Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum
Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: schenr on January 30, 2012, 07:36:06 AM
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Gday fellas,
I'm helping out a mate who's buying a strat for their old man for his birthday. I've had about zero experience with strats, besides from my first squier bullet 10 years ago, and I know there's a few of you who love a good strat. He's never owned an electric in his life, but has been playing acoustic for a while, so they want to spend up to about $800 aud (so about 600 pounds, or 700 euros?). Going to buy it from an overseas company that ship to australia (maybe thomann?).
He's into bluesey, lighter rock style and would have no preference to woods, pickups etc so its pretty much just finding a really comfy strat at a good price.
Can anyone recommend a good one? (can see classic series - 50's, 60's and 70's - blacktop, deluxe lonestar, standard, pawn shop 51 all within the price range).
Cheers!
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From that list i'd go with the Deluxe Lonestar - or the Deluxe Roadhouse if you want the three single coil vibe.
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Don't overlook the Squire Classic Vibre Strats....
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The Classic Players ('50s and '60s) are good vintage-style Strats with a few modern tweaks.
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I like the Highway 1s.
On a cheaper strat, with a shiny poly finish, I think its nicer on the fingers to go for rosewood board.
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From that list i'd go with the Deluxe Lonestar - or the Deluxe Roadhouse if you want the three single coil vibe.
The white roadhouse with the tortoise shell pick guard looks really nice!
Don't overlook the Squire Classic Vibre Strats....
Is that largely due to the pickups? They're a pretty good price so we could probably chuck in a decent amp along with it!
The Classic Players ('50s and '60s) are good vintage-style Strats with a few modern tweaks.
Read something about the 2 point trem being a pain?
I know the blacktops have HH, but how do they go down with the traditional strat lovers?
Thanks for all the advice too!
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I know the blacktops have HH, but how do they go down with the traditional strat lovers?
Thanks for all the advice too!
Humbuckers work well in strats of course, but I think it makes them different instruments really
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I like the Highway 1s.
I get the impression they're being phased out and replaced with the American Specials, although there is still a single Highway One Strat model.
I think it's reaching the point where there are a few too many different Strats and Teles available, it's getting hard to know where one "Series" of models stands in relation to the others.
Strange to think that, for the best part of 30 years, there was just ONE Strat model in production at any time - yes, there were changes in specs and usually a choice of rosewood or maple fretboard, but it was just "A Fender Stratocaster"... nothing else.
Now there are 83 different Strat models listed on the Fender site, including the Squiers, and that's ignoring Fender Japan and the Custom Shop. :o
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To get back on topic, for a guy who's never owned an electric and is into bluesy, lighter rock I think I'd steer clear of humbuckers and get a traditional Strat - but maybe with a 9.5" radius rather than pure vintage spec, to make it a little more player-friendly.
The Roadhouse does look good.
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I think it is a relatively well known secret that the pickups of the Squier Classic Vibe are made in the same factory as Tonerider pickups and have the same serial codes. So, the CVs have pretty good pickups on them.
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If he's only played acoustics, then it may be worth getting a flatter radius on the fingerboard. Maybe have a look at the neck profile on his acoustic aswell and trying to get something similar.
If he can't try it himself, then it may be the best way of getting a good fit.
As far as woods..... I also know sod all about Strat's. I can't seem to get on with the scale length. :lol:
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you should be able to get tokais pretty easily in australia
that's what i'd do (an mij one, of course).
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You could also look for a used Fender Roadworn.
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I think it is a relatively well known secret that the pickups of the Squier Classic Vibe are made in the same factory as Tonerider pickups and have the same serial codes. So, the CVs have pretty good pickups on them.
I did not know that...
:D
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Now there are 83 different Strat models listed on the Fender site, including the Squiers, and that's ignoring Fender Japan and the Custom Shop. :o
Which is quite daunting for someone with no strat experience. I mean, there are about 8 or so different models around my price range, all being within about $150 of each other.
you should be able to get tokais pretty easily in australia
that's what i'd do (an mij one, of course).
