Fender Custom Shop Jerry Garcia Alligator Replica

[StephenR]

Wasn't quite sure where to put this, here or miscellaneous, so please move this if there is a more appropriate place.


Fender Custom shop has announced a limited edition replica of Jerry Garcia's Alligator Strat. Nice of them to point out that the pre-modded guitar was purchased by Graham Nash for $250 before he gifted it to Jerry. I did not check Guitar Center but the rest of the dealers in the USA who will be selling this don't have it on their websites yet so no idea of the price. But... considering the price of some of the other replica guitars like the $16,000 Terry Kath Telecaster I suspect these Alligators will be closer to a $20,000 price point. They are only building 100 of them.
http://www.fendercustomshop.com/guitars/stratocaster/jerry-garcia-alligator-strat-relic-1-piece-rift-sawn-maple-neck-aged-natural/

[adriaan]

Seen elsewhere, you're fine.

Hidden among the specs, "Special Electronics: Custom Replica “Blaster” Clean-Boost Output Jack Assembly" - not so fine.

[StephenR]

Seen elsewhere, you're fine.

Hidden among the specs, "Special Electronics: Custom Replica “Blaster” Clean-Boost Output Jack Assembly" - not so fine.

Thanks Adriaan, my reading comprehension skills did identify the "seen elsewhere" aspect of this forum category.

I did not pick up on the inclusion of the "Blaster". Agree that it is dicey of them to replicate this circuit and wonder if there was any consideration that it was an Alembic product or even thought that perhaps they should get the circuit from Alembic. I am not sure of the history of the Alembic Stratoblaster, when did it become an official product? I am assuming that the one in Garcia's guitar was a one-off at the time and may have just been considered a custom modification, not a product. At least Fender was smart enough about intellectual property to not refer to the "Blaster" as an "Alembic Blaster" replica. Staff at Alembic may have their own thoughts about how appropriate this replicated circuit is.

[lbpesq]

They are using '55 spec pickups.  In '55 Fender switched to Alnico V magnets.  Alligator originally had '54 pickups with Alnico III magnets.  As for price,IIRC, Fender charged $20K for the EVH replica guitar,complete with bare wires hanging out the empty middle pickup route and a quarter under one side of the bridge.

Bill, tgo

[edwardofhuncote]

My question is; why didn't they just have Alembic build them some real Blasters on the up-n-up? I think it would have been a selling point for anyone genuinely interested in a true Aligator tribute.

[matbard]

at least, Fender mentioned Alembic in the press release...

[rv_bass]

I think I’ll just stick with Alembic

[Guitar Valuations U.K.]

They mentioned Alembic in the "secrets of the Alligator" PR but the launch PR which was faithfully reproduced on Premier Guitar doesn't mention Alembic at all. In fact if you read it, it "almost" implies that the Blaster is a Fender Custom Shop creation.

I own a few Fender's a '63 and '66 Strat and a couple of Strat Plus in fun colours, 72 Tele Custom etc.  The '66 Strat is up for sale so I can buy another Alembic 6 string when the right one comes along. I used to be a Fender fan and had a quite a collection, now not so much

To me, and I see a lot of guitars in my line of work, nothing even comes close to an Alembic.

[paulman]

This Fender release came up in my YouTube feed then Los Logos and Tedeschi Trucks playing Alligator and then a bunch of Mik Biondi Garcia Project vids started showing.  The AI is getting stronger.

Oh, and I watched all of them 'cos I can't resist anything Garcia guitar related!!

I put a Stratoblaster in a PRS Silver Sky SE too...an ALEMBIC Stratoblaster


Anyway Stephen, thanks for posting that.  I like Bills Alligator better!!!

[David Houck]

... I put a Stratoblaster in a PRS Silver Sky SE too...an ALEMBIC Stratoblaster ...

   

[bigredbass]

Between FCS pieces like this or the aged Murphy Lab pieces from Gibson, I'm dumbstruck and will NEVER understand why I'd spend any money (much less that kind of money) on a brand new guitar that looks like an old sled, rode hard and put up wet.

But then, I don't understand a lot of things any more.

[edwardofhuncote]

There's a line I guess, and it's in a different place for all of us. I'll stick my head in the lion's mouth here and say, I played one of these a little while back at a local shop, for sale at a little more than half this 'new' one.

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/LPR57UHDG--gibson-custom-1957-les-paul-goldtop-reissue-electric-guitar-murphy-lab-ultra-heavy-aged-double-gold

Looks be damned, it also felt like a nice old played-in guitar. I could have easily fell for that guitar, but it wasn't $3500 better than my Goldtop Standard, at least not to me. It was however better. In every way. Well... mine is shiny. 

*but $20K for an Alligator tribute... nah. I'll build one first.