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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Pickups: need Sherlock Holmes
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 9:18 pm
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OP here. So I thought I'd close this topic with the outcome. I presented (via email) to the seller a summary of "findings" from all I learned from this forum, as well as the detail of the S/N bill-of-materials. He was somewhat defensive of his listing, but agreed to accept return of the guitar for a full money back refund, plus he will pay shipping both ways. I am pleased with the outcome. So once I complete that transaction (this week), I'll be back in the hunt for my new Stratocaster (about $1,300 max budget, unless I fall in love with something more). The reason I'm returning the guitar is that I just won't be able to live with a "partscaster". It's one thing when you want to swap out p'ups for a reason, or you want to try a different tremolo, etc. When it's your decision. But it's not OK when someone else swapped them out and you thought you were getting all original equipment. Simple as that. Time to look elsewhere.

So I'm back to eBay, looking at American Deluxes. One, I am looking at "newer" guitars, say 2010 - 2014, which would have N3 p'ups. That guitar would be in the higher price range, up to the $1,300.
Or,
Two, guitars in the 2004 - 2006 years, which would have the SCN noiseless p'ups. These are in the $900 - $1,100 range.
All of these guitars (I believe) will have locking tuners, contoured neck heel, compound radius fretboard and the S-1 switch.
Frankly, assuming the SCN's and the N3's will both provide the "Strat sound", while being noiseless, I don't know why I would pay so much extra just to get a "newer" guitar with the N3 p'ups? Seems like I'm talking myself into the 2004-2006 range Deluxes. Comments welcome.

I want to thank all of you for helping me figure out this original guitar mystery and to make the decision to return it. ....bill


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Pickups: need Sherlock Holmes
Posted: Sun Mar 15, 2015 11:50 pm
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Good result.
Those earlier deluxe strats do not have a compound radius just fyi. :)


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Pickups: need Sherlock Holmes
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 3:55 am
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If I haven't posted it before, I just purcahsed a 2014/2015 Deluxe Strat Plus SSS. It comes with N3 pups, compund radius, locking tuning keys, and three "personality cards," allowing the user to "rewire" the guitar without taking out a soldering gun.

Pros:
The three cards are as follows:
1. "Standard" - Strat tones and pups configuration
2. "Cutter" - Treble and Bass Cut using the tone knobs
3. "Blender" - A Treble cut and 3 different pup configurations to include, Neck and bridge, Middle and all 3 pups at one tone, each with a different voicing (for instance positions 1 & 5 are neck and bridge pups, but each position with either lean more on the neck or the bridge pup). You can also add more or less of either pups.

The HSS version has three different cards, a "Cutter", "Standard" and a "Splitter."

Cons:
Limited color selection and neck fingerboard choices, HSS Rosewood neck and SSS Maple neck.

You can get one on Ebay for about $1,200 to $1,500 depending on year.


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Pickups: need Sherlock Holmes
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 4:56 am
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What do you think about the cards, ease of changing, sound, usefulness?

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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Pickups: need Sherlock Holmes
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 5:42 am
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shimmilou wrote:
What do you think about the cards, ease of changing, sound, usefulness?


Sound and Usefulness:

The cards are awesome! You can get some really cool tones and pickup styles. To my ear, it's a very modern Strat sound with the "Standard" card, and with the other two cards you get jazzy, P-90, some hum buckerist and Tele middle position tones (think Clapton's guitar tone from the "Blind Faith" Hyde Park concert tones; a pickup combo I love). Also, since it's modular, you can change out the pickups without using a soldering iron. Fender also has other "plug and play" pups to choose from if you want a more vintage sound. Two of the cards come with dip switches for different capaciters and treble bleed availibility. The best part is that it's all passive--no batteries.

It's a very versitile guitar.

My one concern about buying this guitar was getting replacement parts. I've heard that other guitar companies use modular, solderless parts, so I'm thinking that I could get new pots if one goes bad.

I've also heard in one video (2014 NAMM show video) that Fender is planning on having 10 more cards. I'm looking into that this week.

