|
Post by Curt on Jan 8, 2007 21:39:39 GMT -7
After 26 years of wanking I played the best sounding Strat..for what I want to hear....today. I've owned countless Fender Strats and one GVCG custom clone of an early '60's Strat that was NOT cheap, today..in a city far from home, I played a Fiesta red '56 Custom shop Strat for 3 1/2 hours in a music store. Ugly as heck and hard to play but had the sweetest Bell tone of any Strat I have ever personaly picked on. In the last 2 or so years I have probably played 30 or so of the Custom Shop '56 Strat's...this one's tone slayed them all. I was in a small ISO room with 10 or so amps of which I sampled 4 with this Strat. Outstanding. No..It is not with me, although I did mention it to the Ms. on the evening "Honey I got to the hotel room" call. I'm here for two more day's and will spend tomorrow evening with the same red lady..if she's still talking to me after that session, when I get home the Ms. will not be
|
|
|
Post by Shannon on Jan 9, 2007 14:36:10 GMT -7
One of my favorite sayings is "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission." She'll get over it! Or you could do like Jason and just don't tell her.
|
|
|
Post by Joey Beverages on Jan 9, 2007 14:46:47 GMT -7
or, make sure it is the prettiest darn thing and matches the color scheme of the rest of the house .... it's easier to hide/blend it into the background ;D
|
|
|
Post by billyguitar on Jan 9, 2007 19:33:23 GMT -7
I'm sure the store wouldn't mind you setting up the guitar a bit. You know if you buy it you'll do that anyway. It may change the sound if you get it to play better and thus make you disinterested.
|
|
|
Post by Curt on Jan 9, 2007 19:52:36 GMT -7
I'm sure the store wouldn't mind you setting up the guitar a bit. You know if you buy it you'll do that anyway. It may change the sound if you get it to play better and thus make you disinterested. I plan to drop by tomorrow and feel them out about a few minor tweaks, mainly a slight truss rod tweak as it has too much relief and has minor fretting out way up the neck on big blues bends. I did not make it there today due to work. It has vintage frets if it had 6100 or 6105's I'm afraid I'd of whipped out the dreaded CC...it sounds Soooo goood...I have finally heard a Strat sound "Bell like" as so many say they sound. Even with the 3 way switch the mid pup has this wonderful quack.
|
|
|
Post by JebusCrebus on Jan 10, 2007 16:29:27 GMT -7
One of my favorite sayings is "It's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission." She'll get over it! Or you could do like Jason and just don't tell her. One of my favorite sayings is " buy the guitar, you'll spend a couple of nights on the couch but you'll still have the guitar!" It's either that or buy it put it in the closet and only bring it out when the wife is not around that works for me too!! .... [glow=limegreen,2,300]-J-[/glow]
|
|
|
Post by groovergeorge on Jan 10, 2007 16:59:42 GMT -7
Hmmm, if you love the sound of that 56' relic don't go anywhere near a real vintage Stratocaster. You will be explaining to your wife how you extended your mortgage or sold your car and it could get real ugly.I have played a over a dozen or so over the years and a few early 50's Stratocasters when I was a little younger and they were a little more plentiful. It is almost impossible to find a dog amongst them. I know a lot of people go on about vintage vs modern and that vintage is all wankage but until you have owned or seriously played an old instrument you will only then get it. It's all in the wood. The wood used in those early nocasters and teles as well as the first strats came from old growth swamp ash that was very/very old. Hard rock maple necks not the modern soft crap that is the plantation stuff they are using these days for mass production stuff. Those old instruments are also now at least 50 years old. The wood used to make them has dried out and allowed to breath and that's where all the resonance is coming from. Everyone is starting to realize this now, that's another reason why everyone wants a nitro lacquered instrument instead of urethane and old re-issues that were first made in the 80's are going for so much. I love my strat, its an old allparts one piece alder body sprayed in nitro with a 62' reissue neck,callaham hardware and fralin pickups. It sounds really good and I A/B it recently with my friends real 63' Olympic white Stratocaster. The real deal left it for dead!!!
|
|
|
Post by Curt on Jan 10, 2007 20:11:55 GMT -7
I hear ya, I've played with two guy's that had real oldies, 1 was a '63 Tele 1 was a '57 Strat. Both guy's had owned them for many years and each had home refinished them waay back. The Tele sounded great buy only he could play it..it was horrid to play. The Strat spanked like no tomorrow and had a beautiful flamey V neck but was a bit small for me..light as a feather...proud to say they are both earning a pay check in the Texas bars where they belong.
