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July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | You had me until you got to "dope smokers".....although the later ones about singing and "15 minutes of fame" still apply......
I looked at G&L guitars before buying my Strat. They're "OK", but I didn't think any better than "the original". Depends on the indivdual instrument, I suspect.
I'm sold on the Strat.....it's the "Swiss Army Knife" of solid-body electrics.....if you want to do something, it can do it. Just choose your effects and pickup configuration.
Roger |
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Joined:
February 2004
Posts: 2487
| Owned an early 80's made in Japan Strat. once you get used to the fine tuners it was the best playing electric guitar I ever owned. The frets were big but very very low to the neck and rounded nicly on the ends. I had the action set so low you could look at it and it would play a chord. I have big hands and sometimes when playing the bar chrods I tend to squeeze the neck and strings fairly hard and with low frets I do not go out of tune. and Bar chords are a dream to move around with. I had a Gibson SG Supreem it had narrower frets but they were real real high and the trimed neck and sharp edged frets made this thing impossible for me to play at all. The frets were so high every time I squeezed just alittle to hard it sounded out of tune and I was always catching the edges of those nasty frets. This guitar needed a real light touch or an intensive session with some fret files. I could not set the action very low it always seemed to buzzz... I just did not want to work on an expensive guitar I felt I should not have to. If I did not find that the Deacon I have has a neck that plays as nice as my old Strat did I would have a Strat on my guitar list as well. I do still miss that Fender, I will mosty likly find a nice cream/white one like I had and replace it someday anyway. Why not???? you only live once that you'll remember anyway so why not enjoy it.
Randy |
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Joined:
June 2002
Posts: 863
Location: Central Florida | Since the pandora's box has been opened, let's see just how accurate GWB's "profile" is on an individual basis. I'll start:
[list]
[*]Average Age = 40 - 70 years old (yep)
[*]Severe Hair-loss (nope)
[*]Dope Smokers (nope)
[*]Heavy Drinkers (nope)
[*]Shitty Guitar Players Who Cant Sing but still do? (nope)
[*]Still think that they will have their 15 minutes of fame with their guitar in hand???? (nope)
[*]Now using prescription drugs legaly prescribed for you. (yep)
[*]The doctor gives you anything that you ask for? VIAGRA , AMBIEN . DARVON . (nope)
[/list] |
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Joined:
June 2006
Posts: 659
Location: Hiram, Georgia | I think if the survey were posed anonymously, and precede some questions with current or former, I would say GWB is pretty accurate. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | Just got back from the G&L store and I have to say that I was not totaly overly impressed by the guitars. I played a Legacy and it did play nice but I didnt feel any warm fuzzy like I did when I played the Fender Strat.Maybe because of being in a store had something to do with it but when I was done playing and picking the owners brain apart on it , the guitar that I would want is over $1200.00. It is a S-500 model with a birdseye maple neck and upgrated pickups. I am not a guitar luthier but it seemed to me to that it was a bit of a pricey guitar that is using Leo Fenders reputation to do its selling for them.One thing I did like alot better than the Fender was the whammy bar & bridge setup .You could be very aggressive with the whammy bar pulling it or pushing it as hard as you wanted and the guitar stayed in tune .It is a fine guitar but just not the one for me. I will end up with a Fender Stratocaster. I thank all of you for the input you gave me on this thread & now I have a little more wisdom on another brand of guitar . GWB
P.S. Jeff I guess I missed your profile by a long shot but you gotta get a new DOCTOR.
What about the rest of the 4862 of you out there ?????? DO YOU FIT THE PROFILE ??????
GWB |
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Joined:
July 2004
Posts: 812
Location: Hicksville, NY | MY uncle owns a Japanese-made Strat, and I have/had the opportunity to play it on numerous occassions. I'm not an electric-guitar type player, but my uncle's strat is one of the best ones I have played ... maybe, it just might equal to that of its American-made cousins + good electronics, and at about half the cost.
I'd been told that Japanese-made strats are not readily available as they did then, and they also hold their resale value much better than the ones made in either Korea or Mexico. I'm not surprised if it's true ... |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | I am trying to get a deal on an American strat on E-Bay. I don't think that I can afford a new one made in the USA. I am checking on the Japanese website ( about $800.00 ) for the one I want but I am told I will have to pay customs something on it , but I don't know how much . The price from Japan goes up on September 1st, due to the cost of materials .
These guitars have a CULT following .
As Old Applause Owner Roger says ...
They Are The Swiss Army Knife Of Guitars.
Agree with you on that one
GWB |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | guitarwannabe, watch for used Strats locally. I check out Music-Go-Round in Novi....they had a nice used American Strat until last week. There's a Music-Go-Round in Ann Arbor, also. The chain deals in used instruments. My local Guitar Center in Canton also often has used American Strats. They tend to run $600-$700.
