Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
+ another for used,EJ,or,if you're so inclined,a YJM...
+ another for used,EJ,or,if you're so inclined,a YJM...
How much should I spend on a strat...?
- Thread starter Shadow1psc
- Start date
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
Aside from going the "build your own" route, I'll stand by my previous statements; go with cash in hand and play all the CAR Strats you can find. The top of the list would be the Eric Johnson model. Just a great Strat out of the box.
Aside from going the "build your own" route, I'll stand by my previous statements; go with cash in hand and play all the CAR Strats you can find. The top of the list would be the Eric Johnson model. Just a great Strat out of the box.
Mr 9finger
Digitally Challenged
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
Yeah, quite a bit from both actually. I've only had 1 major mishap on a amp buying used through GC, but everything else has been pretty dam good. They will send you more pictures of something if you call and ask so you have a better idea of what you're buying. If you buy something off the used site, you can return it to your local store for credit. Better yet, save some on shipping and have them ship it to your local store.
Yeah, quite a bit from both actually. I've only had 1 major mishap on a amp buying used through GC, but everything else has been pretty dam good. They will send you more pictures of something if you call and ask so you have a better idea of what you're buying. If you buy something off the used site, you can return it to your local store for credit. Better yet, save some on shipping and have them ship it to your local store.
Shadow1psc
New member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
Turns out there is a CAR Strat in Chicago, I emailed to inquire about the details/pictures as you mentioned. I didn't know they could ship it to a store for you, I may have to try that instead.
Turns out there is a CAR Strat in Chicago, I emailed to inquire about the details/pictures as you mentioned. I didn't know they could ship it to a store for you, I may have to try that instead.
Rand-O-Monium
New member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
Yeah,from my understanding,they're pretty cool about it...
Yeah,from my understanding,they're pretty cool about it...
Shadow1psc
New member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
This is a 2011 MIM CAR Strat for $349. The guy who replied said it was in mint condition with no dings or scratches. I assume I can safely say send it my way based on the price, but if there's something I don't like, the search can continue?
This is a 2011 MIM CAR Strat for $349. The guy who replied said it was in mint condition with no dings or scratches. I assume I can safely say send it my way based on the price, but if there's something I don't like, the search can continue?
uOpt
Something Cool
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
MIM can mean many things. The 50s and 60s reissues that are MIM are a lot nicer than the so-called "Standard". I have grown to dislike the Standard. There is no arguing they are reasonable guitars at a $350 price point, but this is not a rare low price, it is normal.
Blazers and Roadstars will blow them away for < $300, so the MIM standard is a good option if you must have actual Strat looks, and a Fender logo. But it comes at a price.
MIM can mean many things. The 50s and 60s reissues that are MIM are a lot nicer than the so-called "Standard". I have grown to dislike the Standard. There is no arguing they are reasonable guitars at a $350 price point, but this is not a rare low price, it is normal.
Blazers and Roadstars will blow them away for < $300, so the MIM standard is a good option if you must have actual Strat looks, and a Fender logo. But it comes at a price.
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
Make sure the color is in fact CAR and not Midnight Wine. CAR is a lighter shade of red. Midnight Wine is a lot darker. Unfortunately, on Fender's site, their selection image for a CAR Rosewood board Strat shows the Midnight Wine image but the CAR maple board shows the right image. Get pics before they ship it.
Make sure the color is in fact CAR and not Midnight Wine. CAR is a lighter shade of red. Midnight Wine is a lot darker. Unfortunately, on Fender's site, their selection image for a CAR Rosewood board Strat shows the Midnight Wine image but the CAR maple board shows the right image. Get pics before they ship it.
Shadow1psc
New member
ErikH
Well-known member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
Definitely get more pics. And taken outside if they can do it. I know this from owning a '94 American Standard in Midnight Wine. In the right light, parts of it can look like CAR. That one there looks like CAR though.
Definitely get more pics. And taken outside if they can do it. I know this from owning a '94 American Standard in Midnight Wine. In the right light, parts of it can look like CAR. That one there looks like CAR though.
