2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

F

flinch

New member
Hey there chaps, i was wondering if anybody has tried the american standard strats of 2008 and knows if it has a huge difference with the 2007. I hear good reviews about the 2008 with its new features.
# " A new bridge with improved bent-steel saddles and a copper-infused high-mass block for increased resonance and sustain.
# A new neck treatment-tinted for a richer presentation, with the maple or rosewood fingerboard buffed to a high gloss. The back of the neck still has that silky satin finish.
# A thinner finish undercoat that lets the body breathe and improves resonance." bla bla bla- from fender site.


The case being, i can get a 2nd hand 2007 for 400 quid, which is much cheaper than a brand new 2008 here in london which is around 700 quid.

So anyone who's tried both, a good ol compare and contrast in terms of sound quality and feel would really help. Or just any thoughts on the matter would be greatly appreciated. Cheers!
 
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Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

from what i've observed, the bridge saddles are easily replaceable, the bridge block is a bit more complicated though. you could sand off the finish if you really wanted, but for that price i'd say go for the 07, and if you really want the aformentioned upgrades, it wouldn't cost as much as the new ax. i think the pickups are also different, but are very similar. also, the only reason i see to get the new version is if you want the ash-bodied version.
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

cheers mate. i'll keep that in mind, but would you know if there really is a significant difference in sustain or sound?
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

sorry, i never bothered to try the '07 models. modern fenders are pretty decent for the most part anyways though.
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

I have a 2oo8 and had a 2004 which was no different than the 2007 only thing being the 2004 had a n ash body. as for pick ups i could not tell you as i had one with a humbucker in the bridge positionand tex mex singles. As for feel, same feel.while i cannot completlytell youthe differences in sound with the bridge being the woods were different. I can say there is more resonance and sustain with my 2008 vs the 2004 ( not that the 2004 was not resonant ( as i understand resonance to mean it carries vibration well). I t may also lie with in the woods again but some may be the bridge. The 2008 has nicesustain for sure. however if you go with a 2004 I think you will do
fine. It just has to be taken on a guitar to guitar basis. Hope that helps!
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

flinch said:
cheers mate. i'll keep that in mind, but would you know if there really is a significant difference in sustain or sound?
Click to expand...
If Fender has it's way you will believe that the 2008 is better because of the thinner undercoat and the higher mass block and you'll pay more.
Much more critical than Fenders marketing hype is the individual piece of wood that each instrument is made from.
1. Thinner undercoat then smothered in paint!....oh come on.
2. Higher mass block .......maybe. can you hear a difference?
As a couple of posters have mentioned, far more critical is the variation in wood used for each individual instrument.
Two samples of a 2008 may well be vastly different in tone and sustain due to the difference in the body wood and the neck wood.
The neck to pocket join can also affect sustain.
Buying a Strat is about finding one that sounds good rather than believing the latest hype from Fender who's marketing divison's job is to come up with new ways to sell guitars..... especially in a downturned economy.
If you come across a 90's Strat that just sings....buy it and upgrade the hardware if you want....won't cost much.
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

super rad ska said:
from what i've observed, the bridge saddles are easily replaceable, the bridge block is a bit more complicated though. you could sand off the finish if you really wanted, but for that price i'd say go for the 07, and if you really want the aformentioned upgrades, it wouldn't cost as much as the new ax. i think the pickups are also different, but are very similar. also, the only reason i see to get the new version is if you want the ash-bodied version.
Click to expand...

the pickups in the 2008 model that has SSS pickguards i hear are the same pickups they have been using for a long while now... the HSS model uses Texas Speicals i think in the neck and middle postions... but the SSS model has American Standard PU's that they have been using for a while now...

the saddles on the old American Standard bridge can not be upgraded with the new vintage style bent saddles on the latest version of that model... the older solid saddles had the intonation screw to the one side and the new American Standard bridge has the saddle's intonation screw in the center of the saddle.... on a personal note i like both versions of the American Standard bridge.. i own about 4 of the older American Standard bridges and i have always enjoyed them... but oneday i'll buy a new American Standard strat with the new bridge...
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

the trem blocks on the 2008 are still not up to par. I bought a Callaham block for my 08 and the difference in mass is very noticeable. makes the tone a little sweeter - traditional Strat bell-like chime is more present.

as far as saddles, I have no complaints with the factory Fender saddles and haven't seen a need to buy aftermarket saddles.

if that used 2007 has a nice resonant body and if the neck feels comfortable, I'd buy it. you can upgrade any of the hardware later on down the road if you feel the need. the 2008s are not really better than the 2007s in my opinion
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

As cheap as second hand American Fenders are, I don't know why anyone would buy a new one....or a MIM new, at the same price as MIA used.

The main difference is the saddles. The new one sounds brighter and more vintagey. The cast saddles on most of the past US strats sound just fine too, although a little less bright and resonant. It depends on which one you like more....bold and balanced or bright and airy. If I were you, I'd just get the used one, then spend the money on Duncans. I like the Surfer Custom set or something slightly beefier like Fralin Vin Hots.
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

one of my favourite newer albums was all recorded with a stock older 90's era American Standard strat into a new Hand Wired Plexi...

www.kimmitchell.ca

check out that site's MP3's to Space and N'Alin Nights!!!!
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

call me jaded, but i think the new-fangled saddles are more than just a "return to vintage" ploy. I've owned a 2005 american strat HSS with the american series saddles, a 2007 American Special HSS mahogany with the american deluxe reduced angle saddles, a 2007 american special HSS mahogany with callaham upgrades, and my best friend has a 2008 american standard HSS. One of the things I've realized is that it's nice that the bridge is higher in mass for more sustain, but by that logic, why not use something like lead or tungsten then for the bridge instead of a copper / steel hybrid? Bridge mass isn't the end-all to the sonic properties of a bridge, the quality of the steel is key as well; with a high-quality steel such as the CRS that callaham uses being a prime factor. Yes it's more expensive, but there's less contaminants (in steel, copper is a contaminant) and you get more opportunity to get that sound that made vintage strats so great (before cost-cuts came into play that weren't initially done by Leo). At least from what I've seen between my personal Callaham-modified HSS, and the 2008 HSS I have on loan, there is definitely a difference in terms of resonance and sustain between the two. I think that it's in part due to the callaham being made of a purer, higher grade of steel with harder saddles than the stock HSS. Where one doesn't have grooves in the saddles, the other does. As we know, grooves aren't a good thing when they allow for undue string vibration.

To me, the fact that the saddles are identical to the ones on the Mexican lines, and yet not as hard as the vintage steel used on older strats is not a good sign for Fender. They are banking on people going "ooh, a return to vintage" as being able to outweigh the fact that potentially a lower quality of steel is being used in the saddles. As for the bridge, there really needs to be more use of the EJ-style block (thick block with the string going through the FULL length of the block, and not requiring a bullet supplement). Callaham got it right there as well. Sure it costs more to do it right in R&D and production and the result is a slight increase in price here and there and everywhere, but the return in sonic nuances, articulation, etc. is quite high as well for those of us attuned to looking for said nuances. I could go on about Fender Production Line pickups, choices of capacitors, etc., and make a rant that would spread for several posts, but I won't. All I can say is that I hope I'm wrong about Fender trying to hide with flashy advertising and executive promotion their attampt to cut corners with lower-grade steel saddles and high-mass and high-contamination bridges... time will tell in the amount of bridge, pickup, pots, caps, etc. swaps that are recorded on this, and other forums

Jason
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

i hear a lot of players talk about the trem bridges needing a higher mass block, for which i can understand... i like the better trem blocks myself... but there is a theory that the more metal in the bridge the less vibrations make it into the wood... a lot of players slam the FRO for just being too much metal for a trem... and there is players installing huge blocks on FRO guitars too...

one of my most played axes for a while now has been a basic 1999 MIM Standard strat i picked up used... it has the mini pot metal trem block on it that most cheap axes seem to have... still sounds fine... my 2006 MIM strat is an amazing axe and it has the large pot metal trem block... and then my two favourite axes i own is a 1988 American Standard strat and a mid 90's Warmoth build with a Fender American Standard trem on it...

what i really like about the new and old American Standard trems is not the saddles or the blocks of either design, it is the better smoother way the bridge pivots on the 2 posts... to me they just seem to work better with less friction...

i will say i enjoy the old cast Stainless saddles on the American Standard bridges for one reason.. they hold the string in place better then a vintage bend metal saddle style.. Those older American Standard saddles were a stainless steel powder formed in a a huge pressure press.... kind of high tech for it's day i guess...

the local shop has some of the older American Standards in stock... makes me wonder if they will discount them next week after xmas..
 
Re: 2007 fender american standard strat vs. 2008.

I find the new 2008 and beyond strat to be the best Fender has ever made! They are amazing!
 
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