this one just kinda spoke to me. I didn't need another strat - even if it has a Floyd - but I was obsessed I had to have it!
This is the Fender Dave Murray "California" Strat. It's from Mexico factory. Duncan rails and Floyd Special.
I actually pieced this together from parts - I got the neck for a great price for a new part and the body at so-so. In all about $300 cheaper than a haggled price at the store.
Build quality is pretty good. Components are a mix of good electronics and crummy Floyd Rose Special. I'm still working bit by bit on the setup. Got the neck right, took the shims out from under the Floyd nut to lower the action. The frets are very level and well dressed. I need to shim up the neck with the micro tilt to bring the action down to ridiculously low which should be no problem.
One issue I noticed on this model (and other MIM Fenders) - the rosewood board was left really roughly finished. I took some micro mesh to the fretboard and worked it up to 12000 grit to polish it up. I also broke in the fretboard edges to take some of the square off of the shoulders.
The Floyd Rose Special is really crappy though. It makes the 1000 series that came on the Pro Mods seem like the gold standard. Overall it feels soft, none of the screws turn smoothly, the nut is already developing string ruts and the locking pads barely fit in the nut without jamming them in. Overall this trem is a testament to why the real deal German Floyd is still a necessity. I may see how long this special lasts under use before replacing it as an experiment.
Edit - more pics
This is the Fender Dave Murray "California" Strat. It's from Mexico factory. Duncan rails and Floyd Special.
I actually pieced this together from parts - I got the neck for a great price for a new part and the body at so-so. In all about $300 cheaper than a haggled price at the store.
Build quality is pretty good. Components are a mix of good electronics and crummy Floyd Rose Special. I'm still working bit by bit on the setup. Got the neck right, took the shims out from under the Floyd nut to lower the action. The frets are very level and well dressed. I need to shim up the neck with the micro tilt to bring the action down to ridiculously low which should be no problem.
One issue I noticed on this model (and other MIM Fenders) - the rosewood board was left really roughly finished. I took some micro mesh to the fretboard and worked it up to 12000 grit to polish it up. I also broke in the fretboard edges to take some of the square off of the shoulders.
The Floyd Rose Special is really crappy though. It makes the 1000 series that came on the Pro Mods seem like the gold standard. Overall it feels soft, none of the screws turn smoothly, the nut is already developing string ruts and the locking pads barely fit in the nut without jamming them in. Overall this trem is a testament to why the real deal German Floyd is still a necessity. I may see how long this special lasts under use before replacing it as an experiment.
Edit - more pics
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