That's actually what I was thinking at first as well. But I think I'm going to have to go down the path of being a brand snob. As much as I know that I can get an awesome MIJ Tokai for a good price (and probably within Australia too), I think as a present, a Fender would be more 'appreciated'....if you know what I mean. Then the dad can go around saying "my kids bought me a Fender, how awesome is that".
The Roadhouse is looking good at the moment I have to say.
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also, I think Fender themselves have been making some great and good value instruments at that price point the last few years. it seems i'm a bit out of date with the latest models (thanks for the update philly) but have always been impressed by the low to mid end fenders i've played in shops recently.
i still say poly finish with maple board is a bad idea though ;)
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Is that largely due to the pickups? They're a pretty good price so we could probably chuck in a decent amp along with it!
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Not really, the ones I've tried always seem to sound great unplugged and just have that great stratty percussive thing going on. The pickups are pretty decent but it's more to do with the Start vibe they have.
I've played Mexican and CP strats that felt dead in comparrison.
I'd have one but the necks are too shallow for me. I'd take a CV Strat over my 1994 American Standard any day.
I've never tried a Highway one but heard they are very nice.
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Can you get the Japanese Fenders easily in Australia? That might also be an option. I've got several (1 strat, 2 teles), they're tasty instruments.
How old is he? And does he have a "I'd like it proper like they used to do it" attitude? That could affect the choice of fretboard radius etc. Also, how might he feel about relicing? If he likes the idea of "vintage" (old style radius, bridge assembly, etc) and he doesn't mind the idea of "bashed", then telerocker's right - the 50s and 60s Roadworns are fantastic strats for the older strat fan (I'm an older strat fan, and I have one of each ... they're the two that would get rescued in a disaster situation, everything else could go)
also, I think Fender themselves have been making some great and good value instruments at that price point the last few years. it seems i'm a bit out of date with the latest models (thanks for the update philly) but have always been impressed by the low to mid end fenders i've played in shops recently.
+1 to this, though. I was all set with my stuff a a couple of years ago and haven't been following latest developments since really (in case I buy something!)
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Can you get the Japanese Fenders easily in Australia? That might also be an option. I've got several (1 strat, 2 teles), they're tasty
After a few minutes of digging around it seems like I can get MIJs but only second hand. They're also pushing the aud$1000 mark. I'd also have to source it from over east (I've actually found really good prices for the roadhouse etc in Perth so I won't have to order from over seas like I initially thought - which is surprising because you normally have to pay an arm and a leg over here).
Despite the fact that it's a present and that he would be over the moon with a guitar regardless of where it was made, he probably wouldn't 'appreciate' that it's an mij rather than mim. Although good suggestion! Always great to have heaps of options.
How old is he? And does he have a "I'd like it proper like they used to do it" attitude? That could affect the choice of fretboard radius etc. Also, how might he feel about relicing? If he likes the idea of "vintage" (old style radius, bridge assembly, etc) and he doesn't mind the idea of "bashed", then telerocker's right - the 50s and 60s Roadworns are fantastic strats for the older strat fan
Pretty sure it's his 60th. It's a surprise present too, so it's all on the hush hush, making it near impossible to find out what he would personally choose if it were up to him.
Also, the only other electric he's played is his daughters guitar when he was restringing it, and that thing is the same quality as those hello kitty guitars you see about. So i doubt he's going to have any attitude towards which era the strat is based on. I also think he'd prefer it looking 'new' rather than reliced.
Although, that fire reliced guitar posted a few months back would suit me! But I'd put that one to shear luck rather than intentional relicing.... Can't find that post now that I've mentioned it.
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Oh, and on a completely off the topic side note... Typing on here with an iPhone is a complete pain in the ass. Just thought I'd share.
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That's actually what I was thinking at first as well. But I think I'm going to have to go down the path of being a brand snob. As much as I know that I can get an awesome MIJ Tokai for a good price (and probably within Australia too), I think as a present, a Fender would be more 'appreciated'....if you know what I mean. Then the dad can go around saying "my kids bought me a Fender, how awesome is that".
The Roadhouse is looking good at the moment I have to say.
oh ok, good point
then i'd agree with andy, get a japanese (non-export) one if you can EDIT: ah cr@p, you can't :lol:
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EDIT: ah cr@p, you can't :lol:
Thanks...