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MGR/Stratoblaster « Fender Stratocaster »
Published on 12/23/02 at 15:00I bought this guitar in Adirondack Strings in Albany, NY for $600. It was a toss between a new Godin LGX-SA (http://www.godinguitars.com/godinlgxsap.htm) and the Strat. The reason I went with the Strat (same money) is because it was a used, in mint condition, and I wouldn't have to wonder if I had made the right decision later on down the road.
The American made Strats can be played right off the shelf and there are literally hundreds of pickups, tremolos, and other hardware that are made to customize them. There was no need to buy the highest end model, because I was able to spend the extra on what I wanted and take my time figuring it out. I absolutely love the playability on the neck, as I can slide from position to position, feeling the frets beneath my finger to keep track of where I am, but minimizing extraneous sound. The action is light and the intonation is relatively forgiving to a tight grip like mine. (I played acoustically exlusively for years.)
I did some research and put some higher powered pickups into all three positions, and found the guitar to really open up. I put a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. in the bridge position for screaming leads; a DiMarzio Fast Track in the middle for heavy rock-n-roll tones; and finally a Seymour Duncan Vintage Rails pickup at the neck to play bright rythyms(sp).
My next investment will definitely be in a Floyd Rose pro tremelo system and locking nut.
I have a tendency to play with long strokes, and I bump my pickup selector, but not as much as I did on a Les Paul. It's probably just me, but I'd like to see it back behind and below the bridge. Of course, that would not be good for most musicians who use it constantly to flip back and forth between rythym and lead playing.
I have closely inspected this guitar and found no problems. There were those who told me that the maple necks had a tendency to have laquer(sp) on the frets, but I did not find this to be the case. This could be because the previous owner had it removed, but I highly doubt that, since it was a 'lessons only' guitar and never gigged.
I tried several other strats, American, Mexican, and Japanese made, and I kept coming back to this one. I found that I loved the maple neck look, and this was the only maple neck that I played that felt so smooth and quick.
The Fender Stratocaster has been played (almost exclusively) by some of the greatest guitar players: Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Pete Townsend, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Adrian Smith and Dave Murray (of Iron Maiden). That shows the versatility of this guitar. Now I do too, and I love it. We have 3 guitar players in our band, and all three of us play and love Strats. Fender has an excellent guitar on its hands.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
The American made Strats can be played right off the shelf and there are literally hundreds of pickups, tremolos, and other hardware that are made to customize them. There was no need to buy the highest end model, because I was able to spend the extra on what I wanted and take my time figuring it out. I absolutely love the playability on the neck, as I can slide from position to position, feeling the frets beneath my finger to keep track of where I am, but minimizing extraneous sound. The action is light and the intonation is relatively forgiving to a tight grip like mine. (I played acoustically exlusively for years.)
I did some research and put some higher powered pickups into all three positions, and found the guitar to really open up. I put a Seymour Duncan JB Jr. in the bridge position for screaming leads; a DiMarzio Fast Track in the middle for heavy rock-n-roll tones; and finally a Seymour Duncan Vintage Rails pickup at the neck to play bright rythyms(sp).
My next investment will definitely be in a Floyd Rose pro tremelo system and locking nut.
I have a tendency to play with long strokes, and I bump my pickup selector, but not as much as I did on a Les Paul. It's probably just me, but I'd like to see it back behind and below the bridge. Of course, that would not be good for most musicians who use it constantly to flip back and forth between rythym and lead playing.
I have closely inspected this guitar and found no problems. There were those who told me that the maple necks had a tendency to have laquer(sp) on the frets, but I did not find this to be the case. This could be because the previous owner had it removed, but I highly doubt that, since it was a 'lessons only' guitar and never gigged.
I tried several other strats, American, Mexican, and Japanese made, and I kept coming back to this one. I found that I loved the maple neck look, and this was the only maple neck that I played that felt so smooth and quick.
The Fender Stratocaster has been played (almost exclusively) by some of the greatest guitar players: Jimi Hendrix, David Gilmour, Pete Townsend, Stevie Ray Vaughn, and Adrian Smith and Dave Murray (of Iron Maiden). That shows the versatility of this guitar. Now I do too, and I love it. We have 3 guitar players in our band, and all three of us play and love Strats. Fender has an excellent guitar on its hands.
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com