Calling all Strat experts..
Discussion
Hi all
I'm feeling the urge to bring another guitar into my life. I've got no fixed budget and a preference for spending less than more (I also don't want to pay a 'collectors' tax if there's no audible/playable benefit) but up to £2k could be sneaked through the books.
It's going to be a Fender Strat but I'm all at sea when it comes to the details. I'd love to start an open discussion on the merits of the relative vintages and places of manufacture - not just what would best for me.
When I was a kid it was all about US -made instruments, but now I hear those same 80's Japanese Strats that we turned our noses up at are now considered better than the contemporary originals.
Also be interested to hear peoples thoughts on modding or buying a modfied instrument
TL;DR If you were give a budget up to £2k and could choose the perfect Strat for you which one would would it be and why?
Ian
I'm feeling the urge to bring another guitar into my life. I've got no fixed budget and a preference for spending less than more (I also don't want to pay a 'collectors' tax if there's no audible/playable benefit) but up to £2k could be sneaked through the books.
It's going to be a Fender Strat but I'm all at sea when it comes to the details. I'd love to start an open discussion on the merits of the relative vintages and places of manufacture - not just what would best for me.
When I was a kid it was all about US -made instruments, but now I hear those same 80's Japanese Strats that we turned our noses up at are now considered better than the contemporary originals.
Also be interested to hear peoples thoughts on modding or buying a modfied instrument
TL;DR If you were give a budget up to £2k and could choose the perfect Strat for you which one would would it be and why?
Ian
maturin23 said:
Hi all
I'm feeling the urge to bring another guitar into my life. I've got no fixed budget and a preference for spending less than more (I also don't want to pay a 'collectors' tax if there's no audible/playable benefit) but up to £2k could be sneaked through the books.
It's going to be a Fender Strat but I'm all at sea when it comes to the details. I'd love to start an open discussion on the merits of the relative vintages and places of manufacture - not just what would best for me.
When I was a kid it was all about US -made instruments, but now I hear those same 80's Japanese Strats that we turned our noses up at are now considered better than the contemporary originals.
Also be interested to hear peoples thoughts on modding or buying a modfied instrument
TL;DR If you were give a budget up to £2k and could choose the perfect Strat for you which one would would it be and why?
Ian
I have an 80's mij strat. It is a wonderful thing, you can have it for £2k I'm feeling the urge to bring another guitar into my life. I've got no fixed budget and a preference for spending less than more (I also don't want to pay a 'collectors' tax if there's no audible/playable benefit) but up to £2k could be sneaked through the books.
It's going to be a Fender Strat but I'm all at sea when it comes to the details. I'd love to start an open discussion on the merits of the relative vintages and places of manufacture - not just what would best for me.
When I was a kid it was all about US -made instruments, but now I hear those same 80's Japanese Strats that we turned our noses up at are now considered better than the contemporary originals.
Also be interested to hear peoples thoughts on modding or buying a modfied instrument
TL;DR If you were give a budget up to £2k and could choose the perfect Strat for you which one would would it be and why?
Ian
I've owned strats from every decade except the fifties & boy oh boy would I like to do that.
Right now, my main working guitar for stage is a 2007 USA standard strat heavily modified to my taste. I've added S1 switching, Jeff Beck noiseless over wound pups, a roller nut, locking tuners & graphtec saddles.
I think on balance for me, the strat is the very best guitar I've ever known & I reckon I know a thing or two about them.
What would you prefer to sound like?
Right now, my main working guitar for stage is a 2007 USA standard strat heavily modified to my taste. I've added S1 switching, Jeff Beck noiseless over wound pups, a roller nut, locking tuners & graphtec saddles.
I think on balance for me, the strat is the very best guitar I've ever known & I reckon I know a thing or two about them.
What would you prefer to sound like?
I know it's not very cool but when it comes to the Strat I love Clapton (I love his LP sound too).
I'm really just a bedroom noodler, my Gibson is used mainly for slide with the bridge jacked up.
