What Guitar?

[nick crisp]

Looking for a new electric; is there anything out there that'll give as much versatility and decent tone as a USA Strat? I love Strats and wouldn't go for anything else except that I don't want to spend mega bucks, maybe a max of £500. I think I could get a decent 2nd hand USA Strat for that, but maybe, as I'm really out of touch with what's available these days, I'm missing something? What are Mexican Strats like now, for instance? Maybe there's another brand copy that's good, cheaper than a genuine Fender, worth looking at? Or something entirely different? I'm looking for a good, distinctive tone. I'm definitely not a Gibson man, so Les Pauls and SGs won't cut it. Ideas?

[mickvp]

ibanez? I had an RG for a while and it sounded ace TBH - not quite the same tone as a strat, but definately not a bad sound.

Im not a fan of lugging one of those gibsons about either - heavy bloody things :lol

[Exupnut]

Stick with what u know and like Nick. Just get it set up sweet and PRACTICE......a shit guitar in a good players hands will sound much better than a good guitar with a shit player....not sayin your shit cos I've  heard u play but just rusty.....just be sure ur gonna use it and GET TO WORK!!!

[nick crisp]

Stick with what u know and like Nick. Just get it set up sweet and PRACTICE......a shit guitar in a good players hands will sound much better than a good guitar with a shit player....not sayin your shit cos I've  heard u play but just rusty.....just be sure ur gonna use it and GET TO WORK!!!

I've just quit my job today so I've now got loads of time on my hands, and had already started picking up the acoustic again - even put a new set of strings on it  :eek  :lol
I don't feel the need to be a great guitarist - I couldn't get past the last plateau I reached, but it's just for home playing so not too bothered. Unless I can find some stimulation to take me beyond what I've been doing before now, I doubt there'll be much improvement on the best I reached before I gave up, but that's ok. Mind you, I hadn't heard any Joe Bonamassa back then, and that man has loads of ideas I like 

I once tried a Washburn Mick; a G2V I think it was. Bought it as a kind of beginner thing way back, but got to hate the Floyd Rose on it - I don't really like trems, being a bit of a blues nut and a firm believer in learning proper finger vibrato etc - aren't Ibanez kinda in that same bracket? Another idea I've had suggested is to get a cheap Strat copy, and use one of these Line 6 amps to sample sounds that I like - bruv uses one to gig with and swears by it. So all I'd need then is any comfortable guitar with half decent hardware and a good finish?

[Fazafou]

Gordan Smith would be nice and good to support a British maker, but probably too pricey for that budget.

[nick crisp]

Gordan Smith would be nice and good to support a British maker, but probably too pricey for that budget.

Yeah, bruv's got two of those; an LP Junior and an LP copy. Quite good if you like those styles.

[Punkstig]

Speak to my very good friend Lucy about getting your pickups reworked -
http://www.juicypickups.com

[nick crisp]

Speak to my very good friend Lucy about getting your pickups reworked -
http://www.juicypickups.com

Nice tip, but I need a guitar first!  :lol

[bri h]

ive got a mexican roadhouse strat nick. it has texas special pickups as standard and plays as well as my brothers usa deluxe strat. the body is alder (like the seventies) so a bit heavier than an ash one. they are about 650 new so a second hand one shoiuld be affordable if you can find one. it came with a slightly dodgy looking tortoiseshell pickguard so i splashed out 15 quid on a white one. your welcome to have ago on it and see if you like it mate.

[greg1953]

I've got a Jap '57 Strat, had it for nearly 20yrs and love it. Got "Texas Special " pickups and it's the best Strat I've ever played, these Jap made models are of superb quality, if you get one of these you won't be disappointed and they're like bikes, you can endlessly modify them.
P.S. someone mentioned Line 6 amps, I have one for sale on eBay, it sounds great on the overdrive settings with my Strat but the clean sounds are not to my liking, I also have an Epi. 335 and can't get a good sound at all with this guitar from the Line 6...hence it's for sale.
Greg

[Punkstig]

[quote author=Punkstig link=topic=16032.msg184138#msg184138 date=1424381784]
Speak to my very good friend Lucy about getting your pickups reworked -
http://www.juicypickups.com

Nice tip, but I need a guitar first!  :lol
[/quote]
True

[nick crisp]

I, er, well I....



Oops!  :lol

[Exupnut]

NICE......now PLAY IT

[bri h]

Very nice nick

[greg1953]

That'll do the job
Greg

[nick crisp]

That'll do the job
Greg

It certainly will! 

New USA Deluxe, £200 off cos of "customer damage" - got a couple of dinks in the base where a customer dropped it, but plays perfectly; and they threw in a 3 year warranty and 3 free annual set-ups (Professional Music Tech, Oxford).

I didn't mean to be so extravagant, but I tried a USA Standard, this, and a Mexican Strat back to back, and the other two just didn't cut it next to this one (as I kind of suspected would be the case). It feels alive in your hands, and the tone just far and away outstripped the others. Plus, I wanted a rosewood fingerboard, and I've always loved tobacco sunburst; my 3rd.....not to mention there were no decent 2nd hand ones about and I got impatient  :lol

Got a few other bits and bobs on discount, including a Pod v2 effects unit, which I've also had before. Still got my little Marshall amp, so that's me for a bit now. And yes Pete, I plan on playing it some 

[Exupnut]

wah wah my good man

[nick crisp]

I used to have a Jim Dunlop wah, might look at getting something sometime.

[R1FSR]

just seen this thread...may have this for sale ...as new inc case 72 jap strat ltd edt 





sorry bout big ass pics

[Kosmic Kartman]

My daughter has a few on these so when her friends come over they can all jam together.

http://www.manicmammy.com/wp-content/upl..._stage.jpg