Lake Placid Blues
New member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
I bought a used guitar through GC and they shipped it right to the nearest strore for me to pickup in person. They were really good about it. The guitar was dinged up and that's actually what I wanted for a project. But they went into great detail about all the problems the guitar had and asked if I wanted to opt out or get a different one. They didn't misrepresent the guitar in anyway.
If for some reason you don't bond with the guitar you can just flip the guitar for about as much as you have into it and begin the search a new. no problem.
I bought a used guitar through GC and they shipped it right to the nearest strore for me to pickup in person. They were really good about it. The guitar was dinged up and that's actually what I wanted for a project. But they went into great detail about all the problems the guitar had and asked if I wanted to opt out or get a different one. They didn't misrepresent the guitar in anyway.
If for some reason you don't bond with the guitar you can just flip the guitar for about as much as you have into it and begin the search a new. no problem.
Shadow1psc
New member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
So it's on its way, I should be able to pick it up Saturday. Assuming I like how the guitar plays, just how big of an upgrade is going from stock Fender pickups (do the stock pickups vary as price goes up?) vs. the Duncan SSL series? I have 0 experience with single coil pickups. Logic would stand that the YJM set would also be a great start for myself.
So it's on its way, I should be able to pick it up Saturday. Assuming I like how the guitar plays, just how big of an upgrade is going from stock Fender pickups (do the stock pickups vary as price goes up?) vs. the Duncan SSL series? I have 0 experience with single coil pickups. Logic would stand that the YJM set would also be a great start for myself.
Shadow1psc
New member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
I hear TONS of praise on the SSL-1s, is there a good video out there that compares SSL-1s to stock Fender pickups? I did a quick youtube search, but they're all lower quality/just demos of the SSL's themselves with no reference.
I hear TONS of praise on the SSL-1s, is there a good video out there that compares SSL-1s to stock Fender pickups? I did a quick youtube search, but they're all lower quality/just demos of the SSL's themselves with no reference.
jimijames
New member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
So, I don't know how you feel about assembling the guitar yourself, but for what you want it may be a good option. Warmoth usually has a decent amount of strat bodies in stock and for what you want you could take this body, paint it candy apple red (I just checked and guitar reranch doesn't currently have CAR in stock unfortunately, but I'm sure if you were diligent you could find it), a neck like this, a floyd rose bridge (that's what the body is routed for that I linked to), some SSL-1's, tuners, a pickguard, and you're about good to go.
For finishing, luthier's mercantile international sells tru oil which IMO is the best finish for necks. Smoother than shellac (or glass for that matter) and feels all kinds of awesome. Plus you'd have a guitar that you put together yourself, with the only requirement being a little drilling and some light spraying of the body. Total cost would be body ($145), neck ($157), tuners ($60), paint and tru oil would be $30-40 because you'd need grain filler and sand/sealer for swamp ash before you could finish it in CAR, pickups would be like ~$100 for some used SSL-1's up to $300 for custom shop single coils. I'm a big fan of JS Moore's humbuckers but I've never played their single coils so I couldn't tell you about those. So you're looking at $670 (that's with the floyd rose locking bridge) to $870 for a brand new, completely custom stratocaster built exactly to your specifications with high grade materials.
The downside is the resale value of a parts-built guitar is a lot lower than a comparable fender. The upside is if you do it right, you won't ever be willing to sell the guitar. I've done two parts guitars and would sooner sell my kidneys than either of them.
edit: if you went FR bridge with a locking nut you could save some money on the tuners, maybe pick up some used ones online. Same thing for the FR bridge, could probably get that for a little less.
About the custom shop pickups, I really, really like the strabro 90s I have in my maple-neck strat. I think they'd fit really well what you want (blues and hotter stuff in one package.) If you're willing to spend the money they're absolutely worth it.