I fancy another leccy for some blues rock and for some funk.
edited to add: davidd - are you sure that £2k is enough?
I'm really just a bedroom noodler, my Gibson is used mainly for slide with the bridge jacked up.
I fancy another leccy for some blues rock and for some funk.
edited to add: davidd - are you sure that £2k is enough?
Edited by maturin23 on Friday 31st May 21:50
Is this sort of thing good? Relic'd?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Stratocaster-Body...
Seems a bit Dub-scene to me.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Stratocaster-Body...
Seems a bit Dub-scene to me.
That sort of thing is indeed a bit dub scene IMO. If you want a guitar that looks like it's been beaten through hell by being played for hours in smokey dive bars, hung in the grubby window of a pawn shop dozens of times, thrown onto the street by your skanky ex-wife and used as a weapon against drunk people, do that with the guitar rather than spending money on having a man do it for you. It's like getting a tattoo instead of scars.
Edited by davepoth on Friday 31st May 22:37
I LOVE the natural finish on this copy.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Stratocaster-Reli...
(although I call myself a bedroom noodler I feel I should point out I'll be at least getting it out at the pub, and I'm an ex-pro classical double bass player so hoping I won't let a nice guitar down too much)
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Stratocaster-Reli...
(although I call myself a bedroom noodler I feel I should point out I'll be at least getting it out at the pub, and I'm an ex-pro classical double bass player so hoping I won't let a nice guitar down too much)
I really would go for one in "as new" condition if you can, and certainly one that has a bit of provenance on the parts if you are going to drop serious amounts of money on it.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-Fender-Stratocaster...
This looks good to me, although possibly a little rich with the shipping and then VAT added.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1996-Fender-Stratocaster...
This looks good to me, although possibly a little rich with the shipping and then VAT added.
With your budget, you could get your hot little hands on a team built custom shop & trust me there is a world of difference between the feel of a production line guitar & one breathed on by the luthiers.
If you say you have 2k to spend, why muck about with 500 quid run of the mill stuff? In my experience, strats get good from about £700 on. It's perfectly possible to pick up a good guitar from £400 but if you want the quality built in, well you generally get what you pay for.
If you say you have 2k to spend, why muck about with 500 quid run of the mill stuff? In my experience, strats get good from about £700 on. It's perfectly possible to pick up a good guitar from £400 but if you want the quality built in, well you generally get what you pay for.
The £2k is an upper limit - but £1k will get me something sweet then I'd rather not waste the rest.
I'm always pleasantly suprised how 'cheap' guitars are compared to double basses/'cellos/violins. My bass is worth well over £10k and it was never really good enough when I used to do the free-lance thing. I generally played a borrowed German five string that was offered to me at £40k (probably double my gross annual income back then!).
If I do decide to go down the custom route Are there any UK based luthiers specialising in this type of instrumuent worth considering? I'm London based.
I'm always pleasantly suprised how 'cheap' guitars are compared to double basses/'cellos/violins. My bass is worth well over £10k and it was never really good enough when I used to do the free-lance thing. I generally played a borrowed German five string that was offered to me at £40k (probably double my gross annual income back then!).
If I do decide to go down the custom route Are there any UK based luthiers specialising in this type of instrumuent worth considering? I'm London based.
Is something like this likely to be a step up from a standard factory Strat?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Custom-Made-Warmoth-...
Currently on Gumtree for £695..
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/NEW-Custom-Made-Warmoth-...
Currently on Gumtree for £695..
No. Warmoth are a licensed manufacturer of Fender parts, necks & bodies mostly. Although expensive, they are in effect ersatz instruments.
If you go down the custom shop route then you have to either do it via a dealer who will spec the guitar to your requirements or buy one secondhand which is effectively someone else's idea of the perfect strat but probably not since they're selling it!
As for off the peg options, if it were me, I would be looking at USA standard, USA deluxe or even a signature model - that is where the above average stuff lies. Otherwise a strat being a strat, you can easily pull them to bits & replace all the parts with exactly what you want. It's all a question of budget & desire.
