Guitar experts opinions please.

Jimbo

Jimbo

Jimbo

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
6,819
Location
Newcastle, England
Im after either a Epiphone les paul or a Fender stratocaster.

Thing is I know of a place where I can buy a Fender strat for as little as £289. Whats the catch here? that sounds very cheap for a strat?

heres the detail...

Fender Standard Stratocaster, Maple Neck, Electric Guitar

Updated model for 2006

The Fender Standard Stratocaster, electric guitar has received a facelift for 2006.

The Fender Standard Series Stratocaster guitar now features a new high-mass bridge block for improved sustain and tone, shielded body cavities for quieter operation, medium jumbo frets for a more modern feel and a gig bag . Other features include a fast-action neck, comfort-contoured alder body, three single coil pickups and a standard synchronized tremolo.

Product Details:

* Standard Series
* Alder body
* Maple, modern "C" Shape neck
* Maple fingerboard
* 21 medium Jumbo frets
* 3 Standard single coil Strat Pickups (Ceramic Magnets)
* Master Volume, Tone 1. (Neck Pickup), Tone 2. (Middle Pickup)
* Pickup switching is a 5-Position Blade:
o Position 1. Bridge Pickup
o Position 2. Bridge and Middle Pickup
o Position 3. Middle Pickup
o Position 4. Middle and Neck Pickup
o Position 5. Neck Pickup

* Vintage Style Synchronized Tremolo bridge
* Fender/Ping® Standard Cast/Sealed Tuning Machines
* Chrome hardware
* 3-Ply White pickguard
* 25.5” (648 mm) scale length neck
* Vintage Styling
* Standard Gig Bag included


Is this a good guitar deal?

Or should I go for a Epiphone LP standard? how does the strat differ from american or mexican ones? I was told japanese ones are good too.
 
I'd always go for an Epiphone over a Fender, LP over a Strat, but thats just personal choice. £289 seems rediculously low, but it could be a discontinued model. I know someone that got a Strat for £350, but that was bought in America and shipped through an AF address, so he didn't pay any import duties.
 
I've always wanted a Les Paul, but having just started playing with a beat up Squire strat I find it suits me. Thats the reason behind getting a proper Fender.

I'm doing very well with my guitaring as I also play bass, so I have a bit of an advantage over someone who is starting out cold.

Dont know if its discontinued or what, but its brand new. Been looking around the web and seen some good looking bargains. Allways though the American ones are more pricey than the mex or jap. In a perfect world I would buy a Gibson LP, but I heard Epiphones arent bad either.

So its a tough desicion.
 
I would go for the Fender strat as its a workhorse of a guitar, will last you ages and is very versatile. It all depends on what feels comfortable to you though. Try out a few guitars and see for yourself.
 
Thanks yes I will do. Im gonna pop down to a local guitar shop and have a go at a strat and a LP.
 
I'd go with the Strat; I'm not a huge fan of Epiphone and the Gibson LP's I've played are a bit too heavy for me.
 
It's hard to give advice on a forum, because you're best off just playing as many guitars as possible at a shop.

The two guitars you have mentioned are very different in their feel and sound.
Try as many as possible, especially a few you can't afford :D Play as loud as the shop won't let you, and be sure to play Stairway.
 
Thanks for the sound advice.

Tk7.. Stairway it is, lol. I'm intrigued at the sound difference between the 2 now. Weight wise dosent really bother me at the mo so thats not really a factor.

I do like to play a lot of the stuff by Free, so as Kossoff used a LP that might swing it. But as I say I love the feel of the strat. I'll end up with both eventually I know me.

Im paying off a £900 Gibson SG bass at the mo, otherwise I would have got a top range Fender or Gibson, so I gotta keep the price down, hence the £300 quid budget.

Time will tell.
 
I assume the Fender Strat will be a Mexican Standard rather than a USA one. And £300 for the Mexican is a fair price (USA standard circa £600-750 atm), imo they are better than the Epi Les Pauls which are a far cry from the Gibsons.

You could also consider a IbanezSZ520/320 (*had for £300/"50 respectively from GAK) which are a great versatile guitar. Far superior to the Epi LP imo.

Alternatively stretch the budget and you could get a fender highway 1 USA strat which are awesome.
 
I could be wrong but isn't the Highway 1 made with the same parts as a Mex Fender? I thought it was essentially the same guitar at an inflated price due it it being put together in The States.

Please correct me if that's not the case :)

Would you consider a second hand US? you could pick up a good one for around the same price as a Highway One.
 
All Mexican Fender instruments use USA parts, and are merely assembled in Mexico. A few years back, Mexican Fenders were pretty awful imo. But in recent years, they've become nothing short of astonishing. For the money, you can't really buy a better guitar. Just make sure you get it setup how you want to play.
 
If you're buying one guitar then it has to be a Strat and any session musician will tell you the same.
However, if you want the best of all worlds get yourself a Line 6 Variax 300, spend a bit of money setting it up properly,
get yourself a Pocket Pod and experience every famous guitar sound since man came out of the caves.
 
Wow that pod thing I'm defiantly gonna buy. Woulrd I consider a second hand us strat? absolutely. Good to hear Mexicans are good now too.
 
Sweetloaf said:
I could be wrong but isn't the Highway 1 made with the same parts as a Mex Fender? I thought it was essentially the same guitar at an inflated price due it it being put together in The States.

Please correct me if that's not the case :)

Would you consider a second hand US? you could pick up a good one for around the same price as a Highway One.
Click to expand...

As far As I know the Highway 1 is not a rebadged Mex. It is also a different sound from the USA standard Strats. I played loads when I bought mine and chose the Highway 1 over a USA Standard/Plus. Everyone is different though and so are the guitars so you need to try them.

The pocket PODs are awesome bits of kit.
 
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