Roger |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | Thanks , Im still looking at E-Bay items . The more I learn about Fender Strats the more I get confused. I talked with a fender rep today in Arizona and he had alot of good info so now I may stray away from the USA one? I am going for a good looking woodgrain since the guitar will be a natural finish and looks are very important to me. The rep said that the new Made in Mexico guitars as are as good if not better than the Japanese reissues made in the 80s & 90s.
I will try and keep the gas level normal so I make a LOGICAL decision on one. I only hope that the Vulcan part of me surfaces.
GWB |
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Joined:
July 2003
Posts: 1922
Location: Canton (Detroit), MI | If that's what you want.....Herb David's in Ann Arbor has a Mexican 70's reissue in natural with a maple neck, as of two weeks ago. Believe he wanted a little under $700 for it. I think Guitar Center in Canton has one, also.
Roger |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | Don't the new 4-bolt necks have the micro tilt? My '83 Elite Strat has a 4 bolt with a micro tilt. CBS was trying to revamp the lineup in the early 80's, because a lot of so-called Strat knock-offs were better than the Strat. Thus the Elite series is born - Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Precision Bass. Afterwards, CBS sold the company. My Strat (pix in the gallery) has active, lo output pup's (precurser to the Lace Sensors) with 9-volt pre amp, MDX and TBX tone controls (later put on the Eric Clapton model), hum cancelling dummy pickup, in-body tremolo rout (a-la the Kahler sp?) a neck to die for (12" radius), and yes, that side of the body plug jack which some of you have said you hate. My advice, play one before you write it off. These are still relavtively inexpensive on eBay, and worth every penny. |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 17
Location: San Jose California | Originally posted by TWA:
...'scuse me while I kiss this guy... Get the lyrics right! :confused:
Purple haze all in my brain
Lately things just don't seem the same
Actin' funny, but I don't know why
'Scuse me while I kiss the sky
Purple haze all around
Don't know if I'm comin' up or down
Am I happy or in misery?
Whatever it is that girl put a spell on me
Purple haze all in my eyes
Don't know if it's day or night
You got me blowin', blowin' my mind
Is it tomorrow, or just the end of time? |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | I took a chance and went for an American Strat that was on E-Bay after talking to the person who had it in their hand.
I have bought 5 guitars on E-Bay in the last two years and have been very satisfied with the guitars.I just still have to try and get what I think is a super deal and hope that I will be happy with the purchase when it arrives.
I did alot of research into these Strats and I just kept becoming more & more confused on what to get. So after playing a ton of them I did see quite a difference in the USA made ones & the Mexican & Korean ones.Sound wise I could not tell you for as far as I can tell ,different amps can change the sound of any guitar just like pick-ups and wood can. I will let you know what happens when it arrives and I hope I can still have faith in the E-Bay system and a persons word.
Thanks for all of the good info. GWB |
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Joined:
September 2006
Posts: 54
Location: Kingston Ontario | I purchased a Japanese Strat Contemporary back in the 80's. I believe, although I might be wrong, it was during the time that Fender USA production dropped to zero, I believe due to either the sale of the company back to Fender employees or a fire.
The Contemporary was a little ahead of its' time. It has a floating bridge. The bridge rest aginst two posts which was unusual as the bridge on a regular Strat was held in place and pivoted on six screws.
The guitar came with a locking nut assembly which I removed immediately. Also the bridge employeed six fine tuning screws. These I found worked well but got in the way of my right hand. They wound up in my parts bin.
Th guitar sounds great. A mod that I did to mine, allows me to use both the neck and bridge pickup together. This is a sweet sound that is still not available on new strats. I used a push/pull switch so the guitar still looks stock, but doesn't soud stock.
I also have a $70 pawn shop special strat that I totally restored. It looks brand new but weighs a ton. I also use an early 70's Tele.
And yes, I have a 70's Standard Balladeer, and a 2000 Balladeer Special, as well as an Alvarez Master Series.
If you like the sound of your instrument, go with it. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | Like a first time father I am getting nervous & impatient as I keep on clicking on the UPS website and punching in the same tracking numbers over & over again to find out where in the country my guitar is at , only to get the same reply for the last three days....
Packaged scanned at so & so time and
!!YOUR PACKAGE IS IN TRANSIT !!
AHHHHHH UPS ...YOUR KILLING ME...
Tell me what part of the country my guitar has traveled to.Tell me where it is at.
That is why I like Fed-Ex tracking they update on the website every time it gets scanned in at a different site.
Sorry I just had to vent while waiting for my guitar.
