Guitars: What you expected and what you got.

[tapper mike]

My thieves just took everything that wasn't nailed down. Keyboards, end tables the silverware and the drawer it was in. When I came home there wasn't a proverbial pot to piss in. Someone got a new decorator.

[Uncle E]

When my Strat was stolen, the only solace was knowing that the thief got nothing for it (it was unbranded) and that someone without much money got one of the greatest guitars ever made (it was all top-of-the-line Warmoth and Kinman parts).

[revvy]

I thought my American Vintage P bass would be fantastic and of course it is.

Looks, plays and sounds like a dream. It’s got a nitro finish so it even smells delicious.

[stoopicus]

Yamaha BB’s are all-time greats, even the cheap ones.

They really are, just massively underrated.

And the new Revstars, especially the RSS20, are essentially the BB of guitars.

[Magic Russ]

My son's Ibanez GIO

It's not a bad guitar for the $200 it sold for at the time but it took a whole lot of time and effort to get it to stay in tune.

[Naillerz78]

I picked up a cheapie strat copy for $40 at a pawn shop this week. It was stickered as “broken- parts only”. The brand name on headstock is ‘Memphis by Tagima’. So I thought oooo possibly a Japanese copy..nice! Turns out only it’s maybe a made in Brazil guitar as far as google reports. Cool! It has a bit of weight to it and turns out is a nice player and sounds great. Very mellow sounding.

Also only the bridge pickup selection doesn’t work all else is fine. Probably just a resolver needed I’m hoping. Love a cheap find at the pawn shops!

Anyone know of these and what wood they are made from ?

[Uncle E]

Basswood, made in China. $40 NZD is a steal regardless.

[Jimmy34742]

Every Fender Strat I've ever owned--and I've had about a half dozen top shelf models over the years--has been a bust. After spending a lot of time with each, they just never quite sound the way I want, and more importantly for me, they never get to the level of playability that I want. With sound, one factor is noise, so I've thought of giving it one more try someday with the latest noiseless pickups, but I doubt I'll ever get there. I don't want HB's in a Strat, so that wouldn't be a solution. With the feel, I don't know, I've adjust many guitars to my taste, but I never get to the point of gelling with a Strat's neck and fingerboard the way I do with LPs. I go with P90's on an LP, but I've had to give up all Gibsons because I need a Strat-shaped guitar with a big upper horn to rest against my chest for seated play, as I never play standing. Another solution I'd like to try but probably never will would be a high-end Warmoth custom job.

I felt the same. I thought I wanted a Strat, and after a day of shopping at various shops, I felt they all sucked. Surprisingly bad. Then, one guy at Alex Music in NYC brought me a G&L Skyhawk. In under a second, I knew it was what I'd been looking for. I still have it, and every time I play a Strat, I can't help but think that Leo did his best work after he sold Fender.

I have one Strat, bought in 2005, after swearing I'd never own one the two decades prior. It is a beautiful guitar to play. I visited most stores in my town (at least 6) and played every Strat in every shop to find the best one. Buying any other way, as poor as it is, is a risky business.

Maybe that's it: I need a Strat guru to accompany me to a store as a sanity check. I mean, I like so much Strat sounds and performances recorded over the past 70 years that it doesn't make sense to conclude "great, but just not for me."

Oh yes, those G&L guitars are really wonderful, and I've tried out many, but have never owned one. Guitar's never been my main instrument, so I've pretty much only ever indulged in buying mojo with less concern for practical and responsible. Good re-sale value on "cool" guitars, so it's not entirely financially stupid.

I continue to want a Strat for--let's face it--the unbeatable coolness factor, but I have even less time for guitar now than in the past, so I doubt more messing around will ever happen.

[stoopicus]

If you want unbeatable coolness factor what you really want is a Telecaster

[Naillerz78]

Basswood, made in China. $40 NZD is a steal regardless.

Bummer. I read somewhere it was a Brazilian brand I assumed made down there also and perhaps had nicer woods. It’s pretty sweet!

[Naillerz78]

Every Fender Strat I've ever owned--and I've had about a half dozen top shelf models over the years--has been a bust. After spending a lot of time with each, they just never quite sound the way I want, and more importantly for me, they never get to the level of playability that I want. With sound, one factor is noise, so I've thought of giving it one more try someday with the latest noiseless pickups, but I doubt I'll ever get there. I don't want HB's in a Strat, so that wouldn't be a solution. With the feel, I don't know, I've adjust many guitars to my taste, but I never get to the point of gelling with a Strat's neck and fingerboard the way I do with LPs. I go with P90's on an LP, but I've had to give up all Gibsons because I need a Strat-shaped guitar with a big upper horn to rest against my chest for seated play, as I never play standing. Another solution I'd like to try but probably never will would be a high-end Warmoth custom job.

