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

[Kilby]

Pete cooks have Highway 1 strats (teal green) for £415 in their specials section

http://www.petercooks.co.uk/specials.php

Oh yeah they have several AC30s & AC15s in the shop soiled section at reasionable pricees (with Celestion Blues installed)

[dave_mc]

Dave,

Marcus music are fender dealers too, so you could try giving them a call.

Rob...

yeah, I know rob, I'll check it out too if I make it down to belfast- problem is, they're absolute tools in there. I remember once them not letting me try out a gibson les paul because a Zakk epi played "as well, no, in fact better", and another time they told me that marshalls were the only tube amps that you could get any distortion out of.

Not a fan. At least I know better, but if they're talking like that to everyone, there are bound to be quite a few falling for their lies.

That's still a bit dear for what I'm after-

I know what you mean. I've still got half a mind to BKP my old Squier Strat by dropping in a new scratchplate, but it seems a bit bonkers to spend more on the pickups than the guitar cost in the first place!

yeah, i have that problem with my little epi valve junior for a new speaker!

Pete cooks have Highway 1 strats (teal green) for £415 in their specials section

http://www.petercooks.co.uk/specials.php

yeah, I noticed that in guitarist magazine- though thomann is still about £30 less, and includes postage...

thanks for all the replies, guys!

:drink:

Oh yeah they have several AC30s & AC15s in the shop soiled section at reasionable pricees (with Celestion Blues installed)

[froglord]

yeah, i have that problem with my little epi valve junior for a new speaker!

Celestion Alnico Blue - go on, you know you want to!

 :mrgreen:

[Twinfan]

Why change it?  I think the stock speaker is great!

[Simon D]

I'm definitely with Kilby and Afghan Dave on this one. Fender Lite Ash series is the way to go.

I bought a Lite Ash Tele (http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0265102541) about two and half months back, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I'm not too sure on the nut width, but it's wider than the 41mm on my Yamaha Pacifica 812W. They are well built, good value and don't sound half bad either, even though I'll admit the Duncans aren't exactly up there with BKs. The only real downside is the slightly limited colour choice.

Thomann.de has a Lite Ash Tele for 433 Euro, which is a ridiculously cheap £290. An absolute steal for a guitar which will likely be better built than a Highway 1, and won't look like a reject from the 70s either!  

[dave_mc]

yeah, i have that problem with my little epi valve junior for a new speaker!

Celestion Alnico Blue - go on, you know you want to!

 :mrgreen:

I just can't justify it- added to the fact that I've never tried it, so I don't even know if I like it.

Why change it?  I think the stock speaker is great!

I have the head version...  :lol:

I'm definitely with Kilby and Afghan Dave on this one. Fender Lite Ash series is the way to go.

I bought a Lite Ash Tele (http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0265102541) about two and half months back, and I can't recommend it highly enough.

I'm not too sure on the nut width, but it's wider than the 41mm on my Yamaha Pacifica 812W. They are well built, good value and don't sound half bad either, even though I'll admit the Duncans aren't exactly up there with BKs. The only real downside is the slightly limited colour choice.

Thomann.de has a Lite Ash Tele for 433 Euro, which is a ridiculously cheap £290. An absolute steal for a guitar which will likely be better built than a Highway 1, and won't look like a reject from the 70s either!  

that's a kickass price, but the nut width's 42mm, not 43 unfortunately (EDIT: actually, going by the official Fender specs, it might even be less :( ). I've tried the lite ash strat, and I noticed it, unfortunately.

:drink:

[Joe Dorcia]

Why do you have to have a 43mm nut?

[indysmith]

i think this a problem that might be worth getting over in the long term :? sounds like it's causing problems that just arent necessary.

[dave_mc]

It just feels wrong if it's too narrow, I feel too cramped.

There's no chance of me getting over it, I've been playing for 7 or 8 years, and had a guitar with the wrong nut for about 5 of those years, and I haven't been able to get used to it- it's not as bad as it was, but once I play a 43mm one, it just feels more natural.

It's just not happening, unfortunately.

:drink:

[Joe Dorcia]

Why not get a Les Paul Junior or SG with P-90's in? They sound awesome. Why do you specifically need a strat sound? Covers band? IF its your own band why don't you just get that one sound you love instead of having to have loads of guitars?

