Which stratocaster?

[mizanation]

To all the guitar players on here...

i am looking to get a fender strat.

i've pretty much decided on getting the Highway One Stratocaster

http://www.kellyindustries.com/guitars/fender_stratocaster_highway1.html

anyone have any other suggestions before i pull the trigger?

my requirements are thus:

vintage strat sound

thin neck profile

alder body

maple neck

i think the choice is pretty simple, but i'm trying to see if anyone else has any suggestions i haven't thought about.

[josephr]

just but a used american standard. it's not much of a price difference and the resale value is much higher when you decide to sell it for that vintage strat you really want after you play for a while. i think telecasters are better, the sound is bigger because it's solidish rather than cut out for the whammy bar, which no one uses anyway.

[Chponglasia]

Does it have to be a Fender? I love the stuff G&L makes - that was the company Leo Fender started after he sold Fender to CBS. Great quality and great tone.

http://www.glguitars.com/

[edmond]

how about the 57 reissue..?

[taromakino]

I bought a used american strat on ebay for $600 ish, I figured it was the logical choice because I can use it for another X years, then sell it for the exact same price (or slightly higher, if I take my time on the ad). The thing is, buying a good used guitar on the internet is EXTREMELY difficult, and it took me over 6 months to find one that was convincingly good quality. The reason is that there are just so many things that can go wrong with a guitar over the years.

If you're going to buy a new guitar, I'd suggest the 50's reissue or a 60's reissue over the highway 1.

[taromakino]

Also, get a Pod XT Live. I feel this is absolutely necessary for anyone that doesn't already have one of these: Twin, Twin Reverb, JC-120, AC 30. Your tone seriously comes more from your amp than your guitar, and I see a lot of new guitarists going for $500+ guitars and 15w toy amps. DON"T DO THIS. I know a guy online who uses a squier strat with ebayed Eric Johnson pickups (from the signature strat) through a Fender Twin, and it sounds absolutely godly.

[Selegna]

Get a Gibson.. ha

if you must have a fender get a tele.

[Jack Paar]

If you are going for that vintage fuzzy sound definitley a reissue. a good amp and pickups are also key.

[mizanation]

thanks for the tips.

i went for the highway one because, for me it plays better than the vintage reissues. i'm not worried about resale value. i need this to record and to perform.

thanks for the tips on the amp. for recording i am going to try out amplitube. i've been pretty impressed so far. before, i've had good results with virtual amps and effects, but amplitube takes it to a whole nother level.

i will check out the pod xt live.

thanks for the tips guys. i should receive my guitar in a few days.

[tangerine]

+ 1 for getting an American Standard or other used made in USA Strat, if you are determined to have a Strat.

Also agree that Teles and G&Ls are worth serious consideration.

I love a Les Paul but man those things are heavy. Sustain for days...

edit: too late! enjoy it miz, let us know what you think.

[PAID VACATION]

why dont you go for a duo sonic or a music master. the strat body without the generic strat tone...

and if you are like me, get a Fender Coronado II and hang with kool klub

[Guest panicinapagoda]

imo, if possible, try getting a small tube combo instead of the pod xt. i know its handy dandy and all but i feel that it sorely lacks the dynamics of an actual tube amp. more so with your straty single coil pickups.

go used for amps always.

[josephr]

thanks for the tips.

i went for the highway one because, for me it plays better than the vintage reissues. i'm not worried about resale value. i need this to record and to perform.

thanks for the tips on the amp. for recording i am going to try out amplitube. i've been pretty impressed so far. before, i've had good results with virtual amps and effects, but amplitube takes it to a whole nother level.

i will check out the pod xt live.

thanks for the tips guys. i should receive my guitar in a few days.

i was using amplitube for a while, maybe an earlier version but i got tired of hearing this weird artifacting or something. pls let me know how it goes

[Guest panicinapagoda]

imho the best computer modeller = ReValver MK II

[fender06]

don't buy Highway One Strat....i suggest buying the Mexican Deluxe Series, far better than Highway One, and if you're lucky enough, you can find one even better than those USA standard models

[theLorax]

A few months ago I was faced with the same exact question. New highway 1 or used american standard? I chose the standard. I got one for $600, and it came with custom pickups that kicked the stock pickups asses.

The american standard will definately have more resale value. And a lot of people arent too fond of the giant 70s era headstock. The highway 1 also has that thin finish which allows the wood to breathe and resonate better, but since its thinner the finish will scratch easily.

However, if you are planning on buying a used standard online, you're taking more of a risk. New highway 1 in person vs used standard online would be a harder decision to make.

The best thing to do is to play them both and pick what you like. But try to get a used standard for atleast the same price as a new highway 1. If you cant find a good used standard for that, go for the highway 1, its still a great guitar, and it will still resale fine since it's american made.

If you want to go all out budget, a used Jimmy Vaughan strat for $300 is what I recommend. Its vintage style with sweet pickups and a nice neck.