I felt the same. I thought I wanted a Strat, and after a day of shopping at various shops, I felt they all sucked. Surprisingly bad. Then, one guy at Alex Music in NYC brought me a G&L Skyhawk. In under a second, I knew it was what I'd been looking for. I still have it, and every time I play a Strat, I can't help but think that Leo did his best work after he sold Fender.

I have one Strat, bought in 2005, after swearing I'd never own one the two decades prior. It is a beautiful guitar to play. I visited most stores in my town (at least 6) and played every Strat in every shop to find the best one. Buying any other way, as poor as it is, is a risky business.

Maybe that's it: I need a Strat guru to accompany me to a store as a sanity check. I mean, I like so much Strat sounds and performances recorded over the past 70 years that it doesn't make sense to conclude "great, but just not for me."

Oh yes, those G&L guitars are really wonderful, and I've tried out many, but have never owned one. Guitar's never been my main instrument, so I've pretty much only ever indulged in buying mojo with less concern for practical and responsible. Good re-sale value on "cool" guitars, so it's not entirely financially stupid.

I continue to want a Strat for--let's face it--the unbeatable coolness factor, but I have even less time for guitar now than in the past, so I doubt more messing around will ever happen.

Strats are great. Gotta have one (or more) and a Tele too.
I started on a Gibson copy, but G- style guitars I find these days I am flipping quicker and quicker. They are just so limiting to my playing . After playing for decades and owning approx 100 guitars (at least) I reflected recently that anything new I’ve learned playing-wise it’s happened on a S or T style guitar.
I love the look of Gibsons and the famous players of them, (and until recently always thought of Strats as cheesy/bland looking with the inbetween quack tones) but with Gibson style axes that dang g string always warbles too much. The intonation always sounds whack on the G and often the D string also. And I’m always ‘boxed in’ playing wise to what I already know.
Just my 2cents.

I recently sold an Epi LP w HBs and another LP copy with P90s. Tried the p90 thing a few times but in a solid body LP style it’s a strange no man’s land of tone. Imo.

[stoopicus]

My only issue with LP style guitars is they don’t fit me ergonomically. I keep feeling like it’s punching me in the solar plexus.

Revstars though - they fit me perfectly, have the LP pickup configurations, sound amazing and have Yamaha quality instead of Gibson “quality”. The shorter LP scale is fine for me.

[Uncle E]

Maybe that's it: I need a Strat guru to accompany me to a store as a sanity check. I mean, I like so much Strat sounds and performances recorded over the past 70 years that it doesn't make sense to conclude "great, but just not for me."

There are many Strat-shaped guitars that address your needs, just not from Fender. You can get all the things you're looking for from Suhr, Musicman, PRS, Ibanez, or a custom Warmoth build.

[Uncle E]

Bummer. I read somewhere it was a Brazilian brand I assumed made down there also and perhaps had nicer woods. It’s pretty sweet!

Yes, they're one of the two main guitar builders in Brazil. Yours is from their import brand but, for the price you paid, I wouldn't cry about it.

[tapper mike]

Your Dream Strat

Your dream guitar is your dream and no one else's. Don't trust someone else no matter how talented or influential to make that determination for you. Don't think you can polish a turd.

Listen to your favorite strat players. Try to copy their licks as best you can on what you have now. Then when you go out shopping match an amp and possibly effects with that/those artists. You still won't have their hands but you may just have their guitar or close enough proximity to it.

Artists rarely play the same guitar that has their signature of what they sell. Larry Carlton used to give a care and would go into shops and try out his signature 335. He found out they were inconsistent in quality and response so he cancelled his signature model deal. That's integrity. EC prolly never goes to a store and pulls one of his signature guitars off the shelf. Carlos Santana does go into PRS factories and warehouses and pulls them out of the box.

I play my D'angelico Tammany Premier every day. I've played it first thing every morning for the last four weeks. It was under $400 and plays adequately sounds amazing. The rest is up to me. That's a dream guitar. It's the guitar you pour yourself into once you get it home. I try my damn best not to obsess over the tone as I work through scale patterns, licks and songs. Because that's mental interference. Sure I have challenges as an old doc learning new songs with intricate and weaving picking patterns. But the fact that I play every day and I see progress on those things makes me continue.

Conclusion when the guitar is right for you it's about it being right for you. Seek out artist you love to listen to them, Try to emulate them through technique first. Then seek out the best guitar/amp which reflects the tone you want to embrace and finally pour yourself into what you have.