Author Topic: Strats (Read 456 times)

dannobasso · « **Reply #15 on:** August 05, 2005, 01:22:06 PM »

I really enjoyed Radio kaos. I have 2 strats, a us deluxe w/emgs and a mij /floyd w s/s/bl-L500, also have 2 korean esquires
a red GT and a Celtic. Love em' all. I don't like the basses at all but I would buy more Fender guitars. (just put a deposit down on a Rouge 5! booyah!) Oh, I put sperzels on all of em.
Danno

the_mule · « **Reply #16 on:** August 05, 2005, 02:12:23 PM »

Syd obviously played a big role in the early days, but he was only involved with Piper at the Gates of Dawn and part of Saucerful of Secrets. After that Roger became Floyd's #1 songwriter, with classic albums like Dark Side of the Moon, Animals and The Wall that for the most part originated from his mind and vision. And I think Waters' solo recordings are great actually, IMHO Hitchhiker, Radio KAOS and Amused to Death are intense and truly original albums. But I'd have loved to hear Gilmour, Wright and Mason play on them!

Wilfred

(Message edited by the_mule on August 05, 2005)

lbpesq · « **Reply #17 on:** August 05, 2005, 05:04:39 PM »

Strats are great (if you get the right one). I picked up my '61 30 years ago for $125!!!! (Best investment I EVER made, by far). rosewood slabboard. I read somewhere that Leo said the best Strats were '57-'61 with rosewood fingerboard. Who am I to argue with Leo! Stay away from mid-70's 3-bolt necks. My buddy has one - dig in a little too hard and the neck shifts = out of tune. These are starting to fetch some big bucks, why, I don't know? And you can't convince me that the Further doesn't have some Strat DNA somewhere in it's genetic make-up.

Bill, tgo

rami · « **Reply #18 on:** August 07, 2005, 02:29:51 PM »

There's alot to be said for the classics. They have all the sounds of our favorite musical heros. One of my all time favorite Strat players is Robin Trower (among a HUGE list). And for Bassists, there's no one bigger or more influential than Jaco playing his Jazz Bass.
The Jazz Bass is still my measuring stick among Basses. It first has to sound good on a Jazz Bass before I'll play a piece on anything else.
Sure, Alembics are better in every possible sense of the word, but a Jazz Bass hits me first on a nostalgic and emotional level. And THAT's where the music is.

bigredbass · « **Reply #19 on:** August 07, 2005, 07:55:37 PM »

As ubiquitous as Strats are, I wonder why we so few California Specials?

(INSERT HERE: 'Of course, Bassists are MUCH more open to new ideas, shapes, etc., than guitar players)('What's a filter?')

I literally wore out several 'Delicate Sound of Thunder's as Gilmour is mighteee-fiiine. Plus I always laugh out loud at the little Reggae bridge in that set's 'Money'.

J o e y

kmh364 · « **Reply #20 on:** August 08, 2005, 07:16:58 AM »

No disrespect to Alembic intended or inferred, but my guitar repairman tells me that guitars with locking vibratos (tremolos) are passe' these days, as borne-out by the Blue Book value of same. Super strats with the dinky or modded Strat-style bodies, two single-coils in the bridge and middle spot, with a humbucker at the bridge position w/locking Floyd Rose-style whammy bars, upgraded woods, hardware, etc., were the sh*t in the late '80's/early '90's (nee the Hair Band era), but can't be given away these days.

While I'm sure the Alembic Cali Special is awesome in every way, and the electronics are activators with active electronics/filters instead of passive p/u's, that particular style of guitar (Strat-shape not withstanding) is just not in vogue at the moment.

Pity, because I have two late-'80's Charvel/Jackson super Strats, with the SC/SC/HB Jackson p/u config (the SC's are actually stacked humbuckers), active electronics, Jackson/Floyd locking whammy, conical radius rosewood f/b, shark-tooth MOP inlays, satin finish maple neck (one of the best I've ever played) with the pointed Randy Rhoads headstock, etc. They cost more (MSRP) than both of my '80's Fender Strats (both american-made...the last of the CBS models), and play a lot better too! With the P/U combo and the active electronics, they are by far the most versatile instruments I own. But the look and spec is purely Hair Band, so they are worth scratch, and my Fender's are worth much more than I paid for 'em.