[mizanation]

yeah, i heard a ton of good things about the jimmy vaughn strat. i was definitely considering that.

i was also, of course, considering a used american standard.

i went with the new HW1 because i got a really good deal on a customer returned item. much cheaper than i could get a used american strat. i also think the HW1 is a step above the Jimmy Vaughn, i also prefer the HW1's slimmer neck profile.

so, when i get my HW1 and it sucks, then i can either sell on ebay or return to the seller. then, start all over again. anyways, i'm pretty sure the HW1 is gonna work out, i played several of them and they all were fantastic.

actually, i was also thinking about getting a japanese strat. but, after playing a 7.25 inch radius fretboard, i decided to go with a more modern guitar.

[e2a]

you could always build your own.. I'm thinking of doing this for my next strat. Here are some good sites:

http://musikraft.3dcartstores.com/

http://www.usacustomguitars.com/

http://www.callahamguitars.com/

that last site is great stuff. callaham pickups and tremolo/bridge + HW1 = killer guitar. i've got a japanese 68 RI that I'm liking a lot, the neck is very slim. You can still find these on ebay for a reasonable price.

[mizanation]

i was thinking about rolling my own strat, as well. the thing is, for the features i wanted, the price just got out of hand. the HW1 has almost all of the features i want, so i just went with it.

i heard that the 68 and 72 japanese reissues have pretty slim necks. one of these days, i hope to get one of those great japanese reissues... how do you like the 7.25 fretboard radius?

[poly800rock]

Get a Gibson.. ha

what's the exact name of this type of body for a tele? i'm kind of torn b/c i want to get a really nice acoustic, but the more i think about it, i want another electric? the squarish edges of the body on these is amazing. were there ever american reissues of the deluxe models?

[e2a]

I like the smaller radius. I have a les paul with a wider neck and a flatter radius, and i keep coming back to the strat. The neck just fits in my hand more comfortably. How you play is a factor, also. I like to bend strings, and I've found that I need taller frets and a higher action for this.

That's just me though. If you played a 7.25 neck and liked the HW1 better, then it sounds like you made the right choice. Just checked out the new HW1 btw, i like what they've done with it.

[mizanation]

yeah, the HW1's play awesomely. they put in jumbo frets plus narrowed the string spacing. i always wanted alder + nitro finish. i'm a traditionalist after all (although technically speaking the nitro is not the same as the vintage finishes). i'm the same way with a les paul neck. just doesn't feel right for me. my hands feel cumbersome on them.

[Guest panicinapagoda]

what's the exact name of this type of body for a tele? i'm kind of torn b/c i want to get a really nice acoustic, but the more i think about it, i want another electric? the squarish edges of the body on these is amazing. were there ever american reissues of the deluxe models?

bounded body. in this case, its a doubled bounded american dlx tele in cherry burst.

[mizanation]

so the place i bought my HW1 screwed up and didn't have any in stock. gonna get a refund and start all over with the guitar search. thanks, for the suggestions guys.

[Joe E Taleo]

I was interested in boutique guitars for a while, and picked up a Melancon pro artist t. The prices have gone pretty nuts on these, but I got mine while they were still under a grand. The guitar is Lake placid blue, made of swamp ash with tone chambers, so while it looks likes a telecaster, it's definitely not as snappy and trebly as an original telecaster.

If you are willing to spend more money, I'd definitely look at some boutique builders of fender style guitars such as melancon, suhr, or anderson. You might be able to find a used one, and be guaranteed that the quality of the guitar will be significantly higher than that of your average strat.

I find the problem with fenders generally is that while you'll find a strat that sounds awesome, you'll also find clunkers that sound crappy. Two guitars that look alike will not necessarily sound at all alike. Quality control is not nearly as high. I've found that a lot with PRS's, which is unacceptable for guitars that are 2 or 3 grand.

But yeah, you might get lucky and get a great strat.

Don't know enough about amps, though. Boutique amps prices are astronomical, and I'm quite happy with my Princeton II tube amp.

[BOORADLEY]

i love this thread. i love guitar. just needed to say that. all that has been needed to be said has been. therefore i offer no extra advice.

[Bona Drag]

so the place i bought my HW1 screwed up and didn't have any in stock. gonna get a refund and start all over with the guitar search. thanks, for the suggestions guys.

offer from my pm stands

[BOORADLEY]

lets post setups?

schecter c1 blackjack ---- amazing

keeley modded tube screamer ------ must have

traynor 40 watt tube ----- Traynor makes the best fucking "budget" tube amps around. seriously.

stock vintage 30 speaker.

swapped the stock tubes on the traynor for some JJ slovak import tubes.

had a ton of gear through the ages, mesa, marshalls, gibsons (still lusting after a vintage tele though) and this is the best setup i could find to suit my needs. check the reviews on the blackjack and the Traynor YCVW40WR... seriously.

AMP - http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar+Amp/product/Traynor/YCV40-WR+112+Combo/10/1

GUITAR - http://reviews.harmony-central.com/reviews/Guitar/product/Schecter/C-1+Blackjack/10/1

only gripe on the guitar is i dont like it looks. but once you play, you will never go back. comes with duncans... stock.

[Guest panicinapagoda]

i have a 006 blackjack . more of a workhorse tho than a pretty guitar.

[mizanation]

thinking about getting the Champion 600. 5 watt tube amp. supposed to sound great.