Ease of Use:

The cards are easy to change, but I would be careful when doing it. The hinge on the little door can stick if you try to opening it too fast. The door can be removed, but I'm not planning on taking it off.

I've seen both current colors currently availibly (mystic sun-burst and mystic ice blue), and the blue is stunning! My only gripe is that I wish I could get the SSS model with a rosewood finger board. I thought about getting the HSS model, but it doesn't come with the "Blender" card (a prime reason I wanted the guitar in the first place).

My advice would be to try one out. Hope this helped. Let me know what you do.


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Pickups: need Sherlock Holmes
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 7:00 am
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paris wrote:
jimmy_james wrote:
For that year yes correct which this body does not have. :D

I realize this is off the main topice, but
but I noticed that the Dlx Srat Plus doesn't have the contoured heal and is $200 cheaper than the regular Dlx model with S-1 switch. I wonder why this is?

I would think that the Plus model would more expensive.


I've noticed that as well - I have a couple of reasons why the American Deluxe Strat Plus is a cheaper model than the other American Deluxes:

1. The wiring is less labor-intensive. The Deluxe Plus has a circuit board under the pickguard; the pickups, switching and pots all plug-in to the circuit card. All other Fenders have to be hand-soldered.

2. I also firmly believe this model was originally going to be called the "American Standard Strat Plus" or maybe just the "American Strat Plus" since - electronics aside - it has a mixture of American Standard and American Deluxe hardware. It has the compound radius fingerboard and locking tuners of the American Deluxe but the regular neck heel and bent saddle/screw-in arm trem of the American Standard as well as having the regular headstock decal instead of the raised chrome one. I believe it only got the "Deluxe" part of the name late in the process. It was probably a marketing thing.


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Post subject: Re: Stratocaster Pickups: need Sherlock Holmes
Posted: Mon Mar 16, 2015 10:11 am
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You guys are really helpful; I appreciate all of your comments. A lot of knowledge here. There's been some comment about the complication of the S1 switch wiring with respect to replacing pickups. First of all, I'm not a “tone junky”. Some posters are extremely picky and specific about the exact tone they want. I'm more of a “give me a good, recognizable, 2 & 4 position Strat sound and I'll worry about the notes I play” kind of guy. So I don't think I'd use the S1 much or at all, and probably I'll be happy with the stock SCN or N3's. But I would like the option of upgrading to the Zexcoils (or something like it) if down the road, I want to experiment a little. 

That being said, I think it makes sense to still look at the Deluxes. Ignore the S1 switch. See if I love the pickups as is. Replace if necessary. By the way, a lot of folk on the Forum talk about upgrading your guitars and doing the work personally. I won't do that. I don't have the tools nor the inclination. I'm happy to help keep my guitar tech in food and housing to do the odds and ends I need on my guitars. I made my living writing software; hardware, not so much. And I talked to him (my guitar tech) and he said he has done S1 p'up upgrades, and while a hassle, he has the experience and can do it. That's a relief, so for now, I'll take the S1 pickup upgrade issue off the table.

I'm going to keep it simple; and play a lot of Strats. I really hate going into GC and playing guitars (and lucky for me there are 2 GC's nearby; I live in Denver); it's always so noisy, there's a lot of hustle bustle, the amp I plug into is a stranger, and there's always a Joe Satriani sitting over there shredding something. Plus I can't really compare a compound radius, to a “not compound” radius (can I?). Sorry to complain. But I always find I didn't really get much analysis done. But I'm convinced that's a good approach, so this time I'll bring my headphones and plug in, just dial in some light reverb, and leave my ego at the door.

Like many of you guys, I've bought probably 15 guitars in my 40 years of playing, mostly acoustics, and each time, I think I'm buying my “last guitar” and I want it to be perfect. Maybe guitars are more like a pair of jeans (albeit expensive ones); they are great for a while, but then you get tired of them and you move on.

By the way, thanks to Paris and JohnC for the detailed information on the Plus. Very informative.


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