Double edit:
- USACG has some bodies for sale that are ridiculously cheap. ($125 for one and $135 for two others that are all strats)
- You can find replacement strat necks from Stewmac for like $118
- If you don't have to have a FR bridge you can pick up a vintage 6-hole for less than $50 through warmoth
That would bring down the price to something like $500 flat and you're still getting MIA strat quality and tone. Just saying.
So, I don't know how you feel about assembling the guitar yourself, but for what you want it may be a good option. Warmoth usually has a decent amount of strat bodies in stock and for what you want you could take this body, paint it candy apple red (I just checked and guitar reranch doesn't currently have CAR in stock unfortunately, but I'm sure if you were diligent you could find it), a neck like this, a floyd rose bridge (that's what the body is routed for that I linked to), some SSL-1's, tuners, a pickguard, and you're about good to go.
For finishing, luthier's mercantile international sells tru oil which IMO is the best finish for necks. Smoother than shellac (or glass for that matter) and feels all kinds of awesome. Plus you'd have a guitar that you put together yourself, with the only requirement being a little drilling and some light spraying of the body. Total cost would be body ($145), neck ($157), tuners ($60), paint and tru oil would be $30-40 because you'd need grain filler and sand/sealer for swamp ash before you could finish it in CAR, pickups would be like ~$100 for some used SSL-1's up to $300 for custom shop single coils. I'm a big fan of JS Moore's humbuckers but I've never played their single coils so I couldn't tell you about those. So you're looking at $670 (that's with the floyd rose locking bridge) to $870 for a brand new, completely custom stratocaster built exactly to your specifications with high grade materials.
The downside is the resale value of a parts-built guitar is a lot lower than a comparable fender. The upside is if you do it right, you won't ever be willing to sell the guitar. I've done two parts guitars and would sooner sell my kidneys than either of them.
edit: if you went FR bridge with a locking nut you could save some money on the tuners, maybe pick up some used ones online. Same thing for the FR bridge, could probably get that for a little less.
About the custom shop pickups, I really, really like the strabro 90s I have in my maple-neck strat. I think they'd fit really well what you want (blues and hotter stuff in one package.) If you're willing to spend the money they're absolutely worth it.
Double edit:
- USACG has some bodies for sale that are ridiculously cheap. ($125 for one and $135 for two others that are all strats)
- You can find replacement strat necks from Stewmac for like $118
- If you don't have to have a FR bridge you can pick up a vintage 6-hole for less than $50 through warmoth
That would bring down the price to something like $500 flat and you're still getting MIA strat quality and tone. Just saying.
Last edited:
phil_104
Cheesesteakologist
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
Although I agree what what makes a guitar special is what you do with it, I disagree that a 1200 guitar isn't necessarily twice as good as a 600 guitar.
If I was to factor in hardware, finish, wood selection, electronics and just general feel of the instrument, I have played loads of american fender guitars that justified the price tag being double that of a standard version. There are some gems out there, but sometimes spending the extra dollar is worth it.
Although I agree what what makes a guitar special is what you do with it, I disagree that a 1200 guitar isn't necessarily twice as good as a 600 guitar.
If I was to factor in hardware, finish, wood selection, electronics and just general feel of the instrument, I have played loads of american fender guitars that justified the price tag being double that of a standard version. There are some gems out there, but sometimes spending the extra dollar is worth it.
ehdwuld
A Ficus
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
then I shall qualify my post "as for me"
maybe I'm just cheap that way
fair enough
then I shall qualify my post "as for me"
maybe I'm just cheap that way
Kramer Guy
New member
Re: How much should I spend on a strat...?
I've ordered merchandise from GC's used gear section on their website many times and have never had any problems with any of the gear that I've bought from them. They will send you more photos and also ship to your local GC in order to accommodate you as others have posted on here. If you don't like what you buy, you can always return it for a refund.
I've ordered merchandise from GC's used gear section on their website many times and have never had any problems with any of the gear that I've bought from them. They will send you more photos and also ship to your local GC in order to accommodate you as others have posted on here. If you don't like what you buy, you can always return it for a refund.