cheaper cbs headstock fender strat: 70s classic or highway one?

[gwEm]

what do people say? is there something else on the new or secondhand market i should be thinking about?

[_tom_]

http://www.squierguitars.com/products/search.php?partno=0300510505

I'd go for one of those personally :P I'm actually considering getting one if it turns up cheap on ebay, to turn into a single bridge hum rock machine. The Basswood body puts me off a bit as I didnt like the sound of my basswood charvel much but I think I may have just got a bad piece.

[Philly Q]

If you can cope with the 7.25" radius and skinny frets, I'd go for a Fender Japan ST72 rather than a Mexican '70s Classic.  It does have a basswood body, though, if that's an issue.  There's also a '68 model which is alder (I think) but it doesn't have the bullet truss rod.

But I'd probably get a Highway One myself, whenever I've owned a vintage-radius Fender I always end up selling it because it's too hard to play.  

[martinw]

Highway 1's are brilliant. I've had 2, and I prefer the big frets and modern fingerboard radius. The satin nitro finish is great and even the pickups are good.

[Philly Q]

what do people say? is there something else on the new or secondhand market i should be thinking about?

If you want to go cheap, there are quite a few Greco strats on eBay with CBS headstocks. 

It's a bit of a minefield though, unless you're some kind of expert on Greco history.   A lot of them look like budget models, with really cr@ppy tuners and bridges - probably overpriced in fact.

[gwEm]

what do people say? is there something else on the new or secondhand market i should be thinking about?

If you want to go cheap, there are quite a few Greco strats on eBay with CBS headstocks. 

It's a bit of a minefield though, unless you're some kind of expert on Greco history.   A lot of them look like budget models, with really cr@ppy tuners and bridges - probably overpriced in fact.

good call on the vintage MIJ thing. regarding those grecos - the white one, which i prefer, definitely looks budget doesn't it? i know about there Vs, having looked into it. theres infinitely more strats though.

[Philly Q]

good call on the vintage MIJ thing. regarding those grecos - the white one, which i prefer, definitely looks budget doesn't it?

This one?   It's got those "Worst Tuners in the World TM", which can't be a good sign....   

This white one may be better, although I don't like the plain headstock.

These three black SE 450s look better though, especially the third one.  I love the "Brazen Picker Professional" bit under the headstock logo!  :lol:

SE 450 #1

SE 450 #2

SE 450 #3

[gwEm]

yeah, that last one is really nice isn't it...

it would be nice to have an all white maple one, like a certain german guitarist had in the 70s.

i'd be up for another vintage MIJ, I'll keep my eyes peeled. great thought phil!

[Ted 'N' Leo]

good call on the vintage MIJ thing. regarding those grecos - the white one, which i prefer, definitely looks budget doesn't it?

This one?   It's got those "Worst Tuners in the World TM", which can't be a good sign....   

This white one may be better, although I don't like the plain headstock.

These three black SE 450s look better though, especially the third one.  I love the "Brazen Picker Professional" bit under the headstock logo!  :lol:

SE 450 #1

SE 450 #2

SE 450 #3

A couple of those guitars look like the bridge it too narrow for the saddles. FIRST thing i noticed!

[Philly Q]

A couple of those guitars look like the bridge it too narrow for the saddles. FIRST thing i noticed!

True, I've noticed that before, you get a sort of "fan" effect.  I wonder if that's because people have replaced cast saddles on the cheaper models with vintage-style bent steel ones?

[Ted 'N' Leo]

A couple of those guitars look like the bridge it too narrow for the saddles. FIRST thing i noticed!

True, I've noticed that before, you get a sort of "fan" effect.  I wonder if that's because people have replaced cast saddles on the cheaper models with vintage-style bent steel ones?

I think that is what they've done. They mentioned it once in Guitar Player magazine when they were doing the Rory Gallagher strat.

You can get narrow saddles these days though, from graphtech i think.

[AndyG]

Depends really on what sort of feel you're after; I have a Highway1 Tele and with the flat radius and big frets it's as slinky a player as a Les Paul. The pickups are a bit fatter-sounding too and respond well to overdrive. Personally I can't get on with skinny, low-profile frets and tight radius boards but, each to his own.

[gwEm]

thanks for all the thoughts and replies.

i'm thinking everything points to a highway one at this point actually. for me, it looks like the best available option. and they're a pretty good price in the UK too, a bit cheaper than US... which should tell us something about the exchange rate.

[Philly Q]

they're a pretty good price in the UK too, a bit cheaper than US... which should tell us something about the exchange rate.

Also tells us that the prices are likely to go up soon!

[gwEm]

they're a pretty good price in the UK too, a bit cheaper than US... which should tell us something about the exchange rate.

Also tells us that the prices are likely to go up soon!

:(

i wonder about the 'greasebucket' tone pot - is that just a treble bleed cap do people reckon?