Your point is accurate on the wood..BUT as new RI's go this one would work for me with it's amazing sustain and clarity of notes.
|
|
|
Post by groovergeorge on Jan 10, 2007 23:29:30 GMT -7
Its sounds gorgeous Curt. I must admit I am a real sucker when it comes to 3 fender strat custom colors. Fiesta Red,Candy Apple Red and Lake Placid Blue with the first probably being my favourite with a maple neck and C.A.R with a rosewood board. Congratulations on finding "the strat". Lets face it,for us mere mortals and non millionaires getting ourself a vintage intsrument is starting to get out of our reach. Theres good stuff out there being made not just by the fender custom shop. I guess it just takes a lot of time and love for what we all seem to have in common,the search for perfect tone and I guess thats where the fun lies. be sure to let us know how you went with it. I'd love to see some pics if you bought it. Hank Marvin,eat your heat out!!! Just gotta love a red strat. ;D
|
|
|
Post by JebusCrebus on Jan 11, 2007 5:17:40 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by guitarstan on Jan 11, 2007 6:44:14 GMT -7
|
|
|
Post by dock66 on Jan 11, 2007 8:10:15 GMT -7
Holy smoke......that is not for a player to own for sure.
|
|
|
Post by Curt on Jan 11, 2007 8:43:44 GMT -7
Its sounds gorgeous Curt. I must admit I am a real sucker when it comes to 3 fender strat custom colors. Fiesta Red,Candy Apple Red and Lake Placid Blue with the first probably being my favourite with a maple neck and C.A.R with a rosewood board. Congratulations on finding "the strat". Lets face it,for us mere mortals and non millionaires getting ourself a vintage intsrument is starting to get out of our reach. Theres good stuff out there being made not just by the fender custom shop. I guess it just takes a lot of time and love for what we all seem to have in common,the search for perfect tone and I guess thats where the fun lies. be sure to let us know how you went with it. I'd love to see some pics if you bought it. Hank Marvin,eat your heat out!!! Just gotta love a red strat. ;D I left her hanging I wanted to get home and play my two and compare, I bought the parts (a '97 SRV neck, a '97 shoreline gold CS body, a loaded guard with ChumTone '63's, etc) awhile back and screwed it together but never really played it. I have the deal made and the manager will ship it if I decide to get it...but the Ms will not be pleased...Hank Marvin exactly ! I'll be back there next week if it's still there it's meant to be IMO. That'll give me the Weekend to seriously evaluate the one I screwed together and go from there. Stay tuned George.........
|
|
|
Post by billyguitar on Jan 11, 2007 9:07:07 GMT -7
I almost clicked the buy it now on the Esquire. Not! The whole vintage market is just getting to be a very sad thing. The prices are so far gone now that there's no way a normal guy could own these things. Les Paul jrs for $10K, Specials for $20K and look at 70s Fenders now OMG!
|
|
|
Post by guitarstan on Jan 11, 2007 14:26:48 GMT -7
The vintage market is truely outragous.
|
|
|
Post by nitehawk55 on Jan 12, 2007 13:34:42 GMT -7
Collectors with lots of cash and greedy attitudes has been the driving force in the vintage market . Nothing personal to you owners/players but I'd like to see some of these big time investment collectors (who couldn't play a note if they tried) have their stash of vintage gear become worthless or at least take a big hit in what they have invested . I know a couple of collectors and they a ruthless rip-off artists who care nothing about ripping off anyone they can just to make a $$ To them it's just a buy and sell market , they care nothing about the guitars for what they are . The one fellow is absolutely obsessed and calls all the local music stores multiple times daily looking for guitars or a lead on one .
|
|
|
Post by billyguitar on Jan 12, 2007 15:12:20 GMT -7
Sad but true!
|
|
|
Post by tele1962 on Jan 12, 2007 20:08:26 GMT -7
"The prices are so far gone now that there's no way a normal guy could own these things. Les Paul jrs for $10K, Specials for $20K and look at 70s Fenders now OMG!"
Well that's the thing Billy. Normal guys don't own them. Crazy guys own, collectors who have deep pockets own them, wealthy musicians own them. I'm over 50 and started buying some of these things years ago, otherwise I wouldn't own them either! But 72G for an Esquire is silly. I really thought I'd lost my own marbles when I paid over 12G a few years back for a '55 Telecaster. Now I'm not so sure. With some of the money guys gave me over the years to fix their guitars and put in PU's of whatever craze was on the market that day, I bought a 1958 Stratocaster in 1996. I paid 14G for it, and thought I'd lose my marriage. Now I hear this: " That stupid old guitar is appreciating faster than the best money market fund we have, can you find more?"
That's the other problem. They're harder to find than ever.
|
|
|
Post by Curt on Jan 12, 2007 20:41:03 GMT -7
Not so hard to find as they are to write the check for eh?
|
|
|
Post by billyguitar on Jan 13, 2007 6:52:42 GMT -7
It's really just in the last 10 years or so. The same time as articles in investment oriented magazines and newspapers started talking about guitars. That's the cause of it all and those are the people to blame. I guess I can't blame them on some levels. If you keep it on the down low it's profit without taxes. Even if I do understand them it doesn't mean I forgive them for taking the cool stuff away from the people who appreciate it on more than just a profit level.
|
|
|
Post by benttop (Steve) on Jan 13, 2007 7:22:01 GMT -7
Actually that first auction that Eric Clapton did to benefit his clinic on Antigua - THAT is what really started it. When those guitars fetched like 1000% more than they had anticipated, that's when the articles started popping up about investments. But how can I compete when guys like Paul Allen are in the bidding? No friggin way!
|
|
|
Post by tele1962 on Jan 13, 2007 10:42:59 GMT -7
Nope! Not going to top Paul Allen or what's that other guy's name that he partnered with? He would likely have the cash for one or two vintage models as well, I would think!
|
|