker, but I do love that signature strat neck single coil sound. The humbucker warmth and brilliance is definitely something I love, but the single coil stratty, woody, bubbly, sound draws me in that much more. Like I've said, the guitar is not gonna make me better, I don't expect it to, but there's that strat sound that you just can't get from other guitars, and I'm pretty sure I want it.

I have an HSH setup in my current number 1 Ibanez, but the middle pu might as well be a piece of bacon - never frickin use it. It just aggravates me since it's like a "fake" strat sound.

So now, I'm gonna start investigating these G&L things. A lotta ppl say they are extremely well made, and they ain't cheap, either.

Much appreciated. Looking forward to anyone else who has info to throw in as well.


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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Sat Dec 13, 2014 4:53 am
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seebeef wrote:

So now, I'm gonna start investigating these G&L things. A lotta ppl say they are extremely well made, and they ain't cheap, either.

Much appreciated. Looking forward to anyone else who has info to throw in as well.

Hey recently I had the opportunity to be in the presence of a G&L Tribute Legend HB. We installed a nice stainless mirror pickguard, and had a jam around after.
So I had a play, and wow they do feel well made. I noticed on the G&L site you choose from neck profile options and other stuff. http://www.glguitars.com/instruments/USA/options/guitar.asp
Straight off it seemed to have a finesse, and neck felt well finished and beefy. Sounded great too. Comes with a handy switch also to split the humbucker

Couldn't use the whammy, arm was taken out by the owner. But the bridge looks pretty solid, 2 point trems are great.
It's weird how heaps of players get freaked out by whammys.
All I did was listen to Hendrix & Jeff Beck for years and it becomes obvious they're an essence of expression and are controllable. :lol:
I feel I gotta work harder to conjure demons playing my Tele's, but there's one with P90's I can't leave alone :twisted:
........Took some pics, and here's a nice one.

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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 5:31 am
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A classic inquiry. I presently own 5 Strats and an LP. I've had two PRS's and ditched them both. I've also been through four other Strats and a Tele. All of these guitars have/had different electronics and different voices. Two of them I swapped out the pickups on prior to letting them go. Fender guitars differ markedly in choice of neck shapes, radii, fretboard designs and electronics. The recommendation for an American Standard with fat 50's pickups is a good one. However, I would also audition an Eric Clapton model. It's offers all the moxie of a '57 Stratocaster, a 9.5 radius neck, 22 frets, the only guitar in the line with it's particular neck carve, and the electronics which can give you a tonal palate from vintage to contemporary. I have a 60th Anniv '54, a Gilmour, a Deluxe VG, and a rare '87 Clapton prototype. However, my '89 Pewter Clapton with Lace Sensor pickups is my go to guitar. It always feels 'just right'. Let us know what you decide. :wink:

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Post subject: Re: Casual Lurker - Ready To Switch. Help Me Choose.
Posted: Sun Dec 14, 2014 8:25 am
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what I see from the OP's post... the two most influencing factors are neck specs and pup choice.
Sounds like the flatter radius would be best... at least 9.5.... compund radius would prob be very comfy...
Wouldn't suggest 7.25... but then again... ya never know... you might fall in love with the 7.25.

Pups.... go noiseless stacked coils or HSH... lots of cool options in both camps from hot/modern to clean/vintage tones.
Try out Blacktops, Specials, Standards, Deluxe models and hone in on what feels and sounds best.
Rock on 8)

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