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Author Topic: New Strat Day!  (Read 9241 times)

Philly Q

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New Strat Day!
« on: July 06, 2007, 09:36:06 PM »
It was my birthday a couple of weeks ago, so I decided to buy myself a present (selfish, but no-one else was going to).

So, courtesy of those nice chaps at Thomann, I've just received my new Fender Robert Cray Standard Strat  :D :

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38thBeatle

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2007, 09:46:59 PM »
Very nice indeed Philly now come on, you can't leave it there-what is she like-feel set up etc gimme details.
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Philly Q

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2007, 10:29:42 PM »
OK... you asked for it... I was never known for being succinct... (takes deep breath)...

Just to give some background, I've owned quite a few Strats and Teles over the years, but all my current ones are of the modern American/American Standard variety.  For a change, I wanted something vintage looking, but still with a flattish fingerboard and big frets.  And I wanted a rosewood neck without a skunk stripe!

I was set on one of the Custom Shop-designed, Mexican-made Classic Player series, but I kept looking at the whammy bar and thinking "do I really want that thing?" - the answer was No, and I suddenly thought of the Robert Cray model and started reading reviews.  I'm not really a Cray fan, but he has good taste in guitars!  It turned out they're hard to find in the shops, hence the Thomann order.

So... it's Mexican, brand new ('07 serial number), alder body (probably 2- or 3-piece, but I haven't spotted the joins yet), hardtail (of course).  The board is a nice piece of rosewood, 9.5" radius with medium jumbo frets.  I'd read the neck was chunky and it is, but not huge - a nice C shape, a bit bigger than an American or American Vintage.  The fingerboard edges aren't "rolled" like the Americans but it feels fine.  It's set up with 10's and a medium action, I'll barely need to mess with it.  The workmanship is really good, much better than my only previous Mexican Strat (a Jimmie Vaughan Tex Mex).  They've paid attention to little details like rounding off the "transitional" contours at the heel and the back of the headstock. The finish is poly but I can live with that; it's well applied and I like the mint-green scratchplate and aged parts.  It's a 3-Tone Sunburst - the other options are Violet (nice, but shame it's not metallic) and Inca Silver (I already have a Strat that colour).  

Tone I can't comment on yet, need to get used to it - it definitely sounds like a Strat...

Of course I have a few plans...  :twisted: .  Graph Tech saddles (just because I have an unused set I've never tried), Gotoh tuners to replace the Pings and I'm going to rewire it (one way or another) to give me the neck+bridge option like a Tele.  The electronics are all US, so I shouldn't need to change them.  Oh yeah, and maybe a set of BKPs  :wink: - I'm thinking Slowhands because I like a warm, round Strat tone and a little extra oomph, but we shall see.
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BKPs I Had:  RY+Abraxas, Crawlers, BD+SM

TwilightOdyssey

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #3 on: July 06, 2007, 10:42:29 PM »
I hope I can get a nice guitar like that for my 80th birthday! PDT_008
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38thBeatle

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #4 on: July 06, 2007, 11:00:57 PM »
Thats more like it-cool stuff Philly. I have my eye on a certain guitar owned by a pal in New York-a G*bson (shock horror) but it'll be a while yet but he has promised it to me at a great price. I was wondering what the RC guitars were like "in the wood" so to speak. Certainly looks good.
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Philly Q

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #5 on: July 06, 2007, 11:10:07 PM »
Quote from: TwilightOdyssey
I hope I can get a nice guitar like that for my 80th birthday! PDT_008

Cheeky git!   :lol:  If I'm 80 you're 73!
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sambo

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #6 on: July 06, 2007, 11:10:11 PM »
nice one Philly. i've never been a fan of strats but stuff like this does tempt me occasionally.

enjoy!
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dave_mc

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #7 on: July 06, 2007, 11:34:18 PM »
very nice philly!

if you're 80 and ben is 73, i must be, erm, 25.

 :twisted:
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maliciousteve

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2007, 10:29:44 AM »
Very nice guitar. Recently i've been gasing for a sunbursy strat with rosewood board. Very nice
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gingataff

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2007, 01:17:40 PM »
If you watch the Crossroads Festival video I'm pretty sure Cray has GraphTech saddle on his strats, so maybe it's a wise move you're planning.
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Philly Q

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2007, 01:35:25 PM »
Quote from: gingataff
If you watch the Crossroads Festival video I'm pretty sure Cray has GraphTech saddle on his strats, so maybe it's a wise move you're planning.

God, I'm turning into Robert Cray and I'm powerless to stop it!  I'm really not into his playing much, I just like non-trem Strats.  But my other Strat is an Inca Silver American Standard which I bought because it was the only hardtail I could find - completely forgot it was a Robert Cray colour!

Could you tell if he has String Savers, Tusq or FerraGlide saddles (just so I can be different  :wink: )?
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Kilby

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2007, 07:19:54 PM »
Quote from: Philly Q
God, I'm turning into Robert Cray and I'm powerless to stop it!  I'm really not into his playing much, I just like non-trem Strats.  


A belated, nice guitar to you

I have to admit going to see Mr Cray in 1986, and he was excellent, however the following year he had turned into Mr Bland (or should I say Clapton), all the fire had gone.

Worse yet what little that was left was swamped in an abundunance of 80 era chorus
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Tellboy

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #12 on: July 07, 2007, 07:20:10 PM »
Quote from: dave_mc
very nice philly!

if you're 80 and ben is 73, i must be, erm, 25.

 :twisted:


shite that means I'm dead  :cry:
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Woogie

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #13 on: July 07, 2007, 08:52:13 PM »
Nice!! Have Fender ever made ANY hardtail left handed strats??
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_tom_

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New Strat Day!
« Reply #14 on: July 07, 2007, 09:00:35 PM »
Very nice Phil :) I think I'm starting to prefer the sound of singlecoils now - you need to play cleaner, but I love the sounds you get from em! Got some BG Pickups v60s (blasphemy? :P) on the way for mine, decided my current pickups arent doing it for me so hopefully these should be good. Just need a new neck for mine now as I decided 7.25" radius is just too hard and annoying to play :( Just cant decide whether to get rosewood or maple board for mine!
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