The obvious thing to do is get round a guitar shop & try a few - they vary in feel enormously even from standard to standard, the permutations are almost endless.
If you go down the custom shop route then you have to either do it via a dealer who will spec the guitar to your requirements or buy one secondhand which is effectively someone else's idea of the perfect strat but probably not since they're selling it!
As for off the peg options, if it were me, I would be looking at USA standard, USA deluxe or even a signature model - that is where the above average stuff lies. Otherwise a strat being a strat, you can easily pull them to bits & replace all the parts with exactly what you want. It's all a question of budget & desire.
The obvious thing to do is get round a guitar shop & try a few - they vary in feel enormously even from standard to standard, the permutations are almost endless.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-50th-Anniversary-... - this looks like a safe bet?
I'm obviously not going to buy off eBay without playing - I think a trip to Denmark Street is in order.
I know it's lame but I always feel very self-conscious playing in guitar shops - but it needs to be done.
I'm obviously not going to buy off eBay without playing - I think a trip to Denmark Street is in order.
I know it's lame but I always feel very self-conscious playing in guitar shops - but it needs to be done.
maturin23 said:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-50th-Anniversary-... - this looks like a safe bet?
I'm obviously not going to buy off eBay without playing - I think a trip to Denmark Street is in order.
I know it's lame but I always feel very self-conscious playing in guitar shops - but it needs to be done.
Something like that looks good - and as you say, try before you buy.I'm obviously not going to buy off eBay without playing - I think a trip to Denmark Street is in order.
I know it's lame but I always feel very self-conscious playing in guitar shops - but it needs to be done.
2k should get you a good custom shop strat, prob won't be relic'd (if you like that sort of thing), but will be awesome! I got a steal from my local shop when the manager needed to sell his 60 closet classic that had been tweaked a bit for about £1300. The only other strat that I have played and even come close was a master built 56 strat that was £4500!!
I'd look around for when local shops are doing a fender day,as they usually bring a lot of guitars from the stock room and are prepared to do on the day deals!
I'd look around for when local shops are doing a fender day,as they usually bring a lot of guitars from the stock room and are prepared to do on the day deals!
£2000 is roughly twice as much as you'd need to buy a minter Crafted in Japan Yngwie Johan Malmsteen strat. I had a CIJ YJM and it was just an utterly stunning guitar. Sadly, I sold it, and I really, really wish I hadn't but at the time it was holding up some cash and I did make a few hundred quid selling mine. I bought it used, mint for £699 in a guitar shop who I really think didn't properly assess it's value, given it was mint and had absolutely no visible fret wear at all, as they would tend to charge a bit higher than an eBay listing for an identical guitar. I was contacted by a collector from Germany who had a collection of over 60 YJMs from various years and countries of origin, and wanted a CIJ of the year mine was produced. In the end, I banked a few hundred quid profit, and it was the right move at the time but I feel sick thinking about what I could be doing with that guitar now if I had it again.
I've played a few American YJMs too, and they are excellent guitars, but if you get the chance on a CIJ strat, pounce on it.
The scalloped fretboard was an absolutely dream. In terms of tone and build quality, it was up there with the Prestige-level Ibanez guitars I've owned. I'd love another one, but I feel the box is ticked now and there are many, many other guitars I'd love to own.
I've played a few American YJMs too, and they are excellent guitars, but if you get the chance on a CIJ strat, pounce on it.
The scalloped fretboard was an absolutely dream. In terms of tone and build quality, it was up there with the Prestige-level Ibanez guitars I've owned. I'd love another one, but I feel the box is ticked now and there are many, many other guitars I'd love to own.
One of the great all time features of a strat is the sheer versatility of the design. Scallop the fretboard & really you are taking a lot of that away. Depends of course what you want to do with the thing, but it's only fair to point that out.
YJM strats aren't played by pop bands, folkies, indie kids or even most rock bands. They are niche.
YJM strats aren't played by pop bands, folkies, indie kids or even most rock bands. They are niche.
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