I think I better check the UPS site again. GoodBye..O.F.C.ers GWB |
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Joined:
December 2003
Posts: 1889
Location: Central Massachusetts | Save some typing... many people don't realize this, but drop your UPS or FEDEX tracking number into a Google search box. Bookmark the link that it comes back with. Now just hit that bookmark every time you're jonezing for an update. no more typing or clicking "Yes, I agree to your T's & C's."
Also, the UPS site should have a "further details" button under the IN TRANSIT that will give you all of the package scans.
When I bought my Collector's, the UPS link kept coming back with "DELAYED DUE TO MISSED TRAIN" day after day, I feel your pain! Good luck! |
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January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | I should be one day away from receiving my newest addition .I will be at our Company Sponsered Golf Outing so I will not be able to see it until Thursday. What a Bummer.
According to the UPS site I am not sure where the guitar is currently.
They are not as fast on the updates of TRACKING as is Fed-Ex.
Good luck to all tracking on the UPS site. GWB . |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | Oh boy I got my guitar today and to my suprise !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I received an American Fender guitar neck and hardware on a who knows what brand , very nice strat style body.
After contacting Fender I found out that from the full serial # on the neck that my guitar was a 1999 American made strat that was black in color. The strat I purchased was a natural finish.The body had been changed.
I calmly called the person who I purchased it from and told him that I been sold a fraudulent guitar and he truely seemed suprised.
After talking it over he agreed to refund my Paypal money or work something out and asked what would be fair to me.I told him that I really did not want to repackage the guitar again and send it back so if he would refund $400.00 of the $500.00 that I paid for it I would keep it.He agreed to that and did a Paypal refund to me.
I am glad to know that most people are still honest out there in the internet land.
The guitar is a very nice player and is in great shape so I think I will use it as a player and maybe just live with a I dont know what to call it
??( FENDERSAKI )??
brand guitar and case that costs me $100.00.
Any suggestions on what brand to call it ?
G.W.B. |
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Joined:
March 2004
Posts: 629
Location: Houston, Texas | Are you sure it wasn't just stripped and refinished in natural?
Sounds like a good deal for $100 either way. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | I took some of the hardware off and inspected it very closely and if it was , it was a perfect job , not one tiny sand scratch or a speck of black paint or a flaw anywhere to be found . if you look close enough on the best of the best made guitars you can normally find a flaw somewhere.I can tell that the body weight is lighter than a normal strat.
Still I am very happy with the way the deal turned out, I thought that I would get a Keilbasa in my backside when I called the guy but we talked about it and within 10 minutes we came to a reasonable fix . I see that the American necks alone like this are going for over $200.00 so I feel good about that, but I will still look for the one that I really want . G.W.B. |
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May 2002
Posts: 1445
Location: Nova Scotia, Canada | GWB;
Fender can tell the original colour from the serial #?? The sure must be keeping better records than they used to.
I have been a Fender collector/aficionado for years and have never ever seen reference information (other than custom ordered or custom shop instruments) that signified anything more than approximate DOM.
Not saying it's incorrect but it is sure news to me.
Either way, you got a hel-u-va deal! Can you post some pics?
Wayne |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | Hey Wayne ,
Here is the phone # to Fender 480-596-7195
Ask for tech service
I have used this number a couple of times when I started looking into strats .They were very helpful and knowlegable & personable.
As far as the pictures go I am not sure how to post them here. The last time I tried I had to send them over to someone else to post them for me.
If there is another way please let me know.
I will be out of town until Monday .
G.W.B. |
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Joined:
April 2006
Posts: 1138
Location: CT | I'll buy it from you for $101.00, how's that? Seriously though, you can get a NICE American made Strat body for under 400 bucks on eBay, then you have a USA Strat in whatever color you like. Sell the other body for 75 bucks or so and you'll be laughing all the way to the bank(or your next eBay purchase). |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 5881
Location: Colorado Rocky Mountains | GWB: For $100, you did wonderfully. You mentioned that the body is natural. Can you identify the wood? Most typically, the natural models are ash, which many consider an upgrade from the lower priced models (Poplar or Alder, I believe). If it plays well and you're satisfied with it, consider it a great deal. If you're not, post it in the For Sale section and a make a few bucks. |
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Joined:
January 2006
Posts: 1483
Location: Michigan | Im not sure about the wood , I did notice that it is lighter in weight than other strats that I have played . I will check it out with a freind of mine next week who does piano restorations and Im sure he will know.
The color of the body was supposed to be natural but it has a very slight blondish cast to it that allows some of the grain to come through it but it is definetly not totaly natural.
The pictures of it were of poor quality and the guy told me that it was natural so I took his word for it. I couldnt make that it had the blondish tint to it from the pics.
I am very satisfied with the deal but now I have choices again ??? G.W.B. |
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Fender Sratocaster Info ?? Go Ahead & Kick My Ass For Asking on The OFC Site
