I need a decent strat and tele... (Fender Highway 1's)

[Kilby]

I agree, I'd rather have a tele and a strat- I can see if I "make do" with something that supposedly does both sets of tones, that I'll probably end up wanting a tele and a strat as well... :(

Now I just need to get a trip to Belfast or Dublin sorted out so I can try the highway ones, americans, and mexicans to see which are best bang for the buck. Thanks for all the input, guys.

:drink:

I had to sell my Mex strat today (for bugger all) to finance getting back to Belfast for a job interview I have next week :(

I bought the strat, and about a week later realised that I should really have went for a Tele as I prefer the extra 'bounce' in the tele bridge tones. Plus my Syd Barrett fixation would have been looked after properly (Dave Gilmour is all very well but .......)

Tis a shame that the far east lite ash range have the wrong width as they are an absolute steal (even the designed by pickups sound pretty decent in those guitars).

Rob...

[indysmith]

the pups on the lite ash series arent "Duncan Designed" - they're genuine Seymour Duncan APS series pups.
You could always buy one and then get a seperate neck off ebay or similar for dirt cheap with the nut width yu need?

[dave_mc]

I had to sell my Mex strat today (for bugger all) to finance getting back to Belfast for a job interview I have next week :(

I bought the strat, and about a week later realised that I should really have went for a Tele as I prefer the extra 'bounce' in the tele bridge tones. Plus my Syd Barrett fixation would have been looked after properly (Dave Gilmour is all very well but .......)

Tis a shame that the far east lite ash range have the wrong width as they are an absolute steal (even the designed by pickups sound pretty decent in those guitars).

Rob...

That's a shame, man, I'm sorry to hear that.

As indy says, they're real duncans... but I suspect trying to get hold of a new neck would be more bother than it's worth, and would likely bring the price up to the same (if not more) than the highway ones... EDIT: i mean, thomann has excellent prices- there's only about £90 difference in the prices between the lite ash and highway ones, I'm guessing a new neck would cost at least that, once you factor in postage etc. Not to mention the extra bother.

As I said I'll try them and see what I think (and let you know!).

:drink:

[38thBeatle]

Dave, what about this.
http://www.fareastguitars.co.uk/usedstrat2.htm

Cheers

Steve

[dave_mc]

^ thanks, 38th, unfortunately, the nut's a bit narrow... and I'm not too sure about the really vintage radius... believe me, though, if the nut were a little wider, I'd have been all over those japanese fenders by now!

:(

:drink:

[genocidal tendencies]

I'll put in a good word for the carvin bolt, its nut width is about 43.4, custom made, the necks are just beyond perfect (plus you can get a tung oil finish for no extra cost), by all accounts they're extremely well made, and the only bad thing I've ever heard about a carvin concerned the pickups...

They are a bit more expensive than highway 1s, though, and trying one out would be a pain in the hole. Plus I'm not sure the 'improvements' over the classic strat design would be a good thing or not (ebony fingerboard, wilkinson trem, tilt back headstock etc)

Or you could get a kit, for maybe slightly shy of £300, or around £360 if you order a finished body and tung oiled neck. They're also quite flexible with custom options. Dunno if you have any interest in putting a guitar together, but it's a thought.

[38thBeatle]

Sorry Dave, I should have spotted that-I was kinda carried away by the colour.

[Kilby]

the pups on the lite ash series arent "Duncan Designed" - they're genuine Seymour Duncan APS series pups.

My mistake as it was over a year ago that I tried one (I preferresd the far east model to the US built). I also tried a Squire Esprit (which is duncan designed)

Possibly the wrong site to say this but the lite ash sounded like a good tele should

I guess I am now officially senile

[dave_mc]

I'll put in a good word for the carvin bolt, its nut width is about 43.4, custom made, the necks are just beyond perfect (plus you can get a tung oil finish for no extra cost), by all accounts they're extremely well made, and the only bad thing I've ever heard about a carvin concerned the pickups...

They are a bit more expensive than highway 1s, though, and trying one out would be a pain in the hole. Plus I'm not sure the 'improvements' over the classic strat design would be a good thing or not (ebony fingerboard, wilkinson trem, tilt back headstock etc)

Or you could get a kit, for maybe slightly shy of £300, or around £360 if you order a finished body and tung oiled neck. They're also quite flexible with custom options. Dunno if you have any interest in putting a guitar together, but it's a thought.

thanks, I hadn't thought of carvin... as you say, though, trying them is the problem... far as I'm aware, the only dealers are in England... :(

Sorry Dave, I should have spotted that-I was kinda carried away by the colour.

:lol:

no problem, 38th, I appreciate the fact that you tried! :drink:

[dave_mc]

UPDATE!

I tried a pile of strats and teles today.

Tried highway one strats, USA standard strats, lite ash strat (danno's one!), and mexican teles, USA standard tele, and USA standard ash tele.

I think the USA standards (and in the case of the tele, the ash one too) were better guitars, the tone of the wood seemed better, and "bigger", but the jumbo frets and neck profile of the highway ones suited me a little better. Also, I liked the pickups better on the highway one, though that's pretty academic as I'd probably swap them sooner or later anyway.

They didn't have any highway one teles, but the standard ash tele ruled- I think I like alder better in strats, but ash better in teles, for some reason- though I'd like to try a USA ash strat, just for a totally fair comparison.

I don't trust the suspiciously-Mexican-alike trem and tuners on the highway ones, though (didn't get to try the trem, the bars weren't attached)- and the finish is pretty cr@p-looking.

I'll probably end up going for a USA standard, if I can gather up the cash, convince myself it's worth it, and get to try several so i get to pick the one I want- I tried several USA ones, and some did feel better than others, even if that was maybe only newer strings, etc.

Also, Thomann has raised the prices of the highway ones by about 30 euro (£20)- which definitely goes in favour of the USA standards too.

I'll hopefully get a trip down to Dublin arranged in the next day or two, so I should get to try a pile more down there, I'll decide after that.

:drink:

[Mr Ed]

Forget the Highway Ones, they're good but they aren't a patch on the Japanese Fenders. Trust me.  8)

[dave_mc]

^ more than likely, but any of the japanese ones I've seen advertised have a too-narrow nut for my liking... :(

:drink:

any opinions on warmoth, anyone?

[Mr Ed]

Warmoth: good guitars but daaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaamn they're expensive.

[dave_mc]

^ I'm a bit wary about them coming half-finished. There's no way I could fix up dodgy fret-ends etc.

Plus, as you say, customs and postage are liable to crank the price way up. Plus you have to remember everything you need to order.

:drink: