Fender Deluxe Strat....Views

[Sweetloaf]

I'm getting it impoted from the states.

So I'm taking a gamble on it.

Be careful, I would play some in a shop first, I played a deluxe with single coils which I had my heart set on, I don't know if it's my ears or the noiseless pickups but something was missing from the sound, I then tried a standard US Strat and there was no comparison, the deluxe sounded dead to my ears.

Saved myself £150 and got a guitar I was much happier with, as you know though it's all about personal taste, I love my SG for eg.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

I'm getting it impoted from the states.

So I'm taking a gamble on it.

In 1979 I travelled all over the country (well London, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Derby & Sheffield) to buy a Strat and I didn't like anything I tried.
Ironically, I visited my local music shop that was called Powerdrive at the time, asked to try the Strat on the wall and that was THE ONE.
The difference between Strats is amazing.
HOWEVER, you may love it when you play it and it would be worth spending £50 to get it setup properly.

 

[Northwind2]

In 1979 I travelled all over the country (well London, Manchester, Birmingham, Nottingham, Derby & Sheffield) to buy a Strat and I didn't like anything I tried.

In 1979, Strats were largely terrible though- there were brilliant ones but there were a lot that were frankly rubbish. These days, I'd say there's not many brilliant ones but the rubbish ones don't seem to make it out of the factory either, yes there's good and bad but not the same mix of quality.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

In 1979, Strats were largely terrible though- there were brilliant ones but there were a lot that were frankly rubbish. These days, I'd say there's not many brilliant ones but the rubbish ones don't seem to make it out of the factory either, yes there's good and bad but not the same mix of quality.

I've always been told that late 70's Strats are well sought after and it was Gibson that went through a bad time then.

 

[georges]

I think I heard what Northwind said too. Possibly related to being sold to CBS, who cost-cut.

 

[Northwind2]

They're highly sought after. Just not neccesarily for quality reasons Vintage and Rare had a mint 77 Strat on their walls last year for £2500, even they admitted it was terrible but in their words "Whoever buys it won't want to play it, it's going in a cabinet"

Not saying there weren't good ones... I think the erratic parts and wood management made some great ones. And probably a lot of the rubbish ones were binned or destroyed back when they were relatively worthless, or had floyd roses axed into them... So the ones that have survived tend to be good. You can find good guitars anywhere, my korean Tele is better than the USA Tele I nearly bought instead.

 

[Maccy]

Friend of mine has one of these - I didn't like it tbh. Makes a nice sound but I didn't like the overall feel of it.

 

[SexyGreyFox]

or had floyd roses axed into them...

Is that a go at me

Then & now -

 

[easyrider]

Now is so much better.

 

[Northwind2]

Is that a go at me

My main guitar is an 89 Fender Japan Hot Rod Reissue strat, which is what happens when you axe a floyd rose into a guitar before it even leaves the factory Or it would be, if I'd ever got round to soldering it back together. Guitars are for playing not for investing in.

 

[cokecan]

I've always been told that late 70's Strats are well sought after and it was Gibson that went through a bad time then.

I think they are, but ive heard there's a few out there that arnt so keen on them cos of the CBS cost cutting that went off, probably more notably the introduction of the 3-screw neck plate/attachment that people say is weaker than the original 4-screw type

personally i dont see what their talking about, im part owner of a 1975 sunburst 'hardtail' strat with the 3-screw neck plate and it's strong as anythin, probably as strong as my tele with the 4-screw neck plate on it, and that's gotta support a 9lb body!

you'd really have chuck the strat round for it to do any damage (im talkin swinging it around by the neck and smashing it around)

 

[Northwind2]

3-bolt was a perfectly good idea IMO, it worked well with the microtilt too. Still very strong. I've only seen a few strats in this era- - and they were all very different, which was odd. Very different weights, different profiles on the neck, different qualities of grain too. I think- and other people like Dan Smith do to- that it was basically just their parts and wood selection, and the quality control in the factory, that was causing the bad rep. I wasn't around at the time to be fair Some of this I've seen myself, other stuff is a bit second hand.

 

[cokecan]

3-bolt was a perfectly good idea IMO, it worked well with the microtilt too. Still very strong.

yeah totally agree with you there, i see nothing wrong with it at all, infact that strat has the microtilt system on it and it is as strong as a 4-screw type IMO