Ebay - looking for strats

[Ian Price]

Finally sold my Gretsch and am just about to sell a few mor effect so have been scouring eBay for custome shop strat bargains and came across this:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Eric-Clapton-Custom-Shop-40th-Anniversary-Fendar-Strat_W0QQitemZ170279618671QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item170279618671&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2%7C65%3A3%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

At risk of sounding anal/arrogant I did laugh out loud at some of the comments on the listing:

THIS IS STILL A PRITTY PRICIE GUITAR THE EFFECTS BUTTON IS ALSO MISSING THE LITTLE COVER ON THAT LEAVER THING NEXT TO THE TONE BUTTONS IF I DIDNT ALREADY MENTION IT THANKS

He is offering to the winning bidder a beauty of a case for the guitar. Apparently it cost £200 on its own

HELLO EBAYERS STOP BIDDING IF YOUR BIDDING FOR AN ERIC CLAPTON CUSTOM SHOP MY FRIEND HAS JUST GONE ONLINE AND IT IS JUST AN AMERICAN 1994 40TH ANNIVERSARY FENDER STRATOCASTER NOT ERIC CLAPTON I THINK HE WAS PROBABLY RIPED OFF WHEN BUYING IT

Now - if I was selling something for a friend I would at least make sure that I researched it first before attempting to list it (and run a spell checker!)

I guess the perils of eBay leaves me back at either buying a custom shop from new or getting a custom made Feline. Hopefully some more money will come my way soon and I can get in to some serious decision making!

[Jonny]

How much money do you actually have, or theoretically anyways. How about Suhr? Anderson?

[FELINEGUITARS]

IF you were to go the custom route what would you have that's different to a stock guitar?

Any special features?

What specs on the strat - even with a Fender one, what would you be looking for?

[Ian Price]

IF you were to go the custom route what would you have that's different to a stock guitar?

Any special features?

What specs on the strat - even with a Fender one, what would you be looking for?

To be honest I'm not really sure yet, I like to have a bit of thinking time so will spend the next few weeks deciding on neck profiles, fingerboard radius, fret size etc - I think visiting your workshop has made me be a bit more open minded about things like this. I have always been a died in the wool vintage spec sort of person but have never really tried anything other than 7.25 radius fretboards with slim necks.

What I do know is that my next guitar will either be a strat (sorry Dave!) or a tele (sorry Roo!) style. Any strat would have to be 3 x BKP SCs, the tele would have a BKP HB in the neck and a BKP SC in the bridge. I won't be looking for anything that takes away from a vintage-y look though so no Floyd Rose or floating trems (although I may go for a custom colour or a custom paint job).

Decisions, decisions. Will post something up when decided.

[Ian Price]

Just seen this on eBay:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fender-Stratocaster-62-Reissue-Jeff-Beck-Style-New_W0QQitemZ300143155502QQcmdZViewItemQQptZUK_Musical_Instruments_Guitars_CV?hash=item300143155502&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1298%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C240%3A1318

Anyone got any knowledge/experience of Jap Strats? Any good? Is this a fair price? It's pretty much one of the colour I am after (Fiesta Red/Candy Tangerine w Rosewood fretboard is my first preference).

[38thBeatle]

If they are what they say they are then the price is reasonable. Maybe I am missing something though-I always thought Fiesta Red was, well, red.  I must admit that I barely read the blurb on account of being pressed for time but certainly price wise, that seems OK to me.

[mikeluke]

Ian

I've got a 54 Reissue and the construction/finish is excellent - things that you might want to consider are:

This is a 62 reissue Strat not a Jeff Beck Strat (little bit of artistic license in the description...)

Will have 21 vintage frets and a 'vintage' fretboard radius and a vintage trem

Other than that - the price is very good for a brand new one - you would expect to pay £350-400 for a decent used one on eVilBay

Pictures shown are in Olympic White but he obviously has one in Fiesta Red too

http://www.guitaremporium.co.uk/index.php?f=data_fender_japan_new_guitars&a=0

You can see the colours here - scroll down until you get to the 62 Reissue

Good luck

Mike

 

[Ian Price]

Thanks Mike - very useful. It's the 60s re-issues I'm looking for as I already have a 50s reissue. WIll take a more detailed looked at that website later.

Ian.

[mikeluke]

Ian

Will not say 'Fender' on the headstock but have you thought about an early Jap Squier? I have E-Series 62 Reissue in Dakota Red - excellent guitar - very well made - proper tuners, decent slab of wood and a lovely neck - you'll need to shop around on EB but they do come up quite often - some folk are asking silly money but you should be able to get one for around the £200-£240 mark - would leave you some £££ to upgrade the pups if you felt that was necessary....

[AndyR]

I've got a "ST62-TX" in Fiesta Red. Most gorgeous guitar I've ever owned.

As I understand it, the main differences between this and the advertised "ST62-US" are the body (alder in the TX, basswood in the US) and the pickups (the TX comes with Texas Specials, mine have mysteriously been replaced with Irish Tours :D).

When I (or my wife, actually) bought mine in Denmark St 18 months ago, it was £550 new. I tried a couple of the ST62-US models that were there, which were £450 new, but I'd already fallen in love with mine and I really wanted an alder body that day. (Btw, don't be put off by the basswood, I was just being snobby that day - I've got a basswood JV Squier that sounds really good).

I've never bought a guitar off the internet, but if I had to I would buy another ST62-TX without trying it - all the ones I played were really nice and very consistent. I'd buy another of these before any US/Mex alternatives up to twice the price, I think they're that good in that price range.

Personally, I'd want to try the ST62-USs again before buying one of those - they didn't feel quite as nice in my hands. But they still beat the 20-odd USA and Mexican strats I played that day. Bear in mind I like vintage necks (21 fret, curved board), so that's why it beat things like the Highway 1 for me...

[Ian Price]

Cheers all - so many things to look at! I'm more of a try before you buy person but will keep a look out for the models you have suggested.

Cheers again,

Ian.