Joe

[Kilby]

Why not get a Les Paul Junior or SG with P-90's in? They sound awesome. Why do you specifically need a strat sound? Covers band? IF its your own band why don't you just get that one sound you love instead of having to have loads of guitars?

Joe

Switching to gibson may open up scale length issues, but an old single coil equipped Melody Maker may cover enough ground too.

OR

Why not a strat with the Jerry Donahoe, mods to make it more Tele like ? I'm sure Tim & Jonathon could offer assistance in that direction,as I beleive it's a modded strat pickup as well as wiring.

Rob...

[dave_mc]

Why not get a Les Paul Junior or SG with P-90's in? They sound awesome. Why do you specifically need a strat sound? Covers band? IF its your own band why don't you just get that one sound you love instead of having to have loads of guitars?

Joe

come on, man, that's no fun! Next you'll be telling us GAS is a bad thing!





Whenever I get a bit more cash I actually am planning to order a Gordon Smith with p90's, I actually have emailed them inquiring about it, just it turned out to be a little more than I expected...

But I guess the reason I want a strat and tele is because I like 'em. I'm not in a band at all. There's nothing I'd really rather spend my money on, so I don't really see a problem.

[dave_mc]

Switching to gibson may open up scale length issues, but an old single coil equipped Melody Maker may cover enough ground too.

OR

Why not a strat with the Jerry Donahoe, mods to make it more Tele like ? I'm sure Tim & Jonathon could offer assistance in that direction,as I beleive it's a modded strat pickup as well as wiring.

Rob...

I can notice a little the different scale lengths, but by and large I don't mind it anywhere near as much as the nut widths- so it's not really a problem. (yep, I'm strange!)

as for the tele/strat hybrid- fender already do make a tele/strat hybrid ( http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0135302367 ). Problem is, I'm worried that if I don't get exactly what I'm after, I'll still be GASsing after a strat and a tele. Also, I can already get the strat middle position sound, it's the neck/bridge I need to get, in my opinion.

Last thing I want is to have a strat, a tele, and a strat/tele hybrid, lol.

:drink:

[Kilby]

I can notice a little the different scale lengths, but by and large I don't mind it anywhere near as much as the nut widths- so it's not really a problem. (yep, I'm strange!)

as for the tele/strat hybrid- fender already do make a tele/strat hybrid ( http://www.fender.com/products/search.php?partno=0135302367 ). Problem is, I'm worried that if I don't get exactly what I'm after, I'll still be GASsing after a strat and a tele. Also, I can already get the strat middle position sound, it's the neck/bridge I need to get, in my opinion.

Last thing I want is to have a strat, a tele, and a strat/tele hybrid, lol.

:drink:

The scale length was just a thought

If you look at the another company who builds pickups whos name begins with D (the APST-1 twang banger), which went along side the Jerry Donahoe wiring to give the tele twang, from a strat. I'm sure that Tim has already experimented with Tele like pickups for a strat.

Fender long ago did a proper model as is shown here (but at a silly price)
http://www.wunjoguitars.com/fsjd.htm

Another thought is one of the Peavey Albert Lee models (the 2nd artist they poached from music man) or one of the old MM Albert Lee models.

Personally I would rather have a Tele and a Strat, and these days if I could only have one it would probably be the Tele (possibly going really flash with a bound body).

Rob...

[dave_mc]

The scale length was just a thought

If you look at the another company who builds pickups whos name begins with D (the APST-1 twang banger), which went along side the Jerry Donahoe wiring to give the tele twang, from a strat. I'm sure that Tim has already experimented with Tele like pickups for a strat.

Fender long ago did a proper model as is shown here (but at a silly price)
http://www.wunjoguitars.com/fsjd.htm

Another thought is one of the Peavey Albert Lee models (the 2nd artist they poached from music man) or one of the old MM Albert Lee models.

Personally I would rather have a Tele and a Strat, and these days if I could only have one it would probably be the Tele (possibly going really flash with a bound body).

Rob...

I know the scale length was just a thought, and I appreciate that you even thought of it- it just goes to show how strange I am when it comes to dimensions of guitars, lol.

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: