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Frodo, you have all the tools you need to proceed. Hands and ears. As far as hand shape...... well, remember Django.

Best of luck at Apple Music Row.

Wabbit

Hey T-Wabbit-- thanks.

I think my first round of getting ears and hands dirty will be tomorrow or Monday at one of several local guitar shops.

Apple Music Row, unfortunately, is not a Fender dealer, but I finally got the stats on a vintage '75 Tele they have on consignment-- two single coil PUs, rosewood neck, lemon-lime yellow (fwiw). With an asking price of $2k, I think I'll weigh my Strat options first. While there may be lots of other goodies at AMR, doing the Fender thing at this point with them doesn't look like it's the wisest approach.

However, Toby says that they expect to get a Rickenbacker 360-12v63 in before the end of the year! That's another one my most coveted guitars, but I don't want to get too distracted. A good Strat would be way more sensible at this point.

n2mpujack wrote:Nice thing with a Strat is that because of the way they are constructed with all the electronic components mounted to the pickguard (save for the output jack on all models and the preamp in the EC version) if you want to go with a different sound all you have to unbolt is remove the strings, change pickguard assemblies, restring, and away you go. The output jack is still wired to the assembly, it's just not physically attached to anything. Want Texas Specials in an axe that has Vintage Noiseless but may want to go back to the old VN setup? Change pickguard assemblies/pickups. Assuming the body routing is okay, you could even swap in an assembly with humbuckers, or a mix of buckers and single coils. No messy unbolting pickups, dealing with the wire loom, etc.

Excellent points all around. Thanks!

Doh! Missed that one. Just as well. My taste in guitars is a bit odd. I really like late '70s Washburn Hawks. I have two. They are massive like a paul but more tonally agile and with brass nut and bridge they sustainnnnnnn like crazy. Also, they have jumbo frets on very slim necks that I like - almost like a scalloped fingerboard and with freakishly small hands I can get around on them OK.

I do have a strat though. Mid 80's red metal flake Kramer Focus strat with floyd rose, locking nut, custom electronics (coil tappable seymore duncan humbuckers front and rear with single coil center). This is the shred guitar I use for most solos that need wammy bar bendy-ness. It also has a certain strat-ness that is kind of chimey. I don't love it for a regular guitar but I find I record most solos with it.

I would like a proper strat and tele one day - so I'm reading this with as much interest as you because you can never be too rich, too thin, or have too many guitars.

That was useless, huh.

SixStringGeek wrote:
That was useless, huh.

Not at all. I especially like the part about not being too rich.

The problem I have is that there is always the enigma of having champagne taste with a beer budget.

I've got a variety of guitars now, so I can afford to "specialize" on the Strat a little bit. I really don't have a "shred" guitar, per se, which is why I thought a Strat might come in handy.

However-- there are a few other makes which have my interest for shredders....

Ibanez

Music Man

Dean (James--- oh, James?)

One thing at a time. For now, I'm looking into a Fender of one type or other.... (I keep Tele-ing myself).

FWIW, I have a 69 tele with standard bridge pickup and a gibson humbucker from the same era in the forward position. In the 30 years I've owned it it's become one of the very few indispensable pieces of my studio gear.
The humbucker/single coil combo is simple and very versatile.

I was in Seattle this weekend and I went to the Experience Music Project. There is a section on the history of guitars in it. According to the history there the Telly was one of the first modern guitars that became a big success and the Strat, which came latter, was a big innovation over previous guitars and was a larger success. I am tossed between a Hss Strat and an Standard Strat. I have two good shred guitars and I want one that plays chords well and is good at lead also. I am also looking at a arch top for some jazz and a mellower rock, blues tone. But I have to save for them as my money is flying off to other ventures lately.
Frodo I looked up Apple Row and saw they do not list Fender some time back and I was going to post you on this fact but I see you found out.

Frodo wrote:champagne taste with a beer budget.

I have the same problem. And I like novel sounds. Last thing I bought was a Jerry Jones electric sitar. I've wasted hours and hours with it.



I've got my eye on a resonator guitar next. So many fun sounds.

SixStringGeek wrote:I've wasted hours and hours with it.

IMHO, that's time well spent!!

twistedtom wrote:I am tossed between a Hss Strat and an Standard Strat.

I was just looking at the HSS models. It's a little more rugged to hold up to rougher playing, from what I hear.

twistedtom wrote: Frodo I looked up Apple Row and saw they do not list Fender some time back and I was going to post you on this fact but I see you found out.

Yeah-- I've been on and off the phone with them all week. They are not a Fender dealer per se, but their sale is on through the 10th or 11th. I've gotten some amazing top-shelf instruments from them at insane prices in the past. Were it not for them, I would never have been able to get into a Rickenbacker. I now have three of them: a 330, a 350, and a 4003 bass. I really love how they all feel, sound, and play.

It's a shame that they only have one Tele on consignment right now. $2k is likely more than I want to spend on a Fender, and I'm thinking I should start with a Strat instead of a Tele.

Now, I may get slammed for this, but I'm open to some of the non-American models if they feel good. You never know where you'll find your treasure. I'm going to try them all to make the best choice.

TheHopiWay wrote:FWIW, I have a 69 tele with standard bridge pickup and a gibson humbucker from the same era in the forward position. In the 30 years I've owned it it's become one of the very few indispensable pieces of my studio gear.
The humbucker/single coil combo is simple and very versatile.

...IW a lot. Thanks, Hopi.

Indispensable. That takes one potentially critical factor out of it--- resale value. You get an instrument that you love and getting rid of it becomes a non-issue when purchasing.

No developments yet---- but the dream is still alive!!

I went to GC today and played some of the Strats I was interested in. One felt just right and sounded nice also so I got me a Strat. It is an American Hss standard Strat. Got it on sale and they have an on line coupon for 10% of so that saved me another $100. It is black and it is beautiful.

A photo of my new baby. Guess what I will be doing for most of today.

twistedtom wrote:A photo of my new baby. Guess what I will be doing for most of today.

Nice! Like the humbucker at the bridge! HSS.