i'm stuck. i'm trying to upgrade out of the 3-4 mid-grade strats i own into one that really tickles my fancy for the long term. looking for something of good quality, likely American or comparable, all original or close (non-orig pickups/tuners OK).
columbus has about zero selection of such used guitars available, and while ebay offers much cheaper prices, i need to be able to play the thing before i buy, to make sure it's "the one," and not "a boat paddle."
so i'm sending out an SOS. if anybody has a truly solid Strat they'd be willing to sell, or knows of a reputable dealer with a workable return policy (read: i can return it if it's not for me) that does, please PM me.
thankee.
WTB: THE Stratocaster...
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WTB: THE Stratocaster...
"I try to hate all my gear equally at all times to keep the balance of power in my favor." - Brad Sucks
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infopimpster
- takin' a dinner break
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This doesn't help much... but I have one ("bluey") American Strat "Plus" from... early ninetys that just 'sung' from the moment I tried it.
I've read this a million times but you are going to have to get your grubby hands on every strat at a big store like GC and just sit there and wait to find the one... and then you will never let go. Maybe you could plan a guitar buying trip to a larger mecca (yeah, I know... extravagent... maybe combine it with some other travel plans???) and do the do there....
I guess my point is that most people "buy once, sell never" on a piece of gear like this... so you're gonna have to hunt. Not trying to jinx your chances.... just trying to be helpful ("Helpful people are a nuisance" - R. Fripp)
Good luck!
I've read this a million times but you are going to have to get your grubby hands on every strat at a big store like GC and just sit there and wait to find the one... and then you will never let go. Maybe you could plan a guitar buying trip to a larger mecca (yeah, I know... extravagent... maybe combine it with some other travel plans???) and do the do there....
I guess my point is that most people "buy once, sell never" on a piece of gear like this... so you're gonna have to hunt. Not trying to jinx your chances.... just trying to be helpful ("Helpful people are a nuisance" - R. Fripp)
Good luck!
You could check out Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI. They almost always have a great selection of new and used Strats. Plus the staff are usually really helpful and let you try out stuff without hassling you.
It's a bit of a drive, but I did Chillicothe to Muskegon in a day a few times. Columbus to Lansing should be pretty doable.
It's a bit of a drive, but I did Chillicothe to Muskegon in a day a few times. Columbus to Lansing should be pretty doable.
Last edited by kojdogg on Thu Mar 17, 2011 6:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
+1, my mom called me a couple months ago and said she had a friend who was selling an old guitar, would I want to buy it and an amp for $50? Sure, why not. I figured chances are if I didn't like it I could flip it for not too much to lose.kojdogg wrote:just a suggestion-- try a us g&l
The guitar was an '82-3 g&l s500, and it feels great and just sings (the amp wasn't too bad either, a 100w tube works mosfet combo, but that's a different story). To me, the sound is a little beefier than a standard strat. I'm mostly a bass player, but this thing has me doing more on the guitar during my downtime.
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kayagum
- ghost haunting audio students
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- Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 11:11 pm
- Location: Saint Paul, MN
+1500!darjama wrote:+1, my mom called me a couple months ago and said she had a friend who was selling an old guitar, would I want to buy it and an amp for $50? Sure, why not. I figured chances are if I didn't like it I could flip it for not too much to lose.kojdogg wrote:just a suggestion-- try a us g&l
The guitar was an '82-3 g&l s500, and it feels great and just sings (the amp wasn't too bad either, a 100w tube works mosfet combo, but that's a different story). To me, the sound is a little beefier than a standard strat. I'm mostly a bass player, but this thing has me doing more on the guitar during my downtime.
Even the Tribute series (Korean built, American setup and pickups) smokes any current production Fender, IMHO.
Many different flavors. I ended up with a Tribute ASAT Special, which was exactly what I wanted in the first place- too bad it took me 15 years to figure it out!
ok, all you G&L gurus, some questions, then...
i'm totally down with a non-fender, as long as it's something that will hold it's value (which, judging by the going prices on eBay, a G&L will). a friend of mine does an amazing job putting together and setting up Fender copies. the wiring and fretwork mods he did to his 50th anniversary Fender USA are the main reasons i realized i needed to upgrade. that, and the fralin pickups. but as nice as they are, partscasters are never worth as much down the road as the "real thing."
are the G&L pickups (assuming i get one without the weird Z-split ones) compatible with Fenders and Fender aftermarket?.. cause I really really want Lindy Fralins in there at the end of the day.
also, how's the tremolo block, in terms of quality?
i'm totally down with a non-fender, as long as it's something that will hold it's value (which, judging by the going prices on eBay, a G&L will). a friend of mine does an amazing job putting together and setting up Fender copies. the wiring and fretwork mods he did to his 50th anniversary Fender USA are the main reasons i realized i needed to upgrade. that, and the fralin pickups. but as nice as they are, partscasters are never worth as much down the road as the "real thing."
are the G&L pickups (assuming i get one without the weird Z-split ones) compatible with Fenders and Fender aftermarket?.. cause I really really want Lindy Fralins in there at the end of the day.
also, how's the tremolo block, in terms of quality?