Go figure trends!

jalevinemd · « **Reply #21 on:** August 08, 2005, 02:08:38 PM »

You just have to do what's right for you. I haven't had a locking trem guitar since my '84 Charvel. Recently, though, I was checking out Wild West Guitars and saw a white NOS '69 Strat (large headstock) with tortoise-shell pickguard, S/S/HB configuration, Floyd Rose and fell in love. I wasn't willing to come up with the $3400 asking price. So I'm taking one of my Strats and having my own made. The work will cost more than the guitar (though still about two grand shy of WWG) and I'll never recoup the difference should I ever decide to sell it...but what the hell!

tom_z · « **Reply #22 on:** August 08, 2005, 02:39:30 PM »

Kevin - I'll make an offer of scratch for one of your Charvels. What do you say?

jalevinemd · « **Reply #23 on:** August 08, 2005, 05:55:47 PM »

Scratch probably was accurate. A few years back, I went to Guitar Center to see about trading in my '84 San Dimas Charvel - 2 HB, and a Kahler locking trem. They offered me less than $200!!! I imagine they're fetching a bit more now that Charvel has introduced it's 20th anniversary San Dimas models...but who knows?

kmh364 · « **Reply #24 on:** August 09, 2005, 06:49:29 AM »

Sorry Tom,

They're not for sale. I actually like my Charvels. When I bought 'em, I thought they were head and shoulders above my regular Fender Strats. They play and sound great...although my pearl white job has turned yellow due to some crazy chemical reaction over time that is common to these finishes of that vintage). They were the cat's *ss when I bought 'em, but they look dated now.

When I saw the book value of these guitars (Charvel), especially compared to that of inferior guitars that I'd consider to be junk, I was shocked to see how little they're worth. I've read lots of stories on Harmony-Central.com about guys who bought 'em for a song and love 'em...some even buying wrecked ones for extra parts! No matter, I'm keeping 'em. Maybe they'll come back in style again, LOL! I haven't sold any decent guitar I've owned over the last 28yrs.

Strats, however, never seem to look dated and are almost always in style. I love mine as well, less-than-perfect playability and all. There's nothing quite like a Strat. I have a Custom color (pewter...like Clapton..standard color now, but an extra cost option in '82) rosewood neck w/whammy, and an ('83-'84) '62 vintage reissue tri-color S/B with rosewood F/B (think SRV). Both are nice: the '82 is heavy and has an awesome fingerboard, but the '62 VRI is lightweight ash and has that vintage blues sound in spades.

Jon,

If you're keeping the Charvel (and I would), you might wanna try to stock-up on used Kahler parts...they're getting harder and harder to come by every day. My guitar guy had trouble getting parts for my buddy's early-80's Les Paul (Kalamazoo-made, model unknown) with the Gibson/Kahler whammy on it. Personally, I thought the Kahler was superior to the Floyd, but the market didn't see it that way (Beta vs. VHS all over again, LOL!). Charvel switched to the Jackson/Floyd the year I bought my two '88's, so I didn't have a choice. I hardly use a whammy anyway, and I actually don't lock 'em because the thing never stays in tune anyway.

Cheers,

Kevin

dannobasso · « **Reply #25 on:** August 09, 2005, 07:33:22 PM »

Remember when Les Pauls were cheap until G&R brought them back into fashion? I have an early 80's hand made Mockingbird that I had a Kahler put on. I love it hands down over the Floyd and it's still great. But to each his own.
Just picked up another Esquire, this time a Black Scorpion. Just bid on the Sperzels for it too.
Charvels and Jacksons have had a resurgance and it will continue. The heavier bands are still using them and its touring season!

kmh364 · « **Reply #26 on:** August 09, 2005, 07:44:43 PM »

Tell me about it Danno...my LP Elegant was $6k MSRP/$2.5k Street and it is a POS! I bought my Strat in '82 ($1K MSRP/$500 street) because it was a great deal and LP Customs were around $900-$1100 Street at the time. I wanted the Paul and it took until '03 to be able to afford it, LOL! It wasn't worth the wait or the expense, LOL!