"I try to hate all my gear equally at all times to keep the balance of power in my favor." - Brad Sucks
From my understanding, the legacy models have standard alnico pickups, and the s-500 uses the G&L exclusive Magnetic Field Design, which gives higher output and less noise. The MFD pickups are part of what makes the G&Ls special, I think they're worth trying. Don't know why you couldn't drop in Lindy Fralins to replace them, as long as you're replacing the whole set.
Can't really speak to the trem block (don't have much to compare it to), but the little I've played with mine it seems to hold it's tune pretty well.
Can't really speak to the trem block (don't have much to compare it to), but the little I've played with mine it seems to hold it's tune pretty well.
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kayagum
- ghost haunting audio students
- Posts: 3490
- Joined: Wed May 07, 2003 11:11 pm
- Location: Saint Paul, MN
If this tells you anything, I traded in my hard tail grey market Japanese Strat (w/ Lindy Fralins) for the G&L.
The trem design is quite different: go to their website http://www.glguitars.com/ for details.
I love the MFD pickups- when I tried the Fralin bass plate on the bridge, I was hoping for the tone the MFD had out of the chute. A little more meat, a little less "chop your head off" highs. The Fralins may have a touch more glass in the tone.
Another bonus- the tone pot is actually useful. You can seriously go from country twang to P90 in half a twist.
The trem design is quite different: go to their website http://www.glguitars.com/ for details.
I love the MFD pickups- when I tried the Fralin bass plate on the bridge, I was hoping for the tone the MFD had out of the chute. A little more meat, a little less "chop your head off" highs. The Fralins may have a touch more glass in the tone.
Another bonus- the tone pot is actually useful. You can seriously go from country twang to P90 in half a twist.
conclusion:
spent the better part of the afternoon reading the vast number of gushing reviews for G&L USA Legacy's on various websites. it's kind of like a cult? stopped by one of their local authorized retailers on the way home from work and played one for myself (price tag: $1500). ah. very nice. great fretwork, solid build, I dig the tremolo and pickups. The gun oil finish on the neck is nicer than what I see being used on Fenders.
came home and found the exact same guitar off eBay new, from a reputable dealer, for $650 on account of a few small blems in the finish and missing tremolo bar. locking Sperzels, OHSC, etc.
now i wait by the mailbox to see if i can finally enter that phase in my life where i'm hopelessly devoted to one guitar that i never think about replacing. i'll post some form of an epilogue here once it shows up and we can see if this was a smart move or not.
thanks for all the replies and help!
spent the better part of the afternoon reading the vast number of gushing reviews for G&L USA Legacy's on various websites. it's kind of like a cult? stopped by one of their local authorized retailers on the way home from work and played one for myself (price tag: $1500). ah. very nice. great fretwork, solid build, I dig the tremolo and pickups. The gun oil finish on the neck is nicer than what I see being used on Fenders.
came home and found the exact same guitar off eBay new, from a reputable dealer, for $650 on account of a few small blems in the finish and missing tremolo bar. locking Sperzels, OHSC, etc.
now i wait by the mailbox to see if i can finally enter that phase in my life where i'm hopelessly devoted to one guitar that i never think about replacing. i'll post some form of an epilogue here once it shows up and we can see if this was a smart move or not.
thanks for all the replies and help!
"I try to hate all my gear equally at all times to keep the balance of power in my favor." - Brad Sucks
Im just not a fan of their bass -treble boost tone thingy.
Also, Im not a huge fan of the swamp ash bodys. Sure, they're light and comfortable, but I just dont feel that body resonance like alder.
The tremelo is better imo than Fender. Easier to use, more natural and holds better tune. The necks are more consistant than fenders in a random pick one up and see how it feels sorta way.
Finally, check out 'VanZandts Vintage Plus' pups. Love em way more than Fralins
Hope you love your axe
Also, Im not a huge fan of the swamp ash bodys. Sure, they're light and comfortable, but I just dont feel that body resonance like alder.
The tremelo is better imo than Fender. Easier to use, more natural and holds better tune. The necks are more consistant than fenders in a random pick one up and see how it feels sorta way.
Finally, check out 'VanZandts Vintage Plus' pups. Love em way more than Fralins
Hope you love your axe
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